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Harvey and Roehampton—A present-day link
HARVEY AND ROEHAMPTON By J. T U D O R
,A PRESENT-DAY LINK
LEWIS,
M.D., O.P.H.
Medical Officer of Health, Metropolitan Boroughs of Battersea and Wandsworth Divisional Medical Olficer, London County Co,mcil Honorary Consultant, Fountain Hospital Visiting Lecturer, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine WILLIAM Harvey, the most illustrious figure in British medicine, or for :! ~t matter in the history of the Art, died on June 5th, 1657. He was buried in Hempstead Parish Church in Essex, where his remains now lie but, according to tradition, his death took place in the house of his brother, Eliab Harvey, in Roehampton. A recent review* of the evidence confirmed that tradition is wclt founded and that Harvey did in fact die in his brother Eliab's house in Roehampton but that over the centuries the whereabouts of this house had faded from men's memory. The same paper contained a study of old deeds and maps which showed that Eliab Harvey's house was situated on the west side of Rochamptoq Lane where the Convent of the Sacred Heart now stands. It was a substantial mansion standing in extensive grounds and although, unfortunately, the house itself was destroyed by fire in 1796, the grounds remain as the scene of the last years and hours of medicine's greatest son. It is proposed-[- now to describe in a little more detail the nature of the house and more particularly the grounds where Harvey lived and died and to consider the links which may still exist with the great physician and scientist. This, in turn, may throw some light on the kind of life which Harvey lived during his declining years. J O H N R O C Q U E ' S MAP, 1 7 4 1 - 4 5 The basis of this further study is the assumption that the house and grounds shown on John Rocque's map of 1741-45, the earliest known map of the area, is the house built by Eliab Harvey some 100 years earlier. Tile evidence that this is so together with a reproduction of Rocque's map was set out in the paper already cited and need not be repeated in full. In the main, however, it depends on the extraordinarily close correspondence between the description of Eliab Harvey's house as obtained from the deeds studied and the house and grounds shown on Rocque's map.
*LEwis, J. TUDOR. (1960). Medical ltistory, 4, 1. -I-I am very grateful to Mr. P. V. Marchant, Borough Surveyor for Wandsworth, and his staff for help and advice in studying the maps.
S
PUBLIC
ltEALTit
VOL.
LXXV
NO.
I
Thus, it is clear from the deeds that the house was a mansion house and that there were "outhouses, edifices, stables, courts, yards, gardens, ways". To the north and west there were pastures of 14 acres "more or less" and between the eastern boundary of Eliab Harvey's land and the west side of Roehampton Lane there was a piece of ground not belonging to the Harvey property. Rocque's map shows a large house with outbuildings and kitchen and formal gardens. To the north-west is an area ofpasture calculated from the map to be of 13½ acres and between the property and Roehampton Lane is an area of land, obviously not part of the property as such. It would be straining credulity too far to think that this similarity was just coincidence. It is true that Eiiab Harvey's house was built some 100 years before the date of Rocque's map but it is certain to have been a substantial structure able to withstand tempest and flood and short of some calamity such as fire, by which it was indeed eventually destroyed, it would certainly have been standing 100 years after its construction. In that period the grounds may well have undergone changes but that the house and grounds shown on Rocque's map are those owned and occupied by Eliab Harvey, there can be no doubt. Together with the rest of the Harvey estate on the east side of Roehampton Lane, they were disposed of by a William Harvey, grandson of Eliab and great-nephew of the physician, in 1724. If, therefore, Rocque's map is reasonably accurate by modern standards, it should be possible to show where the house and grounds stood in relation to existing structures. The first point to determine is whether Rocque's map is accurate and, fortunately, this is easily done by comparing points and buildings on that map with the same points and buildings which can be identified to-day and which appear on a modern map. There is no doubt that Rocque's map is remarkably accurate, even by present-day standards, there being a maximum error of less than 5~o when it is compared with a modern map. It follows that by comparing the details shown on Rocque's map with those shown on a modern map, much information can be obtained. This is illustrated in the diagram which shows a sketch map of modern Roehampton, on which is superimposed the site of Eliab Harvey's house.
