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for twelve we're going to stuff. You missed in history class. The production of I hurried, use, housetop works hello and welcome the podcast, I'm Holly fried and I'm crazy be open. So today we are talking about a court case. There was thoroughly famous and the eighteen sixties less known. Today it is the great english convent case. Greatness that is referred to is definitely not the sense of good, not really delightful case to hear about, but it speaks to the fervor of public interest surrounding it. It became really a sensational legal and cultural moment for Victoria in England, and it was scandalous because it involve conflict within a convent and the idea of hearing what went on behind the walls of such a place, tucked away from the outside world, was completely tantalizing to both the press and the public, and,

So that was because it came at a time when it fed and already growing Anti Catholic Movement in England Additional it played on the shock of women being incredibly cruel to one another, and that was something there even used by the plaintiffs legal team when speaking to the jury, when this case went trial, so was an inherently salacious element to the proceedings, as people eagerly waited for the juicy. Your details of the case to a man urge one thing they will mention going in is that if you look up any documents on this, the names involved spelled all manner of different ways. The plaintiff is in So the legal documents just referred to as Miss Sovereign, but she her name, was either Susan or Suzanne, depending on what you look at similar way. The primary defendant, MRS Star, is also spelled star with two star with one are. There is also a Missis Nicky involved sometimes spelled with one and sometimes with two, and I want to be

in the same legal document. These names will change, thinks so there's a lot of inconsistency about that were kind of going with commonly used ones and we'll talk also about you their non. Religious names verses their names as nuns a little bit. We were going with the nonreligious names just for clarity, heads up also there's a lot of discussion and accusations of abuse and cruelty in the mix. Here, those are sensitive things for you. This may not be the episode for you guys was reading it. I was reminded of like mean girls, but worse, yeah. It's like a lot of fares petty abuses, but they really acumen. Lay in a way that is pretty upsetting and you could understand would be very trying death. So Susan sorrow was a very devout irish roman catholic family. She was the third daughter in her immediate family, although her parents

didn't really watered or become a nun, her their other, daughters, her sisters already were, but she really felt called to this. She finally convinced her Emily, that it was the only life for her and then visited a number of convents to try to find the right fit in eighteen. Fifty one she became candidate in a Dublin Ireland, sisters of mercy convent and then she went from candidate to novice on August fifth, one thousand eight hundred and fifty one taking the name sister, Mary Scholastica, Joseph and taking her vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, as well as service to the poor, the sick, ignorant and during the time that sovereign joined, the convent so did to other women, not at the exact same time, but all within a few months of one another. That's MRS Star, whose religious name was sister Mary, Joseph and MRS Kennedy. His religious name was sister Mary, de in both of those women had been married before they joined the comments. That is why they are, MRS, for the purposes of simplicity, we're goin

you stick to using legal names rather than their religious names, as that is what, primarily used in all of the accounts of the court case, which is really what we're focusing on today. So by signs own account, these three sisters were very close. She would later testify quote. We were all free throne, very much into each other's society. I became very intimate with MRS Star and attached to her and she to me you were associated in the work of education. I was equally attached to MRS Kennedy and I should point out to you that, even in different publications of these accounts, this was part of her testimony at trial. Some of that freezing will shift a little bit basically the court's demographers, we're taking short hand and then rating things out, longhand afterwards, and so sometimes the sentence structures a little different. If you ever see another version of this anything they were quoting today. You might see slight variations in our assent, as is worded, justify for a time. Mrs Star was appointed mothers

rear of a convent in Yorkshire, England, and at that time this is sometime around one thousand eight hundred and fifty five or one thousand eight hundred and fifty six MRS Star asks Aaron to join her at this new convent, which Susan Sorin and her family to you with the understanding that if she was unhappy there in England, she could return to her old convent in Dublin. So initially thing seemed to go well, but then in eighteen, sixty five misfortune was expelled from her community and absolved of all around and this was against her will, for years later. In February, one thousand eight hundred and sixty nine Miss Susan Soren filed suit against the mother superior of sisters of mercy. Mrs Star and her assistant, MRS Kennedy, who was the convent sister in authority, you'll, see her

