Bournemouth, 1873

Lady Georgina Fullerton’s last act of charity for the sick poor of London was the opening of a Convalescent Home in Bournemouth in 1874 called 'Blenheim' which became known as St Joseph's Home for Invalids. When the Matron became seriously ill, the Sisters of Mercy in Great Ormond Street Hospital were approached, in order to take charge, but they were not in a position to do so until fourteen years later.

It was in 1888 that M. Evangelist Power RSM, M. Catherine Collingridge RSM and M. Ignatius Pitt RSM, arrived in Bournemouth to fulfil Lady Georgina’s request. They chose 'Mineham' which was 11 Branksome Wood Road as the convent, this house had been occupied formerly by 'the religious of the Cross' a French order. A generous benefactor, Mrs. Blake [probably Adelaide Blake whose correspondence can be found in IOLM/BOUR/2/3], a cousin of Sister Evangelist, undertook to give £200 p.a. for three years to defray rent and taxes on 11 Branksome Wood Road. Later legacies of £7,000 from the generous Mr and Mrs Blake, enabled the Sisters to provide separate facilities for male and female patients, now called St. Joseph’s Convalescent Home.

The following year, on 15 March 1889, M Evangelist Power RSM died, and the bishop approached the Abingdon community to request the loan of M Clare Joseph Lidden RSM for three months, she came on 14th April with a companion, M Agatha Mulholland RSM, who was her assistant; M Berchmans Lalor RSM and a Sister Patricia arrived some days later. M Camillus Wemyss RSM volunteered to work in Bournemouth and arrived from Great Ormond Street in June. In August the Sisters took on responsibility for the small school founded by Lady Georgina where they remained in charge for over forty years.

Despite financial and other difficulties, the Sisters nursed many poor people back to health. During the Boer and First World Wars, many wounded servicemen convalesced at St. Joseph’s as did many undernourished patients during the hard years of the 1920’s and 30’s. During the World War II, evacuees from Southampton and patients requiring respite care from heavy bombing in large cities were given a home.

In 1993 the Sisters withdrew and their new building became hospice called "The Sanctuary", providing palliative care and respite for people with HIV, until the end of the decade. For more than a hundred years, from 1874 through to the 1990’s, the Sisters of Mercy in were actively engaged in responding to the needs of the poor in Bournemouth and beyond.