Who were the Nuns?

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• Professed after 1600165017001750
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Details

Winefrid Wigmore, in religion Winefrid.
Born: 1585 in Herefs.
Died: Apr 1657 in Paris.

father: Sir William Wigmore of Lucton, Herefs
mother: Anne Throckmorton Cath of Coughton, Warws

Mary Ward Institute choir nun.
She entered 1609.
at St Omer

Novice Mistress 1623 - 1627 Naples

translator: The life of Mary Ward: Briefe Relation
subject: Portrait, copy at Bar Convent, York
sponsor: with Mary Poyntz, Painted Life of Mary Ward

She was the sister of Elizabeth Wigmore, Helen Wigmore.
She was the aunt of Grace Turner, Frances Turner , Anna Wigmore.
She was the cousin of Mary Poyntz.

Sources: biog dic; companions: 14-25; ODNB; Mary Ward und ihre Grundung; Mary Ward texts.

Family tree (Throckmorton of Coughton and Wigmore of Lucton)

Notes:

One of the closest of Mary Ward's companions: frequently acted as her secretary. Travelled to Italy in 1623 with Mary and Barbara Ward and assisted in the foundation of the Naples house in 1623. Considered a very reliable subordinate but lacked leadership qualities. She travelled north in 1627-8 and met Mary Ward again in Munich in the Autumn of 1628. Although Mary Ward was very ill, she journeyed to Rome taking with her Winefrid Wigmore and Elizabeth Cotton.

Unwittingly Winefrid Wigmore played a controversial role in the events surrounding the suppression of the order in 1630-1 and remained intensely loyal to Mary Ward throughout. From February 1631 until May 1632 she was imprisoned in Liège.

In 1637 was in a small group of companions given permission (with Mary Ward) to leave Rome. They returned to England eventually reaching Yorkshire. Winefrid Wigmore was with Mary Ward when she died at Heworth in January 1645. She acted as headmistress of the school there and became the first headmistress of the institute's school for English girls in Paris.

Assisted Mary Poyntz in writing the first biography of Mary Ward and with her commissioned the Painted Life of Mary Ward.

Three of her brothers, William, Robert and Richard Wigmore, were Jesuits.