did his sister and authority or superior assistance and time it's EC. The wording comes out different Sorin, accuse star of abuse and of conspiring with her colleagues to force this sorry to leave the convent. She also accuse them of falsifying evidence, which was presented to a church bishop, with the intent to have her expelled from the order and to address damages to reputation and character because, after she was expelled from this life, she was really prepared for another vocation and she was she She felt we can go into a lot of churches, so Miss massage was suing for five thousand pounds. Proceedings began on February. Third, eighteen, sixty nine solicitor. John Duke Coleridge was the head of the plaintiff legal team, assisted by Mr Digby Seymour and Mr Wills, Henry Hawkins, George Melis and Charles Russell made up the defences team of solicitors. Their case was presided over by the word chief justice, Sir Alley,

under current and the charges as outlined before the court on February Third eighteen thirty nine were noted by the courts. Demographers follows quote: this was an action brought by a professed sister of the order of Mars, against the mother superior any professed. Sister of the same order in the convent at hall to recover damages for assault and conspiracy to drive her from the convent and have her expelled from the order. The declaration stated that the defendants on diverse occasions assaulted and beat the plaintiff, and they took clothes and property from her and imprisoned her for a long time whereby she was rendered sick and oh and greatly distressed in body and mind the case as it was laid before the court that day went on to include a trophy, but the legal action to read. Were the value of property that was discarded by another person. This was gonna cover a watch, some clothing books and papers. That accusation on the part of the plaintiff went on

state, that miss Sovereign was legally entitled to the basic necessities of life, including food, clothing and shelter, as well as the right to attend services and the roman catholic church as a member of the order, and that the defendants had deprived her of these rights its sovereign, also charge star with libel, saying that the mother Superior told Doktor Robert Corinth waits the Bishop of Beverly. That sovereign had complained about her boots clothing and food was late in her work. Eight during hours were doing so was prohibited, spoke privately with a priest was contradictory and disobedient and had illicit conversations with outside earth the defendants in this case actually paid the trophy for the lost items at the outset, but then pled not guilty to all other charges when Colored stepped up to make his opening statements? He said to the jury quote: you will have gathered from the opening of the pleadings by my learned friend, Mr Wills, that the case which I have to bring to your attention is

on a good deal out of the common way by requiring more than a common amount of your watchfulness and patients, the facts, the better strange and painful. They are strange and painful as a revelation of human nature. They are more strange and painful as a revelation of female nature, our most strange and painful of all as a revelation of conventional female nature, showing what women are capable of when they shut themselves up from their kind and do violence to the instincts of their nature. And what I mean and petty cruelty. They can wreak upon sister women, in the name of the God of Love and in an effort to perhaps temper the possibility of being called into question. As attacking the catholic church, I made a point to mention repeatedly that both parties were of the same denomination. However, of course he was vivifying convents haven't, and thus the catholic church in the process and women.

All women for sure I mean that's a big part of his cases at lake. If you lock, women have together, they'll just become animals, it's really quite terrible, He did also urge the jury to not let thereby disregarding regarding enter into their assessment of the matters at hand. This case stressed on for three weeks and throughout the public leave em to hear more, the court room was full every single day of testimony with both the general public in attendance, as well as a significant number of clergy, the case so highly publicized and was seen as unprecedented, which also drew lawyers not involved in the proceedings to attend as spectators and coming up. We will dig into the story of how Miss sovereigns time in the convent. Really devolved

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custom design just for your home, and the great thing is that all of this safety can be taken on the go, whether you car, whether your grocery shopping, your work, your kids, are at school. You just need the eighty t go up, which has a handy s, o s button. This episode was brought to you by eighty t. Everyone knows about the risks of driving drunk, you could get arrested, incur huge legal expenses, lose your job or hurt, or even kill people, let's take a moment to look at them surprising statistics. Almost twenty nine people in the United States die every day and alcohol impaired vehicle crashes. That is one person. Every fifty minutes, even though drunk driving fatalities have fallen by third. In the last three decades, drunk driving crash is still claim more than ten thousand lives each year

people are unaware that driving, while high can be just as dangerous and twenty fifteen. Forty two percent of drivers killed in crashes, tested positive for drugs, not so harmless. After all, is it and This, from twenty seventeen to twenty fifteen marijuana use among drivers killed and crashes doubled. The truth is driving while highs deadly, so stop kidding yourself if you're empty heard from alcohol or drugs don't get behind the wheel. If you feel different, you drive different Dr High gotta. Do you I drive sober or get pulled over. There was a sketch made for Vanity fair at the time of the trial of MRS Star, the mother superior by the artist Carlo pedigree me. I would actually like to do in episode on him at some point. He signed his work ape that was his his sketch name

