Sr Frances

While looking through a book of early Associates, I came across some recognisable surnames; surnames that were the same as some of our early Sisters. I made note of these, to research a possible link. One of those Associates was Louisa Florence Gottwaltz, admitted as an Associate of the second order in 1897, and withdrew in 1912. She was the sister of Alice Frances Gottwaltz, who was professed as a choir Sister in 1897 and died in 1910. While there is an obvious link between the dates, I do not know why Louisa withdrew.

The Gottwaltz sisters were the daughters of John and Florence Gottwaltz, who married in 1852; John was a fundholder, who lived in the south of England. Their oldest child, Edward, died aged 7, after a short illness. Louisa was the next oldest, followed by: Ernest, Alice Frances, George, Mabel and Henry. In 1891, John and Florence were living in Bideford, Devon; with them were Alice Frances (aged 33), Mabel (aged 23) and Henry (aged 22, undergraduate). Of the other three siblings, Ernest was married, and working as a manufacturer; George had emigrated, and I’m not sure where Louisa was, although I do know that she never married. Both George and Henry married, and all three brothers had children; Henry was ordained, and became Rector of Thurning in Northamptonshire for many years. But I suspect that the three sisters may have continued to live with their parents until their deaths: Florence died in 1893, aged 63 and John followed the year after, suddenly but not unexpectedly, as he suffered from heart disease. It was now that Alice Frances joined the Community of All Hallows. Professed in 1897, a two year Novitiate takes us back to 1895; she was in religion for 16 years, which dates her clothing as 1894. These years are not exact; the years in religion dates from a Sister’s clothing as a Novice, but the exact year will vary depending on when she was clothed in relation to her death. But it seems fairly certain that Alice Frances joined the Community after her Father’s death in 1894. Why this was, we can only speculate. Possibly, she needed to care for her parents; possibly, she was not financially independent until after their deaths; possibly, her parents were not happy with her joining a Community, and so she needed to wait. I do know, from Census data, that both Louisa and Mabel had their own means, presumably from their parents, and therefore we can assume that Alice Frances did also, although her probate record shows that she left £13 2s 6d, so it seems their finances may have been limited. Louisa and Mabel shared a flat in London in 1901, and (presumably) until Mabel’s marriage in 1904.

Whatever the reason was, Alice Frances Gottwaltz lived with her parents until their deaths, when she was in her mid-30’s, after which she joined the Community of All Hallows, becoming known as Sr Frances. We have very little information about her life in Community. The 1898 and 1899 Electoral Registers show that she is working at our Hospital, based in the village of Ditchingham, but by 1901 she is at St Augustine’s Lodge, in Norwich. I have mentioned St Augustine’s before, but for those who are unaware, it was a refuge for girls and young women, who stayed there for anything between a few weeks and a few months, before moving on to another refuge, such as our House of Mercy, where they would usually live for two years and be trained in Domestic Service. It was found that those who had been at a ‘half-way house’, such as St Augustine’s, settled better in the House of Mercy, and, in time, all those who came to the Ditchingham House of Mercy came from St Augustine’s. The work there was varied. I know that Sr Marianna would go out into the streets of Norwich, seeking those who needed help, but there was work to be done within the refuge as well. In 1901, there were 10 inmates, aged between 14 and 21, who were engaged in the general work of the house as well as Laundry and Needlework. This would have prepared them well for life at the House of Mercy. In 1901, Sr Frances worked there with Sr Marion and Sr Eliza, and was probably in charge of the Lodge. No-one is registered as Sister-in-Charge, but Sr Frances is down as ‘employer’ and she is the first named. Aged 52, Sr Frances died on November 19^th 1910. A mention of her death in our Community Magazine for 1911 says that it is to her faithful, loving work that St Augustine’s owes much of its steadfast, enduring work. As she was still living at St Augustine’s when she died, she must have worked there for around ten years; during that time, she seems to have laid foundations that ensured the continuation of this work.

Sr Frances built on work that others had done before her; Sr Marianna was the first Sister to work at St Augustine’s, and it was on those foundations that Sr Frances worked. Sr Marianna moved on to parish work, whereas Sr Frances stayed at St Augustine’s. We, too, may be called to labour, voluntarily or paid, for longer or shorter periods of time; we can follow Sr Frances in her faithful love, or we can make the work all about ourselves. We can be aware of when it is time to relinquish the work to those who come after us, or we can hold it for ourselves for too long. Ultimately, we are not working for ourselves, but for our God. 

[Picture: Mother House, pre-1900]