THE
HOUSE
A large part of the site of ~ e house is now covered by hard tennis courts. It is evident that it was a large dwelling lying about I00 yards back from Roehampton Lane and consisting of two wings connected by a central portion. The front of the mansion probably faced northwards and as the land dips in that direction, first gradually and then more steeply, there was a fine panoramic view and in the far distance on a clear day could be seen (as can be seen to-day) the high ground beyond the River Thames. The outhouses, stables and kitchen garden
ttARVt'Y
AND
ROEItAMPTON
q
were behind the house, bounded by the curtilage of Roehampton Great House,* while to the north and west it was surrounded by open fields. Excavations in 1950-51, during the building of new wings to the College attached to the Convent, uncovered a wall built of red rubber brick where the outbuildings of the house are thought to have been. Whether it was a boundar3' wall or a retaining wall, it is difficult to say. It is known that many of the great houses which were built in the late Elizabethan and Stuart periods were of red
j~
+ Flats
Site or •" El.i.ab
Harvejs House
,e/d Froebe[ fnstilule
-Co~ven£ oF t~e ,
C~r'erlce lane
Sacred
Queen
Hear£
/V/a r ~ , ~s
JCospz~aZ
Roehamp{t Vi ZZa~e
brick and it is possible that this house was likewise built. Four feet to the south of this wall was a 9-in. circular brick drain or duct in perfect condition, built o f red common brick. Some distance away from the site of the house and underneath but quite separate from Goldsmid's home,'[ old underground wine *Now the Froebel Institute. ~fThis was the house built by Benjamin Goldsmid to replace the Harvey house which was burnt down in 1796. Goldsmid acquired the estate in 1797 and the house he built was in turn destroyed by a bomb in I940.
I0
PUBLIC
HEALTH
VOL.
LXXV
NO.
I
cxllars, in perfect condition, had been in use for storage purposes up to recent date. It is interesting 1o note that in 1947 a piece of what was probably an old bellarmine was found near this site. Bellarmines were glazed earthenware wine flagons made in the Netherlands as a burlesque of Cardinal Bellarmine who died in 1621 and it is not likely that any were made after that date. THE C a O U N ~ S The grounds are of no httle interest. Rooque's map shows a formal garden extending from the front of the house, no trace of which now exists. Was it there in Harvey's day? Eliab Harvey's Will speaks of "gardens" and since the kitchen garden was certainly behind the house and the front would be the only place for a formal garden, it may be assumed that there was a garden in this situation in Harvey's day but whether of greater or lesser extent than that shown on Rocque's map it is quite impossible to say. Of greater importance is a large lawn or small field, not specifically mentioned by Eliab in his Will, but no doubt included under "gardens". This lawn or small field may well be the only direct and visible recognisable link with Harvey that remains; for converfience of description, I shall call it the "lawn". On Rocque's map to the north-west of the house there is shown land the markings of which, by comparison with similar markings on the map, certainly represent rough meadow land. As calculated from Rocque's map, this piece of land has an area of 13½ acres and clearly represents the area of pasture to the north and west of 14 acres "more or less" described in the Deeds. To the south and to the east of the house and extending about half-way down the formal garden is an area &much finer markings representing, I believe, more cultivated grassland such as a lawn. The section of the lawn to the east of the house is flanked on each side by a double row of what are clearly well-grown trees. Reference to a modem map will show that an area of lawn almost identical in size and also flanked by trees still exists and can be seen to-day. Great interest eentres on these present-day trees.* The five trees lying farthes~ north on the west side of the lawn are wellgrown oaks, almost certainly in existence 300 years ago. The avenue of trees flanking the lawn on the west side are young limes, as are those bordering the east side but these are older although still not of great age. With the exception of the oaks, none of the trees we see to-day could have been present in 1741-45 when Rocque made his map and yet on that map well-grown trees are shown. The explanation for this seeming anomaly is probably quite simple. When Eliab Harvey built his house and laid out his grounds about 1635--40,t it is likely that he planted trees and these would have been well grown 100 years °Mr. E. F. Bundy, Parks Superintendent for Wandsworth, has vei-y kindly examined and advised u p o n these trees and I am most grateful to him for his help. "/'This statement is based on unpublished work.
