Creator(s): Society of the Sacred Heart, Irish-Scottish Province
Administrative History ↴
The Society of the Sacred Heart is a Roman Catholic religious congregation founded in France in 1800 by St. Madeleine Sophie Barat, in response to the extreme violence of Revolutionary France. In such a broken society Sophie Barat hoped the Society of the Sacred Heart would make present the love of God revealed in the Heart of Christ and help the restoration of Christian life in France. Its major work was the education of young women of the rich and the poor classes. The Society of the Sacred Heart quickly expanded within Europe and beyond, and came to Ireland in 1842. Members use the suffix "RSCJ" which stands for Religieuses du Sacré-Cœur de Jésus, or Religious of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It currently has a presence in forty-one countries.
Kilgraston is set in fifty-four acres of parkland just south of Perth. The main building was constructed around 1800 by Francis Grant of Glenlochy in the classic style of the Adam Brothers and as a private house until the First World War when it was requisitioned and used as a hospital. The stunning Georgian mansion now sits alongside outstanding modern facilities.
In 1930 the house and grounds were purchased by the Society of the Sacred Heart and opened as a school with forty boarders. The students transferred from the boarding school in Crialockhart to allow more room for the day school and training college. In 2000 the Society transferred Kilgraston into an independent Catholic Charitable Foundation but the school is still a member of the International Network of Sacred Heart Schools.
Throughout the years Kilgraston has been extended and kept up to date with new developments. A new chapel was consecrated in 1961, and in 1987 the Barat Wing was opened housing classrooms on the ground floor and the sixth form residential accommodation upstairs.
Archival History ↴
The collection forms part of the Society of the Sacred Heart, Irish-Scottish Province archival collection. It was deposited to the Provincial Archives Office, Society of the Sacred Heart, Irish-Scottish Province in 1994. Material deposited from Society of the Sacred Heart, Kilgraston, Perth, Scotland.
Immediate Source Acquisition ↴
Official Transfer
Content & Structure
Scope & Content: Society of the Sacred Heart, Irish-Scottish Province ↴
The papers provide an insight to the RSCJ community and convent in Perth. Included are financial and administrative records, school journals, student registers and records of sodalities. There are property documents and records relating to the Grant and Brooke families dating back to 1829.
The collection contains a wealth of information regarding religious sisters, Catholic education in Scotland, women’s history and local history.
Appraisal Destruction ↴
All items retained permanently
Arrangement ↴
The collection is arranged as follows:
A. Property and local area, 1829
B. Religieuses du Sacre Coeur de Jesus, 1855
C. School, c. 1870s
D. Grant and Brooke families, c. 1882
E. Religious and community life, 1893
F. Relationship with clergy, c. 19th century
G. Sodality of the Children of Mary (Enfants de Marie), 1921
H. Foundation and development, 1930
I. Staff, 1930
J. Convent administration, 1930
K. Vicariate/Province, 1930
L. Conversions to Roman Catholicism, 1930
M. Finance, 1930
N. Convent of the Sacred Heart, Tunbridge Wells, 1959
O. Retreats, 1960
P. Photographs, c. 20th century
Conditions of Access & Use
Access Conditions
The Provincial Archives Office, Society of the Sacred Heart, Irish-Scottish Province, Mount Anville Road, Dublin 14 is open to bona fide researchers. Hours: Thursday & Friday, 10am until 4pm. Please contact the Provincial Archivist by email for an appointment at proarchives@eircom.net
Conditions Governing Reproduction
No material may be reproduced without the written permission of the Provincial Archivist. Copyright restrictions apply. Photocopying is not available. Digital photography is not permitted.
Creation Dates
1829-1964
Extent Medium
15 boxes
Material Language Script
English
Characteristics Tech Req
Bound volumes, photographs, loose documents. Careful handling is required
Finding Aids
Descriptive lists can be consulted in the Provincial Archives Office, Society of the Sacred Heart, Irish-Scottish Province
Archive Web Link →
Allied Materials
Related Material
Society of the Sacred Heart, Irish-Scottish Provincial Archives; Aberdeen, Armagh, Craiglockhart, Harcourt Street-Lesson Street, Monkstown, Mount Anville, Roscrea
Descriptive Control Area
Archivist Note
Eibhlis Connaughton,1994
Rules/Conventions
ISAD(G): General International Standard Archival Description. 2nd ed. Ottawa: International Council on Archives, 2000.
National Council on Archives: Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names. Chippenham: National Council on Archives, 1997.
