The Chronicle of the English Augustinian Canonesses Regular of the Lateran
at St. Monica's in Louvain see chapter IX
This year also Mr Gillibrand sent us aforehand half of his two daughters' portion,
They were then novices, and according to our agreement we were to have some upon rent there till he should pay in the full portion, which was 400 more. But this rent failed afterwards like the rest for some twelve years till times were more quiet ; he paid in the rest in the year.
In the year 1643 upon the loth of February were professed two nuns, Sister Elizabeth and Sister Margaret Gillibrand, two natural sisters, daughters of Mr Thomas Gillibrand of Chorley in Lancashire, and their mother was Sister Winefred Blundell's own sister, named Ann Blundell. She was always brought up a good Catholic, but her husband, Mr Gillibrand, was no Catholic. When he sued to her for marriage she told him plainly that he should never look to have her unless he would become a Catholic.
He, then, God's grace concurring, being perhaps well-minded before, became a Catholic, so as they were married by a priest, and he continued ever after a most good and constant Catholic. They had divers children, and among the rest it pleased Almighty God to call these two daughters unto religion, giving unto each of them a dislike of the world ; the elder, upon divers motives which drew her to desire religion, and the young had still in he midst of worldly pleasures a dislike of them, so as when she was at dancing or music so felt herself inwardly so grave and sad she could hardly refrain from weeping.
Neither of them said anything of their mind to religion but only to the priest for a long time, until at length the elder sister, one day at her prayers, desired so earnestly of Almighty God that if it were His will she should be a religious. He would please that day to give her some occasion for to discover her mind. It happened just that very same day, as they both sat at work with their mother, she began to discourse with them of religion, which was very unusual, for both she and their father would always shun to speak thereof for not to entice them in any sort thereunto.
Now therefore seeing that our Lord presented her this good occasion, according to her prayer, she thought with herself that now she must speak, and therewith burst forth into a weeping, and told her mother that she had a desire to be a religious. The younger sister upon this occasion also declared that she had the same mind, for indeed she had had a vocation two years before. The mother hereupon was very glad, but yet for tenderness of nature and devotion she also wept, and when their father, her husband, came home she told him of it.
He called them unto him, and examined them divers times, whether their desire proceeded not of some discontent or other cause than from God ; if it did, that they should tell him freely of it, and he would seek for remedy thereunto. But when they assured him that their desire to religion proceeded not of any discontent, then he very lovingly promised to assist therein, yea, although that he himself should chance to fare the worse for it. Their desire also was to come hither to this monastery where their aunt was, for they might have gone to Graveling (Gravelines) where their uncle's two daughters were gone not long before, and there they might have been received for much less than here. But they had no mind at all to that place, and so their good father spoke to Mr Worthington, who was his neighbour, and lived but two miles off, who wrote hither to our Reverend Mother, and agreed with us about their portion which was to be 400 apiece, half whereof he was to pay at their profession, and the other half was to run upon rent there until such time as he should pay in the principal.
Upon this agreement with us, Mr Worthington came with them to London, and there his brother, Mr Richard Worthington, the priest, took charge of them, and brought them over himself hither. Having passed their scholarship and novice year, we, hearing their father would not be able to pay us the rent, our Reverend Mother told the younger that she must stay, being young enough, till we saw further how things went there with her father. But the good soul did weep so bitterly at the great desire she had to be professed, that we accepted of her, having half their portions in our hands, which was to be laid out upon rent here in these parts, and would make a competent rent to maintain them yearly without burthen to our house, though their other rent in England should fail. So they were both now professed upon St Scholastica's day, when our monastery first began, the younger being but 17 years of age and her sister about 22.
After this, it happened that their parents were extremely plundered, as others at that same miserable time of war in England, and were fain to leave their house, which was taken from them, as also they lost their estate, and Mr Gillibrand was forced to fly into Wales. There he lived in poverty, yet content to suffer for God. Their mother went and lived with her daughter, who was then newly married, also in poverty, but with content to suffer for her conscience, being a Catholic.
