A COMMUNITY of nuns who helped educate thousands of Boro lads and lasses, is inviting past pupils to a special celebration.
They hope students, friends, teachers and priests will attend a Mass at St Mary’s Cathedral, Coulby Newham, to mark the 150th anniversary of their founder.
“We want to fill the cathedral with joyful song and all will be welcome,� said Sister Mary Condron, pictured above.
She is one of three Faithful Companions of Jesus nuns still working in Middlesbrough schools and parishes with four others in Hartlepool and Crook.
Five pioneering nuns from the Order arrived on Teesside in 1872 to live and work among the poor who had flocked to the booming new town.
They lived, just like their hungry and sick neighbours, in Mill Street, St Hilda’s, and set up schools to teach the children.
“We believe they were the first religious sisters to work in Middlesbrough,� said Sister Mary who helps in the Sacred Heart parish.
The nuns’ first school was in an old windmill at Newport. They went on to found several primary and secondary schools including Newlands Convent School, pictured above, in Borough Road which moved to Saltersgill.
Carole Stubbs (formerly Peacock) who now lives in Marske, was a Newlands pupil in the 1950s and 1960s.
The 61 year-old mum-of-three, remembers it as a school for both boarders and day pupils. She went there in 1959 after passing the 11-plus.
“Every lesson began with prayers and at the mid-morning break we were expected to attend the chapel to pray again,� said Carole.
“Then we went off to the refectory to buy Jammy Dodgers for 1p each from Sister Bridget.�
Carole remembers headmistress Mother Mary Monica who was respected by all.
“To be sent to her room to be reprimanded was a disgrace,� said Carole.
“We were encouraged to study hard and expectations of work and personal achievement were high.�
She remembers local kids used to wait at the school gates to grab their school berets.
“Our last year was like a finishing school as we were shown how to behave like ladies in our speech, dress, deportment — even down to how to use cutlery correctly.�
The celebration Mass is at noon tomorrow.
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It was great to see the photo. I too have a copy. I moved back up north last September after a life in the south stretching back to 1966 when I left the school. Now living near Whitby, I only buy the Gazette occasionally so it was a real treat to see the article. Hope all went well at the anniversary Mass. Hello to all my old friends. Hope we get to meet up again before too long.
Now living in Thousand Oaks, California,but originaly from Redcar, I attended Newlands from 1951 until 1953 when my parents moved to Canada. What a joy to see the old phtotgraphs and yes, I too was called into Mother Monica's office for sliding down the bannister. I have kept in touch with another Newlands girl, Thelma Moon Pew also living in New Marske. Loved your article and I wish the very best to all at Newlands. I particulary recall Miss Eckersley, Miss Cassidy and Angela McCann, excellent teachers, and Sister Bridget who always made us hot tea in the litchen when the train was delayed.
I attended Newlands with my older sister Susan until we emigrated to Australia in 1966. I was 8 when I left and Susan was 10.
I remember running down the stairs to greet my mother who had arrived one day. I was instructed to go back up the stairs and walk down like a lady.
I also remember being scared of the picture of the child with scarlet fever on the wall. It stayed with me for life.
I would love to see photos of the old school if a website could be set up as I went to Newlands Road on a visit back to England years ago and was devastated to see that the school was gone.
Where can we send photos and can an archive of photos be set up perhaps on the website of the new school?
The FCJ nuns always seemed so gentle compared to other orders of nuns in Australia.
Both my elder sister Kathleen and I were Newlands girls, she was evacuated to Malton and stayed with the Blanchard family who owned a bookshop in the town. I was there from 1944 until 1950/51 and they really were the happiest days of my life.
Mother Monica was a huge influence, firm but fair. My particular favourite members of staff were Mrs Butler, (English)and Miss Diamond later Blott, (History); they really brought their subjects to life.
No Convent girl of that era will ever forget Mother Gerardine and the choir; - Plain song and the December 8th Celebrations and Corpus Christi processions through the town culminating with Benediction celebrated by the Bishop on a wooden platform in the corner of the playground facing Borough Road.
My niece Jane was also a Convent girl but she attended the new school at Saltersgill whilst my own daughter was a pupil at La Sagesse on Tyneside.