and it looks almost like it could be the work of previous Punkahs subject: Charles Adams, as it is rather Kurt. Finish, and the style feels very similar in its star looks both pious and guilty. At the same time, her hands or clasped. On the legend of her, but she is looking to the side with an expression that characterizes her as really sort of sinister or sneaky. The plaintiffs lawyers relate the early history of thorns time as on and that she had a year's long relationship with star without any apparent trouble things just changed Leanne, one thousand sixty one at the time star started questioning sovereign about what she had discussed with her priest during confession It doesn't seem unreasonable to me that she wouldn't want to talk about that, and she took this line of questioning as an insult, and she refused to answer when her testimony sirens

stated quote. I thought it would be a breach of honour and contrary to every regulation, and she continued to refuse to this information, despite being asked repeatedly about it and from that point things really turned unpleasant very quickly Yeah we'll talk about it in a little while that, MRS Star never is, clear in her testimony that she wasn't saying that she thought anything untoward was happening between the two of them, but she just felt on easy about it and that's. Actually, the captain of the the that sketch we just talked about was that she is something along the lines that she had an uneasy Lange and she alleged that she asked all of the other sisters about beer confessions and that they always shared them with her, which becomes a strange whole other thing she was apparently very controlling woman. The case against MRS Star and her colleague, and how they punished miss sovereign quickly. Sembled into a picture of great cruelty, and I do

a point out. Either we talk a lot. We will continue to talk a lot as well in this episode about the bias against the catholic church during this time, the plaintiffs, legal tea was very clearly playing on this, so much so that there were even times when the the magistrate would break in a big. I think you're overdrive appetising this service characterizing this, so they really are trying to like paint these two women is just superveillance, but over the course of sorrow, life was star. Is her mother superior after this? This incident began where she would not tell her confession. The plaintiff claimed that she was it far more cruelly than any of the other sisters in the convent. She. Has given more and more difficult chores than others. This is unhappy I think that it is already mentioned in a lot of letters establishing before any of this happened, that she was not a physically strong person to begin with, and then the punishments hurt for her various infraction. As determined by MRS Star. Basically she would say you are a liar. There was no

course are like waited to discuss or disprove that so her punishments that she got for any of these were incredibly harsh. So some of the things that that Mazarin reported her portions were reduced as a punishment. When the mother Superior accused her of sneaking or stealing food the food she was spared, tasted off and might have been rancid. She was given foods that she was known to dislike, particularly mutton every single day when it was deter, When that she wasn't cleaning to the standards of the mother superior. She was made the pen a dirty duster onto her head and where it it meals and during time and again pretty room. That's one of the things that the MAGIC and the solicitor general have a big back and forth about was like was said dirty, duster had it been used on something wet was an extra disgusting

the end, they have a big disc, a shit about it in the court proceedings. If you ever want to go, read them it's basically, two men bickering over just how dirty addressed her was the boots they were given to miss aren for her use had holes in them and if she complained about this, she was deemed to be disappointed. And, according to her testimony, her room was watched at all hours and a thread was placed on the door knobs so that she can leave without detection. This is also written up in a couple of differ Ways. One was that late. There is essentially a thing on her door now, but she couldn't turn the door now without falling there. Is another that suggest later on, when things really go quite poorly, that there is actually a string tied from her door knob to the bedpost of another sister. So that is she. Opened the door that person would get up and know that they needed to follow her around MRS Starwood simultaneously right to the bishop that something had to be done to get this excellent problematic, miss sovereign out of the combat, while also-

adding letters at the same time to her family saying that she could not leave you and that's well documented. That's not logistics. Nation. Those letters existed and were brought up during the case that she was right over and over, like we have to do something to get rid of this woman. In the meantime, her parents were writing in saying. Can we please have her back in Dublin in her going others no way she could possibly Similarly, MRS Star use your influence to smear, Miss sirens, reputation within the church to other convents that she might have moved to effectively ensured that way that she was not approved for transfer there, and then she would use those failures of those appointments that didn't come through as evidence against her character in the four years between one thousand eight hundred and sixty one and one thousand eight hundred and sixty five conflict played out and more with sovereign, never living up to stars expectations and always being punished during that time. Susan sirens mother tried.

