ROMAN CATHOLICISM.
Recusants were mentioned in the 16th and 17th centuries: John Phillips
in 1583 and 1588; (fn. 47) John Sappton in 1592; (fn. 48) Francis
Holt in 1610; members of the Raynes family and
John Woodgate or Widgett in 1613 and 1617; (fn. 49) the
wife of Anthony Hancock in 1636; (fn. 50) John Needham
and Thomas Tidd in 1663. (fn. 51) No Roman Catholics
were reported thereafter until the 1770s, when there
were enough to justify the appointment of the Revd.
Gerard Robinson in 1778 to serve them. Between
1784 and 1790 at least 12 other priests celebrated
mass in Hampstead. (fn. 52) The main mass centre was
apparently the house of Lucy Nihell or Nihill, member of a well known Roman Catholic family, at
Ladywell Court, East Heath Road, in the mid 1780s
and at Rosslyn Lodge (later no. 19 Lyndhurst Road)
by 1788. Presumably it was the school which she was
running by 1790, said to be in the Grove facing
Pond Street, Haverstock Hill. From 1789 services
included a sung high mass. Some Catholics also
attended mass at the house of Thomas Hussey, later
bishop of Waterford and Lismore, who lived in
Hampstead by 1784 and kept a house there until
1789. There were also said to have been chapels in
houses belonging to Thomas Cockburn and Henry
Cooke. (fn. 53)
Lucy Nihell's school, under Felicity Nihell by
1791, continued to be used for mass in the 1790s. In
1796 Abbé Jean-Jacques Morel, a French emigré,
settled in Hampstead and ministered to compatriots,
converting into a chapel a room in Oriel House,
Little Church Row (later the southern end of Heath
Street). It may have been the public chapel 'lately
opened' by 1796, with c. 100 worshippers, mentioned in a report to Rome, although its address was
not published in the Laity's Directory until 1806. (fn. 54)
More than 200 French people were said to have
stayed in Hampstead at the height of the emigration. (fn. 55) In 1814 the congregation was said to number
150, (fn. 56) by that time mainly or solely English, who
paid for a purpose-built chapel, St. Mary's, Holly
Place, which was opened in 1816. Abbé Morel continued as its priest, remaining in Hampstead until his
death in 1852. (fn. 57)
Apart from a few short-lived chapels in religious
houses, it was 50 years before a second mass centre
was set up. In 1865 the Oblates of Mary Immaculate
came to Kilburn and founded a religious house, with
a small temporary church. (fn. 58) The area was being
rapidly built up and by 1900 the permanent church
of the Sacred Heart had a congregation four times
the size of St. Mary's, although the total number of
Roman Catholic attendances in 1903, 1,599, was less
than that of either Congregationalists or Methodists.
The Sacred Heart was also well placed to serve the
influx of Irish into Kilburn after the Second World
War. (fn. 59) The small church of St. Mary was not replaced: the south-east part of Hampstead from 1867
was served by St. Dominic's, Haverstock Hill, just
outside the boundary, and Swiss Cottage from the
1930s by St. Thomas More's, Maresfield Gardens. (fn. 60)
The attractions of Hampstead for schools, nursing
homes, and other institutions brought many religious
orders, several of whose convents are noticed below. (fn. 61)
St. Mary's, Holly Pl., originated in congregation
of Abbé Morel at Oriel Ho. in 1796. (fn. 62) Chapel built
as part of small terr. in Holly Walk, at expense of
congregation, and dedic. 1816, one of earliest surviving Rom. Cath. chs. in Lond. (fn. 63) Seated 300 in
1851; average attendance 500 a.m.; 70 p.m.; 250
evg. (fn. 64) Attendance 1886: 206 a.m.; 65 evg.; 1903:
247 a.m. (fn. 65) Nave copied from Morel's former ch. at
Verneuil, Normandy; stuccoed front with Tuscan
doorway 1830; statue over entrance 1850; interior
altered and 2 side altars built 1878. Highly decorated
sanctuary in Byzantine style by G. L. Simpson and
2 side chapels and sacristies added 1907.
