History of the Convent in Derby

In 1846 the Rev. Thomas Sing was responsible for building a convent in Nottingham Road, Derby. Under the auspices of Bishop Wiseman, an American lady who had been directed by Pope Gregory XVI to found a new order of nuns for the education of Catholic children in England, was invited to take over the Derby convent. Mother Cornelia Connelly and three companions arrived in Derby in October 1846 and established the Society of the Holy Child Jesus.

They took over the parochial school and quite quickly had a day school of about 70 children, which they followed up by opening an evening school for factory girls. Added to this was a large Sunday school. In the second year they opened a boarding school for the daughters of the gentry.

Due to unforeseen circumstances the sisters had to leave Derby in December 1848, and departed to open a new convent at St Leonards-on-Sea. In 1849 Bishop Ullathorne invited the Sisters of Mercy from Kinsale, Ireland, to take over the convent.

The Sisters of Mercy had been founded in Dublin in 1831 with a particular ideal of serving the poor, sick and needy. On 17th October 1849 Sister Mary Evangelist Benson and four sisters arrived in Derby. They quickly brought the previous day and night schools under their control and on 27th October 1849 commenced the visitation of the sick. In 1850 they established an orphanage and also a House of Mercy, where young women of good character were trained as domestic servants and afterwards provided with a job. A public laundry was opened to help support these women.

On 30th May 1850 the first public ceremony of a nun entering the novitiate and receiving her habit took place in the convent chapel. By 1851 the National Census shows that the convent had increased to 27 sisters, 18 private scholars and a domestic staff of 12.

The Derby Mercury of 28th May 1856 reported:

"The Reverend Mother who, with fifteen other nuns, attended the sick and wounded at Scutari in the Crimea during the whole of the war, arrived back in Derby on Friday to a hero's welcome."

Meanwhile the buildings in Nottingham Road had gradually become most unhealthy, so that in 1862 the convent moved to more suitable accommodation next to St Mary's Church. This was made possible through the generosity of the Hon. Mrs Beaumont, daughter of Lord Scarsdale, who gave up her own residence in Bridge Gate, and presented it to the convent. Part of this house is still used by the nuns today.

"Mercy lifts up, sustains and affirms."