Dimension to him. The mother Superior had said that she was frustrated with her mothers letters and that there are also been Submiss communication or confusion about some of her behaviour at the com at once, she moved to England Monsieur and was no longer under the jurisdiction of Dublin's church officials even when word of Thorns Father being gravely ill with sent onto the convent. Mrs Star did not relay that information to his daughter, yeah again, that's all stuff that is substantiated in kind of the letter record that was brought up during the case. And at one boy, Miss Sovereign wrote to her uncle. Who was also a priest and she engine to him superior had said that she was frustrated with her mothers, letters and that therein, So Benson miscommunication or confusion about some of her behaviour at the convent and Susan sign framed Oliver. Some are fairly positive way. She kind of sets it up like. I know The mother superior doesn't mean to make these mistakes kind of thing. She suggests that she's not

I'm happy at all as a none, but she was just really unsettled there at her current convent and that she would like to move and that she was sure that things would write themselves. If she could. That letter, never made it out of the combat, though star kept it from being sent and wrote her own letter, two sovereigns uncle. Who was the Reverend T Matthews? She urged him to find another appointment. Firm, is sovereign and told him tat. She had committed quote the most grave offences eating quote. I fear we shall be obliged to seek to have her released from the obligation of her vows, which are no longer to her an occasion of merit, but an occasion of sin and the reverend you threw back baby. He knew he couldn't prejudge the situation, but that this all seemed really really odd to him. Since his niece had been such an exemplary, none threw out her time since she took her vows and so much so that mother Superior had in fact asked her to move to England along with herself, and he suggested that if they would just wait until after the busy season-

Once Easter was pass, then they could talk about doing something, and then he would time to travel to England and investigate the matter himself and them their superior. Mrs star wrote the myths are and had to be removed before Easter, in them time Susan Sirens, mother and brother had visited the convent and were admitted only after having been turned away. First, they had a brief visit in which miss aren't assured them that everything was well. Although she was weeping and she was clearly in distress, not long after that visit sovereign wrote to the bishop and got a reply. Those two letters weren't available at the time of the trial, though this communication incensed MRS Star and she made Miss Sarin confess publicly, including a written statement, but she had written to her uncle without permission. She couldn't make her confess to having communicated with the bishop, because that was her right as a nun.

Yeah. That was what really made her angry. It was kind of like you went over my head that she made her confessed to other letter. Writing that that was not apparently ok without permission non this. Fourth, eighteen, sixty two, MRS Star wrote a letter to the Bishop herself to convey her chagrin writing with emphasis that quote such intercourse with Ex turns for such purposes is a violation of a most essential point of religious life. Social saying, was that she felt a sense sorrow had communicated with her uncle with the intent that he would help her move to a different convents that she had send gravely and that she should quote be released from her vows and be dismissed from the community from that summer on star started a whole new series of punishments. The mothers

barrier told Zoran. She could only right home once a year. The letter she received, including those from her father who continued to be unwell, were heavily censored and then destroyed after she read them once with a witness present. She wasn't allowed any communication with her two sisters or her brother, who were also clergy, The reason that that MRS Star gave for all of that censorship was that she felt, in some of the letters, the family. Had either exaggerated or lied and that she thought that was sinful, so she had struck it out. So that's US and who is already. In her view, a mess could not read more sinful things, and that was also destroyed. The letters meets a bit much as all of this was escalating at the convent. The Bishop Robert Corinth, Wait had been in contact Miss Laurence Uncle. Who is you recall what was also priests, and so the bishop

range to visit the convent and investigate everything as quickly as he could, and he arrived in November of eighteen sixty two he was ready like in the habit of making periodic visits to all come and so it was not odd for him do have shown up there- it wasn't only for this purpose, but they are in November. He reassured miss aren after investigating that he thought she had done nothing wrong and that he would see that she would be too did more kindly and that she could come directly to him with any complaints and complain to any one else within the hierarchy, but after he left matters continued exactly as they had before, except they actually got worse, star created a whole new list of rules that are in had to live by. She wasn't allowed to speak with anyone outside the convent Is it or came and addressed a question to her. She was required to motion them. Some one else she had to submit array record of her faults every month and her workload was increased when her brother died

