Convent of the Holy Child Jesus

I believe this was a convent, for retired Priests. as I worked in here during the 1960's updating the Kitchens to the then modern requirements of a catering establishment, working for Hepple & Sweetman, Builders, Priory Street (now Hastings Voluntary Action Centre).

It wasn't a convent for retired priests it was The Convent of the Holy Child Jesus which was run by nuns - one, in particular, was called Sister Elizabeth Mooney who was the head from 1971 for some years. There were girls as young as 5 years old travelling the world to get to this establishment and their parents paying inordinate fees for the pleasure of receiving little academic education and absolutely no pastoral care. Sister Elizabeth Mooney was the worst of women. She was mean-spirited, vicious, vain and cruel. Nowadays social services would have closed this school down.

You need to tell us the sources of this impression Alison. The Church has disgraced itself so often.Did you experience this ill treatment?

No one was as young as five. The education was very good. However I agree with the comments about Sister Mooney. She was cruel, vindictive and heartless and probably mentally deranged. The other nuns were mainly ok!

My grandmother and great-aunts attended here before WWI and my mother and aunt in the 1930's, all from 8 years old. Around the time of this photo in the 1911 census there were 20 girls in the junior section and 68 seniors. My father who was living in Hastings and was a PO messenger boy just after WWI, remembered delivering telegrams to the porter's lodge. He also remembered seeing long 'crocodiles' of girls being taken for a walk and thinking that they must all be orphans, which was not not very far off as many had parents who were working abroad. As an indicator of this, about a third of the 1911 pupils were British nationals born abroad.

I believe the SHCJ started the convent school in St Leonards in 1848, and from 1872 some girls were sent to its newer sister convent school in Mayfield. The two schools were merged in 1953, and perhaps it was from that time that Mayfield took seniors, leaving the juniors in St Leonards until it was closed in 1975. It must have been shortly after this that my mother wanted to visit nuns she remembered affectionately from St Leonards and we both visited Mayfield from Bexhill where we were living.

It was a private boarding school, considered one of the best in the country. Social Services did not close it down it was a financial decision made by the nuns to amalgamate both schools at Mayfield. The cost of maintaining that very old building was phenomenal. I have happy memories of living there. The order still have schools in the country.

See the Sunday Times today. And I can also verify some children were 5. I should know one was my best friends sister and we walked her up the hill to school every day. We were 9. There were some lovely nuns. But some like Sr Elizabeth totally unhinged.

I can add a completely different story, as the local Dolphin Jazzband somehow managed to make our first private recording there in July 1955 assembled on the stage in a deserted hall. We achieved this unusual situation as a result of our banjo player being of Roman Catholic faith, and we knew the place as being run by the "Blue Nuns". This title could have been a nickname invented by the banjo player- who knows ? There even exists a photograph showing the 5-piece band on stage - I was the clarinettist, and the youthful drummer was Colin Folwell, who was to play briefly with the Rolling Stones, before becoming famous by designing Formula One driving seats !

Such interesting stories - thank you.
Are there any records still in existance for the convent (ideally from the 1870s) as my great-grand aunt (Alice Maud Mary Leyden) was a pupil there when she died on 26th May 1878...at the age of 15..!!??

I was in the last intake to complete all 4 years at this school 1972-75. Ages 9 to 13 went there and were taught fairly well , by nuns and lay staff. The building above was where the 10 year olds had classes and dormitories. Sister Mooney was strict and terrifying. I have better slightly memories of Sisters Patricia, Caroline and Monica. One member of the non-teaching lay staff was very loved, Mrs Humphrey 'Humph' , she was the only source of warmth or comfort there. The Marcos daughters from The Philipines were educated there as were many overseas based British diplomat and military daughters. The food was bad, the place was cold and comfortless, it was boring and lonely.

I went to this school when I was eight years old and the memories have stayed with me right into my fifties. Sister Mooney was vile. She was power mad and did anything to punish young children. She liked make us sit in the great hall in the middle of the night for talking in the dorm. Then would hit our hands with a ruler if we fell asleep. She also was fond of shouting at us which was terrifying. I had nightmares there and after. Relieved to escape at the age of 10

My Grandma was sent there, from Middlesbrough in approx 1928 when she was 13, following her mothers death, as a cleaner. We believe the local church arranged it as I suppose they did in those days. I would be very interested if anyone had any information from around that time, she was there for a few years.

