![Our Lady’s Convent, Daventry Street; interior of the chapel, showing altar and surrounding paintings [1930s]. | Warwickshire County Record Office reference PH352/165/11](https://d23iiv8m8qvdxi.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/ph352-165-11-275x164.jpg "Our Lady's Convent Chapel")
Mass
We all had to attend Mass most mornings, regardless of one’s faith, it always seem so cold early in the morning and I used to feel quite faint from the smell of the incense and especially as it was before breakfast.
Once a week I used to have early morning piano lessons in the Nuns house. My piano teacher used to rap me over the knuckles with a ruler to make me keep my hands up; difficult for my hands were so cold and would not move. The village children used to enter the convent by a small gate in the wall (on the right side of the first photograph) and joined us for lessons.
My mother used to send me, whenever rationing would allow, sweets and biscuits. They were kept in a big red and gold chocolate box. These goodies were kept under lock and key by the nuns and dished out now and then to me as a treat. I guess they figured if I had them in my possession I would down them all in one go… they were probably right!
Outings
Now and then the nuns would take us for an outing into the village. On one of this visits I recollect we went on a visit to Jephson Gardens in Leamington Spa, we were taking part in a choir competition. One of the accompanying artists was a very young Benny Hill!!
In 1942 I returned to Birmingham to live again with my parents. I continued my schooling at another Convent, Our Lady of Compassion as a day student. There I remained until I left at the age of 16, and then went out into the wide world as a working girl.
Comments
My name is Audrey Matthews, née Norton. I was delighted to read Diana’s account of life at Southam, as it was very much as I remember it. I was a boarder at the convent from 1941-49. I remember its tranquility away from the war torn city; I used to love to help with the haymaking on the farm. We used to look forward to Sundays when the Italian prisoners of war came to the church, which was of great fascination to us girls! They also worked on the farm, bringing buckets of milk to the convent dairy. Despite how hard I found it at the beginning, as a 7 year old away from my mother, my memories of the convent are mostly happy.
I too attended the convent 1954 to 1958. It was a very hard life for us. Food was awful, boiled rice with bits of sausage and small squares of bread in it. Bed by 8.00 pm and up for Mass at 7.00 am.
My name is Liliana T. Marin, my husband Michael North, as he was registered all his working life was adopted and his adopted parents died and as he always said he was returned to the convent where he was brought up. He was originally Mark. He passed away on March 17th, 2020. He had endless stories about the convent, and I think is the Warwickshire one. He was catholic and he was an alter boy. I am looking to know if somebody knew him.
His last name when adopted would have been either Moth or Noth and his adopted mother Durant. He couldn’t recover his adoption certificate from his first wife. I have been trying with the register office and I would love to have that document, he wanted it and to give it to our son. We are in Canada where he emigrated since 1976. He had happy memories of the Nuns, he always said that they strict but fair. He remember the porish (oatmeal)every day, he didn’t like that. He went to Grammar school. He also had a brother, younger than him, Michael my husband said that he was going to move to New Zealand. My husband was born in 1942. I believe he went to live in the convent before the war ended. If you recognise any of these details I would appreciate if you could contact me. Nice sharing this piece of history together.
My mother and Aunt attended the convent in Southam in about 1918.
They were boarders from Leeds as their father had been killed on the Somme. They were sent to the convent and paid for by their loving father’s family, the Killeens.
My mother had only good experiences of the convent. She loved the safety, the countryside , nuns and brilliant education.
She went on to a finishing school in Finchley and then to teacher training at St Charles’ College in London (now Digby Stuart).
As I was growing up she took me twice to see the convent and meet many of the nuns. Sr Mary Vincent had been a pupil with her!
In these days of nuns’ “cruelty” its good to be able to remember the good so many did, especially their care of young children.
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