This year also Mr Gillibrand sent us aforehand half of his two daughters' portion,
They were then novices, and according to our agreement we were to have some upon rent there till he should pay in the full portion, which was 400 more. But this rent failed afterwards like the rest for some twelve years till times were more quiet ; he paid in the rest in the year.
In the year 1643 upon the loth of February were professed two nuns, Sister Elizabeth and Sister Margaret Gillibrand, two natural sisters, daughters of Mr Thomas Gillibrand of Chorley in Lancashire, and their mother was Sister Winefred Blundell's own sister, named Ann Blundell. She was always brought up a good Catholic, but her husband, Mr Gillibrand, was no Catholic. When he sued to her for marriage she told him plainly that he should never look to have her unless he would become a Catholic.
He, then, God's grace concurring, being perhaps well-minded before, became a Catholic, so as they were married by a priest, and he continued ever after a most good and constant Catholic. They had divers children, and among the rest it pleased Almighty God to call these two daughters unto religion, giving unto each of them a dislike of the world ; the elder, upon divers motives which drew her to desire religion, and the young had still in he midst of worldly pleasures a dislike of them, so as when she was at dancing or music so felt herself inwardly so grave and sad she could hardly refrain from weeping.
Neither of them said anything of their mind to religion but only to the priest for a long time, until at length the elder sister, one day at her prayers, desired so earnestly of Almighty God that if it were His will she should be a religious. He would please that day to give her some occasion for to discover her mind. It happened just that very same day, as they both sat at work with their mother, she began to discourse with them of religion, which was very unusual, for both she and their father would always shun to speak thereof for not to entice them in any sort thereunto.
Now therefore seeing that our Lord presented her this good occasion, according to her prayer, she thought with herself that now she must speak, and therewith burst forth into a weeping, and told her mother that she had a desire to be a religious. The younger sister upon this occasion also declared that she had the same mind, for indeed she had had a vocation two years before. The mother hereupon was very glad, but yet for tenderness of nature and devotion she also wept, and when their father, her husband, came home she told him of it.
He called them unto him, and examined them divers times, whether their desire proceeded not of some discontent or other cause than from God ; if it did, that they should tell him freely of it, and he would seek for remedy thereunto. But when they assured him that their desire to religion proceeded not of any discontent, then he very lovingly promised to assist therein, yea, although that he himself should chance to fare the worse for it. Their desire also was to come hither to this monastery where their aunt was, for they might have gone to Graveling (Gravelines) where their uncle's two daughters were gone not long before, and there they might have been received for much less than here. But they had no mind at all to that place, and so their good father spoke to Mr Worthington, who was his neighbour, and lived but two miles off, who wrote hither to our Reverend Mother, and agreed with us about their portion which was to be 400 apiece, half whereof he was to pay at their profession, and the other half was to run upon rent there until such time as he should pay in the principal.
Upon this agreement with us, Mr Worthington came with them to London, and there his brother, Mr Richard Worthington, the priest, took charge of them, and brought them over himself hither. Having passed their scholarship and novice year, we, hearing their father would not be able to pay us the rent, our Reverend Mother told the younger that she must stay, being young enough, till we saw further how things went there with her father. But the good soul did weep so bitterly at the great desire she had to be professed, that we accepted of her, having half their portions in our hands, which was to be laid out upon rent here in these parts, and would make a competent rent to maintain them yearly without burthen to our house, though their other rent in England should fail. So they were both now professed upon St Scholastica's day, when our monastery first began, the younger being but 17 years of age and her sister about 22.
After this, it happened that their parents were extremely plundered, as others at that same miserable time of war in England, and were fain to leave their house, which was taken from them, as also they lost their estate, and Mr Gillibrand was forced to fly into Wales. There he lived in poverty, yet content to suffer for God. Their mother went and lived with her daughter, who was then newly married, also in poverty, but with content to suffer for her conscience, being a Catholic.
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