Item 11 - Bishop Riddell to Mr J G Kenyon: No objection to a public oratory

Identity area

Reference code

GB ARCHON 2913 PA03-01-01-11

Title

Bishop Riddell to Mr J G Kenyon: No objection to a public oratory

Date(s)

  • 11 February 1889 (Creation)

Level of description

Item

Extent and medium

1 side; manuscript; part copy

Context area

Name of creator

(1843-1914)

Biographical history

1843: born
1889: Inherited Gillingham estate
1914: died

John George Kenyon, a convert to Catholicism, inherited Gillingham Hall in 1889. On February 10th he wrote to Bishop Riddell stating his wish to have a “domestic chapel” for Mass and reservation of the Blessed Sacrament in his house – a large room would be easy to convert to this end. In due course he wanted to build a small permanent chapel. Dom Guy acted as the go-between and aided Mr Kenyon to realise his wishes.
Kenyon purchased the land in Beccles on which now stands St Benet’s Minster, St Benet’s School, the school playing fields, the hall and the presbytery bungalow. The buildings now on the site (except the Minster itself) were gradually constructed with the money given by John Kenyon, and the site was vested in Downside. The original intention was to establish a small Benedictine community (with four or five monks) in Beccles.
Private family worship for the Kenyons took place in their own small chapel inside Gillingham Hall, nearby. Eventually he built Our Lady of Perpetual Succour as a Chapel of Ease to allow Catholic families in the village of Gillingham, many of whom worked on his estate, to worship regularly without travelling to Beccles.
John Kenyon also bought a house in Grange Road, Beccles (near St Benets) for use by Dominican nuns, who staffed the school built by him.

Archival history

XNP1 Beccles

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

RCDEA Archives

Content and structure area

Scope and content

"Under the present circumstances I see no objection to your having a public oratory at Gillingham under the usual conditions."

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

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      Allied materials area

      Existence and location of originals

      PA03

      Existence and location of copies

      Related units of description

      111x176mm

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      Status

      Draft

      Level of detail

      Minimal

      Dates of creation revision deletion

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