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Sister Ligouri, The Nun in the Nightgown
Wagga Wagga has been witness to a number of scandals since the township was gazetted in 1849. Some of these incidents went on to make national and even international headlines. In the twentieth century possibly the most notorious scandal to erupt in Wagga was the infamous Sister Ligouri, or “the Nun in the Nightgown” case, which again had the effect of putting Wagga into the spotlight, just as the Tichborne claimant case had done in the 1860s and 1870s.
The real difference with the Sister Ligouri scandal was that it polarised the population of Wagga along sectarian lines – Catholic and Protestant – like no other issue had before. Indeed, it could be argued that this bitter division spread right across Australia at a time in history when sectarian bitterness was at its greatest. In hindsight the Ligouri case, and particularly the widespread media coverage it received, fanned the flames of religious tension to a fever pitch.
To put this into the context of the day, the Irish population in Australia were naturally sympathetic for Ireland in its fight with England which was then at its height. Bishop Dwyer of Wagga had himself expressed anti-British and pro-Irish sentiments, and Archbishop Mannix of Melbourne had been prevented by the English Government from landing in Ireland because of his outspoken anti-British opinions. The Catholic Federation also made the fateful decision to run candidates for the Legislative Assembly elections in New South Wales in 1920, and a Protestant Federation was established in opposition.
All that was required to ignite the situation was a spark. Enter one BRIDGET MARY PARTRIDGE!
Bridget Mary Partridge was born in Newbridge, Ireland in 1890. She joined the Order of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1908, and on Christmas Day 1908 sailed for Melbourne. After arriving in Australia, she entered into the Mount Erin Convent on 21st February 1909. The religious name Mary Ligouri was given to her after she was professed on the 25th September 1911. Sister Ligouri then spent at least five years teaching at the branch convent in Ganmain, before returning to Mount Erin.
By 1920, Sister Ligouri had apparently decided that she no longer wished to remain at the Convent, and on July 24th 1920 she left the Convent and spent the afternoon at the Burgess family home in Coleman Street. During this time, she apparently phoned the Presbytery and spoke with Father Barry (the only priest there), before returning to the Convent later that evening in the company of several other nuns. The Mother Superior, worried about the Sister, called Dr Leahy the government medical officer who was also a staunch Catholic. He prescribed bed rest, but when put to bed at around 8pm, Sister Ligouri refused a sedative in the belief that it was poison. Sister Ligouri then requested a hot water bottle for her cold feet, and when the nurse left the room, Sister Ligouri again absconded from the Convent, this time in her nightgown and without any footwear.
Once Sister Ligouri was discovered missing, the Convent contacted the police, who together with some Catholic laymen, searched the neighbourhood until morning, when they were informed that the nun was indeed safe, and had sought refuge at the Thompson family home in Coleman Street. Sister Ligouri was visited there by Police Inspector Duprez and Doctor Tivey and found to be in good health. In conversation with the nun, she informed the visitors that she had left the Convent of her own free will and had no intention of returning due to the mistreatment she had received. She was later quoted as saying “I shall never go back. I am sick and tired of it. It is like a prison. I would rather remain in the hands of the police than go back to the Convent.”
Sister Ligouri then penned a letter to Bishop Dwyer expressing her desire to resign from the Order and leave the Convent. Later that day, the 25th July, under much secrecy, Sister Ligouri was driven to Adelong, escaping pickets posted outside the Thompson house.
The Wagga Express on August 7th had the following to say about the pickets and Sister Ligouri’s trip to Adelong, and I quote:
“It transpires that every effort was made by the Roman Catholic community to recover Sister Ligouri, and the railways and highways for several days were closely watched. The nun’s stay in Wagga after escaping from the Convent was, however, a short one, for whilst search parties were watching for her, she was enjoying a motor tour through the beauty spots of the District. She left Wagga by motor on Sunday night and it transpires that some days later shared a railway compartment with a priest, but was not recognised. No deception whatever was practised locally we believe, to secure her getaway.” End quote.
Strangely enough, four days later the same newspaper carried reports of how Miss Partridge (as she was now being referred to) had been snuck out of the Thompson household wearing a coat from Mr Thompson, a dress from Mr Thompson’s sister and a knitted cap, straight past the waiting pickets.
Mr Thompson had several confrontations with the picketers, one of whom was apparently perched in a tree outside the house for three days taking photos of everyone entering and leaving the house. He later recounted to the newspaper one such confrontation with a group of picketers.
