Anne Neville born Mary Neville (1605 – 15 December 1689) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

Roman Catholic nun and royal debt collector who became the abbess of

Pontoise Pontoise () is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris, in the " new town" of Cergy-Pontoise. Administration Pontoise is the official ''préfecture'' (capital) of the Val-d'Oise ''dépa ...

near Paris.

Life

She was born in 1605 in

Nevill Holt Nevill Holt is a hamlet and civil parish in the Harborough District of Leicestershire, England. It is situated about northeast of Market Harborough, northwest of Corby and lies close to the borders with Northamptonshire and Rutland. It is on ...

in Leicestershire and she was baptised Mary. Her parents were Lady Mary (born Sackville) and Sir Henry Neville who would later become Lord (A)bergavenny. Her mother was an enthusiastic Catholic who provided her with an education. Her mother died before 1616. Her father married again and her step mother, Catherine Vaux, was from another

recusant Recusancy (from la, recusare, translation=to refuse) was the state of those who remained loyal to the Catholic Church and refused to attend Church of England services after the English Reformation. The 1558 Recusancy Acts passed in the reign ...

family. In 1634 she made her profession as a nun at the

Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

monastery in Ghent presided over by Mary Vavasour. She was quickly given positions of responsibility. In 1640 there was a new abbess named

Mary Knatchbull Mary Knatchbull (1610 – 6 March 1696) was abbess of the Convent of the Immaculate Conception in Ghent in what is now Belgium. Knatchbull tried to handle the convent's large debts which she inherited, but her plans were thwarted when Charles II o ...

. While the exiled Charles II was in Europe, Knatchbull enjoyed a close relationship with the King. The monastery played host to the court and received and passed on letters. Despite the monastery's poor finances, Knatchbull agreed to loan the King substantial sums, to be repaid by the King when he was restored to the throne. Knatchbull played an important role in Charles II's restoration to the throne in 1660, but was not paid the money that was owed to the monastery. The abbess had to go to England twice to pursue repayment and Neville acted as her counsellor. In June 1663 she and two other nuns were in England where Neville acted as a debt collector. She used her influence to ensure that a £500 annuity, agreed with Knatchbull by the crown, was paid to the Ghent monastery. She also ensured that dowries promised by the families of Ghent nuns were paid. She stayed with the dowager Catherine, Lady Abergavenny, who had been married her half brother

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...

. After four years in England she returned to the continent in 1667. She stopped at Dunkirk on the way, and was invited to join the English nuns there, but she continued her journey to Ghent. She considered her position and with Mary Knatchbull's permission she soon decided to join a newly founded religious house in Pontoise. It was led by Eugenia Poulton, and when she died later that year Neville was elected to succeed her as abbess.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Neville, Anne 1605 births 1689 deaths English Roman Catholic abbesses

Anne Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie. Anne is sometimes used as a male name in the ...

People from Pontoise Debt collection