Author Topic: A Nuns Income...  (Read 1962 times)

Offline Cnthree3

  • RootsChat Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 223
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
A Nuns Income...
« on: Sunday 07 August 16 20:50 BST (UK) »
I always thought a nun did not receive any income. However, on finding out through the census pages that a relative was at St Mary's Abbey (also known as as Colwich Abbey was originally called Mount Pavilion) first as a domestic servant and then as a nun, I was surprised to see, in the 1881 census her profession shown as 'income from interest of money'. 9Condition of marriage shown as Nun)

others in the convent were shown as Rent from houses' and 'income from dividends'.

Each num seems to have different sorts of income allocated. Some I could not decipher, possibly 'annulent??"

I have tried to find out more information from the internet but not much luck. Does anyone know what the really means.

Also do you know if there are records that might show why and when she joined the convent?

many thanks

Offline ScouseBoy

  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 6,142
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: A Nuns Income...
« Reply #1 on: Sunday 07 August 16 20:56 BST (UK) »
I thought  that  They would  donate  any spare  income  to their order.

Some orders  make a vow of poverty, but whether they all do, I am not sure.        Some sisters    will be employed as teachers or nurses.   and you would expect  they currently  get paid the commensurate  salary  by their employer,   that's  what I would think  happens at the present date.
Nursall   ~    Buckinghamshire
Avies ~   Norwich

Offline Marmalady

  • RootsChat Aristocrat
  • ******
  • Posts: 1,721
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: A Nuns Income...
« Reply #2 on: Sunday 07 August 16 20:56 BST (UK) »
Just speculation but any such income in the Nun's name ( eg from an inheritance from parents etc) may have been "donated" to the convent for its upkeep / running costs / charitable works
Wainwright - Yorkshire
Whitney - Herefordshire
Watson -  Northamptonshire
Trant - Yorkshire
Helps - all
Needham - Derbyshire
Waterhouse - Derbyshire
Northing - all

Offline ScouseBoy

  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 6,142
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: A Nuns Income...
« Reply #3 on: Sunday 07 August 16 21:05 BST (UK) »
Just speculation but any such income in the Nun's name ( eg from an inheritance from parents etc) may have been "donated" to the convent for its upkeep / running costs / charitable works
       I think similarly to you.   However not all sisters  work within the Convent.    some  work in the outside community.

When I was in hospital, 50 years ago,   there was a religious sister working in the hospital  as a nurse,,   She had great devotion  to her patients.

And I know it is "fiction"     but if you watch   the Programme  "The Royal"    one of the staff is a religious  Sister.                 Many convents  were and still   are homes for  abandoned children or orphans,   like    Nazareth House  for example.
Nursall   ~    Buckinghamshire
Avies ~   Norwich


Offline Cnthree3

  • RootsChat Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 223
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: A Nuns Income...
« Reply #4 on: Sunday 07 August 16 22:01 BST (UK) »
This is really interesting , but sadly I expect i will never find out what she did to earn the money.- many thanks though for the information.

Offline aghadowey

  • RootsChat Honorary
  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 51,951
    • View Profile
Re: A Nuns Income...
« Reply #5 on: Sunday 07 August 16 22:30 BST (UK) »
There would have been records kept of any who entered the Order but getting details from such records would probably mean contacting them directly. See here-
http://www.benedictines.org.uk/house/colwich-abbey/
Away sorting out DNA matches... I may be gone for some time many years!

Offline jbml

  • RootsChat Aristocrat
  • ******
  • Posts: 1,457
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: A Nuns Income...
« Reply #6 on: Sunday 07 August 16 22:52 BST (UK) »
Some I could not decipher, possibly 'annulent??"

Annuitant

i.e. somebody in receipt of an annuity
All identified names up to and including my great x5 grandparents: Abbot Andrews Baker Blenc(h)ow Brothers Burrows Chambers Clifton Cornwell Escott Fisher Foster Frost Giddins Groom Hardwick Harris Hart Hayho(e) Herman Holcomb(e) Holmes Hurley King-Spooner Martindale Mason Mitchell Murphy Neves Oakey Packman Palmer Peabody Pearce Pettit(t) Piper Pottenger Pound Purkis Rackliff(e) Richardson Scotford Sherman Sinden Snear Southam Spooner Stephenson Varing Weatherley Webb Whitney Wiles Wright

Online heywood

  • RootsChat Honorary
  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 41,503
    • View Profile
Re: A Nuns Income...
« Reply #7 on: Sunday 07 August 16 23:04 BST (UK) »
It is interesting looking through those names and censuses.
1881 seems to be the only one with such specific occupation descriptions.

1841 - Independent
1851 - some are No Profession     ?? Own means
           Others are Household Avocations
1861 - Nun
1871- Religious

If I recall, nuns had to have a dowry. Perhaps they were all living off the interest etc of the communal monies. May be also at that time, most women who entered a convent were from families who had means.
I don't really know.
I know the nuns who taught at the school I attended had a hierarchy - the teachers; the domestic and gardening nuns and they were quite snobbish.
Looking at 1851, it looks as though the 'household avocations' ladies were professed as nuns but at the time were on domestic duties.
Census Information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Offline Cnthree3

  • RootsChat Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 223
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: A Nuns Income...
« Reply #8 on: Sunday 07 August 16 23:38 BST (UK) »
Thanks. I have contacted them directly and don't live that far away and might even go to visit. Thanks for all your help with this one. It is a really interesting little piece of family history that no one knew about. G