“Fog enveloped everything, but in the morning, when the fog lifted, we found them in the back yard. ‘Good morning’ said the leader of the group. ‘What do you want here?’ was the question I put to them. ‘We’ve lost some turkeys and we thought they might be here’, came the reply. ‘Well they’re not’ I replied, ‘but it strikes me you are looking for another kind of bird – a partridge. Perhaps you will get out.’ I had to be very severe with them sometimes, as one would knock at the front door while another banged at the back. As every knock was answered there was a running match between the two doors”.
Obviously, both of Wagga’s newspapers at the time, the Daily Advertiser and the Wagga Express had their own allegiances in the sectarian standoff, as is evidenced by the very different descriptions of events that transpired. What is interesting to note however, is that despite Sister Ligouri first leaving the Mt Erin Convent on the 24th July, neither newspaper made mention of the saga until the 5th August. This in itself was remarkable given that homes and roads had been picketed, yet no reporting of these incidents took place for almost a fortnight. However once the media did commence mass coverage of the scandal, demand for newspapers in Wagga was so great that it was often extremely difficult to obtain copies.
However I digress. After arriving in Adelong, Miss Partridge was driven to Cootamundra, with the help of Mr E.B. Barton, grandmaster of the Loyal Orange Lodge of NSW. Yet even this leg of the journey proved troublesome, as the roads were heavy with water and mud, and the motor car broke down a short distance out of Adelong. Another car was secured and the trip was then successfully completed without further incident. Once in Cootamundra she then boarded the train to Sydney, where she ultimately reached the home of the Congregational Minister, Reverend William Touchell at Kogarah.
Upon reaching Sydney, it was said that the ex-Sister Ligouri received hundreds of letters offering congratulations and assistance, many apparently coming from “Diggers” stating they were more than willing to marry Miss Partridge without delay!
On the 27th July, Bishop Dwyer visited the Thompson home in Coleman Street to ascertain if Sister Ligouri had indeed written the letter herself without coercion, but when he could not locate Miss Partridge he also travelled to Sydney and spoke with the Attorney-General and the Inspector General of Police.
At the request of Bishop Dwyer, a warrant was issued in Sydney on the 5th August for the arrest of Miss Partridge on the grounds of insanity. Two days later she was found and arrested by Detective Farley and six policemen. This may sound somewhat heavy handed, but proved entirely necessary, as even in Kogarah the police vehicles had to navigate their way through several pickets on the lookout for the lapsed nun.
She appeared before the Lunacy Court on the 9th August, where although remanded for observation, she was later certified sane and released on the 13th August.
It was only then revealed that Miss Partridge was suing Bishop Dwyer for damages of £5,000, with a guarantee that the Loyal Orange Lodge would cover all her legal costs. The resulting trial was heard between the 30th June and 13th July 1921 to a packed court house. The findings were threefold:
In his summation, the judge remarked that “it is very unfortunate for the plaintiff that, at the time she left the Convent she did not meet somebody with a little common horse-sense.”
This verdict however was not received well. The editorial of the Wagga Express on the 14th July 1921 stated that “There has not in the last quarter of a century been a case in the Australian Law Courts that has commanded such close attention by so many people as that which concluded last night in the Supreme Court of NSW. Perhaps never has there been one in which the judgement has given such dissatisfaction…the result has been disappointing. Instead of quenching the fires of sectarianism, the verdict of the jury and the judgement given thereon will add much fuel to the flames”.
Unbelievably the Sister Ligouri scandal did not end with the conclusion of the court case. On the evening of the 26th October 1921, Miss Partridge was sensationally “kidnapped” by a group of men including her brother. The next day she was recognised and taken to a police station where she renounced her religion and her brother.
Bridget Partridge continued living with the Touchell family in a number of locations throughout Sydney. The Reverend died in 1954, and sadly in November 1962 both Mrs Touchell and Bridget Partridge were admitted to the Rydalmere Mental Hospital. Just over four years later, still at the Hospital, Bridget Partridge died on the 4th December 1966, and was buried at the Rookwood cemetery with a Congregational service.
The Sister Ligouri saga undoubtedly had an impact on the Wagga community as a whole and certainly increased sectarian bitterness, as it did elsewhere. The Thompson family suffered greatly for their role in the scandal, from Mr Thompson’s carting business being boycotted, to his sister-in-law being verbally abused in the street, and even his children being physically threatened.
