Archives | The Society of the Sacred Heart

About our archive

Our archives hold records relating to the work, schools, and communities of the Society, primarily in England and Wales, also from earlier periods of the Society in other Provinces, including Ireland, Scotland, Malta, Uganda, Kenya, the US and Australia.

The collections include:

papers relating to the administration of the England/Wales Province by the Provincial team as well as personal papers and correspondence of deceased members of the Province, including Superiors Provincial and General.
records of Society communities, of Province works, and material relating to the overseas work of the Province.
records of students, staff, and governance of current and historic Society primary and secondary schools in Roehampton, Hammersmith, Tunbridge Wells, Brighton, and Fenham (Newcastle), and tertiary teacher training colleges at Roehampton and Fenham.
a collection of books and journals including biographies of several sisters, as well as those works defined as being important for the post-Reformation history of Catholicism in Britain and/or the history and spirituality of the Society.

The archives are part of the Network of Archives & Libraries of the Catholic Church (NALCC) and as the material is catalogued it will be made available online through the Catholic Heritage project.

Explore our archive

The archives are private and access to them is at the discretion of the archivist. The opening hours are Monday to Wednesday 10.30 – 16.30 by prior appointment only. Researchers are asked to apply in writing to visit the archives, providing details of their research topic.

Staff are unable to undertake detailed research on behalf of enquirers other than in exceptional circumstances, in which case a fee will apply. Limited research enquiries can be carried out free of charge.

Introducing our Archivist - Ginevra Avalle

Ginevra is a qualified archivist and researcher, with a Master’s degree in Archival and Library Science from the University of Florence (Italy).

She has extensive experience managing, curating, and promoting archive collections in Italy and the UK, across a variety of sectors, including international organisations, academic and research institutions, and businesses.

In addition to her professional work, Ginevra has published several articles and books, including PEN International: An Illustrated History (Thames & Hudson, 2021).

Her working days at Barat House are Wednesday to Friday.
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You can contact Ginevra or arrange to visit the archives via the details below.