Mr Took is dealing with the sale and will try to ensure that a fair price is obtained for the Sisters. The property is well placed for developers to use as the town in expanding rapidly and houses are going up quickly. Any move to get them canonically established should wait until the financials are settled appropriately. Any risk in moving to Aldeburgh will soon work out as the Sisters are courageous and work hard. Any further letters should be sent to "Metcalf's Hydro, Richmond Hill, Surrey", as the Abbot is have 3 weeks treatment for his aches and pains.
Egan, Erkenwald Abbot OSBAbbot Egan provides information in response to the Bishop's questions.
The Oblates of St Benedict are attached to his Abbey but are not religious in the strict sense of the work. They live and work within the community under a rule drawn up by the Abbot with Bishop Amigo's approval. He provides some history of the group and reports that Mgr Serafini of the Congregation of Religious in Rome supports their intent to become a proper religious group. Abbot Egan says that they a hard working and zealous and will be sorely missed by their Parish Priest. Indeed if he could find room for them in the Abbey then he would snap them up. They have no income except for that derived form the school which has 100 pupils (protestant children from Strood and Chatham). They are mortgaged to £2750 to Fooks & Arnold. Sr Scholastica is very well educated. He recommends them to the Bishop and suggests that a decision to let them go to Aldeburgh will not be regretted.
manuscript annotation: "Answered. Thanks for information."
Responding to Mrs Kenyon request for a chaplain. Once decided will the Bishop provide faculties?
Abbot Butler writes about the Bergholt-Monica question - the Abbess can progress Sr Monica if she thinks right. Anne Todhunter living in London now - they have taken a house for six months in Lexham Gardens - "Poor Anne! I hope it will work"
Thinks the Roman decision on the Bergholt case is very clever.
The two priests for Gillingham are just the quiet simple types Mrs Kenyon would like to have. Delight to help her out after the many kindnesses by her and the family to me over the years.
(French manuscript) Abbot Neve has pleasure in telling the Bishop that the Prioress of the Bethany Monastery [Priory?] agrees to send a professed religious to Aldeburgh with a view to a foundation there. She will not be able to come before 8 December. The Prioress will send details to the Superior of the Oblates of Aldeburgh. The nun must contact Rome to obtain canonical direction for the new congregation - this will not happen until next Spring. After that they will come under the Bishops control. Finishes by saying he will be in England at the end of October and will try to meet the Bishop.
Manuscript annotation "Wrote [undecipherable]. Away till Nov. 10 home till 17th Nov. Oct. 28/26.".
(From the French). I see that our mutual decision is good in the eyes of God. The decision of the Sacred Congregation of the Religious confirms ours, which was arrived at in the light of circumstances. I am communicating this to your Lordship...
Nève, Théodore Dom (1879-1963)Thanks for kind wishes on his election to Abbot of Downside. Visited Beccles some weeks ago and much impressed by this beautiful church. Some day it will be a strong centre of religious life in the district.
Ramsay, Henry Havelock Leander Abbot (1863-1929)Given that the bishop has an appreciation of Fr Worswick's work, the Abbot presents him for a permanent appointment to Beccles as parish priest.
Downside AbbeyAbbot Ramsay: Need to provide resources for the missions - hence a need to move Fr Worswick from Beccles. Fr martin Campbell, currently at Little Malvern, will replace him.
manuscript annotation: "Extremely sorry! But will not embarrass you, only trusting that Beccles will not go to sleep again. Fr Worswick [illegible] her from sleep of Spiritual Starvation. I give faculties to Fr Campbell for when he comes, also for the Nuns. Fr Worswick [illegible] leave his faculties form behind, when Fr Campbell comes he can send it to me. I will just change the name. Sept 12/24."
Due to illness, effecting a swap of priests. Fr Worswick will start as soon as he receives the faculties.
Downside AbbeyAidan Slack, writing from Ushaw College, Durham, hopes to be ordained on Easter Monday. His first Mass will be at Mrs Kenyon's oratory at Gillingham Hall. Hopes to reconcile a lapsed Catholic there and requests faculties for Gillingham.
manuscript annotation: Gave faculties for Gillingham Hall only."
