No.
II
REGISTERS OF THE ENGLISH POOR CLARES AT GRAVELINES , INCLUDING THOSE WHO FOUNDED FILIATIONS AT AIRE, DUNKIRK AND ROUEN, 1608-1837 CONTRIBUTED BY WILLIAM MARTIN HUNNYBUN , M.A. ANNOTATED BY JOSEPH GILLOW
The convent of Poor Clares at Gravelines owed its origin to the zeal of Mrs Mary Ward , a person of good family, who went abroad to St. Omers in 1607 intending to embrace a religious life . Having made her wish known to the Jesuit Fathers established in that town, they recommended her to the French Convent of the Order of St. Clare . Not having any portion she was unable to become a choir nun and entered upon her probation as a lay sister. She remained in this position for nine months and was frequently sent to solicit alms for the convent. In one of her charitable journeys she heard of certain lands at Gravelines bequeathed by a pious person for the site of a monastery. She begged the Fathers of the Society to employ their influence to procure it for the founding of a convent of Poor Clares , for the use of the English They were successful in this through the friendship of the Bishop of St. Omers and the Abbot of St. Bertins . In consequence of the promising aspect of affairs Mrs Ward left the French House and set out for Brussels , in order to obtain from the Archduke, who was ruler of the Netherlands, in which country Gravelines was then situated, the necessary permission for carrying out the good work . She interested several English gentlemen who resided at Brussels and obtained the powerful assistance of the Infanta, who admired her zeal and pious perseverance . Leave to found the convent was granted on two conditions : ( 1) that it should be under the ordinary jurisdiction of the Bishop of the Diocese and (2) that it should be in no way chargeable to the inhabitants of Gravelines. The approbation of the Pope, Paul V , was next obtained, who by his brief instructed the Bishop of St. Omers to take charge of the convent and afford due assistance in temporal as well as spiritual matters to the religious who should begin the work . Mrs Ward, having so far succeeded, collected together a considerable number of English gentlewomen, who were desirous of embracing this strict way of life and procured the Bishop's authority for taking out of the French Convent of St. Omers , called the Archer's House , such English nuns as had been professed in it . The Abbess refusing her consent , the Bishop was appealed to, and by his authority Mary Gough, who was appointed Superior of the new establishment, Sisters Clare Fowler, Lucy
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