Cities: Liverpool – Southampton
LIVERPOOL
St Francis Xavier’s College
Woolton Hill Road
LIVERPOOL L25 6EG
C : admin@sfx1842.org
SOUTHAMPTON
Charlton House Independent School
55-57 Midanbury Lane
Bitterne Park
SOUTHAMPTON SO18 4DJ
C: admin@charltonhouseindependentschool.co.uk
W:charltonhouseindependentschool.co.uk
French Novices In England.
In 1903, some French Brothers, expelled because of secularisation laws, found refuge in England. The Fullands estate, rented at Taunton, in Somerset, welcomed the first French postulants in 1904.
The Taunton residence being too small, the congregation purchased a large estate at Bitterne, near Southampton, in 1910. The French Noviciate was there till 1922. Then, the Jesuit Fathers sold us the Highlands College, in Jersey. For a period of 50 years, from 1922 to 1972, except during the war, the French aspirants had their Noviciate there.
Jersey
In 1896, to answer the call of the parish priest, the FIC’s replace the La Salle Brothers in the St.Thomas parish, and open two or three other establishments.
In 1904, Brother Abel and the members of his Council rent a residence for the General Administration of the Congregation. The administrative office is transferred to Highlands in 1922, and then to Rome in 1972. The Highlands estate was then sold to the State of Jersey.
The English province.
The departure of the Novices from Bitterne in 1922 indicates truly the beginning of the English Province. St.Mary’s College in Southampton, on the property of Bitterne, was opened on this occasion. Thanks to the contribution of the Juniorates of Pell Wall (1937) and Cheswardine (1950), the English took gradually over from the French and Canadian Brothers.
In 2013, the Community of Southampton is closed. The last brothers present moved towards the Community of Liverpool which was then composed of 4 Brothers. 2021, the last Brothers of Liverpool joined to the Communities of France, but the English Brothers are keeping the “tutelle” of the two Schools :
– Charlton House Independent School in Southampton, Primary School.
– St Francis Xavier’s College, in Liverpool, former Jesuit college, sold to the Brothers in 1974.