Austin Snowden (36 Newgate St, Beccles) says that the new term is near and will the Bishop let him know where he is to be sent so that he can prepare.
manuscript annotation: "Wrote to him & to [illegible] Sept 28/26"
Decision of the House of Lords in "Bourne v Keane" in 1919 - "since the passing of the Catholic Relief Act 1829 bequests of personalty to be applied for Masses for the dead are no invalid as gifts to superstitious uses". (Part of Lord Parmour's judgement quoted). Therefore propose to let the Deed remain as drawn.
Barnard & SonAs instructed by the executors of the estate of the late Mr Francis Easto Banham, a draft Declaration of Trust enclosed [not present] for the £1000 bequeathed as an Endowment Fund for St Benet's Beccles.
manuscript annotation: "Returned Endowment with a few comments."
Image caption: [crossed out: "Monastere et Pensionnat de Religieuses Ursulines"] manuscript: "Institution St Alyre" a Clermont-Ferrand.
[Original manuscript in French.]
Given to understand that your Lordship will lay the first stone for the Catholic Church in Aldeburgh on 16 July. We thank God and are grateful to you for all the interest you have in the small mission in which we have worked so much. Enclosed is a cheque for £10 and apologies for the small sum, but cannot afford more. Allow me to remind you what was agreed with his Lordship Mgr Keating. 1st - that a small plaque of stone or metal will commemorate the stay of the Ursulines in this place; 2nd - Each year 4 masses will be said for the 4 religious who lay in the vault. You may find these conditions in the papers of the Aldeburgh Mission.
Manuscript annotation: "Answered. Thanks, very much. Do not know whether I can fix the Masses on the Parish [indecipherable] as there is no money to cover this. Will look up the agreement when I find it. (Mentioned it to Archbishop Keating in my Letter)."
Bishop has not signed the Deed of Conveyance - returned for signature, otherwise cannot proceed.
Bertram R YorkeDisposition of deed, etc. is a matter for Fr Delaney and Canon Tonks to sort out. Fiance is nothing to do with Mr Yorke. Fr Delaney bought the 4 plots and the presbytery in his own name. They were conveyed to the Bishop and others; however, the plots were no longer needed once a new site was found. The same process has happened for this site - acquired by Fr Delaney, subsequently to be conveyed to the Bishop and others. Fr Delaney has deposited the deeds with the bank and paid a deposit because he was concerned not to lose the site. Sort it out between you and send on the deeds for the plots to settle with Mr Reade - it being a small matter but it is hindering things.
Bertram R YorkeReceived the conveyance document. Enclosed deed relates to Fr Delaney selling surplus plots to Mr Reade . They are not needed as a new plot has been bought for the Church. Arrange for the document to be signed by the Bishop and returned.
Bertram R YorkeBishop Brown confirms the Oblates of St Benedict are under a foundation of Abbot Egan. They will be in dire financial difficulty if they cannot sell their property (school, convent and grounds) according to Philip Fooks of Arnold Fooks & Co. Their problems arise from a new Secondary School opened by nuns at Chatham. Fr Nugent [PP?] thinks well of them.
Brown, William Francis Rev (1862-1951)"My dear Fr. Abbot
I did not want to put it in a formal document, but I wish in justice to withdraw or amend, what I wrote to you the other day about the origin of the trouble between Bp. Riddell and the Benedictines of Downside over the gift by Miss Charlotte Boyd of the Slipper Chapel to Downside.
I have been going through the correspondence, and it appears from that that Miss Boyd from the commencement desired to make it over to the Benedictines.
She wrote to Bp. Riddell in this sense wishing to get his consent to this action. Bp. Riddell, however, did not take too kindly to the idea, and said he would like to place a missionar Priest at the Slipper Chapel as a centre from which he could, in time establish little Missions at Fakenham, Dereham and Wells. This was in August, 1895.
In July, 1897, she writes that the Chapel has been transferred and invested in the names of three of the Downside Benedictine Fathers.
In May, 1920, Abbot Ford asked leave to organize a Pilgrimage from Beccles and its neighbourhood to Walsingham in August, “but I am told that your Lordship would not approve of it. Will you please send me a line to say if this is so, for I should not move any farther in the project unless I was sure of your approval.”
To which Bp. Riddell answered, on May 28 1900 :
“There is only one Pilgrimage approved by me, that to the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham at Lynn. I cannot approve of any other.”
I only give you these extracts to clear myself of a misrepresentation of the facts which I made, and to show how the unfortunate friction began."