St Clotilde’s Convent, Lechlade
I. The Catholic Community of Lechlade by Richard Barton (2003)
From the death of Queen Mary in 1558 until the arrival of the Sisters of St. Clotilde in 1939, there is little evidence of Catholic activity in Lechlade itself, although the town was surrounded by a number of Mass centres. A census for 1780 tells us that there were only two Catholics living in Lechlade at that time. The nearest of these Catholic Missions was at Hatherop Castle, which was maintained by the Blomer and Webb families. This ancient Mission survived until 1844 when Lady Barbara de Mauley died. In the following year the present Parish Church of St. Thomas of Canterbury was erected at Horcott, near Fairford. This little church continues to be the focus of a parish which serves some 300 families scattered between Purton Stoke in Wiltshire and Aldsworth in the Cotswolds.
The Order of St. Clotilde first came to England in 1903 and settled in Guildford. In 1910 a second house was founded at Eltham Park House and a school was established. Owing to the growth of London, it was decided to look for a house in the West Country. The sisters arrived at Lechlade Manor in August 1939. The dining room was converted into the chapel which was dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and St. Lawrence. Bishop Lee celebrated the first Mass on the feast of St Lawrence, 1939, and it was noted that this saint was the patron saint of the medieval Parish Church.
The first resident chaplain was Father Henry Bilsborrow and, after he left, there followed a succession of priests, many of whom were Jesuits, including Father David O’Driscoll who left in 1998. On 25th March 1960, the new Chapel of Our Lady of the Annunciation was solemnly blessed and opened by Bishop Joseph Rudderham. Externally the chapel was designed to blend with the Manor, internally being of a simple contemporary style.
After nearly sixty years, the Sisters of St Clotilde departed from Lechlade Manor shortly after their Farewell Mass which was celebrated on 12th July 1998. However, the Chapel of the Annunciation continued to be used as a chapel-of-ease until the final celebration of Mass there on 27th December 1998. Rev. Richard Barton, Parish Priest of Fairford, served the chapel from 27th April 1998 until its closure. For some years afterwards the local congregation was welcomed by the members of Lechlade Methodist Church and Mass was celebrated at 6 p.m. every Sunday evening in their church. On Christmas Eve, during this period,the First Mass of Christmas was celebrated with the children of the parish in St Lawrence’s Parish Church.
When the sisters arrived there in 1939 was only one Catholic family in Lechlade. Sixty-five years later there were over sixty.
Madame Antoinette Sophie Aubry Desfontaines 1760-1821, Foundress of the Congregation of St. Clotilde
II. Sister Mary St Edmund McDonnell (November 1913 – April 2003)
Sister Mary St Edmund McDonnell died in peace and dignity in the afternoon of Wednesday, 16 April 2003 in Paris, on the eve of the great Easter Celebrations which meant so much to her. The Funeral was held at Quincy on Tuesday, April 22. Quincy is about 25km from Paris.
Sister Mary St Edmund was part of the Convent and School of St Clotilde at Lechlade Manor in Gloucestershire for nearly all her life, as pupil, nun, teacher, Headmistress and Reverend Mother. Her father was in the Royal Army Medical Corps and she always retained a great affection for military ceremonial. When her father was posted to India the children remained with their mother in England and she became a pupil, at a very early age, at St. Clotilde’s School at Eltham. She became a novice at 17 and later taught both in England and France. She came with the School when it moved from Eltham to Lechlade in 1939. She became Headmistress in 1959, retiring in 1986, but continued to be a member of the Lechlade Community, and continued to take a loving interest in the School until it closed in 1998 when she moved to Paris.
Daphne Walters, from the Old Girls’ Association says “I’m sure all who passed through the School keep a picture of “Eddy’s” tiny, energetic figure in their hearts and they know what she meant to them. She had high standards and expected them of others but doing one’s best was what she appreciated. She loved the history and traditions of Britain; the countryside; the spoken and written word; music; animals and she went into rhapsodies when girls brought their babies to meet her. She had the great ability to put people at their ease with her lively chat. Above all, she loved the young, everyone was unique to her and she considered it a privilege to help nurture them and foster their abilities through the St. Clotildean ethos”.