Hi Jackie
My mum em was sent to the convention Ireland in 1935 aged 12 when her mother died
I have been trying to find out what her daily duties would have been

If you any info please let me know
Best wishes

My great great uncle was listed as living here in a 1911 census but says inmate as his relationship to the head of household. Did they use to call students…inmates?? What type of school was this? His name was George Edward Lee. Thanks for any information you can give me about this school?

Sister Cuthbert head mistress she left. Her dog Rusper golden retriever. Like he needed a wash.
And then Mooney came.
It was from 10 years old.
Was one of the best schools in england
Anyone remember Miss Peel sports, Miss Bull in the gym. Madame Rae french brilliant teacher. Sister Patricia and Elastic?

I was a pupil Jan 1967 to 1971 and then on to Mayfield school also then run by the same order SCHJ nuns. I knew Miss Bull,Sr Patricia and Madame Rae. The head was Sr Mary Cuthman,later known as Sr Eva Heymann nickmamed Fish. It was rumoured she was a German Jewess who fled Hitler and converted to Catholicism .
It was cold in Winter and food was poor. Education was variable in quality but French was very well taught by Mme Rae.

Hello

Hello I went to thus school in 1960s did anyone else go that time

Hello I went to thus school in 1960s did anyone else go that time

I can

I assure you some children were aged 5 at this convent. I was one of them and stayed until I was almost 11! Whoever says the education was good is delusional or remains uneducated. When people say some of the nuns were kind I suspect that we were all so traumatised that even a brief moment of kindness was enough to build a false reality around it. The only consistently kind woman was Mrs Humphries, but despite her kindness, she was ineffective. None of the nuns or teaching staff intervened to stop Sr. Elizabeth Mooney’s negligence and bullying and in my opinion, those who stand by and do nothing are just as guilty. My earlier comment did not say that the school was closed by social services, it says that nowadays it would be.

Anybody go to shcj 1970s.
I remember those awful dorms.on the top floors of that picture at the top. Anyone remember running through the cloisters as we were so frightened of those nuns in black coming out and grabbing us. And through that tunnel. And pouring candle wax all over our hands
The awful food. Those green melamine plates some were still dirty piled up for us to take.to eat off. Potatoes looked skin peeling off and dried, a week old by the time we got them for lunch
And the dented tins they had lunch served in chucked on the tables.
I remember Hump, and Andy and Richie.
And the old nuns confiscating our torches and books after lights out, if they caught anyone talking.
They would not have got away with that now. I'm surprised we didn't all run away

Such interesting and horrifying stories about the convent. I wonder what it was like when it was first set up vs the 20th century, especially 40’s / 70’s. A real shame that the site is falling into such disrepair.

I went to a catholic primary with Irish nuns, the head of which, Sister Patricia, was an absolute horror, so I can empathise with some of these stories.

Bonjour, je m'appelle Véronique et j'ai résidé au convent holy child Jésus en tant qu'étudiante au pair de septembre 1971 à décembre 1972. J'ai connu sister Cuthman et sans doute soeur Elizabeth. Mes professeurs d'Anglais était sister Veronica et sister Ethelreda. Je me souviens de "Matron" toujours avec sa blouse blanche. Je logeais dans une petite maison dans le parc avec deux japonaises, une hollandaise, une portugaise, une suisse Allemande, et une espagnole. Je m'occupais de surveiller l'étude, du réfectoire, et d'emmener de temps en temps, les élèves en week-end ou à la piscine. Je garde un souvenir merveilleux de cette année passée dans cette école et suis très étonnée de lire tous ces commentaires négatifs.

I was at the school from 1970 to 1974 (aged 9-13) and, on the whole was very happy there. Sister Mary Cuthman was an excellent head and the education was good. I really loved Katy Bull (PE) who produced wonderful danced musicals. I performed in West Side Story and Fiddler on the Roof. Mme Rae was a great French teacher. I remember also Mrs Coppins, Srs Patricia and Carolyn and Mrs Hughes (Science).
When “Fish” left, she was replaced by horrible Sr Elizabeth Mooney who looked and behaved a bit like Donald Trump and the atmosphere at the school changed.