there. Suddenly they kept the news from her four months. She was told long after the fact and then was forbidden from taking any time to grieve and all of this seem to really take a toll significantly on Miss Laurence. Mental state and in the lengthy letter that she wrote to Missus STAR, a retreat, how writing takes on a very unsettling tone and it really starts to exhibit the language of someone who has been systematically abused and come to believe that what their abuser is telling them is in fact the truth. There is one particular passage and when she describes what to most with would sound like an exceedingly minor transgression of folds, up a letter that she had been writing before. A senior sister had instructed her to do so. And then after talking about this, she writes this rather heartbreaking. To me line of, I am always, I believe, to be doing things wrong, and then also goes on in the same letter, which is quite lengthy to describe a recent. Can

in which she was troubled, that the priest didn't seem to understand how sinful she was, and she wrote quote. I really tried to make him. Think me as bad as I did myself signs brother. He was a priest visited, and this visit left him unsettled after being allowed less than fifty minutes with his sister and seeing her looking and behaving unlike herself, he wrote to the Bishop who question MRS Dar on the matter. She replied that quote. The presence of sister scholastic amongst us is a very heavy cross. She is an enemy living in our midst and working. Continue to talk about the last months of Miss the time at the convent in just a minute, but first break take a break from all of this, rather sad and disturbing tail and have a moment of thanks for one of the sponsors that keeps his show going,

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business owner born to be your own boss and annex can help with payment. Flakes I can be just as dangerous in twenty fifteen forty two crashes tested positive for drugs, not so harmless. After all, is it and get this from twenty seventeen to twenty fifteen marijuana use, among Rwanda use among drivers, killing crashes doubled. The truth is driving while highs deadly, so stop kidding yourself if you're impaired from alcohol or drugs don't get behind the wheel. If you feel different, you drive different Dr High gonna. Do you I drive so her or get pulled over numerous letters, the mother Superior made Masara out to be a sort of poison on the convent in April of eighteen. Sixty five, MRS Star began a campaign with the bishop. Regarding the quote problem of Miss sovereign, she asked the bishop to appoint an investigative committee.

The virtue and talent to govern in trying circumstances. It is the fault of character in me, which time rather increase, rather than lessened that I take things too much to heart and I'm too solicitous about those who are under my care. The bishop replied on April 30th, one thousand eight hundred and sixty five, but it was not possible for him to accept. Mrs stars. Resignation encouraged her to have faith in God. He stated that if it truly was a case where the mother superior or the sister must go, that the sister should be the one to leave, you never seen the price with Mr Scholastic her, but he couldn't let one of his convents go without a leader and stars followup letter after he says no, no, you can't quit kind of The same idea that she superior will leave in them is doesn't even need to know that she was the cause and that all sounds. Of benevolence boat. Then the language quickly shit two outlining, the many alleged since that the younger and none has committed many of them really

Lee minor infractions, but then it Regular. She starts accusing Miss, are enough theft and well Wanna has ever caught her because apparently she was so sly. Several different people did suspect her, which Missis are sort of holds up in the letter is nearly is good as real evidence says where I beg you to keep in mind that MRS stars their superior was very influential, so it seemed Blake of the other nuns went along with whatever she said in such matters. Star when accused sovereign of stealing food from the children who came to the convent for school, that she was stealing their dinner although none of the children or their parents ever reported such a thing, there's no record of any kind of complaint along those lines in order to investigate the possibility of theft. Sarin was forced to undress in front of star and her assistance in order to see if she was concealing, stolen food or other items. This was done twice once in May of eighteen, sixty three at another time in December of eighteen, sixty five and

case there was no evidence of any misappropriated goods or food, but the experiences were humiliating, and this was not something she allege like this was acknowledged. Yes, this absolutely happens and was defended as as the only way they were ever going to know for certain issues, a thief and they, the the plaintiffs legal t, makes the case that if they had found even a crumb, if they had been able to fine, essentially a molecule of a thing, they would have reported it because that would have been their evidence. But they never found anything Bishop finally acquiesced. After all of this discussion to stars request and a committee was assembled to review the case, and ultimately, myths are and was expelled from the community the evidence in the matter was given to the Bishop but miss sovereign and her uncle, who represented her before the committee were not given access to any of it

