There are several Sisters who have spent only a few years in the Community. For some, such as Sr Martha, this was due to an early death, but others, such as Sr Philippa, left. It is often difficult to follow through the lives of these Sisters after they left, and to know what happened. There will be something in the Minutes of the Community Chapter about the fact of their leaving, but very seldom are any reasons given, although the Sisters may have been aware of them at the t

Finding the background of our Sisters can be complicated, and this is especially true for our Third Order, for whom we do not have a record of surnames. Established for those women who had been at the House of Mercy and wished to dedicate their lives to God through the Community, each Third Order Sister took ‘Faith’ as their second name. Thankfully, most used their birth names, and they appear in the census, which means I have managed to identify them. Sr Ellen Faith is first