Sisters of Charity of Our Lady of Evron Archive

Records of the English Province of the order, including correspondence with the mother house in Evron and isntitutions of the Generalate, files relating to the administration of the English Province, and papers from individual communities within England and Wales. Includes also some photographs, research notes, account books, printed items and objects

The Société de Filles de Charité was founded by Perrine Thulard (1654-1735) in 1682, with a mother house in Chapelle au Riboul and communities throughout Maine (France). After its dispersal during the French Revolution, the community was reformed at Evron (in department of Mayenne) in 1835. The order has a particular focus on teaching and the care of the sick.

In 1904, the order expanded into England, establishing a community in Filey. Subsequently, communities were established in Canada (Trochu, Alberta, 1909), Ireland (Stella Maris convent, Lisdoonvarna, 1954), Ivory Coast (1957), Burkina Faso (1986), and Peru (Lima, 2003). The English Province was formally created in 1957, with Provincial offices at Marymount (until 1971), Liverpool (St Helen's convent, Woolton, until 1992) and Manchester. Novitiates were established in Romiley (1950/51-1956), Ireland (1956--1966), West Kirby (1966-1968), Heswall (1968-1974), Marymount (1974-1979), Ingleholme Road, Liverpool (1979-1981), Stockport (1981/82-1994), Henesy House, Manchester (from 1994).

Communities within the English Province (England and Wales) were as follows: 

• Filey (1904)
• Romiley/Stockport (Harrytown 1912-1975, Shalom from 1975, currently in Adswood Lane West)
• Marymount in Mossley Hill, Liverpool (1947)
• Porthmadog, Wales (1958)
• Henesy House, Manchester (1965, in Sale, with additional houses opening in Greenheys 1975 and Collyhurst 1993)
• West Kirby (1966-1985)
• Heswall (1968-1974)
• Wythenshawe, Manchester (1969-1979)
• Woolton (1971-1992)
• Runcorn (from 1973)
• Ingleholme Road, Liverpool (1979-1981)
• Nelson (1991-1996)
• Brinnington (from 1997)

Schools were run within Filey (until 1968), Romiley and West Kirby (until 1977). Nursing homes were established in Porthmadog and Manchester (Henesy House, for elderly deaf people).

The archive is currently being arranged as it is catalogued into the following groups:

• SLE/A: records from the General Council (based in Evron, France), the General Chapter and the Council of the Congregation, including printed constitutions, acts of Chapter, papers for the meetings of the Council of the Congregation, circular letters and reports
• SLE/B: Provincial records (English Province), including mission booklets, lists of sisters, minute books and files of the Provincial Superiors
• SLE/C-: Records from inditvidual houses and communities within England and Wales

The collection has not yet been sorted or catalogued. For this reason, it is not normally possible to consult the collection.

Donated by the convent at Stockport, March 2019, accession reference Misc.2018/19:88

Permission to make any published use of material from the collection must be sought in advance from the Sub-Librarian, Special Collections (e-mail PG.Library@durham.ac.uk) and, where appropriate, from the copyright owner. The Library will assist where possible with identifying copyright owners, but responsibility for ensuring copyright clearance rests with the user of the material.

The contents of the collection have not yet been fully appraised.