and it was unclear even what the many crimes that she was accused of were they did not have a list of what she was being accused of to work from or defend against. It was really in the words of her uncle. I think he called it something like a travesty when the core- case, went to trial no copy of that evidence that allegedly went before the committee could be obtained in the offences. We're were allegedly addressed in that missing. Evidence didn't even have anything to do with the alleged theft which actually been the issue that finally drove the Bishop to action. According to the solicitor general, he was right, presenting sovereign, her legal battle? These were the same sort of petty charges. That star had been trotting out for some time, as our had been disobedient that she had read the letters without permission that she had eaten buttered toast and that she had been eating cake during the travelers. Lastly, were met with laughter in the courtroom. Four fifths of the bishops Committee had to vote in favour of the nuns innocence for the terms of the churches Committee assignment.

That didn't happen, though, and she was expelled. Miss are and was unwilling to leave the convent, though, while she had been unhappy with her treatment there, she did not want to leave where she believed was her calling and to drive her out MRS Star confined her to her room, her fire taken away. This was in winter, she could not have sober water, She was only given left over food from the plates of other sisters after meals were concluded, and when she refused it, and from her religious garments to regular clothes. She was eventually stripped of her habit while she slept so she had no choice but to change into the provided civilian where and finally, after this dragging on for some time, Susan Siren had had enough. She became quite ill and her spirit was broken, and so she wrote to her brother who immediately came to take her away from the convent during the testimony. Sorry, uncle Father Matthews testified that, while things had started out fine at the convent in England over the years that sovereign was there, he went for being

I welcomed and well received to being kept away from her are only allowed to see. In very brief visits. He also described his niece slowly changing and felt that things were not right with her and when the bishop was on the stand, he recalled that after visit, in which he reassured miss Sovereign, that MRS Star had I'd when he left, because she was unhappy with what he had said to her. He said quote. I did not like to tell them Missus STAR and MRS Kennedy. My feelings, and I left them very dissatisfied- and certainly MRS Star cried There are general also pointed out that star contradicted herself in her testimony, for example, she meant, but after the bishops visit she wrote quote. The issue of the visitation gave her in her supporters than immense triumph over us, of which they show therefore

appreciation whenever they have an opportunity, but then under questioning it turned out that she couldn't come up with any. Such supporters should initially said that she meant sirens family, but they hadn't been allowed to visit. Often, if at all, and even when they did see, Miss Are- and it was briefly, usually didn't see. The mother superior Yahoo is basically, when exactly did anybody Lord this over you, because these people weren't even around when you said they were- and there were a lot of instances like that, where her sort of apple dealings, where she was writing. Simultaneous letters saying very different things were coming up and she she did not do politically speaking. Really under questioning there were a lot of I dont know is in the mix. Mrs Star was actually found also to have destroyed some of the papers. They were germane to this court case. She said that she did so because she had felt that the matters in the more settled

but some of them were destroyed after Miss Sarin began legal action, which of course is not something you're supposed to do. Mr color edge The solicitor general noted that, while both MRS Star and MRS Kennedy were to say that one of myths are and sins was pointing out the flaws of others that they were both fleet, quick to built out of, let me of the trains aggressions that they felt tat she had committed through the witnesses that they called the defence, tried to build a case against Miss sirens character. They claim that she liked possessions and think like clothes. They also said that she liked to walk around the combat at night, which was both odd behaviour and some day they didn't want her to do. She wasn't You ve asked about teaching children and she was said to sneak food outside of allowed meal times. Her writing to family member this using language such as my dearest uncle, was considered excessive and overly affectionate. In short, she was not for the defense upholding her vows

and, of course, there was also this hope for some of the spectators that, as the defence started, to characterize sovereign as a very poor. None that might be something truly salacious revealed in the midst of all of the testimony, and at one point it did come up. The myths are and became quote excited when a certain priest would visit the convent This, of course, immediately got people thinking. There was some sort of sexual relationship. That idea was pretty quickly dismissed even by MRS Star. But still the rumour male kind of ram without one that's clear from some other response to things that came up in a mistrial that there was a degree of humour that the solicitor general and some of the assembled crowd found in the rules of the convent and to counter that a big part of the defences case was trying to convey that, while some of the rules of religious life seemed petty or silly to outsiders, they were a vital part of

