Convent of the Holy Child Jesus

From Historical Hastings
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General information
Address
1846-1976
Magdalen Road
Location
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Convent of the Holy Child Jesus

The Convent of the Holy Child Jesus was a major Roman Catholic convent and educational institution located on Magdalen Road. Founded in 1846, it served as the mother house of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus (SHCJ) in England and played a significant role in the development of Catholic girls’ education until its closure and sale in 1976.

Origins (1834–1846)[edit]

In 1834, a 15‑acre plot on Magdalen Road was purchased from the Eversfield Estate by the Reverend John Jones, funded by a legacy from Lady Barbara Stanley. Jones intended the land for a Catholic religious foundation but initially struggled to attract an order willing to establish itself in the area.[1]

The situation changed with the arrival of Cornelia Connelly in 1846. Born Cornelia Peacock in Philadelphia in 1809, she had undergone a highly publicised and traumatic separation from her husband, Pierce Connelly, who sought ordination as a Catholic priest. Cornelia pursued her own religious vocation and founded the Society of the Holy Child Jesus, dedicated to the education of girls and young women.[2]

Foundation and Architectural Development[edit]

With the support of influential Catholic patrons—including the Towneley family, the Duchess of Leeds, and the Earl of Shrewsbury—Connelly secured full control of the St Leonards site. Her authority extended to the point that local clergy were reportedly excluded from the presbytery on St. Margaret's Road.

Significant building works followed:

  • A training college was completed in 1848, designed by William Wilkinson Wardell before his later emigration to Australia.[3]
  • The convent chapel was constructed in 1868, designed by Edward Welby Pugin, son of the Gothic Revival architect A.W.N. Pugin.[4]

The convent rapidly became the mother house of the SHCJ, and the Order expanded internationally, establishing schools in England, the United States, Nigeria, and Chile.

Educational Work[edit]

The convent operated several educational institutions on the site:

  • A teacher training college
  • A boarding school for girls
  • The St Leonards Catholic Girls’ Poor School, later a primary school

The primary school originally occupied rooms in the Wardell buildings near the Magdalen Road gateway. It was later relocated to the northern part of the site and merged with a Hastings Catholic school to form St. Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School.[5]

A proposal to locate the new Catholic secondary school, St Richard’s College, on the convent grounds was rejected. The Diocese of Arundel and Brighton selected a greenfield site in west Bexhill instead, as it better served the intended catchment area.[6]

Decline and Closure (1960s–1976)[edit]

By the 1960s, the convent faced two major challenges:

- A decline in religious vocations - Reduced demand for boarding education, due to improvements in local state secondary schooling

These pressures made continued operation unsustainable. In 1976, the Society sold the site to Spanish businessman Señor Maiz, who established a language school on the property.[7]

Later Use and Condition[edit]

The site remained in educational use for some time but later fell into disrepair. By the early 21st century, several buildings were derelict. The chapel, however, remains a Grade II\* listed structure and is recognised for its architectural and historical significance.[8]

In 2025, urban explorers reported vandalism in the former convent library, prompting a cleanup effort involving local volunteers, this being followed by the setting up of an community group to seek better preservation of the buildings.

Archival Material[edit]

Records relating to the convent are held at:

  • East Sussex Record Office (The Keep) – including school diaries (1918–1938) and photographs from the 1930s[9]
  • The National Archives – administrative and historical documents relating to the SHCJ[10]

Images[edit]

See also: All Soul's Convent

References & Notes

  1. ↑ Hastings & St Leonards Society, The Convent of the Holy Child, St Leonards-on-Sea.
  2. ↑ National Archives, “Records of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus”.
  3. ↑ Australian Dictionary of Biography, entry for William Wilkinson Wardell.
  4. ↑ Historic England, “Chapel to the Former Convent of the Holy Child Jesus”, List Entry 1043430.
  5. ↑ East Sussex Record Office (The Keep), “St Mary Star of the Sea School Records”.
  6. ↑ Diocese of Arundel & Brighton, “History of St Richard’s Catholic College”.
  7. ↑ Hastings & St Leonards Observer, “Sale of the Former Convent Site”, 1976.
  8. ↑ Historic England, “Chapel to the Former Convent of the Holy Child Jesus”, List Entry 1043430.
  9. ↑ The Keep, “Convent of the Holy Child Jesus: School Diaries 1918–1938”.
  10. ↑ National Archives, “Society of the Holy Child Jesus: Administrative Records”.
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