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File relating to an abortive attempt to establish an Irish Capuchin missionary presence in the Cape Colony, South Africa. In 1903, Bishop Hugh McSherry (1852-1940), Vicar Apostolic of the Cape of Good Hope (Eastern District), invited the Irish Capuchins to establish missionary foundations in his Vicariate. The large missionary area offered to the friars comprised the civil divisions of Albert, Aliwal North, Herschel and Barclay East collectively known as the Gariep (later Aliwal) territory. The file includes:
• Ecclesiastical return of the numbers of missions and Catholics in the Eastern Vicariate. 30 June 1903.
• Correspondence between Bishop Hugh McSherry and Fr. Peter Bowe OSFC, Provincial Minister.
• Draft report of Fr. Peter Bowe OSFC on his visit to Port Elizabeth to view the proposed territory in March 1904.
• Draft letters to the Capuchin Minister General re the proposed mission.
• Draft memoranda of agreement for the proposed mission stations and properties to be held by the Irish Capuchins in the Vicariate.
• Colour trace map of the Eastern Vicariate showing the locations of the proposed Capuchin mission stations.
Other correspondents include: W.H. Butler, J. Commins, Fr. Lewis B. Gately, Fr. J.J. O’Reilly, St. Mary’s, Cape Town, and Fr. Bernard Christen of Andermatt OSFC, Minister General of the Capuchin Franciscans. On 13 July 1903, Bishop McSherry wrote: ‘I fear it would be practically impossible for me in a letter to convey to you any fair idea of the state of things in this country. Everything here is quite different to what it is at home – climate, season, habits and customs of the people, conditions of travelling, the ways of the natives – everything’. Later, the Bishop explained that the ‘mission district is 175 miles in its greatest length and 75 miles in its greatest width. It contains the important towns of Ailwal and Burghersdorp and the following smaller ones, Jamestown and Barclay East. … There are no Catholic schools in the district. The climate is about the best in South Africa or in the world’. (4 Jan. 1904).

Lease by Fr. Edward (Peter) Bowe OSFC, Fr. Bartholomew Brophy OSFC and Fr. Nicholas Murphy OSFC, ‘the sub-lessors’, to John Morgan, North King Street, ‘the sub-lessee’, of the houses known as nos. 56 Brown Street and nos. 43 and 44 Bow Street, for 134 years at the yearly rent of £10 and in consideration of the sum of £212 12s 0d. The deed contains an annexed sketch map depicting the demised premises. Scale: 16 feet to 1 inch.

Letters to Fr. Peter Bowe OSFC, Provincial Minister, Fr. Paul Neary OSFC, and other Capuchin friars, regarding requests for parish missions and retreats. The file includes letters requesting missions in Letterkenny (County Donegal), Dungarvan (Waterford), Newry (Down), Kingwilliamstown (Ballydesmond, Cork), Ballymahon (Longford), Frenchpark (Roscommon), Fermoy (Cork), Drumshanbo (Leitrim), and Abbeylara (Longford).

Letters to Fr. Peter Bowe OSFC, Provincial Minister, Fr. Aloysius Travers OSFC, Fr. Stanislaus Kavanagh OSFC, and other Capuchin friars, regarding requests parish missions and retreats. The file includes letters requesting missions in Cappawhite (Tipperary), Ashbourne (Meath), Cappoquin (Waterford), Belfast, Dunmore East (Waterford), Kingstown (Dún Laoghaire, Dublin), Thurles (Tipperary), Sligo, Greystones (Wicklow), Scarriff (Clare), and Ballybay (Monaghan).

Lease by Fr. Edward (Peter) Bowe OSFC, Fr. Bartholomew Brophy OSFC and Fr. Nicholas Murphy OSFC, ‘the sub-lessors’, to John Morgan, North King Street, ‘the sub-lessee’, of ‘the piece or parcel of ground in Bow Street … bounded on the North by number 44 Bow Street, on the south by waste ground on which a weigh house formerly stood in the possession of Messrs John Jameson and Sons …’, for 135 years at the yearly rent of £10 and in consideration of the sum of £212 10s 0d. The deed contains an annexed sketch map depicting the demised premises. Scale: 16 feet to 1 inch. With apportionment by Fr. Edward (Peter) Bowe OSFC and others to John Morgan of rent and rates on the said properties. 1 Apr. 1908.

List of members of the Capuchin community, Church Street. Sixteen priests and four lay brothers are noted. The list includes Fr. Peter Bowe OSFC, Provincial Minister, Fr. Paul Neary OSFC, Fr. Augustine Hayden OSFC, Fr. Sebastian O’Brien OSFC, Fr. Aloysius Travers OSFC, Vicar, and. Fr. Angelus Healy OSFC. The debt of the community is stated to be £746 1s 11d. It was noted that this figure represents a decrease on the figure of £1,314 6s 7d referred to in the Provincial Chapter of 1907. The property is listed as ‘church, monastery, garden (about 1 acre)’ with an annual rent of £166 9s 0d. Four lots are held freehold and nine lots under lease. Figures are also supplied in the respect of male and female members of the sodalities attached to St. Mary of the Angels including the Third Order of St. Francis, and the Sacred Thirst and the Scared Heart fraternities.

Letters to Fr. Peter Bowe OSFC, Provincial Minister, Fr. Aloysius Travers OSFC, Fr. Stanislaus Kavanagh OSFC, Fr. Joseph Fenlon OSFC, Fr. Laurence Dowling OSFC and other Capuchin friars, regarding requests for parish missions and retreats. The file includes letters requesting missions in Quin (Clare), Tuam (Galway), Scariff (Clare), Belfast, Crossmaglen (Armagh), Scotstown (Monaghan), Schull (Cork), Frenchpark (Roscommon), Bunbeg (Donegal), Wicklow, and Castledermot (Carlow).

Letters to Fr. Peter Bowe OSFC, Provincial Minister, Fr. Angelus Healy OSFC, and other Capuchin friar, regarding requests for parish missions and retreats. The file includes letters requesting missions in Letterkenny (Donegal), Avoca (Wicklow), Bere Island (Cork), Dunleer (Louth), Bray (Wicklow), Ashbourne (Meath), Virginia (Cavan), Westport (Mayo), Ennis (Clare), Kilmaine (Mayo), Ahascragh (Galway), Tuam (Galway), Kilrooskey (Roscommon), Loughrea (Galway), Sligo, Rathmines (Dublin), Spiddal (Galway), Carrick-on-Shannon (Leitrim), Frenchpark (Roscommon), Ballinasloe (Galway), Birr (King’s County), Clonmel (Tipperary), Gweedore (Donegal), and Omagh (Tyrone).

Schedule of deeds relating to premises on Bow Street in Dublin compiled by T.J. Furlong, solicitor. The schedule lists deeds from 20 Apr. 1842 to 1887 and relate to premises formerly in the possession of Matthew Murphy. The schedule is signed by Fr. Peter Bowe OSFC, Provincial Minister.

Letter from John Gore to Fr. Peter Bowe OFM Cap. referring to a plan to purchase The Hermitage in Rathfarnham, Dublin, for the National University of Ireland. He encloses a copy letter from James H. North affirming that William Woodbyrne will accept £6,000 as a purchase price for the house.