Hull Communities, and Branch Houses, 1841-2000

Father Edward Clifford, the parish priest of Clifford in Yorkshire, requested sisters to take responsibility for teaching girls in the school in his parish. Five Sisters of Mercy came from Baggot Street, Dublin in August 1855 with another sister, two novices and a postulant in May 1856, and the school began to thrive. By January 1857 there were approximately twenty four Sisters. In 1857 Reverend Michael Trappes of Saint Charles parish in Hull asked for sisters to take responsibility for mixed children and infants in a school in Wilton Street and girls and infants in Canning Street School. Initially two of the Clifford sisters M. Joseph Star RSM and M Magdalen Kennedy moved into Wilton Street in Hull, with the promise of a house to be provided for them. Their energies were split between Hull and Clifford until they finally withdrew from Clifford in May 1867. As the accommodation in Wilton Street was extremely limited, the community moved into Elmtree House on 8 December 1857. The apostolates in Hull flourished, in addition to the original two schools the sisters were involved in Pryme Street School, visiting a prison for women, a workhouse, and visiting the sick and house bound of the parish. In Elmtree House Sisters of Mercy began a fee paying 'pension' school for daughters of middle class families, and when Father Trappes closed the boys school in Canning Street to concentrate on Pryme Street School, they converted their stables into temporary accommodation for the girls. In 1860 the sisters took up the remaining debt on Elmtree House. As the community took up new commitments and developed established missions they also faced 'the great convent case' in February 1869 which verdict went against them and added to debts. Father Trappes had Saint Patrick's school and chapel built and in 1870 the sisters took some responsibility for this School too. In 1872 the sisters added to their debts and commitments, Elmtree house was sold to build a purpose- built convent and chapel, St Joseph's Elementary School, and St Mary's High School with pupil teacher training on adjoining land which was part of the estate. The convent became known as 'Anlaby Road Convent' and 'the Mother House'. In the same year three Sisters Went to Brisbane with M. Vincent Whitty RSM The Diocese of Beverley became two separate dioceses in 1878. Robert Cornthwaite, Bishop of Beverley since 3 September 1861 was translated to the new diocese of Leeds on 20 December 1878. The Diocese of Middlesbrough was erected on 20 December 1878 also and Doctor Richard Lacy was appointed Bishop of this diocese on 12 September 1879. Hull was in the Middlesbrough Diocese and as requests came for Sisters, the following branch houses were formed from Anlaby Road. Carlton opened in 1876 and closed a few years later; a house was opened in Bradford for a short time in 1876, until the sisters withdrew in 1878; at the request of the new Bishop a house was opened in Middlesbrough, which closed in 1895; and a convent was opened in Beverley in 1883 which closed in 1951; Other houses opened from Anlaby Road include Whitby which was opened in in 1884, sisters taught in St Hilda's and in 1893 a new convent and school was built, in turn this was adapted to a nursing home in 1910 until 1971 and in 1975 they moved to West Cliff Whitby; North Ormesby opened in 1895, which was sold in 1935 to help pay for a new convent; a new house was opened in Damson lane in 1898 to house many sisters for the House of Mercy, it closed in 1926; and South Bank, Nelson Street from 1900 until 1919. Endsleigh was acquired in 1900, and five years later the college opened with sixteen students growing to 92 the following year. St Marys High School was recognised as a Teacher Training Centre in 1904. Endsleigh became the mother house in 1909, the following branch houses were formed from there. Pickering 1911-1914; Crossbeck house in Normanby was acquired in 1919; the sisters supplied Eston house until it was leased in 2001; Everingham from 1927-1932; a large convent was built in Southcoates Lane in 1931, this became St. Catherine's Residential Care Home in 1970s after extensive adaptations; a group of sisters went to found a convent in Swanage in 1935; Filey 'Endsleigh' convent was opened as a holiday house in 1945. In 1962 Sisters moved to Bridlington to teach, it became a hostel for poor families in 1976; and there was a convent in Leyburn from 1977 to 1989. In the 1970s Sisters from Hull worked in the missions in Peru and Kenya. In 1994 two sisters moved to Howden. Endsleigh Convent closed in 1995, and Sisters went to Southcoates Lane and Newman House, and later to St Joseph's Cottingham Road. Endsleigh House became Dove House Hospice in 1980; it was leased to the University of Hull in 1990 and later converted to flats and renamed Dawson House. Endsleigh is became a Pastoral, Retreat and Conference Centre which closed in 2016.