larger devotion, though being obedient to the mother superior may argued, was part of the vows that sovereign had taken and a life she had agreed to freely on February twenty. Fourth, the solicitor general made his closing speech in it. He stated how big this key really was to the welfare of Miss Sovereign, saying quote: it is my duty to tell you now that this is in truth, in fact, an issue her social life and death. It is a question whether she is to be permitted to continue the life to which she has devoted herself, to which she is intimately wedded and passionately attached. Or whether she is to be flung back upon the world which she believed she had left forever and for which she has now entirely unsuited, with a stain upon her character, which no lapse of time can ever avail to efface the also the opportunity to point out that the car

of England were, in his view, operating under such a veil of secrecy that allow these kinds of abuses to happen. He pointed out how, in this particular case, all their cruelty brought to bear by MRS Star seems really what he knew of Christianity. Here he doesn't only uses the tactic of going. Look, I'm not a clergy member. I wouldn't claim to be an egg bird on religion, but what I know of Christianity, this doesn't seem to follow mine with gathers the difference between being strict and bullying someone. Yet, The jury reached its verdict on February twenty six eighteen, sixty nine after deliberating for less than an hour and while another Papers actually reported that things seem to be stacked in favour of the defendants. The jury found in favour of the plaintiff on the accounts of libel and conspiracy,

sorry. I was not, however, awarded the five thousand pounds that she had thought she was ordered. Five hundred wasn't the end of it, though star and her staff appealed the jury's decision but the second wave of legal action didn't get all the attention that the first one had it faded from the public eye, as other cases rose up and came into focus and had never made it a trial in April eighteen. Seventy the matter was settled out of court. Trial, and particularly MRS Stars, testimony in it really only family flames of suspicion against the catholic Church and a general anti catholic sentiment in England. That was, of course, in place long before Miss, are and brought her case to the court, Even before the trial began like leading up to it, newspapers were running editorial, suggesting that girl and young women who might be considering entering a convent, should consider such a move. He carefully given the possible situations that the sovereign versus star case

human gay you and I had a conversation before we came into the studio about how stars response to a lot of these allegations will sort of like yeah. That's how we do it in a convent. Now, there's a problem or a had waited behave. Yeah I mean she really did in deny most of the charges. In some cases she tried to say no, no, that's framed for MAX dramatic effect and to make us look bad. Yes, we took her. Away, but you have to understand that was a punishment that we felt fit the crime of of complaining about her or even their belief even though they never found evidence that she was stealing food. So it's a little bit like we said there was no, not really a lot of that didn't happen more a matter of will it didn't? Have? quite like that, and if it did it wasn't that bad, that's how we do it in a preface written by James Grant Esquire to accompany of the publication of the trial account. Shortly after it was concluded, he wrote quote. The whole country has been astounded by the evidence which has been brought forward in the course of this remarkable trial.

Of the real character of roaming Catholicism. The outer world now see popery with a clearness of vision with which they never saw before, and the site will not. I feel assured render it more attractive in the eyes of those whose mental perceptions and not have scared they must, on the contrary, be appalled as well as amazed by the hideous this of the features which Popery presents as exhibited within the last few. Weeks in Westminster, Hall yeah. He also was trying to make a case that there should be some sort of oversight put in place, comments were regularly inspected toured by people outside the church. I mean he makes very clear in that preface that he is Anti Popery soldier. I know that the store, three of the great combat case persisted for decades after it was over, though, as the juicy your details were counted over and over and sometimes bent and dramatize. Tibet

Even in the early nineties, there were still penny press versions of this trial being printed, and the covers would feature things like two nuns whip a partially undress. Third none. Obviously there was the signal degree of bias against the convent and the catholic church from the outset in this case, although this Was it a general urge the jury to disregard such personal bias? It's almost impossible to imagine that there was done yeah, it's not lay, I'm sure they all intended well, but I'm there. I am also sure that, in the backs of their minds, many of them were like there was also apply. Made by MRS Star at one point that, of course, Miss are and wanted to make the legal matter and try it before a protestant jury that would have antiochus. By us rather than go through the churches, channels of review, which she felt with obviously find in favour of her mother superior, is

also difficult to truly separate the biased that we ve been talking about for many of the accounts of the trial that we have so while the core quarters. Account is theoretically unbiased and the barristers and the king. All appeared, at least on the surface, to strive to act outside of any such cultural or religious bias, they'd You probably were motivated on some level by it or in the case of the wait, there's representation to be carefully playing on the jury's inherent bias. Even while saying do not be biased, Moreover, one of the reasons that this case was published so frequently in England following its conclusion, was this desire. Worn young women away from a life in the clergy. So if sign was able to return to her life calling at another combat after this case was finally settled, there are no records of that that we can find you. I didn't turn any up