HARVEY
AND
ROEHAMPTON
17
later and would appear as such on Rocque's map. As the years went by, but not earlier than 1800, these trees (except the oaks) would have needed felling and as is the custom, replanting would have taken place. It is interesting that this supposition is in accord with contcmporar3' knowledge. A member* of the community of the Sacred Heart who has known the property all her life, tells me that the limes flanking the west side of the lawn were planted between 1911 and I930 to fill spaces caused by the felling of elms during that period. These were very large trees, thought by the fellers to be possibly 300 years old and the last came down in 1948. The trees on the east side of the lawn are also limes but older than those on the west, having been planted probably during the last century. All this is not merely academic for the implication is quite cleat. The lawn to-day is bordered by trees planted during the last 150 years. Rocque's map shows the same lawn, also bordered by well-grown trees, but not the same trees as we see; those shown by Rocque were the original planting of Eliab Harvey when he laid out his grounds. Clearly the lawn itself has remained unaltered over the years and that, flanked by young growing trees. it was there in Harvey's day, 300 years ago. It presents to us much the same appearance as it did to Harvey. A L I N K WIT~t HARVEY Of the house where Harvey died, nothing now remains. The grounds which surrounded the house are still to be seen though inevitably much changed since Harvey's day. The 14 acres "more or less" to the north-west of the house which was pasture has matured and been wooded; some of it forms part of a golf course. To the east of the house the large tree-bordered lawn can be seen much as it was seen by Harvey although the trees are not those that Harvey saw. What links have these grounds with Harvey? To answer this, it is necessary to glance briefly at some of Harvey's activities in these later years.t From about 1649-50 onwards he made his brother's residence in Roehampton his main home although he may from time to time have stayed temporarily elsewhere. This house was convenient of access to the City and would have suited Harvey very well for even in his retirement he was constantly in touch with the College of Physicians, frequently visited the College and many of the Fellows often visited him. Sir George Ent certainly did so in 1650 and Sir Charles Scarborough was also a visitor. Of friends in other walks of life, Thomas Hobbes, the philosopher, was much with Harvey at this period and Cowley, the poet, was a friend, as was Edward Boyle. Brian Duppa, former Bishop of Chichester, visited him the day before he died. These would hardly have been isolated visits, nor would these well-known people have been his *Mother H. Davidson. ~Some of the statements made here are based on a study to be published separately.
t2
PUBLIC
ItEALTH
VOL.
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I
only visitors for by this time Harwey had become internationally acclaimed and honoured. It would be very natural for Harvey in the plcasant days of summer to walk and talk with his friends in the grounds and particularly on the large lawn so conveniently placed to the house. More domestically, it is known from Harvey's great-niece that while living in Roehampton in his later )'ears "he used to walk out in a morning combing his hair in the fields". No doubt he walked at times in the pastures surrounding the house but as the years drew on and his gout became more troublesome, he would have ventured less far afield and we may well imagine him walking on the lawn (really a small field) as his great-niece describes. If this reconstruction of some of Harvey's activities contains perhaps a shade of imaginative licence, it serves to put beyond doubt that these grounds, and particularly this lawn, do provide us with a very real present-day link with the great physician. Furthermore, during his long life, Harvey lived, or at least stayed, in many places apart from Roehamplon; childhood in Folkestone; boyhood at King's School, Canterbury; at Caius College, Cambridge and Padua in his youth; his own house in the City in early manhood and middle life; Merton College, Oxford, during the Civil War; and after the fall of Oxford in 1646, in Cockeine House in the City and ill houses in Hempstead and Chigwell in Essex and Coombe in Surrey. All these, in some measure, can claim a link with Harvey. However, of the houses in Folkestone, London, Hempslead, Chigwell and Coombe, little or nothing now remains and of his period at Canterbury., Cambridge, Padua and Oxford, one is not aware that any tangible or visible link is to be seen or that any record of one exists. It would seem then that the only remaining visible link with Harvey is to be found in the grounds of the Convent of the Sacred Heart on the west side of Rochampton Lane in Roehampton. In a house in these grounds Harvey lived for seven years; in the surrounding fields "he used to walk out in a morning"; on this lawn he sat and talked with his friends; and here he died "amos: S the three or four master intelligences of all time". All will agree that it is a matter for great satisfaction that this personal link with Harvey, almost the only link of its kind, is after all these years still to be seen. It is also a happy thought that in the foreseeable future it is likely to remain unchanged. I wish to thank the Convent of the Sacred Heart, and especially Mother H. Davidson, for the very great heJp they have given me. Every possible facility was given to visit the Convent and its grounds on many occasions and I am most grateful for the kindness I received.