Her life will be celebrated with a special Requiem Mass at 11am on Saturday 7th June at the Catholic Church of St Thomas of Canterbury, Horcott Road, Fairford. Everyone is very welcome to attend. On that day there will also be a St Clotilde’s Reunion at Lechlade Memorial Hall from noon until 4pm and people are welcome to come along and say ‘hello’ to former staff and also Sister Patricia, Sister Marie Dominic and Sister Anne-Marie who are coming over from France for this occasion. The day will end at 3.30pm with an epilogue (hymns, reflections, prayers and the School song) at the Memorial Hall led by the clergy of Lechlade. (Father Richard Barton, Parish Priest)
III. CHAPLAINS AT ST CLOTILDE’S CONVENT AT LECHLADE
Rev. Henry L Bilsborrow 03/09/39 –14/09/48 (died)
Rev. Francis J.Meegan 10-10/48 – 30/10/49
Rev. Gerald Whelan 02/10/49 – 24/02/50
Rev. Michael Garrigan 25/02/50 – 08/07/52
Rev. Daniel Hickie 10/07/52 – 31/12/52
Rev. Cuthbert Keegan OMJ 04/04/53 – 19/09/53
Rev. Thomas J. Keane 26/09/53 – 06/11/53
Rev. John Styles MHM 07/11/53 – 18/12/53
Rt. Rev. Monsignor Charles W. Davey MA 18/12/53 – Feb. 1958
Rev. William Dobbin 1958 – 24/08/61 (died)
Rt. Rev Monsignor Patrick V. Hackett VF, BA 17/10/61 – 28/09/64 (died)
Rev. John Doyle SDB, MA 07/03/65 – 15/08/65
Rev. John King 04/09/65 – 21/10/66
Rev. Thomas J. Walshe 22/10/66 – 16/04/68
Rev. Leslie J.M. Borrett SJ 17/04/68 – 01/02/74 (died)
Rev. Noel Stephenson SJ, BA 1974 – 17/11/81 (died)
Rev. Raymond Bacon SJ 1982 – 05/07/94
Rev. David O’Driscoll SJ 23/08/94 – 19/04/98
Rev Richard J. Barton STB, AKC 27/04/98 – 27/12/98
St Lawrence’s Altar in the Chapel
IV St Clotilde’s Cemetery, Lechlade by Philippa Hunter
V. Susan (Davies) Scott, a pupil from 1957 – 1962, has very kindly submitted some photographs taken by her father, David Davies, at the time of the Laying of the Foundation Stone of the Chapel in 1959. She holds the copyrights for these photographs:
Susan Scott:
‘I can name most of the nuns, who include the Mother Superior who came over from the French mother house for the occasion.
There are 14 nuns of St Clotilde in the picture judging from the number of visible bonnets and, having consulted with others, they can be named with varying degrees of certainty, as follows:
From left to right:
Two nuns from a neighbouring convent
Father Dobbin
1 Sister Gethsemane
2 Sister John (hidden)
3 Sister Bruno
4 Sister Edmund (or possibly Sister Odile)
5 Sister Patricia perhaps (hidden)
6 Sister Angèle perhaps
7 Reverend Mother Dominic
8 Sister Mary Margaret (Lundburg)
9 Sister Etheldreda
10 Mother Provincial, visiting for the ceremony of laying the foundation stone of the new chapel
11 Sister Odile or Sister Patrick (hidden looking to the left)
12 Sister Hilda (Reverend Mother prior to Sister Dominic)
13 Sister Christine perhaps (only top of head is visible)
14 Sister Angela.
Sr Dominique was Reverend Mother at the time of the chapel’s design and construction. It was the headmistress, Sr Edmund, who told us that Sr Dominique’s input to the chapel’s design was not widely known and that she had considered every item in great detail. On the exterior the new chapel respected the style of the existing building and its features. That may have been the architect’s doing. On the interior, however, I had the impression that she wanted to avoid clutter and aimed for simple uplifting lines and lighting. The Order was French and she was French and would likely have followed progressive French and indeed European church architecture of the time.
Concurrently, we pupils were made aware that Coventry Cathedral was being rebuilt and saw the publicity and some of the details, which became familiar to us.
I might add that Sr Dominique was also a very inspiring and splendid teacher of French literarature which evidently she loved. I am sure that all her pupils were enthused by her lessons on the great classics – Racine, Corneille, Ronsard (Sur la mort de Marie), Mauriac, St Exupery et cetera, and she would calmly make us read material not on the syllabus before exams.
