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Society of Saint Edmund Archives
Local Administration
England
1934-1988
Size
2 cu. ft. (4 boxes)
Arrangement
This collection is arranged into series. Folder List
History
In 1934, the Society of Saint Edmund began a canonical house in Whitton, England, not far from Hitchin, where they worked from 1902-1925. Rev. Louis Cheray and Rev. Joseph Weston worked with parishioners to build a church and St. Edmunds School. By the mid-1950’s their apostolate was so successful that they added two more works, the administration of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Stock, and the Brentwood Traveling Mission, in which priests travelled to a number of different sites. From 1970-1976, after ceasing work in Stock and Brentwood, the Society was entrusted with a new undertaking. The All Saints Church in Stevenage was an interesting experiment in which the building itself was both a community center and a church shared by three major denominations, Church of England, Roman Catholic, and Methodists. It was the first parish church in the country to be constructed under the same roof as a community centre, and the first purpose built church to be shared by three denominations. The Society of Saint Edmund continued to work in Whitton until July 1988, when the Society decided to consolidate efforts in the United States.
Scope/Contents
The records of local administration in England are arranged alphabetically into series. The large series are correspondence, Superior General correspondence, financial reports, and mission reports. Also included are published items, clippings, account books, legal records and some miscellaneous items. The records encompass the entirety of the society’s involvement in the area, which is quite unique for most houses of the community. Of particular interest are the earliest letters, particularly those from Fr. Cheray and those from Fr. Weston and Fr. Berrell. These document not only the earliest years of the apostolate, but also the years of World War II. During the war the Church was bombed, the Priests were refused permission to leave England, and one, Auguste Berrell actually completed his scholasticate and was ordained in England. (Fr. Berrell pronounced his perpetual vows the morning after a bomb destroyed the Parish Church of Whitton, on Oct. 29, 1940.) The correspondence is arranged by author. The Superior General (SG) Correspondence is arranged by Superior General term, and then further subdivided by correspondent.
Related Terms
Brentwood (England)—Church History
Whitton (Middlesex, England)—Church History
Stevenage (England)—Church History
Stock (England) –Church History
Monasticism and Religious Orders—Whitton (Middlesex, England)
Top
Folder List
Box 1
1 Account Book 1934-1939
2 Account Book 1945-1950
3 Clippings Nd, 1947, 1962, 1969
4 Correspondence Weston 1934(?)-1935
5 Correspondence Cheray re: est. of house 1934-1935
6 Correspondence Cheray re: income tax 1934-1935
7 Correspondence Cheray 1935-1945
8 Correspondence Langlois 1947
9 Correspondence Corbett 1959-1965
10 Correspondence McMahon 1964-1975
11 Correspondence Plouffe 1974-1976
12 Correspondence Misc. personnel 1978-1987
BOX 2
1 Financial reports Brentwood/Stock 1954-1968
2 Financial reports Whitton 1935-1969
3 Financial reports Whitton 1970-1988
4 House governance 1975/76, 1985-88
5 Legal documents 1930s-1990s
6 Mass intentions 1934-1948
7 Miscellaneous published items 1940s-1988
8 Miscellaneous typewritten items n.d.
9 Mission reports Brentwood/Stock 1960s
10 Mission reports Whitton 1951-59
11 Mission reports Whitton 1960-69, 1974-75, 1985
12 SG Correspondence SG Nicolle to priests 1933-35
13 SG Correspondence SG Nicolle(1936-46) to Berrell 1940-43
14 SG Correspondence SG Nicolle(1936-46) to Cheray 1936-46
15 SG Correspondence SG Nicolle(1936-46) to Johnston 1939
16 SG Correspondence SG Nicolle(1936-46) to Langlois 1938-46
Box 3
1 SG Correspondence SG Purtill(1946-52) to Berrell 1946-52
2 SG Correspondence SG Purtill(1946-52) to Cheray 1946-1948
3 SG Correspondence SG Purtill(1946-52) to Corbett 1947-1951
4 SG Correspondence SG Purtill(1946-52) to Langlois 1946-1949
5 SG Correspondence Sg Purtill(1952-58) to Berrell 1953-1958
6 SG Correspondence Sg Purtill(1952-58) to Corbett 1954-1956
7 SG Correspondence Sg Purtill(1958-64) to Berrell 1958-1963
8 SG Correspondence Sg Purtill(1958-64) to Corbett 1958-1964
9 SG Correspondence Sg Purtill(1958-64) to Grace 1958-1962
10 SG Correspondence SG Galligan (1964-1970) to Corbett 1964-65
11 SG Correspondence SG Galligan (1964-1970) to DiTucci 1965-68
12 SG Correspondence SG Galligan (1964-1970) to McMahon 1965-70
13 SG Correspondence SG Galligan (1964-1970) to Plouffe 1964-65
14 SG Correspondence SG Galligan (1964-1970) Re: Traveling Missions 1964-67
15 SG Correspondence SG Galligan (1970-74) to Farrell 1970-74
16 SG Correspondence SG Galligan (1970-74) to priests 1970, 1974
17 SG Correspondence SG Galligan (1970-74) to McMahon 1970-1973
18 SG Correspondence SG Gokey (1974-78) to Farrell 1974-76
19 SG Correspondence SG Gokey (1974-78) to Plouffe 1974-76
20 SG Correspondence SG Gokey (1974-78) to McNiece 1976-78
21 SG Correspondence SG Leary (1978-1982) to Farrell et.al. 1978-1982
22 SG Correspondence SG Leary 1982-1986 to Priests 1982-85
23 SG Correspondence SG Myhalyk (acting 10/11/84-1/13/85)
24 SG Correspondence SG McLaughlin (1986-90) 1987-88
Created by: Elizabeth B. Scott June 28, 2004
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Maintained by Elizabeth Scott