,A PRESENT-DAY LINK
LEWIS,
M.D., O.P.H.
Medical Officer of Health, Metropolitan Boroughs of Battersea and Wandsworth Divisional Medical Olficer, London County Co,mcil Honorary Consultant, Fountain Hospital Visiting Lecturer, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine WILLIAM Harvey, the most illustrious figure in British medicine, or for :! ~t matter in the history of the Art, died on June 5th, 1657. He was buried in Hempstead Parish Church in Essex, where his remains now lie but, according to tradition, his death took place in the house of his brother, Eliab Harvey, in Roehampton. A recent review* of the evidence confirmed that tradition is wclt founded and that Harvey did in fact die in his brother Eliab's house in Roehampton but that over the centuries the whereabouts of this house had faded from men's memory. The same paper contained a study of old deeds and maps which showed that Eliab Harvey's house was situated on the west side of Rochamptoq Lane where the Convent of the Sacred Heart now stands. It was a substantial mansion standing in extensive grounds and although, unfortunately, the house itself was destroyed by fire in 1796, the grounds remain as the scene of the last years and hours of medicine's greatest son. It is proposed-[- now to describe in a little more detail the nature of the house and more particularly the grounds where Harvey lived and died and to consider the links which may still exist with the great physician and scientist. This, in turn, may throw some light on the kind of life which Harvey lived during his declining years. J O H N R O C Q U E ' S MAP, 1 7 4 1 - 4 5 The basis of this further study is the assumption that the house and grounds shown on John Rocque's map of 1741-45, the earliest known map of the area, is the house built by Eliab Harvey some 100 years earlier. Tile evidence that this is so together with a reproduction of Rocque's map was set out in the paper already cited and need not be repeated in full. In the main, however, it depends on the extraordinarily close correspondence between the description of Eliab Harvey's house as obtained from the deeds studied and the house and grounds shown on Rocque's map.
*LEwis, J. TUDOR. (1960). Medical ltistory, 4, 1. -I-I am very grateful to Mr. P. V. Marchant, Borough Surveyor for Wandsworth, and his staff for help and advice in studying the maps.
S
PUBLIC
ltEALTit
VOL.
LXXV
NO.
I
Thus, it is clear from the deeds that the house was a mansion house and that there were "outhouses, edifices, stables, courts, yards, gardens, ways". To the north and west there were pastures of 14 acres "more or less" and between the eastern boundary of Eliab Harvey's land and the west side of Roehampton Lane there was a piece of ground not belonging to the Harvey property. Rocque's map shows a large house with outbuildings and kitchen and formal gardens. To the north-west is an area ofpasture calculated from the map to be of 13½ acres and between the property and Roehampton Lane is an area of land, obviously not part of the property as such. It would be straining credulity too far to think that this similarity was just coincidence. It is true that Eiiab Harvey's house was built some 100 years before the date of Rocque's map but it is certain to have been a substantial structure able to withstand tempest and flood and short of some calamity such as fire, by which it was indeed eventually destroyed, it would certainly have been standing 100 years after its construction. In that period the grounds may well have undergone changes but that the house and grounds shown on Rocque's map are those owned and occupied by Eliab Harvey, there can be no doubt. Together with the rest of the Harvey estate on the east side of Roehampton Lane, they were disposed of by a William Harvey, grandson of Eliab and great-nephew of the physician, in 1724. If, therefore, Rocque's map is reasonably accurate by modern standards, it should be possible to show where the house and grounds stood in relation to existing structures. The first point to determine is whether Rocque's map is accurate and, fortunately, this is easily done by comparing points and buildings on that map with the same points and buildings which can be identified to-day and which appear on a modern map. There is no doubt that Rocque's map is remarkably accurate, even by present-day standards, there being a maximum error of less than 5~o when it is compared with a modern map. It follows that by comparing the details shown on Rocque's map with those shown on a modern map, much information can be obtained. This is illustrated in the diagram which shows a sketch map of modern Roehampton, on which is superimposed the site of Eliab Harvey's house.