Incidentally, Sr Edmund became headmistress in about 1959, following Sr Hilda. If I remember correctly Sr Edmund had Irish roots, her brother having gone to Clongowes. She invited a specialist to talk to us about James Joyce and she also sent us on outings to historic buildings in which Monsignor Goulder specialised.’
The Sisters attending Mass at St Thomas’s Fairford (July 1998)
Last days of St Clotilde’s Convent
.
VI. CAPTAIN LINDSAY GARRARD, ORGAN BUILDER OF LECHLADE
In December 1998 the present pipe organ was acquired for St Thomas’s Church at Fairford. It came from the Catholic Church in Lambourn and was built in 1873 by William Hill & Son of London. The firm’s records reveal that it was commissioned for Hitcham Church in Maidenhead. At the time it was thought that this was probably the first pipe organ to be placed in St Thomas’s Church but the following note discovered in the archives shows that this is definitely not the case:
‘About this time (1908) Captain Garrard, owner of an organ factory in Lechlade, built a beautiful organ for the Church as a thank offering for his conversion. This was removed later to Swindon.’
Within a short time Philippa Hunter of Lechlade discovered some more details–
‘Lindsay Garrard – Organ builder of Lechlade lived at Ryton House and he had two daughters. He left the town before 1914. He built an organ for Uffington Church. He used the buildings at the west end of Church House garden as his workshop. This premises were formally malthouses and are situated between the Library and the garage which is situated behind the church wall.’
VII. The structure of a talk given to the Lechlade Local History Society
“A Medley of Holiness” by Fr Richard Barton (2003c)
Part I: Local Saints
St Sampson c. 485-565 Feast Day 28th July
(Robert of Cricklade c.1140-c.1180 & St Thomas of Canterbury 1118-1170)
St Augustine of Canterbury Arrived at Ebbsfleet 597 died 604
Feast Day 27th May
St Birinus of Dorchester Arrived in England 634 died c.650
Feast Day 5th December
St Beornwald of Bampton c.900 Feast Day 21st December
Blessed Hugh Cook or Faringdon Born at Faringdon. Abbot of Reading Martyred 1539
Feast Day 15th November
Blessed Stephen Rowsham Priest Martyred in Gloucester March 1587.
Feast Day 14th November
John Keble 1792-1866 Curate of the Eastleaches from 1815 and Southrop from 1823-27
Feast Day 14th July (Cof E)
Ven. John Henry Cardinal Newman 1801-1890 Visited Fairford 14-16th August 1828 and Sept 1831. Feast Day 11th August
Blessed Dominic Barberi 1792-1849 Celebrated Mass at Fairford Easter Sunday 1846
Feast Day 26th August
Part II: Local Devotion
St John the Baptist Feast Days: Nativity 24th June
Beheading 29th August
St Lawrence (Laurence) of Rome Martyred 258 Feast Day 10th August
St Blaise Bishop of Sebaste in Armenia C4th (?) Feast Day 3rd February
St Agatha of Catania in Sicily C3rd (?) Feast Day 5th February
St Clotilde Wife of King Clovis Queen of France Died 545 Feast Day 3rd June
(Madame Antoinette Sophie Aubry Desfontaines 1760-1821 – Founder of the Congregation of St Clotilde. Convent at Lechlade Manor 1939-1998)
(St Brice (Britius) Succeeded St Martin as Bp of Tours in 397. Feast Day 13th Nov.)
St Malo of Brittany Bishop 525-621 Feast Days:15th November/Translated 11th July
Part III: A Pilgrim People
St Frideswide Abbess of Oxford 680- c.735 Feast Day 19th October
St Aldhelm of Malmesbury Bishop of Sherborne Died 709 Feast Day 24th May
St Kenelm of Winchcombe Murdered Prince Died c.819 Feast Day 17th July
Fr.Anthony Dolan is writing a history of the Nottingham Diocese and we are looking to ensure that the Religious Congregations who had a presence in the Diocese are included. We think the Sisters of St.Clothilde were based at the Cathedral in Nottingham at some stage.
If so, please could you send us a paragraph about the history of your congregation and its charism; as well as when you came into the Diocese, what you did and when you left.
I look forward to hearing from you asap.
