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Maryvale Convent School (st Mary's College, Old Oscott)

B

BernardR

Guest
More information and photos about the convent are here https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/for...scott-and-new-oscott.39119/page-5#post-435486


My Mother Mary Gill and her sister Agnes Gill were pupils at the above school in the early part of the 1900's. Due to their father not being particularly helpful moneywise (he spent a lot of his working life down in London for Bryants - he had another woman) Mom and my Aunt were boarders - I am assuming this was out of charity.

Does anyone have any information on Maryvale at this time before the Convent was taken over by the Newman College?

Many thanks
 
:confused: Bernard. Is it the Maryvale in Kingstanding Great Barr only one of my neighbours works there?. :confused: Jean.
 
Hi - I believe that Maryvale Convent (the one that my Mother was at) was here:

Maryvale House,
Old Oscott Hill,
Birmingham,
B44 9AG

I know that one closed down and some records were I believe transferred to Fr Hudsons Home at Coleshill but they were unable to help when I contacted them some while back.

There appears to be a new Convent that was founded in 1999.

The Convent used to hold an event mid summer which My Mom would take us to and meet up with one or two that she had been at school with. One (whose name escapes me at present but might have been Rowlands(?) had become Mother Superior.
 
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:) That's the one Bernard. Can see it from our back bedroom window. They have just errected a wind turbine in their garden. The convent used to own the land and we had to pay ground rent to them yntil we bought it. What is it exactly you wish to know and I will do my best to find out for you?. TTFN. Jean.:)
 
I wanted to see if anyone had any anecdotes of the days when they looked after orphans and weekly pupils. I will ask my Sister and Cousin for any family references.
 
hi Bernard just a happy memory triggered by your post i lived in birdbrook rd in the fifties and every sunday about 50young children aged about 5/6 in pairs holding hands would walk past our house escorted by 3/4of the sisters the children were always well dressed
at that time my father was trying to sell a Murdoch& Murdoch pianola in very good condition ,it was tuned every 3rd year (even if the tuner said it didnt need it)one dealer said no thankyou the other wanted thirty bob(£1-50p) my dad said he would rather chop it up and burn it !!!
i suggested they offer it to the convent with the thought that if one child realy took to music on it what a gift to give some child ,the mother superior accepted it gladly they collard the local coalman 6big men who lifted it on and off at maryvale complete with all the 88note rolls by fred astair and ginger rogers songs ie putting on a top hat ,fine romance and most of the charleston songs of that era my dad couldnt resist the thoughts of the sisters doing the charlestonmy memory hasrecalled it was inthe march /april 1956 iwas recalled for suez inthe april

33bus:)
tom
 
I lived in Birdbrook Road from 1956 to 65 Tom, No 212.

My late wife was a pupil at Maryvale school around 1947-50. E.

Ps. I was also in the Suez canal zone from 53 to 55 but thankfully didn't get recalled in 56.
 
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hi eric well well ,i lived at no.206 i got recalled for the suez crisis were you there in the may /june i think thats the month i brought a large army scammell recovery lorry and trailer home on my way to the docks well the army didnt say that i couldnt stay at home overnight so i did i parked on the field opposite my mothers house where the new church building was i left home in 1960 when i got married

33bus:)

tom
 
I can't really remember what month we moved in Tom but I didn't see your Scammel so probably not (I would have noticed :)) Were you in REME?

I was mechanic at Brooklyn Garage for about 4 years before leaving Birdbrook Road in 1965 and I used to do repairs at home for extra dosh. E.
 
Was Brooklyn Garage the one on the corner of Beeches Road and Aldridge Road? If so my sister Marg used to serve the petrol there in the 70's.

I think there was also a garage opposite the college next to St Matthews Church. The church has a little social club attached called 'The Dove' we have spent many a jolly evening there. It was the favourite watering hole of my brother Ron up to his (premature) death in 2002.

Happy memories

Joanio
 
eric i think your next door neighbor worked on the railways ,
did you own a maroon rolls Royce shooting brake from a stately home?
the family had a standard vanguard . yes i was in REME as a recovery mechanic ...lad..to the 7th hussars you can pm any time (in case we get in trouble for chatting)iused the garage for petrol i hope you get in touch

33bus:)

tom
 
You've got it Tom, the bloke next door drove delivery trucks for BR. And Joanio, I worked for the garage next to St Matthews my two youngest were christened there.

Remember this Tom. E.
 
sorry to hear of your sad loss she was a lovely lady ,i remember the rolls there was more steel in those two front wings than most modern cars that are built today its amazing that our army life never came up in our chat while chatting about cars i hope you are keeping in good health
all the very best tom

33bus:)
 
I went to Maryvale school which was right next door to the convent between 1960 and 1967 before going on to Cardinal Wiseman. I was also an altar boy at the small church in the convent every Saturday morning.
 
Astoness said:
thanks geoffy and viv..i will take a sat nav with me lol..
Click to expand...