Puisque j'ai connu sister Cuthman dirigeant cette école, voilà ce qu'elle est devenue en quittant le Convent. Quelle belle personne !!
https://www.shcj.org/european/our-story/stories/eva-heymann/

THALLER on 20 Nov 2024 THALLER said
Hello, my name is Véronique and I resided at the Holy Child Jesus Convent as an au pair student from September 1971 to December 1972. I knew Sister Cuthman and undoubtedly Sister Elizabeth. My English teachers were sister Veronica and sister Ethelreda. I remember “Matron” always with her white coat. I stayed in a small house in the park with two Japanese, a Dutch, a Portuguese, a Swiss German, and a Spanish. I took care of supervising the study, the refectory, and from time to time taking the students on weekends or to the swimming pool. I have wonderful memories of this year spent at this school and am very surprised to read all these negative comments.
Since I knew Sister Cuthman running this school, this is what she became when she left the Convent. What a beautiful person!!
https://www.shcj.org/european/our-story/stories/eva-heymann/

My sister was sent here as she was really poorly and needed to be by the sea for the fresh air she was there in the 60s if any one remembers her shevwas Margaret Johnson back then

Reflecting on my time at the school, I recall it as a distressing environment, particularly under the tenure of Sister Mooney. Her approach to pastoral care was notably harsh; she seemed to derive satisfaction from students' difficulties, often imposing severe punishments for minor infractions, such as dragging us out of bed for minor misdemeanors. I recall one student refused to eat a boiled egg and that egg was presented to her over a number of meals - I don't remember if she eventually ate it, but the expectation was that she should. The institution admitted children as young as five; my older sister was among them. The quality of education was subpar, to say the least. I imagine those who now consider it to have been good or think that this school was one of the 'top in the country' have not progressed very far. In hindsight, the school stands as yet another absolute shame on the Catholic Church, and I suspect therapists have spent many an hour with the alumni of this institution.

It would appear that Sister Elizabeth Mooney died recently. 17 Sept 2024 — Sr. Elizabeth SHCJ (formerly Sandymount, Sallynoggin and Killiney) September 13, 2024 peacefully in Holy Child Care Home Apley Grange, Harrogate, Englanddid recently: https://rip.ie/death-notice/condolences/sr-elizabeth-mooney-shcj-dublin-sandymount-568803?page=1&records=60&sortFields=a.createdAt&sortDirection=DESC

I attended the feeder school to this school in London's Cavendish Sq.( also HCJ nuns) I arrived from London aged 10 in 1970 and loved it. Like Karen Roberts I remember Mme Rae the most wonderful French teacher, Sister Alexis ( Elastic) who was funny, clever and so kind. On my first night after arrival she went out of her way to make us all feel at home. Our brilliant sports teacher Miss Bull , who fostered my love of sport ( to this day!) , who also taught us modern dance , and I appeared in Fiddler on the Roof too and The Wizard of Oz . I was introduced to team sports which I loved . "SVPing" " visiting the elderly in Warrior Square old peoples homes, fostering volunteering. . I don't remember the food as much worse than standard English fare ( at the lowest level) but not too bad . Having a mother originally from mittel europa I never expected much from English food and this was fine. ( this was the 70s remember) I adored the whole boarding school scene , swims on Hastings beach or the pool nearby , Hastings wasn't trendy then! I did always yearn to get back to London on visiting weekends. Hastings was the back of beyond but great fun as all my friends were there too. I made some wonderful friends, Sr Cuthman was lovely and Sister Mooney was someone to be reckoned with. She insisted on watching wrestling on a Saturday afternoon at a time we used to watch the Saturday afternoon movie before her arrival . She picked horribly on one girl in my year but the rest of us just thought she was wierd and could talk to our parents about her . There were so many other lovely staff , one could get by quite happily having v little to do with her . We did have a water fight once in our dorm ( yes really!) and we were paraded in our damp nighties in assembly by Sister Mooney , but no one took it seriously. I think she was totally out of her depth with us girls, and her responses were very inadequate.Her unforgivable bullying tendency came out with some of the very gentle types. Awful. I then went on to Mayfield the senior HCJ school which was a really superb school and went to medical school . I would credit the SHCJ nuns with instilling the fact that women could achieve and aim high at a time in the 70s when most woman didn't go to university ..The thing about Mayfield ( the senior school for St Leonards )is that it was run very efficiently by HCJ nuns most of whom were graduates. St Jean Sinclair the superb head was Clive Sinclair's Sister so If they needed an extension to the school , one of the nuns was a trained architect and so it went on.. Accountants, mathematicians etc. A community run by woman which for a young girl in the 70s was formative. The only men were gardeners. So this set me up for the world of Medicine . In terms of educational standards I would say that the arts and music training of these schools was excellent , with many girls folliwing in those paths and becoming very successful in their fields but the science teaching as in most girls schools at that time was poor most likely because female STEM graduate teachers were few and far between and the boys schools got the pick of the larger male cohort. I do however feel that St Leonards then Mayfield gave me a very well rounded education and some wonderful life long friends. I would also stress that my final year ( of 3 years) at St Leonard's was the last year before the school closed and therefore the most "modern" and perhaps un representative year compared to those that went before me. This is a fascinating thread , pls everybody add your thoughts .