Blessings,
Sr Susan Richert pbvm
Vicar for Religious, Diocese of Nottingham
Dear Sister, Many thanks for your comment. I was Parish Priest for Lechlade as the Sisters were selling up the property so I only had direct contact with the Order for a few months back in 1998. I would recommend that you contact their headquarters which will be somewhere in France. Kind regards Richard.
Communaute des Soeurs de St Clotilde, 116 rue Lourmel, 75015 Paris.
Thanks for commenting on this blog
Susan, no 4 in your photo is definitely Sr Odile or Dilly as we called her. Shame Sr St Patrick can’t be seen – she was known as Paddy and she was my Form Tutor in 1957! Sr Odile as I recall used to do the uniforms [including knickers, which we declined to use!]. Somewhere I have some photos which I will try to find [still sorting out a big downsize and move]
Regards to all old pupils.
Lesley [Yates-Fish]
Many thanks for these additions. Photographs would certainly be much appreciated. With kind regards Richard
Hi Lesley,
Are you related in any way to Mary Jane Ann Yates? My sister and I, Rosemary and Carolyn Batorski attended the school from ‘55-‘57. Many fond memories. I visited there in 2018 and the current owner (a retired footballer) let me wander through. Such a thrill and so lovely to see that the views from the library remain the same. Of course many acres were sold off and developed and the tennis courts were let go many years ago, but my memories flowed and were so sweet.
I am Edith Mazuré. I was in St -Clotild’s for one term in 1959 ( ?) .
I was Sr Dominic’s niece.Actually my son and his family are living in London.
So I come to London several time’s in the year.
Randomly,they are going on holiday’s near Lechlade next week .
So I ask my grandaughter Daphné to light a candle for me in the church. Life goes on whith Saint Clotilde…….
Edith,
Lovely to hear from you.
Kind regards
Richard
Hello, my name is María Gonzalez and I was at the Convent for five years.
From 1960 to 1965, with my sister Mercedes. From Spain. I have unforgettable memories from those years and am sad to know the nuns are no longer part of Lechlade. I would love to visit the school, but if it is no longer there it is not really worth the trip. Please I would love to have some news and all the best to all those pupils which I remember so well. I will try to send some pictures when I get back home.
Many thanks, Maria, the school closed in 1998 and the manor is now a private residence with some new houses in the grounds. The nuns returned to France and I presume they have all died by now. Former pupils visit this site regularly so further information would be appreciated.
Hello Maria, I remember you very well – you taught me how to play Spanish Flamenca on the guitar. To this day, it’s still the only thing I can play! I am Marysia Ziolkowska/Herb and was one of a group of Polish girls that were pupils at the Convent. I joined in 1956 and left in 1968. The nuns were amazingly generous and very understanding to the plight of Polish refugees who could not return to Poland post war and were attempting to make a new life in U.K.
Maria – I’ve just read your post. I think of you so often if you read this please get in touch . Love Ruth Schofield (Boulton)
Dear Ruth,
Such a lovely surprise to hear from you again!
It would be lovely to get to see each other
again. I gather you are married (so am I)
and hope to remain so! My husband is a
very successful man and your brother (the
bike fan, not John) would love to meet him.
My e-mail is macglez53@gmail.com
Would love to hear from you again!
All the best.
Happy Valentines ❤️
MGC
After a long time I found this webside. I spent one year at the Convent St. Clotilde (1968 – 1969) I worked as a help to learn the English Language. There are so many very special memories and I wish so very much to get in touch with some people who spent their time with me. I am from Switzerland. My name Freddy Scheuermann, I am now married for almost 50 years and my name is Zimmermann. I still am in contact with Sister Marie Jehanne who lives now in France, Voges.
Thank you, Elfried, your memories would be most welcome. With kindest regards Richard.
Dear Richard, thank you so much for your reply! I wish I could get in touch with some of the girls back then. Some names come to my mind: Jenny Lovesgrooves, Judith and Elisabeth Gsell, Trudi Giger, Elisabeth Muff. Also Sister St. Patrick, well, if she is still alive, she must be quite advanced in age. I am so absolutely grateful for this wonderfull time I was able to spend at Lechlade Manor. Thank you for all the people who made it possible and who I’ll never ever forget!
I am Rebecca Sarjent and was the wonderful convent for 1962 to 1973. Number 8 of the nuns is sister Mary Margaret (Lundburg) who I think is in the graveyard and whose grave is on the left in the photo.
