'The translation to Lanherne.
The peaceful life of the English Carmels was rudely broken when, in 1794 the French entered Flanders. After some weeks of indecision and alarm, all three communities determined to seek refuge in England. So on June the 29th, the Hopland nuns, "after receiving Holy Communion, hearing three Masses and saying the Hours," left their Conven, arriving in London by way of Rotterdam on the 12th July. they lodged at first with a Mr Coghlan at no 3 Orchard Street, Portman Sq. From this centre they vainly sought a suitable house. At last Providence came to their assistance in the person of the Lord and Lady Arundel of WARDOUR, who offered the nuns their Cornish Mansion at Lanherne. Here the Faith had survived the Reformation in an almost unbroken continuity since Celtic times. With glad and thankful hearts the then Prioress, Mother Francis Xavier Maddocks, together with the community, took up the residence on the 10th of September, 1794. In their flight from Flanders the Community brought with them amny rich and costly Church ornaments and vestments given to them by their first temporal foundress, Lady Mary Lovell. The necessary alterations being almost completed, the first plans of the enclosure were drawn up by the Vicar Apostolic, Charles Walmesley, OSB, on the 27th of February, 1796.
Since then the Lanherne Carmelites have quietly continued their lives of prayer and penance, the only external event of importance being the foundation of another Carmel in the Diocese of Plymouth in 1864, and later transferred to Wells.'
Text based on 1936 edition of "English Carmelites in Penal Times" by Sr A. Hardman, SND and on 1926 edition of "The White Friars - an outline Carmelite History" by Rev PR McCafrey, OCarm
Ed.: I wonder how ordinands would have coped with the offices that they kept, or the discipline.
A blogger visited the house and took some photos which are available here
It is the site of the cross from chapel-close Barton in Roseworthy, which was moved there at about the same time the convent was founded (or just before as it was a closed order -see previous posts) and photo following. The English Heritage past-scape site does not mention the cross, which stands by the chapel door.
As the site is believed to be that of a celtic monastic foundation it is a wonderful location for a very special celtic cross. They are missing a gem - believed to be granite or by some Pentewan stone from near St Austell.
'There was doubtless a Celtic monastery at Lanherne whose lands passed to the diocesan bishops before 1085. (3,4) ' http://pastscape.english-heritage.org.uk/hob.aspx?hob_id=429177
http://www.pastscape.org.uk/hob.aspx?hob_id=429217
http://www.pastscape.org.uk/hob.aspx?hob_id=425862
