Parmiter Nuns

[meekhcs]

Following on from my previous post I have found an online booklet regarding the history of Abbotsleigh (St Augustines) Priory nr Abbotskerswell. It explains why the Sisters moved from St Monica's Spetisbury. Briefly a young Novice Margaret Keon professed in 1852 whereupon she began to receive regular visitations. as the years progressed these continued and The Priory began to increase its Devotions. Finally they decided to change from teaching, to ‘Perpetual Adoration to Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament’ This meant they had to close the school and the order became "Closed". This happened in 1860. The priory was not suitable for a closed order hence the move to the more rural Priory in Devon.

This was obviously a watershed. Girls who had already professed could stay in the Order if they so wished. Novices and pupils would have had to continue studies elsewhere. I think given her age Maria would still have been a novice. Therefore my next step is to trawl convents in the 1861 census to see if I can fins her. I think she would probably be recorded by her initials, as I haven't found anything using her surname, so I have to hope her place and year of birth were also recorded.

Any tips for searching with initials only?

Sally

[VALLMO9]

Briefly a young Novice Margaret Keon professed in 1852 whereupon she began to receive regular visitations. as the years progressed these continued and The Priory began to increase its Devotions.

I thought that name sounded familiar: Margaret Jane Keon is recorded in the same 1851 census as Maria. In 1861, MJK is boarding at the Hartford Covent located in Spetisbury. There is a Margaret Keon who died in Leitrim, Ireland in 1863 (which is MJK's birthplace, as per 1851 and 1861 census). Her Irish Will names a Ferdinand Keon.

There is an active Ancestry member who belongs to the Abbotskerswell village history group, and researches people from there. Send me a PM or email if you want her Ancestry user name.

As for tips regarding initials in census records, I find that FMP is more conducive with searching initials only. Example: Pull up the 1861 census and type initials "M" and "P". with an 1838 -/+ 2 yrs birth year. You'll get 36 results. Mind you, it all depends whether the initials have been transcribed correctly.

[meekhcs]

I think the Margaret who died in 1863 was MJK's Mother with Ferdinand being MJK's Father. MJK suffered ill health all her life and she too died in 1863 and is buried at The Priory in Devon.

I have already emailed the History group today and will see if thy reply.

Thanks Mo

[meekhcs]

I have found the following 1861 entry which may be Maria.

In the 1861 census for St Margaret's Convent in Edinburgh Scotland I found the following

1861 scotland MP.PNG (85.79 KiB) Viewed 3400 times

The entry reads:-
Name: M P
Relation to Head of family: Religious
Condtion: un marr
Age: 21
Rank: Instructress
Born: England

Tenative, but the nearest person I have found who could be Maria.

The convent was part of The Ursuline order of Jesus, which would lead nicely to the 1871 census for Maria

Obvious question is how did she arrive in Scotland from the South of England? Having said that, from the various pieces I hve read during this research, there was regular movement between countries , let alone within a country, of religious figures.

[VALLMO9]

Excellent find! As for her being in Scotland, bear in mind that Nuns were usually involved in running schools, hospitals, old people’s homes and orphanages or in foreign missions.

[meekhcs]

Having had a possible result with Maria I followed the same search procedures for her Sister Sarah who, following the 1841 census, disappeared until her death in Rome in 1906. Sadly I had no luck in finding anything that could possibly be Sarah.

The death record mentioned her parents Thomas Parmiter and Sarah Gillingham so I am confident it is correct. It also states she was unmarried, but it does not say she was part of a religious order. A question I posed about her on the Italy Rootschat Board suggested one of the stamps on the death registration was from the "Ministero di Grazia E Giustizia e Dei Culti" which at the time was responsible for Religious affairs and Worship as well as Justice, and could signify that she was part of a religious order. Her address at death was 19 via Palermo Rome. So far I have been unable to discover anything concerning the address.

I will continue to scour the Internet in the hope of finding something to add to either girl's story.

[VALLMO9]

Given that Maria was an "instructress" in Edinburgh, could she have taught at Ursuline schools/colleges abroad after 1871? For example, the Ursulines founded two women's colleges in America: one in Ohio (1871), and the other in New York (1904). And there are Ursuline secondary schools located in St Louis, Dallas, and Wilmington, Delaware. There's also the Ursuline Monastery of Quebec City.

A quick look on FS shows that 19th-century nuns appeared to travel to North America using their religious name (no surname). Which doesn't help matters, especially as the birth country listed on Passenger records isn't any more descriptive than "England".

A few US census records indicate a surname, but the norm seems to be just "Sister xxxxx".

For search parameters I used:

First Names: Sister
Last Names: [blank]
Birthplace: East Stoke, Dorset (just in case it appears on a passenger manifest!)
Birth Year range: 1836 to 1842 (for Maria) and 1822 to 1828 (for Sarah)

Note: I saw a 1915 Boston death record for an English nun. The death was registered under her birth and religious names. The record helpfully listed the nun's birthday and her parents' names. But not all US cities death records will be this descriptive.

[meekhcs]

Hi Mo

Yes it is quite possible, and I was aware that there were Ursuline Colleges, Schools and indeed a Monastery stateside.

I have searched records in the US via FS and Ancestry but as you say most of the Sisters are known by their Religious names and that is the one thing I do not have for Maria. I haven't found any records under Maria Shepherd Parmiter in the US or Canada, any similar names I have managed to trace and disprove the records refer to her. In Canada there is also the problem of the 100 year rule.

I have been unable to track down records for St Monica's Priory in Spetisbury, Dorset, which I am sure was where she was confirmed. I have sent an email to Abottskerswell Village group, one of whom wrote a splendid History of The Augustinians when they moved from St M's to Devon, but to date no replies.

Over the years I have sent several emails to The Ursulines in the UK, but I have never received a reply to any of them. It is very demoralising!

I have put a general enquiry on Rootschat, perhaps I should use the boards for the USA and Canada to find out what is available in the way of Catholic Records there. I also need to see if records exist for the convent in Scotland because I am sure she would have professed there, if it is indeed her. No time today to follow anything up!

Many thanks as always, Sally

[VALLMO9]

Gosh, I hope these Parmiter lasses are in your family tree because you've obviously devoted a lot of time and effort to them.

The only other thing I can suggest is cross-referencing Maria to the US or Canadian cities where there was an Ursuline school or convent. I'm sure they turn up in the 1880-1940 census records. Was Sarah also an Ursuline nun, or do we not know yet?

Another thought: maybe Sarah (if a nun) was posted to Ireland after 1841. In which case she won't appear in a census record, as they are so thin on the ground there. Wasn't there an Ursuline school or convent located in Sligo?

[meekhcs]

Yes they are in our Tree. They are the daughters of Hubby's 3xGG.

I don't know which order Sarah belonged to, if indeed any. She was 15 years older than Maria, so the Augustinians were very much insitu in Spetisbury at that time. She wasn't at the Priory in 1841, she was with her Family, having only been conditionally baptised on 25th March, but she wasn't there in 1851 either. After 1841 the next record I have is her death in Rome in 1906. At the time there was an Augustinian order in Rome, but I cannot find any religious connection to her place of death- via Palermo, 19, Rome. Her death record does state she was unmarried. I cannot think of any other reason why she would be in Rome unless there was a Religious connection.

I have just had a thought, both Sarah and Maria were conditionally baptised into the Catholic Faith, having originally been CofE. Maria was only two and therefore could not have made the decision herself but Sarah was 15 when she was conditionally baptised. I wonder if that would have a bearing on the type of Nuns they could become? Something else to investigate.