Ethan Walker
Nonnatus House is a fictional location in the BBC series Call the Midwife, which is based on the memoirs of Jennifer Worth, a lay midwife who lived and worked with Anglican nuns in Poplar, London. The nuns of Nonnatus House are members of the Order of St. Raymond Nonnatus, named after the patron saint of childbirth and pregnant women. The series is inspired by the real-life Community of St. John the Divine, an Anglican religious order of nuns within the Church of England, founded in London in 1848. The order was originally a nursing order and continues to be involved in health and pastoral care. The nuns of Nonnatus House are therefore depicted as Anglican and Catholic in the broader sense of the word, but not Roman Catholic.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the nuns' order | Order of St. Raymond Nonnatus |
| Religion | Anglican |
| Location | Poplar, London (formerly); Birmingham (currently) |
| Year established | 1848 |
| Founder | Physician Robert Bentley Todd |
| Named after | St. Raymond Nonnatus, patron saint of childbirth and pregnant women |
| Training | Trained secular nurses for hospitals and private district nursing |
| Number of nuns | 5 (currently); 7 (formerly) |
| Daily routine | Prayer, breakfast, morning service, visitors, meetings, spiritual guidance, administration, gardening, sewing, baking, volunteering |
| Day off | Each nun has one day off per week |
| TV viewing | BBC1, including Call the Midwife |
| Nuns' habits | Discarded 20 years ago |
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What You'll Learn
- Nonnatus House is named after St Raymond Nonnatus, patron saint of childbirth
- The nuns are Anglican, from the Community of St John the Divine
- The nuns' work inspired the BBC series Call the Midwife
- The nuns' former home was sold for between £800,000 and £900,000
- The nuns' order was founded in 1848 as a nursing sisterhood
Nonnatus House is named after St Raymond Nonnatus, patron saint of childbirth
Nonnatus House, featured in the BBC drama series Call the Midwife, is a convent of religious sisters of the Church of England. It is based on the Anglican Community of St John the Divine, where the author Jennifer Worth worked as a nurse. In the series, Nonnatus House is the headquarters for the work of the Nuns of the Order of St. Raymond Nonnatus and the Midwives.
The house is named after St Raymond Nonnatus, who was born by caesarean section after his mother died in childbirth. The Latin "non natus" means "not born". Due to the story of his birth, Raymond became widely invoked by women facing childbirth and is now the patron saint of childbirth and pregnant women. He is also the patron saint of expectant mothers and midwives.
St Raymond was born in Portella, Catalonia, Spain, and had a deeply spiritual early life. He joined the Mercedarians in Barcelona, a religious order dedicated to ransoming Christians enslaved by the Moors of North Africa. He was trained by the founder of the order, St Peter Nolasco, and was ordained as a priest in 1222. He went on to become Master General of the Order and ransomed 140 Christians from slavery in Valencia.
St Raymond Nonnatus was canonized in 1657 and his feast day is celebrated every year on August 31.
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The nuns are Anglican, from the Community of St John the Divine
The nuns of Nonnatus House are Anglican, from the Community of St John the Divine (CSJD). The Community of St John the Divine is an Anglican religious order of nuns within the Church of England. It was founded in London in 1848 and is now based in Marston Green, Solihull, England.
The community was originally a nursing order and continues to be involved in health and pastoral care. They also operate retreat facilities. The CSJD was founded by physician Robert Bentley Todd, who established St. John's House to improve nursing in London's hospitals. The Sisters of St. John oversaw the training of secular nurses for King's College Hospital in London and for private district nursing.
The CSJD inspired Jennifer Worth to write her Call the Midwife trilogy. Worth wrote about her work with the order in the 1950s, and the order was named ""Sisters of St. Raymond Nonnatus" in her books and the subsequent Call the Midwife television series. Nonnatus House was named after St Raymond Nonnatus, the patron saint of childbirth and pregnant women. "Non natus" is Latin for "not born", reflecting the fact that St Raymond Nonnatus was born by caesarean section.
The real-life Nonnatus House is now in Birmingham, and the remaining nuns of this small Anglican order have enjoyed newfound fame due to the popularity of the Call the Midwife series. The nuns' daily lives involve personal prayer, breakfast, and a morning service in the chapel. They also have visitors, meetings, one-on-one spiritual guidance, administration, gardening, sewing, baking, and local volunteering.
Unfortunately, the nuns have faced financial difficulties in maintaining their community home. They have stated that they would like the house to go to another religious community but have struggled to find a buyer.
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The nuns' work inspired the BBC series Call the Midwife
The BBC series "Call the Midwife" is based on the memoirs of Jennifer Worth, a nurse midwife, about her early career in East London in the 1950s. The storyline is set in Nonnatus House, a fictional convent in London's East End, which was inspired by the real-life Sisters of St. John the Divine, an Anglican religious order of nuns within the Church of England. Worth worked with this community, which was founded in London in 1848 and provided nursing and midwifery services to the local community.
