Post by Sister Magdalene on Apr 28, 2009 21:17:20 GMT
Not far from Nottingham Castle, close to the church, stands a house belonging to the Sisters of Charity, an order of Nuns, who work and tend the poor of Nottingham and the surrounding countryside.
Priory House, as it is known, is a modest building. Half of it is given over to the Infirmary where the Sisters will see and treat anyone, regardless of their social status. The Infirmary consists of a Still Room (where the medicines are concocted and kept), a Treatment Room (where the patients are assessed and treated), two four bedded wards (one for men and one for women), a laundry and kitchens.
At the back of the House lie the Cloisters where the Nuns live. There is a large shared dormitory (although Sister Magdalene's sleeping quarters are curtained off due to her high status), a refectory where their meals are taken, a kitchen, bath house and smaller laundry. One of the ground floor rooms has been converted into a small chapel but most days the Sisters go to Nottingham's Church to pray.
Sister Magdalene is in charge, a formidable lady who knows and speaks her own mind. The other incumbents are:
Sister Ann
Sister Mary
Sister Margaret
Sister Edith
Sister Joan
There is also a young girl, a peasant, who skivvies for them. Her name is Agnes.
There is a large garden attached to Priory House, where the Sisters grow their own vegetables and herbs.
A small cluster of outbuildings include a brewing house, a food store and a cowshed and pigsty. The Sisters are self sufficient. They grow what they need and trade any excess for the things they cannot. They have very little money, believing that if they give coin to the poor, then the Sheriff and his men will just steal it back in taxes. The Sisters will go out around the town, handing out what food and clothing they can to the poor.
Priory House, as it is known, is a modest building. Half of it is given over to the Infirmary where the Sisters will see and treat anyone, regardless of their social status. The Infirmary consists of a Still Room (where the medicines are concocted and kept), a Treatment Room (where the patients are assessed and treated), two four bedded wards (one for men and one for women), a laundry and kitchens.
At the back of the House lie the Cloisters where the Nuns live. There is a large shared dormitory (although Sister Magdalene's sleeping quarters are curtained off due to her high status), a refectory where their meals are taken, a kitchen, bath house and smaller laundry. One of the ground floor rooms has been converted into a small chapel but most days the Sisters go to Nottingham's Church to pray.
Sister Magdalene is in charge, a formidable lady who knows and speaks her own mind. The other incumbents are:
Sister Ann
Sister Mary
Sister Margaret
Sister Edith
Sister Joan
There is also a young girl, a peasant, who skivvies for them. Her name is Agnes.
There is a large garden attached to Priory House, where the Sisters grow their own vegetables and herbs.
A small cluster of outbuildings include a brewing house, a food store and a cowshed and pigsty. The Sisters are self sufficient. They grow what they need and trade any excess for the things they cannot. They have very little money, believing that if they give coin to the poor, then the Sheriff and his men will just steal it back in taxes. The Sisters will go out around the town, handing out what food and clothing they can to the poor.