Here's a better Streetview shot of the Old College behind the junior school. Viv.

560791fc-9198-c511.jpg
 
Popped over to Maryvale, Old Oscott this morning after speaking to a chap whilst at the Pen Museum.
He had been there often - they train members of the laity for their mission in the church, and hold many, many seminars and lectures, etc to which he had been to many. They do a lot of educational work with teachers and advisers for R.C. Schools
It was the home of John Henry Newman for a few years after becoming a Cathiolic in 1845, who named it Maryvale. It is now home to an Order of Nuns (originating in Sweden), and they have quite a bookshop - mainly Theology - and a guidebook!
There is no burial ground - SORRY - although ina vault beneath the Sacristy and Oratory of St mary's Chapel (added in 1819) are the remains of the Rev. Thomas Potss, President of the College, who died 5/12/1819.
Outside is a plaque commemorating the scattering of ashes of John Joseph Elliot - see pic.
Any Nuns that passed away were buried in the Cemetery at New Oscott.

The entrance is alongside the infant school - Visitors are allowed - uncertain about tours. Photography outside was not an issue.

View attachment 74400 View attachment 74401 View attachment 74402View attachment 74403 View attachment 74404 The place has been a home, Mission Centre, College, Religious House, Orphanage, Catechetical Centre for over 3 centuries!
 

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That's great Brian. The pictures are excellent, we now have an up to date view of the building to compare. It looks like this is still the 1700s building then.

View attachment 74418 Brian's photo of Maryvale (St Mary's or Oscott) College

View attachment 74419 Drawing mid 1800s when it was known as St. Mary's College

Note: New Oscott College also took the name of St. Mary's College.

Viv
 

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Maryvale Convent seems to have been a place where children could attend daily or board. Though a convent education, particularly boarding, to some may sound grand in my Mother and Aunts case it was out of necessity. Grandfather bless him went to work in London for Bryant's the builders and only returned once in a while - his visits more often than not resulted in yet another mouth to feed 9 months later. Ellen looks to be about the same age as my mother whist Eva would be close to my aunts age. I am sorry I do not have much to offer but will put up a photo of the children at that time which included my mother. Sadly it is not that clear a photo - the names were Mary and Agnes Gill respectively.

View attachment 77489


I have not tried to improve the photograph - other than contrast and brightness as it would then be more my guesswork than a true representation. My Mom - Mary Gill is just below the X with I think my Aunt Agnes to the right as we look at the photo.
 

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I and my four siblings all went to Maryvale, I spent 3 years of my time there in what was known as the huts, they were two classrooms inan old corrugated tin clad building inthe grounds of the school amongst the trees.We had a big roaring coal fire inthe winter,absolutely brilliant,no one ever got burned, no silly elf and safety nonsense then just common sense. The headmaster was Mr Wright know as skinhead,he then moved up the hill to run the new Cardinal Wiseman Secondary Modern School, and the Evil Mr.Hadlington took over Maryvale, horrible, horrible man. I enjoyed my time at Maryvale and my wonderful teacher teacher Sister Christopher, lots of memories.
 
BernardR said:
Hi - I believe that Maryvale Convent (the one that my Mother was at) was here:

Maryvale House,
Old Oscott Hill,
Birmingham,
B44 9AG

I know that one closed down and some records were I believe transferred to Fr Hudsons Home at Coleshill but they were unable to help when I contacted them some while back.

There appears to be a new Convent that was founded in 1999.

The Convent used to hold an event mid summer which My Mom would take us to and meet up with one or two that she had been at school with. One (whose name escapes me at present but might have been Rowlands(?) had become Mother Superior.
Click to expand...

Bernard,

Bit late in the day to be joining this post but the girl to whom you refer was Agnes Rowlands and she did indeed become mother superior: her name within the Order was Sister Mary Berchmans.
 
Welcome Rowlandski. And Eric, I've copied three posts (16, 17,18 & 19) to this thread from the Oscott Colleges thread as they're about Maryvale. Lyn (Astoness) added some photos to the Oscott thread when she visited it. The photos are no longer on the thread but I've asked Lyn if she still has any of them as they were great photos of Maryvale. Viv.
 
Vivienne14 said:
Welcome Rowlandski. And Eric, I've copied three posts (16, 17,18 & 19) to this thread from the Oscott Colleges thread as they're about Maryvale. Lyn (Astoness) added some photos to the Oscott thread when she visited it. The photos are no longer on the thread but I've asked Lyn if she still has any of them as they were great photos of Maryvale. Viv.
Click to expand...

Thanks Vivienne. Sorry if it takes me a while to get round to responding - I'm not yet quite geared up to the forum business.
 
Thanks Lyn, hope so, they were very good ones. Another of our adventures ! Enjoyed looking at the college. Viv.
 
thats ok mike OM has retrieved them as they were another photobucket ones and viv is going to post them back on the thread (photobucket has a lot to answer for:mad:)
 
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