Society of the Divine Compassion

Minutes and papers.

The Society of the Divine Compassion was founded in 1894 by James Granville Adderley (1861-1942), Henry Rivington Chappel (1867-1913) and Henry Ernest Hardy (1869-1946). It was a society of priests, deacons and laymen committed to ideals akin to those of St. Francis, and was the first Anglican Franciscan community. From 1894 until 1952 the society was responsible for the mission district of St. Philip at Plaistow, Essex, in the East End of London. Other fields of activity included missionary work in Southern Rhodesia, 1926-33. The Society came to an end with the death of its last Superior in 1952, after which the work at Plaistow was assumed by the Society of St. Francis.

Cf. A. Clifton Kelway, A Franciscan revival. The story of the Society of the Divine Compassion (Plaistow, 1908); Kathleen E. Burn, The life and letters of Father Andrew, SDC (London, 1948); Peter F. Anson, The call of the cloister (London, 1964); Barrie Williams, The Franciscan revival in the Church of England (London, 1982); Bernard Palmer, Men of habit (Norwich, 1994).

Open

Presented by the Society of St. Francis, 1994-2003.

Transferred to printed books: St. Philip's Magazine 1894-1951, and printed works by Father Andrew and other S.D.C. members.

Further papers relating to Father Andrew SDC in MS 5040 and MS 5138-5146.