THE
HOUSE
A large part of the site of ~ e house is now covered by hard tennis courts. It is evident that it was a large dwelling lying about I00 yards back from Roehampton Lane and consisting of two wings connected by a central portion. The front of the mansion probably faced northwards and as the land dips in that direction, first gradually and then more steeply, there was a fine panoramic view and in the far distance on a clear day could be seen (as can be seen to-day) the high ground beyond the River Thames. The outhouses, stables and kitchen garden
ttARVt'Y
AND
ROEItAMPTON
q
were behind the house, bounded by the curtilage of Roehampton Great House,* while to the north and west it was surrounded by open fields. Excavations in 1950-51, during the building of new wings to the College attached to the Convent, uncovered a wall built of red rubber brick where the outbuildings of the house are thought to have been. Whether it was a boundar3' wall or a retaining wall, it is difficult to say. It is known that many of the great houses which were built in the late Elizabethan and Stuart periods were of red
j~
+ Flats
Site or •" El.i.ab
Harvejs House
,e/d Froebe[ fnstilule
-Co~ven£ oF t~e ,
C~r'erlce lane
Sacred
Queen
Hear£
/V/a r ~ , ~s
JCospz~aZ
Roehamp{t Vi ZZa~e
brick and it is possible that this house was likewise built. Four feet to the south of this wall was a 9-in. circular brick drain or duct in perfect condition, built o f red common brick. Some distance away from the site of the house and underneath but quite separate from Goldsmid's home,'[ old underground wine *Now the Froebel Institute. ~fThis was the house built by Benjamin Goldsmid to replace the Harvey house which was burnt down in 1796. Goldsmid acquired the estate in 1797 and the house he built was in turn destroyed by a bomb in I940.
I0
PUBLIC
HEALTH
VOL.
LXXV
NO.
I
cxllars, in perfect condition, had been in use for storage purposes up to recent date. It is interesting 1o note that in 1947 a piece of what was probably an old bellarmine was found near this site. Bellarmines were glazed earthenware wine flagons made in the Netherlands as a burlesque of Cardinal Bellarmine who died in 1621 and it is not likely that any were made after that date. THE C a O U N ~ S The grounds are of no httle interest. Rooque's map shows a formal garden extending from the front of the house, no trace of which now exists. Was it there in Harvey's day? Eliab Harvey's Will speaks of "gardens" and since the kitchen garden was certainly behind the house and the front would be the only place for a formal garden, it may be assumed that there was a garden in this situation in Harvey's day but whether of greater or lesser extent than that shown on Rocque's map it is quite impossible to say. Of greater importance is a large lawn or small field, not specifically mentioned by Eliab in his Will, but no doubt included under "gardens". This lawn or small field may well be the only direct and visible recognisable link with Harvey that remains; for converfience of description, I shall call it the "lawn". On Rocque's map to the north-west of the house there is shown land the markings of which, by comparison with similar markings on the map, certainly represent rough meadow land. As calculated from Rocque's map, this piece of land has an area of 13½ acres and clearly represents the area of pasture to the north and west of 14 acres "more or less" described in the Deeds. To the south and to the east of the house and extending about half-way down the formal garden is an area &much finer markings representing, I believe, more cultivated grassland such as a lawn. The section of the lawn to the east of the house is flanked on each side by a double row of what are clearly well-grown trees. Reference to a modem map will show that an area of lawn almost identical in size and also flanked by trees still exists and can be seen to-day. Great interest eentres on these present-day trees.* The five trees lying farthes~ north on the west side of the lawn are wellgrown oaks, almost certainly in existence 300 years ago. The avenue of trees flanking the lawn on the west side are young limes, as are those bordering the east side but these are older although still not of great age. With the exception of the oaks, none of the trees we see to-day could have been present in 1741-45 when Rocque made his map and yet on that map well-grown trees are shown. The explanation for this seeming anomaly is probably quite simple. When Eliab Harvey built his house and laid out his grounds about 1635--40,t it is likely that he planted trees and these would have been well grown 100 years °Mr. E. F. Bundy, Parks Superintendent for Wandsworth, has vei-y kindly examined and advised u p o n these trees and I am most grateful to him for his help. "/'This statement is based on unpublished work.