See you know a kind, she came advantages from the public record after that, it's entirely possible. She went and lived with family from that point on, and that was the remainder of her life because doesn't seem like she was really going to be able to make some We take on a career break or be married, I mean this was what she wanted for ever and it one of the things that comes up in the trial is that the greatest heartbreak and to her one of the most painful things about being expelled. Is it. They took her ring from her which, as you know, like this, the symbol of her being married to the church and of a bright of Christ and that that was like the biggest heart ache that she endured. Amongst all of these other things, as they were saying. No, that thing that you said you are you're not yet,

which was incredibly painful for her one of the things that I think would have been really difficult at the time, even for people who were trying to really put their own biases aside, like their work, that many other situations where a group of people would be living by themselves together by themselves is not like isolated from the rest of the society in a group for their whole lives. Like it. Wasn't a lot of comparison to another, similar situation, where you might also see instances of abuses and bullying. So it probably appeared to people as though this was unique to Catholicism or unique to convince when really there just weren't exactly comparable situation. Ends yeah I mean I I wish I could take those people forward in time and show them like any internet interest group and watch how it implodes and similar Eileen.

The same level of stuff, but it certainly up at I am I was I keep being reminded throughout this up, just being bullied by classmates and middle school, like it felt like that level of pettiness ends Oh yeah, there's a mean girls element to Asia and really, when you think it all started, because she wouldn't tell this woman what she had confessed to her priests. It gets very. You realize how petty the seed is that leads to so much power. Gas and also I mean for the mother superior. It wasn't like I'm sure, What's it like yea, this will drag out for years in letters and court, but she couldn t get over that. Like anger at having not been told this thing, death- and probably she didn't even recognize that was the capitalist anymore. I don't be like that. People there is. Our life lesson became to one another, that's easy to say. I know

I have such much more pleasant and delightful and colorful listener meal. Oh good. This comes from our listener, Colleen grades dear how in Tracy. Thank you. So much for the wonderful show. I work for a publisher that produces materials for Katy twelve classrooms and I am curve Working on a series of primary source lie where is for middle and high school students, one more document for world more wine, and it was the episode a brief history of doughnuts. They gave me the idea to you. Photograph of Adona Lassie. It's one story that the kids won't miss in history class enclosed are a couple of sticker packs I developed for work. I hope you will get a kick out of them. Sorry, not sorry for all the terrible puns. Thank you again for all that. You do you're a constant source of inspiration and education, Colleen, calling this a so sweet, and now I can tell Tracy before we started recording. I was looking at these Here's which are adorable, I started cackling to myself like I had lost my wits and its because one of them I dont, normally love ponds, but these are very clever and the one that I love it.

Like an encouragement. Cysts sticker and its a picture of Henry the eighth wearing some groovy. Eighty style slapped sunglasses, and it says great, but the great as well, gee are v, I and that just tickled me to pieces that out of there, so great ones, with fierce Dingus Khan and to lodge it was with the first among others, their fabulous that I love them. So thank you so much Colleen you can write to us. It history, pike, ass to house too star com. You can find us everywhere and social media, as Mr History missed in history. That com is also the webs U r l if you want to come and visit and find all of the episodes that have ever existed, and if you would like to subscribe, that sounds like a grand plan to us. You can do that on the heart, radio, app on apple podcast or wherever it is that you listen to your broad gas study must in history glasses. Am I not radios how stuff works for my part here,

As for my, how radio visit thy heart, radio, Appleton guests or wherever you listen to your favorite, shows below of Joan and of jobs, it we're the hosts of serious wrapped in a new way, Hip Hop Parkhurst, bringing all our radio John I've been friends for over twenty years and debate about hip hop life for current events has always been a part of. And now we recorded every week for reactor. Listen to so Chica There is rational and I ha radio at Apple black ass. A wherever you go back is peace, peace.