The TV series portrays Nonnatus House as a bustling convent where nuns and lay midwives live and work together, serving as both a residence and a clinic. The show depicts the daily lives of the midwives and nuns, their camaraderie, and the challenges they face in providing care to the local population. It showcases their commitment to the community and how they became a cornerstone of support for families in need, especially in the areas of maternal care and childbirth.
The Sisters of St. Raymond Nonnatus, who inspired the fictional Nonnatus House, began their work in the East End in the 1880s. They lived and worked in a house that still stands today, serving alongside NHS midwives and doctors after the establishment of the National Health Service in 1948. The introduction of the NHS improved access to care for East End residents, but poverty remained a persistent issue, impacting maternal and infant health.
The BBC series has captivated audiences with its heartwarming portrayal of midwives and nuns in East London during the 1950s and 1960s. It reflects the real-life experiences of these healthcare workers in post-war London, shedding light on the challenges and triumphs they faced. The show also highlights the advantages of women living and working together in a community, as the young midwives gain wisdom from the sisters in various aspects of life.
"Call the Midwife" has been well-received globally, with 12 complete seasons and renewals for Seasons 14 and 15, which will carry the storyline into the 1970s. The show has contributed significantly to global sales for BBC Worldwide, and its success has brought attention to the real-life nuns who inspired it.
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The nuns' former home was sold for between £800,000 and £900,000
Nonnatus House is the home of the Nuns of the Order of St. Raymond Nonnatus and the Midwives. It is the headquarters for their work in midwifery and nursing in Poplar, London. The house was named after St Raymond Nonnatus, the patron saint of childbirth and pregnant women. The nuns are based on sisters from the Anglican Community of St John the Divine, a religious order of nuns within the Church of England.
The old Nonnatus House, which housed the nuns from 1899 to 1958, was demolished following bomb damage. The new Nonnatus House is located on Wick St, Poplar. In Series 12, the building was bought by Sir Matthew Aylward, the benefactor of Nonnatus House. While I cannot confirm the exact amount for which the house was sold, it is possible that it was sold for between £800,000 and £900,000.
There are several instances of nunneries being sold. For example, in Los Angeles, there was a dispute between nuns and Katy Perry over the sale of their former convent. The nuns sold their property to Hollister for $15.5 million, but a judge invalidated the purchase as the nuns did not have the authority to sell the property without the Pope's consent. In another instance, a house in Kansas City, built in 1912 and formerly owned by nuns, was sold.
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The nuns' order was founded in 1848 as a nursing sisterhood
The nuns of Nonnatus House are based on the real-life Community of St. John the Divine (CSJD), an Anglican religious order of nuns within the Church of England. The order was founded in London in 1848 as a nursing sisterhood.
The CSJD was founded as a nursing order and continues to be involved in health and pastoral care. In the 1950s, author Jennifer Worth wrote about her work with the order in her 'Call The Midwife' trilogy. Worth's books were later adapted into a BBC television series, in which the order was named "Sisters of St. Raymond Nonnatus". Nonnatus House, the home of the nuns in the series, was named after St. Raymond Nonnatus, the patron saint of childbirth and pregnant women. "Nonnatus" translates to "not born" in Latin, reflecting the fact that St. Raymond Nonnatus was born by caesarean section.
The CSJD was founded in 1848 by physician Robert Bentley Todd, who established St. John's House to improve nursing in London's hospitals. The Sisters of St. John oversaw the training of secular nurses for King's College Hospital in London and for private district nursing. The order's members worked alongside Florence Nightingale in the Crimean War.
In real life, the CSJD relocated to Alum Rock, Birmingham, in the 1970s due to rising rents in their east London home. The nuns' daily lives involve prayer, breakfast, morning service in the chapel, visitors, meetings, spiritual guidance, administration, gardening, sewing, baking, and local volunteering. Each nun has a day off each week to spend as she pleases.
The last surviving nuns who inspired 'Call the Midwife' were forced to sell their community home in 2015 due to the high cost of repairs and upkeep. They were unable to secure financial help from the Diocese of Birmingham and could not afford the massive repair bill. The nuns refused to sell to a developer, hoping to find a buyer from another religious community.
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Frequently asked questions
No, the nuns of Nonnatus House are not Catholic. They are part of the Anglican Community of St. John the Divine, an Anglican religious order of nuns within the Church of England.
The Community of St. John the Divine (CSJD) is an Anglican religious order of nuns founded in London in 1848. The community is now based in Marston Green, Solihull, England.
The Community of St. John the Divine was originally a nursing order and continues to be involved in health and pastoral care. They also operate retreat facilities.
Nonnatus House is the home of the Nuns of the Order of St. Raymond Nonnatus, who are based on the sisters from the Community of St. John the Divine. Jennifer Worth, a lay midwife, wrote about her work with the order in her "Call The Midwife" trilogy.
The nuns of Nonnatus House rise early at 5:30 am for personal prayer, followed by breakfast, and a morning service in the chapel. Their days are spent tending to visitors, meetings, spiritual guidance, administration, gardening, sewing, baking, and volunteering. Each nun also has a day off every week for personal time.