As local Wagga historian Keith Swan surmised in his book ‘A History of Wagga Wagga’, “…ultimately the affair did little good to anyone involved.”
Compiled By Wayne Doubleday
The real difference with the Sister Ligouri scandal was that it polarised the population of Wagga along sectarian lines – Catholic and Protestant – like no other issue had before. Indeed, it could be argued that this bitter division spread right across Australia at a time in history when sectarian bitterness was at its greatest. In hindsight the Ligouri case, and particularly the widespread media coverage it received, fanned the flames of religious tension to a fever pitch.
To put this into the context of the day, the Irish population in Australia were naturally sympathetic for Ireland in its fight with England which was then at its height. Bishop Dwyer of Wagga had himself expressed anti-British and pro-Irish sentiments, and Archbishop Mannix of Melbourne had been prevented by the English Government from landing in Ireland because of his outspoken anti-British opinions. The Catholic Federation also made the fateful decision to run candidates for the Legislative Assembly elections in New South Wales in 1920, and a Protestant Federation was established in opposition.
All that was required to ignite the situation was a spark. Enter one BRIDGET MARY PARTRIDGE!
Bridget Mary Partridge was born in Newbridge, Ireland in 1890. She joined the Order of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1908, and on Christmas Day 1908 sailed for Melbourne. After arriving in Australia, she entered into the Mount Erin Convent on 21st February 1909. The religious name Mary Ligouri was given to her after she was professed on the 25th September 1911. Sister Ligouri then spent at least five years teaching at the branch convent in Ganmain, before returning to Mount Erin.
By 1920, Sister Ligouri had apparently decided that she no longer wished to remain at the Convent, and on July 24th 1920 she left the Convent and spent the afternoon at the Burgess family home in Coleman Street. During this time, she apparently phoned the Presbytery and spoke with Father Barry (the only priest there), before returning to the Convent later that evening in the company of several other nuns. The Mother Superior, worried about the Sister, called Dr Leahy the government medical officer who was also a staunch Catholic. He prescribed bed rest, but when put to bed at around 8pm, Sister Ligouri refused a sedative in the belief that it was poison. Sister Ligouri then requested a hot water bottle for her cold feet, and when the nurse left the room, Sister Ligouri again absconded from the Convent, this time in her nightgown and without any footwear.
Once Sister Ligouri was discovered missing, the Convent contacted the police, who together with some Catholic laymen, searched the neighbourhood until morning, when they were informed that the nun was indeed safe, and had sought refuge at the Thompson family home in Coleman Street. Sister Ligouri was visited there by Police Inspector Duprez and Doctor Tivey and found to be in good health. In conversation with the nun, she informed the visitors that she had left the Convent of her own free will and had no intention of returning due to the mistreatment she had received. She was later quoted as saying “I shall never go back. I am sick and tired of it. It is like a prison. I would rather remain in the hands of the police than go back to the Convent.”
Sister Ligouri then penned a letter to Bishop Dwyer expressing her desire to resign from the Order and leave the Convent. Later that day, the 25th July, under much secrecy, Sister Ligouri was driven to Adelong, escaping pickets posted outside the Thompson house.
The Wagga Express on August 7th had the following to say about the pickets and Sister Ligouri’s trip to Adelong, and I quote:
“It transpires that every effort was made by the Roman Catholic community to recover Sister Ligouri, and the railways and highways for several days were closely watched. The nun’s stay in Wagga after escaping from the Convent was, however, a short one, for whilst search parties were watching for her, she was enjoying a motor tour through the beauty spots of the District. She left Wagga by motor on Sunday night and it transpires that some days later shared a railway compartment with a priest, but was not recognised. No deception whatever was practised locally we believe, to secure her getaway.” End quote.
Strangely enough, four days later the same newspaper carried reports of how Miss Partridge (as she was now being referred to) had been snuck out of the Thompson household wearing a coat from Mr Thompson, a dress from Mr Thompson’s sister and a knitted cap, straight past the waiting pickets.
Mr Thompson had several confrontations with the picketers, one of whom was apparently perched in a tree outside the house for three days taking photos of everyone entering and leaving the house. He later recounted to the newspaper one such confrontation with a group of picketers.
“Fog enveloped everything, but in the morning, when the fog lifted, we found them in the back yard. ‘Good morning’ said the leader of the group. ‘What do you want here?’ was the question I put to them. ‘We’ve lost some turkeys and we thought they might be here’, came the reply. ‘Well they’re not’ I replied, ‘but it strikes me you are looking for another kind of bird – a partridge. Perhaps you will get out.’ I had to be very severe with them sometimes, as one would knock at the front door while another banged at the back. As every knock was answered there was a running match between the two doors”.
