Records Volume 78: An I.B.V.M. Biographical Dictionary of the English Members and Major Benefactors

FAMILY NOTES BABTHORPE. No Babthorpe has an entry in the text of this biographical dictionary, since all five members who entered the Institute served it on the Continent. But the family merits a notice here because it was a factor in the very shaping of the Institute and its members played a leading part in the history of the order. In the early 17th century the ancient family of Babthorpe owned extensive property in East Yorkshire and occupied two manor houses in Osgodby and Babthorpe . At the impressionable age of fifteen Mary Ward was entrusted to Sir Ralph and Lady Babthorpe , her kinswoman , and in their household she followed an almost monastic order of the day; there were two Masses every morning, Evensong in the late afternoon and litanies followed by bed -time for all at 9 p.m. Meditation and confession weere common practices and on Sunday there were sermons and catechism. It was a régime to recommend itself to any pious young woman , and to this Lady Grace Babthorpe added a spice of gaiety, adventure and courage. As a young wife still in her teens she had been examined by the Earl of Huntingdon on a charge of recusancy and she told him boldly that she had heard more Masses than she could count . When committed with other gentlewomen to Sheriff Hutton Castle, she spoke impudently to the Keeper and was the life and soul of the party, organising noisy games of shuttlecock to disguise the sound of sawing through bars so that access was gained to a central court-yard and Holy Communion distributed. It was at Osgodby, too, that Mary Ward first heard of religious life from the old sewing-maid, Margaret Garrett, and so became aware of her religious vocation . Thus it is no flight of fancy to see mirrored in the early Institute something of the character of this generation of Babthorpes. Five members of this remarkable family joined the Institute, as follows:Barbara, born in 1592, was the daughter of Sir Ralph and Lady Grace, and was the young companion of Mary Ward seen in the Painted Life. She joined Mary in St. Omer , served as Superior and Provincial in Liege, and was elected Chief Superior on the death of Mary Ward in 1645. She died in Rome on 23 April 1654 and was buried in the Venerable English College.

Mary and Elizabeth , born in 1611 and 1615 respectively, were the daughters of William Babthorpe and his wife Ursula , née 179

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Records Volume 78: An I.B.V.M. Biographical Dictionary of the English Members and Major Benefactors

Published on Jan 1, 2001

The Catholic Record Society

This work spans nearly four centuries of apostolic endeavour. It is tempting to describe it succinctly as a biographical dictionary of the English Province, I.B.V.M., but the word Province would be anachronistic. For three hundred years there was no organisation in England that merited the term Province, and not until 1929 was the title bestowed on the English houses. The early history of the Institute in this country is played on a stage where transient actors come and go, some speaking significant lines, others - shadowy supernumeraries - making brief, silent appearances. This book records the individual history of those members whose religious -life was spent in England though some had made their noviceship on the continent, and some few died abroad. Taken together, the entries relate the fortunes of the Institute in England, but by their very nature only in a fragmentary way, so that a cohesive summary seems called for, and is therefore attempted in this introduction.