I heard that Sister Elizabeth Mooney had died. What an awful woman she was. How many little lives did she affect in such an awful way. She showed no kindness.

Who are these people that thought the school and Sister Mooney were fine - so long as you ignored them? . If she picked on you, you could not ignore her. I think Benita (above) who remembers Sr Mooney's 'quirks' must have walked around the school with her eyes closed. She refers to 'some of the more gentle types', as if somehow they were responsible for the treatment they received from Mooney and should have been more resilient - what a thoughtless thing to say!

I went to St. Leonards when I was 8. I stopped by the school last year September 2024 as I was curious and the Loggia had completely collapsed and it looked like squatters had moved in. Do any of you know who owns the place now? It was a language school at one point but not as of last year. I have mixed recollections of my years there before I moved on to Mayfield. I don't remember Sister Mooney - what years was she headmistress? I only remember Sister Cuthbert (Fish) who was the last person that should have been head of a school.

Sister Mooney was the last head mistress and she must have started there in 1971/1972 until 1975 ish
There’s a book and a recorded interview about Sister Cuthbert’s (Fish) life and in it she says she shouldn’t have been in charge of children and would try to ‘break the girls’ spirit’ . It’s a curious admission and the recoding of an interview is readily available - I just can’t remember where, right now! Worth a quick google for those who may be interested. Sister Mooney was absolutely vile. I remember some of the older girls, those who didn’t need to take her bullying seriously and just found her ‘weird’ seemed to enjoy the emotional pain she inflicted on some of the girls. Nobody did anything to stop her.

Hi - I am so glad I found this page. My mother was at st leonards from about 1930 until 1942. She was only 7 when she . started. I am writing a series of novels about my grandmother and I've got the bit where Mum was at St leonards. I know she adored a nun known as Mother Pip - does anyone remember her and have any info on her. I'd love to know also who was headmistress in 1930 and also any info about the school being evacuated to Devon/Cornwall during WWII.
My sister and I were duly sent to Mayfield in the 1970s where Sr Anne was first headmistress and then Sr Jean. I was pretty unhappy there sadly.
But info on the 1930s would be so appreciated x

This establishment was bought I believe by a Spanish man in the 70s and was run as a summer camp school for Spanish students to come over and stay. My uncle, Joaquin Pombo was the care taker there and lived on the premises for many years. I spent many summers there, and werkends visiting my family there. I had the most amazing childhood there. It was beautiful and interesting. Underground tunnels amd stories of ghostly nuns. Out of season us children had the entire area to ourselves, it was the best time of my childhood, and I loved Hastings St.Leonard for it's sea side and icerink and pier
I will never forget those childhood memories of that amazing fort like place. Thank you Holy Child Jesus.