Oblates of Mary Immaculate first held mass in
Kilburn 1865 at no. 1 Greville Rd. Temp. ch. soon
built nearby and reg. 1868. (fn. 66) Perm. ch. of Sacred
Heart of Jesus, Quex Rd., of light brick with stone
dressings in Early Eng. style by Pugin & Pugin
1878-9: high roofed, no tower; long wide nave
straight into deep chancel. Sanctuary built 1898-9
and ch. consecrated 1909. Priory bldgs. attached;
new bldgs. on NE. side of ch. 1965. Attendance
1886: 220 a.m.; 203 evg.; 1903: 1,095 a.m.; 257
p.m. (fn. 67) Name changed to Sacred Heart ch. 1970. (fn. 68)
Former Unitarian ch. in Quex Rd. also reg. by Rom.
Caths. 1971. (fn. 69)
Temp. ch. of St. Thos. More opened 1938 in
Maresfield Gdns. Perm. ch. built beside it 1953, rebuilt in red brick and concrete by Gerard Goalen
1968-9: (fn. 70) elliptical plan with ambulatory around, lit
by clerestory, with coloured glass over sanctuary
and with gallery half way round.
Passionist Fathers, who came to Eng. 1842, opened
first Lond. ho. with 4 priests 1848 at Poplar Ho.,
West End Lane, through help of Bp. (later Cardinal)
Wiseman, who wanted missions to Irish poor. Local
priests sought help from fathers, who were assigned
Rom. Caths. west of Finchley Rd. As ho. was in
poor repair, community moved to Hendon 1849. (fn. 71)
Sisters of Providence of the Immaculate Conception bought part of Bartrams est. c. 1867: (fn. 72) opened
private boarding sch. for 25 girls in Belle Vue ho.,
and orphanage and day sch. for girls in Bartram Ho.
Large new block linked to Belle Vue built for 100
additional boarders 1887. Boarding sch. later closed,
and day sch. became vol. aided after 1945. (fn. 73) Old hos.
demol. and 4-storeyed Bartram hostel with chapel
built in Rowland Hill Street c. 1967. Convent was
Provincial Ho. of order 1986. (fn. 74)
Les Dames Anglaises of the Institute of the
Blessed Virgin Mary (Bavarian branch) opened St.
Mary's convent and sch., England's Lane, by 1880.
Moved to no. 47 Fitzjohn's Avenue c. 1927, where
sch. continued. (fn. 75)
Sisters of Hope (Institute of the Holy Family,
Bordeaux) opened nursing home for retired ladies at
no. 20 Quex Road, Kilburn, by 1931 with 8 sisters.
Order's Provincial Ho. opened at no. 2 Aberdare
Gdns. between 1966 and 1969. Nursing home moved
to Cricklewood 1974. (fn. 76)
Dominican Sisters ran sch. for young ladies in
Chislett Rd. (later Compayne Gdns.), Kilburn, by
1931, until c. 1932. (fn. 77)
Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul had
convent in Chislett Rd. (later no. 88 Compayne
Gdns.) from c. 1933. Visited poor and taught in
parochial sch., besides running small private sch. By
1949 also ran St. Cath.'s hostel, nos. 80-2 West End
Lane, as probation home and hostel for business
girls. Moved away late 1960s. (fn. 78)
Sisters of Mercy of the Holy Cross founded first
ho. in Eng. 1938 at no. 3 Fitzjohn's Avenue, formerly
home of Phil. de László, later also taking over nos.
5 and 7. Ran international ho. of studies for girls
1985. (fn. 79)
The Society of Jesus opened ho. of studies at
Southwell Ho., no. 39 Fitzjohn's Avenue, by 1950. (fn. 80)
Sisters of St. Marcellina opened residential sch.
for foreign girls c. 1956 at Hampstead Towers, no. 6
Ellerdale Rd., which R. Norman Shaw had designed
for himself. Sch. survived 1985. (fn. 81)
Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of
Mary opened convent of Our Lady of Good Counsel,
no. 172 Haverstock Hill, c. 1966. (fn. 82)
Sisters of St. Dorothy opened international hostel
for girls at Frognal Ho., no. 99 Frognal, 1968. (fn. 83)