Whitstable, 1902 - 2010

In 1899, on the advice of the Bishop of Southwark, Canon St John asked for some Sisters from Bermondsey Convent to take charge of an Industrial School for junior boys needing care and protection. Whitstable was suggested as a suitable location, boys at the age of 10 years who still needed care, could transfer to St Vincent’s in Dartford, under the jurisdiction of the Presentation Brothers. M Camillus Dempsey RSM assented on behalf of the Community and appointed M Clare J. O’Brien RSM as Superior of the group of Sisters who established the school (for 40 boys) in a rented house on the sea front, and dedicated it to Saint Joseph. A new school, dedicated to St Vincent, was opened in 1902, in Castle Road and provided accommodation for sixty boys and, for the next three years, for the Sisters. In 1905, the Community moved to the newly built St Mary’s Convent and Private School, on land adjoining St Vincent’s. At the same time, the Foundation Stone of a new Church was laid on land donated by the Community. The Architect, who also helped with finances, was Mr. Charles Dempsey, a brother of Mother M. Camillus. From 1935, because the boys no longer transferred to Dartford, male teachers were employed under the superintendence of the Sisters. Ten years later, the school, now an Approved School for boys, was handed over to the Southwark Rescue Society (later to become the Children’s Society), the Home Office bearing financial responsibility. When Home Office policy relating to Approved Schools changed, a gradual phasing out of St Vincent’s began in 1973; from 1978-1986, it was run as a Boarding School for boys with special needs, but cutbacks by the LEA caused final closure. Since 1986, it has been since been used as the Southwark Youth Centre. St Mary’s has been used as a Holiday House over the years – for Sisters in the Bermondsey group of convents and the children from Croydon – and has provided a pleasant Retreat Centre for Bermondsey Sisters. In 1931, an extension was added to St Mary’s and post-war years brought a complete reorganization in that the original buildings became a Primary School under Kent Education Authority, while a new Convent was built between the School and the Church. Finally Whitstable Convent was used for Retreat work until its closure in 2010.