HARVEY
AND
ROEHAMPTON
17
later and would appear as such on Rocque's map. As the years went by, but not earlier than 1800, these trees (except the oaks) would have needed felling and as is the custom, replanting would have taken place. It is interesting that this supposition is in accord with contcmporar3' knowledge. A member* of the community of the Sacred Heart who has known the property all her life, tells me that the limes flanking the west side of the lawn were planted between 1911 and I930 to fill spaces caused by the felling of elms during that period. These were very large trees, thought by the fellers to be possibly 300 years old and the last came down in 1948. The trees on the east side of the lawn are also limes but older than those on the west, having been planted probably during the last century. All this is not merely academic for the implication is quite cleat. The lawn to-day is bordered by trees planted during the last 150 years. Rocque's map shows the same lawn, also bordered by well-grown trees, but not the same trees as we see; those shown by Rocque were the original planting of Eliab Harvey when he laid out his grounds. Clearly the lawn itself has remained unaltered over the years and that, flanked by young growing trees. it was there in Harvey's day, 300 years ago. It presents to us much the same appearance as it did to Harvey. A L I N K WIT~t HARVEY Of the house where Harvey died, nothing now remains. The grounds which surrounded the house are still to be seen though inevitably much changed since Harvey's day. The 14 acres "more or less" to the north-west of the house which was pasture has matured and been wooded; some of it forms part of a golf course. To the east of the house the large tree-bordered lawn can be seen much as it was seen by Harvey although the trees are not those that Harvey saw. What links have these grounds with Harvey? To answer this, it is necessary to glance briefly at some of Harvey's activities in these later years.t From about 1649-50 onwards he made his brother's residence in Roehampton his main home although he may from time to time have stayed temporarily elsewhere. This house was convenient of access to the City and would have suited Harvey very well for even in his retirement he was constantly in touch with the College of Physicians, frequently visited the College and many of the Fellows often visited him. Sir George Ent certainly did so in 1650 and Sir Charles Scarborough was also a visitor. Of friends in other walks of life, Thomas Hobbes, the philosopher, was much with Harvey at this period and Cowley, the poet, was a friend, as was Edward Boyle. Brian Duppa, former Bishop of Chichester, visited him the day before he died. These would hardly have been isolated visits, nor would these well-known people have been his *Mother H. Davidson. ~Some of the statements made here are based on a study to be published separately.
t2
PUBLIC
ItEALTH
VOL.
LXXV
NO.
I
only visitors for by this time Harwey had become internationally acclaimed and honoured. It would be very natural for Harvey in the plcasant days of summer to walk and talk with his friends in the grounds and particularly on the large lawn so conveniently placed to the house. More domestically, it is known from Harvey's great-niece that while living in Roehampton in his later )'ears "he used to walk out in a morning combing his hair in the fields". No doubt he walked at times in the pastures surrounding the house but as the years drew on and his gout became more troublesome, he would have ventured less far afield and we may well imagine him walking on the lawn (really a small field) as his great-niece describes. If this reconstruction of some of Harvey's activities contains perhaps a shade of imaginative licence, it serves to put beyond doubt that these grounds, and particularly this lawn, do provide us with a very real present-day link with the great physician. Furthermore, during his long life, Harvey lived, or at least stayed, in many places apart from Roehamplon; childhood in Folkestone; boyhood at King's School, Canterbury; at Caius College, Cambridge and Padua in his youth; his own house in the City in early manhood and middle life; Merton College, Oxford, during the Civil War; and after the fall of Oxford in 1646, in Cockeine House in the City and ill houses in Hempstead and Chigwell in Essex and Coombe in Surrey. All these, in some measure, can claim a link with Harvey. However, of the houses in Folkestone, London, Hempslead, Chigwell and Coombe, little or nothing now remains and of his period at Canterbury., Cambridge, Padua and Oxford, one is not aware that any tangible or visible link is to be seen or that any record of one exists. It would seem then that the only remaining visible link with Harvey is to be found in the grounds of the Convent of the Sacred Heart on the west side of Rochampton Lane in Roehampton. In a house in these grounds Harvey lived for seven years; in the surrounding fields "he used to walk out in a morning"; on this lawn he sat and talked with his friends; and here he died "amos: S the three or four master intelligences of all time". All will agree that it is a matter for great satisfaction that this personal link with Harvey, almost the only link of its kind, is after all these years still to be seen. It is also a happy thought that in the foreseeable future it is likely to remain unchanged. I wish to thank the Convent of the Sacred Heart, and especially Mother H. Davidson, for the very great heJp they have given me. Every possible facility was given to visit the Convent and its grounds on many occasions and I am most grateful for the kindness I received.