top of page
Search

Sister Elizabeth Ann

Writer's picture: allhallowsconventallhallowsconvent

St James’ Day 1877 must have been a day of great rejoicing for the Community, for it was the day three lay Sisters made their profession. Sr Patience I wrote about last January; the other two, Sr Elizabeth Ann and Sr Emily I have not. These two share another similarity as both of them later left the Community. When? We do not know. I have found Sr Emily in the 1881 census, when she was at the House of Mercy, then not until 1911, by which time she had gone. Sr Elizabeth Ann was present in 1891 and left by 1901. But we have more information about Sr Elizabeth Ann, and it is on her I would like to focus today.

 

Elizabeth Ann Hurst was born in Cowley, Oxfordshire on the 13th February 1854, and baptised on the 14th May. Her parents were John and Matilda Hurst and in 1871 they were living at Woodside farm, Marcham, Abingdon, which is given as ‘Berkshire and Oxfordshire’. John’s occupation is listed as “bailiff 300 acres 8 men 3 boys”. John and Matilda, both in their 40s, live there with their six children, aged between 18 and 7, including Elizabeth Ann, aged 17. Five farm men live with them. It seems that Elizabeth Ann came from farming stock as in 1861 she is registered with her aunt and uncle John and Charlotte Greening in Headington, Oxfordshire. John is a farmer of 30 acres with 1 man, and an owner of houses. Elizabeth Ann must have joined the Community not long after that 1871 census, while quite young. While we have no clothing dates, and we do not know how long Sr Elizabeth Ann was in the Community, I do know that lay Sisters had longer Novitiates than choir Sisters. We also know how long Sr Patience was in religion for; this dates back to the time of her clothing, and takes us back to 1872. Of a similar age to Sr Patience and professed on the same day, it seems likely that Sr Elizabeth Ann must have had a similar clothing date.

 

So, what happened next? In 1881, Sr Elizabeth Ann is working in the House of Mercy, alongside Sr Emily and two other lay Sisters, both also professed in the late 1870s. Also there were M. Lavinia, and two more senior choir Sisters. But in the 1880s, exciting developments happened in the Community. Acton Sillitoe, Bishop of New Westminster in British Columbia, was looking for some Sisters to go out to work in Canada; his mother-in-law was an Associate of the Community of All Hallows, and so our Community was approached. Two choir Sisters went: Sr Amy, as Sister in Charge, and Sr Alice Louisa. A lay Sister was also needed, and Sr Elizabeth Ann was chosen to go. Although we do have records, some of which I have yet to explore, I can only imagine how this worked out in practice. As one of only three Sisters, in a new situation, Sr Elizabeth Ann may well have had more responsibility than she would have had back in Norfolk. Most of our records come from magazines for this period: one set from Canada and another East and West with articles from both England and Canada (hence the title). While I have not yet looked at the former, I have seen some of the latter, and can see some of Sr Elizabeth Ann’s life there. 

Yale, British Columbia
Yale, British Columbia

In 1887, she was left in charge of the children at the Mission House [at Yale, British Columbia], with a teacher, while the other two Sisters took some of the other children to Lytton. Just one indication of the responsibility I mentioned. In 1888, she is one of those who helped to put out a fire in the kitchen chimney. One Easter, the ‘dear lay Sister of the Community’ was severely ill, and that December Sr Amy was up with her every night. She suffered much between the hours of 12 and 4. It was a case of severe inflammation, possibly caused by cold and general weakness. Off work for several weeks, once she recovered she was kept to one room for a while. Again, one can only imagine the strain this put the Sisters under, although they did have some outside help. But who was responsible for Sr Elizabeth Ann’s work? Well, apparently Sr Amy did that, while also helping care for Sr Elizabeth Ann. Sr Alice Louisa and another helper assisted where they could, but most of the burden seems to have fallen on Sr Amy. No surprise then that she had her own breakdown in health in 1889, and for a while her life was in danger. Sr Amy recovered, however, as did Sr Elizabeth Ann, although the latter returned to England sometime in 1890.  In 1891, she is back at Ditchingham, as head of household at 4 Draper’s Lane, just around the corner from the convent site. It is possible that this was actually All Hallows farm, which is on Draper’s Lane, and is the only place that I am aware we lived at on Draper’s Lane. As Sr Elizabeth Ann came from a farming family, she may well have been an ideal choice to take this on. The farm was run for several years by a lay Sister under Sr Emmeline, a choir Sister whose main work was elsewhere. Whatever the situation, Sr Elizabeth Ann is on Draper’s Lane in 1891 together with Sr Patience, who was visiting, another visitor and a servant. What happened next?

 

Well, in 1894 the farm was leased to Rider Haggard, a writer who lived nearby. By 1901, Sr Elizabeth Ann had left the Community. Whether the two events are connected, I do not know. Why she left, I also do not know, and it would not be fair to speculate. In 1901, she is registered with her sister’s family in Lambeth; no occupation is given, so I am assuming that she had left the Community by then. I cannot find her in either the 1911 or 1921 census, but she is in the 1939 register, living on her own means, at Grove Road, Norwich, where she seems to have been a lodger. She died in January 1945, by which time she was living on Constitution Hill in Norwich.  Sr Elizabeth Ann’s life took her in unexpected directions and unforeseen decisions. The fact that she left the Community would have caused the Sisters some distress, but it may well have been the right decision for her. These decisions, which appear to turn back on a commitment made before God, can sometimes be a cause of shame. But there is no doubt in my mind that sometimes they are simply the best decision we can make in the circumstances, and that God is in them, and with us, throughout. 

 

4 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All
Convicted

Convicted

Commenti


BUNGAY

+ 44 (0) 1986 892749

 

All Hallows

23 Trinity Street

Bungay

Suffolk

NR35 1EH

 

info@all-hallows.org

ISLE OF MULL

+ 44 (0) 1681 700535

 

All Hallows

Roan Cottage

Bunessan

Isle of Mull, Scotland

PA67 6DU

 

srpamth@gmail.com

  • Instagram

© 2020 All Hallows Community + We Kommune.

Registered Charity Number, England 230143 & Scotland: SC048259

bottom of page