Many thanks, Rebecca.
Dear Rebecca Sarjent, if you were at St. Clotilde during 1962 to 1973 we should know each other… May name was back then Freddy Scheuermann (Switzerland) and I was there 1968 to 1969 My name is now Zimmermann. I was working as an o’pair to learn the English language… Would be nice hearing from you. Regards Freddy
I am Gabrielle Ledger and I was at the convent from probably around 1949-1960. Some pupil names I remember are Susan Davies-Webb, Susan Freeguard, Penny Kerr, Penny Cuthbertson, Carol Walters, Angela Bronne (who was, I think, in my sister, Teresa’s class), Jane Proust. Of the sisters, I always dreaded French with Sister Augustine, and also lunch with almost raw sausages, and liver that was usually an unhealthy shade of green. One of my favourite memories is playing rounders, and walking back through a field of buttercups.
Thanks for your comment, Gabrielle
Oh my goodness Gabrielle, I remember the green liver! I have never been able to eat it since (at the time I somehow forced a little bit down masked by the mashed potato that usually accompanied it). I thought I had exagerated the memory until I saw the above.
I remember your name and several others in this post.
Judy Ward.
(Judith Barton)
Oh dear……. I worked for some time in the kitchen, I had no choice 😢I wasn‘t supposed to work there…. but they were short of stuff… I hope I wasn’t guilty of green liver!!!!! I was there 1968 1969 just for one year… Regards Freddy Switzerland 🇨🇭
HI, I am Lesley and was at the convent from 1959-1964. The sister th from left in the group photo is definitely Sister Odile. She used to measure us for our uniforms and insisted we had the purple knickers which were part of the uniform. We never wore them as the new close fitting stretch ones were available in the shops! Rebels, or what!!! I can’t see Sister Edmund but she was definitely shorter than Sister Odile. I attended the stone unveiling and the Lechlade church ceremony. I don’t remember the liver but I do remember one of the sisters going to Swindon on a catering course and making the most wonderful stuffed cabbage with a tomato sauce. I also remember the bread and milk we had at breaktime – there was always a rush when the fresh bread had been delivered!
Thanks, Lesley, for your memories. Richard
Hello..was there ever a sister veronica there?,my mother Maria masi nee falvo worked there sometime between the 1960s maybe very early 70’s,its important that I find her whereabouts
Thank you
You must be Lesley who was down the flat with Sister Marie Jehanne and me Freddy from
Switzerland
4th from the left!!!!!
I am Susan Davies-Webb’s little sister Judith, or as Dilly called me The Little Terror! The time I spent at St Clotilde was some of my happiest memories. Swimming in the river, jumping the bonfire with Eddie, very pagan, the kindness and gentleness toward a scared 4 year old and being taught to sew, which I still do. See all the photos was wonderful, Susan Davies was one of my sister’s dear friends and her sister Phillipa was a friend to me.
Thank you, Judi, for those happy memories.
My sister, Rosemary and I (Carolyn Batorski) would love to connect with any classmates from 1955-1957. Our Father, Captain Joseph H Batorski, worked at Fairford. We were day students living in Coleshill and both have wonderful memories of our time at the Convent of St. Clotilde. Madame St Odile was a special and beloved teacher.My best friend then was Mary Jane Ann Yates who had a Malaysian connection, I believe. Thank you
Hello all, Rosemary Batorski is looking for old friends, Vicky Bartrop, Susan Hemlitsia (sp), Ms Cania, ms Gittens, Mrs Fisher (ballet teacher). Any information re these lovely people is appreciated. Thanks
Hi, I was at Convent Ste Clothilde from 1957 to July 1959 as a help to learn the English language and a teacher called Miss Siller taught us English starting with the ABC. We were 3 french girls. Could anyone tell me what happened to Diana Siller. She was of lithuania’s origin, gave piano lessons as well. Our tutor was Mother Marie Christine. Sister Margaret was in the kitchen. I would appreciate having more news. I also spent some days during Christmas with the family Doctor Gilmore.
(am not sure of the spelling anymore)
I was there 1962 – 1973. I am sure I read Miss Siller had died but not sure when or where. She taught me German
Hello..was there ever a sister veronica there?,my mother Maria masi nee falvo worked there sometime between the 1960s maybe very early 70’s,its important that I find her whereabouts
Thank you