Obviously, both of Wagga’s newspapers at the time, the Daily Advertiser and the Wagga Express had their own allegiances in the sectarian standoff, as is evidenced by the very different descriptions of events that transpired. What is interesting to note however, is that despite Sister Ligouri first leaving the Mt Erin Convent on the 24th July, neither newspaper made mention of the saga until the 5th August. This in itself was remarkable given that homes and roads had been picketed, yet no reporting of these incidents took place for almost a fortnight. However once the media did commence mass coverage of the scandal, demand for newspapers in Wagga was so great that it was often extremely difficult to obtain copies.
However I digress. After arriving in Adelong, Miss Partridge was driven to Cootamundra, with the help of Mr E.B. Barton, grandmaster of the Loyal Orange Lodge of NSW. Yet even this leg of the journey proved troublesome, as the roads were heavy with water and mud, and the motor car broke down a short distance out of Adelong. Another car was secured and the trip was then successfully completed without further incident. Once in Cootamundra she then boarded the train to Sydney, where she ultimately reached the home of the Congregational Minister, Reverend William Touchell at Kogarah.
Upon reaching Sydney, it was said that the ex-Sister Ligouri received hundreds of letters offering congratulations and assistance, many apparently coming from “Diggers” stating they were more than willing to marry Miss Partridge without delay!
On the 27th July, Bishop Dwyer visited the Thompson home in Coleman Street to ascertain if Sister Ligouri had indeed written the letter herself without coercion, but when he could not locate Miss Partridge he also travelled to Sydney and spoke with the Attorney-General and the Inspector General of Police.
At the request of Bishop Dwyer, a warrant was issued in Sydney on the 5th August for the arrest of Miss Partridge on the grounds of insanity. Two days later she was found and arrested by Detective Farley and six policemen. This may sound somewhat heavy handed, but proved entirely necessary, as even in Kogarah the police vehicles had to navigate their way through several pickets on the lookout for the lapsed nun.
She appeared before the Lunacy Court on the 9th August, where although remanded for observation, she was later certified sane and released on the 13th August.
It was only then revealed that Miss Partridge was suing Bishop Dwyer for damages of £5,000, with a guarantee that the Loyal Orange Lodge would cover all her legal costs. The resulting trial was heard between the 30th June and 13th July 1921 to a packed court house. The findings were threefold:
- That the Bishop did not take reasonable care to inform himself as to the true facts of the case.
- That the Bishop did not honestly believe the case which he laid before the magistrate; and
- That he was not actuated by malice.
In his summation, the judge remarked that “it is very unfortunate for the plaintiff that, at the time she left the Convent she did not meet somebody with a little common horse-sense.”
This verdict however was not received well. The editorial of the Wagga Express on the 14th July 1921 stated that “There has not in the last quarter of a century been a case in the Australian Law Courts that has commanded such close attention by so many people as that which concluded last night in the Supreme Court of NSW. Perhaps never has there been one in which the judgement has given such dissatisfaction…the result has been disappointing. Instead of quenching the fires of sectarianism, the verdict of the jury and the judgement given thereon will add much fuel to the flames”.
Unbelievably the Sister Ligouri scandal did not end with the conclusion of the court case. On the evening of the 26th October 1921, Miss Partridge was sensationally “kidnapped” by a group of men including her brother. The next day she was recognised and taken to a police station where she renounced her religion and her brother.
Bridget Partridge continued living with the Touchell family in a number of locations throughout Sydney. The Reverend died in 1954, and sadly in November 1962 both Mrs Touchell and Bridget Partridge were admitted to the Rydalmere Mental Hospital. Just over four years later, still at the Hospital, Bridget Partridge died on the 4th December 1966, and was buried at the Rookwood cemetery with a Congregational service.
The Sister Ligouri saga undoubtedly had an impact on the Wagga community as a whole and certainly increased sectarian bitterness, as it did elsewhere. The Thompson family suffered greatly for their role in the scandal, from Mr Thompson’s carting business being boycotted, to his sister-in-law being verbally abused in the street, and even his children being physically threatened.
As local Wagga historian Keith Swan surmised in his book ‘A History of Wagga Wagga’, “…ultimately the affair did little good to anyone involved.”
Compiled By Wayne Doubleday
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