Isle of Wight Communities, Circa 1890-2012
Scope and Contents
Sub fonds Consists of records acquired and accumulated by the Sisters of Mercy of the Shanklin and Carisbrooke Communities. It also includes administrative records; spiritual writings; records of the guest house; records of church and local and national events affecting the Sisters; personal papers of Sisters; videotapes and photographs.
Dates
- Creation: Circa 1890-2012
Conditions Governing Access note
As a private archive, access to the Institute of Our Lady of Mercy Archive requires application to the Archivist and approval by the Institute's Leadership Team. Where items are closed for access, this is indicated at the appropriate level.
Biographical / Historical
In 1898, the Shanklin parish priest invited Sisters to establish a school in the church hall. Three Sisters from the Mercy convent in Hunslet, Leeds, took up the challenge and moved to the 'deep south' to spread the Word of God. The school was established and in 1912 the Sisters moved from their temporary accommodation to St Anthony's Convent, Beatrice Avenue. To subsidise their income the Convent became a Guest House. The Guest House developed into a place of hospitality, openness and welcome until closure in 1994. In addition, various Mercy ministries were undertaken, including visiting the sick, the elderly, the housebound and those in hospitals. A branch house was opened in Carisbrooke in 1969 and Sisters taught in St Wilfrid's RC Primary School, Ventnor, and Archbishop King RC Middle School. Carisbrooke was closed in 1996 after the Sisters had retired from the schools.
In 1969, the Shanklin Congregation had became part of the English Federation of the Sisters of Mercy, a grouping of autonomous motherhouses. In 2003, they voted to become part of the Institute of Our Lady of Mercy GB. The Shanklin Convent of Mercy closed in 2012 and the Sisters moved to the retirement home and convent in Worthing.
[Extracts taken from IOLM/IOW/8/4 2012 Mass of Thanksgiving, Shanklin.]
NB;There was a second foundation to Shanklin from the Abingdon Community from 1909 to 1943 and 1945 to 1949 The sisters from Abingdon were in St Marys Convent which had been Eastmount, they moved to Park Road, Shanklin in 1920 when the lease on Eastmount expired and returned to Abingdon in 1943 when a bomb hit the convent. It was opened again in 1945 but closed finally in 1949
Full Extent
7 box
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
The sub-fonds has been arranged to reflect the content and context of the collection. Original order is unknown.
Custodial History
The archives of the Shanklin Community have been patchily collected from the opening of the Shanklin Convent of Mercy in 1898 to the present by Sisters of Mercy belonging to the Community, and cover the running of their lives. The records of Carisbrooke branch house were collected from opening, as the Reverend Mother, the Bursar and the Assistant would have controlled the finances, property, spiritual life, etc., centrally from Shanklin. The records were kept in the library and by various Sisters until looming closure brought the archives to be stored centrally in the Institute Archives, Bermondsey.
Accruals
Further accruals may be expected from individual Sisters who formerly belonged to the Shanklin Community.
Repository Details
Part of the Bermondsey Convent of Mercy Repository