Sr Ann Mary

On taking up the post of Reverend Mother, Sr Ann Mary would have been in a unique position. Despite being the fifth Sister to hold that post, she was the first Mother whose predecessor was still present. Our first two Mothers, M. Lavinia and M. Adele, died in post; the third, Sr Lucy, died shortly after relinquishing the role, having laid down the burden of Office due to ill health after only three years. M. Ann Mary was elected in 1917, after M. Mary Rose stepped down. I am uncertain at this stage whether this was a decision M. Mary Rose made, or whether she was not re-elected. However, as she would have been in her early 70s, it is quite possible that age was the reason. Sr Ann Mary took on the role, moving to the Community House at Ditchingham from Norwich, where she had been for many years. In 1921, Sr Mary Rose was still resident in the Community House, and it must have been an adjustment for both Sisters to work out their new roles and relationship.

Born in South Shields in 1859, Mary Ann Henderson was the oldest daughter of Thomas and Jane Henderson; Thomas worked as a bacon factor, and the couple had two more children: John Watts Henderson and Margaret Henderson, born not long after Mary Ann. Sadly, Jane died in 1863, aged only 35, leaving Thomas to bring up the three children. As far as I know, he never re-married, and died himself in 1880, aged 53. Mary, John and Margaret continued to live together in South Shields, where in 1881, John (aged 21) is a provision dealer. John married in 1882, and had 8 children, although 3 died young. Whether Mary and Margaret continued to live with their brother after his marriage, I do not know. Neither are present in 1891, and I can find no trace of Margaret beyond 1881.

In 1891, Mary Ann Henderson is a Sister of Charity, staying in Dock Street, Shadwell, Stepney, with three other women, who are also Sisters of Charity. None of these are members of the Community of All Hallows, as we are Sisters of Mercy. This indicates that Mary was part of another Community, a supposition supported by the fact that two of the other Sisters named are members of another order. I assume, although I have not checked this out with the Community in question, that Mary Ann joined this Community before transferring to ours; it is possible that she was a Novice, rather than a professed Sister. But this does explain her rather quick Profession date in CAH. Professed in June 1892, she can have been a novice with us for not much more than a year, and I think even most Choir Sisters had a two year Noviciate. If Sr Ann Mary had spent time in another order, that might explain why. You will have noticed that she swapped her names around. I do not know why that happened; it was normal for a Sister to use her baptismal names, but, given that Sr Mary Sophia, Sr Mary Rose and Sr Mary were already in the Community, possibly it was felt that Mary might work better as a second name rather than her first.

Where Sr Ann Mary went on first being Professed, I do not know, but by 1901 she was at the Norwich Mission House, then based on Colegate, as Sister in Charge. She remained there in 1911, before returning to Ditchingham, on her election as Reverend Mother, if not before. I wonder how welcome that election was? It’s possible that she had spent most of the previous twenty years or more in Norwich, and that may well have been where her heart lay, so returning to Ditchingham might not have been welcome. Alternatively, she may have felt prepared for the possibility, and ready to welcome a change of space. Whatever the facts, and we will never know, return she did. That Sr Ann Mary was a capable leader is in no doubt. She had run the Norwich Mission House for at least ten years, if not more. But it may not have been an easy transition, especially given that Sr Mary Rose would by then have been the longest serving Sister in the Community. Much would have depended on their individual characters, and their attitude to the situation. However, there is nothing to say that it was not handled well, and the fact that Sr Ann Mary continued as Reverend Mother for the next nine years implies that it settled down. We have both the 1921 census and electoral rolls for the 1920s to show that M. Ann Mary spent her years as Mother at Ditchingham, which I presume was expected. Nevertheless, to have a Mother who had spent much time in a branch house may well have been a positive move. Not only had she shown leadership skills, but she also knew what life in Norwich was like, a fact which may have influenced the way she led the Community. 

In June 1926, Sr Louisa was elected as Reverend Mother in Sr Ann Mary’s place. Whether Sr Ann Mary went straight back to Norwich or not, I do not know, but she did return. Based again at the Norwich Mission House, by now on Ber Street, she died there after a short illness on February 4th 1929, having spent 38 years in the Community. Sr Ann Mary’s loyalty and dedication to serving the poor in Norwich can only be born out by the years she spent there. Her faith in God must have upheld her in many trials, not least the devastating Norwich floods in 1912, when people took refuge at the Mission House. That faith must also have helped her through her time as Reverend Mother, and the changes it brought.  To quote M. Lavinia: “There is a Rock under the foundations of our life which shifting circumstances do not affect”. That Rock would have been there throughout the changes in Sr Ann Mary’s life; it is there under the shifting circumstances of our own lives too.