Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1843-04-01
Mrs. Wood in a Convent.


Mrs. Wood, the celebrated English songs,ress,
has separated from her husband and retired into
convent. The following account OF her conver.
sion to the Catholic religion, is from English
paper. Mrs. Wood formerly Miss Patton, an
actress, and was married TO Lord Will IN Lennox,
whom she afterwards left on acc ,unt Of cruel
treatment, sought protection from MI. Wood, her
prrsen, husband, to whom she soon after mar.
tiej
This lady so we'll known in the United States,
has occupied much attention lately, from cir.
cumstances of her having embraced the Roman
Catholic religion, with the intention Of taking
the VEIL a Yorkshire newspaper, published
in the district where Mrs. Wood and her hus-
band have lived at late years, states that the
lady has had a leaning to Catholicism since
1896, when she first visited America with her
present husband, arising out Of the following
circumstances: In that year she gave her
gratuious services to religious Catholic soci-
ETY. in Boston, und afterwards she had small
testimonial presented to her, singulary and
beautifully written on tinted paper. The fol-
! lowing is copy "Madam-This is but a
slight token Of the orphans gratitudc-but 1t
is hallowed by the orphans prayer. Watever
is happiness on earth may it be yours-and
when ear,h's labors are done, may those exqui-
site and thrilling tones which have relieved
our wants. be blended with the seraph voices
around the throne of God in Heaven. Written
by an orphan"
This affecting testimonial has preyed upon
her mind ever since. and often has she express
sed her admiration of the religion and beauty
which she there became more directly conver-
SAINT with. To the impression this circum-
stance made upon her mind is attributed the
change in her religious views. In reply to GER
tain insinua,ions as to the cause of the extra
ordinary step she has taken, Mrs. Wood addres.
sed the following letter to one of the local pa
a pers -
u "SiR Having understood that a rumor, has
l. been circulated in the neighborhood of Wake
II field, imputing that the i'll treatment of Mr..
II Wood has forced me into convent, | feel it
y imperative on me to give the most unqualified
contradiction the report, and to state that Mr..
ls Woods conduct has been uniformly kind and
T. ndulgent. MARY ANNE WooD.
T. Convent, Mckegate-bar, York, Feb II, ls43."
1t is admitted on all hands, that they lived on
the most happy terms, ard that her marriage
with Mr.. Wood has been as felicitous as her
first marriage with Lord William Lennox was
n the reverse. But although professionally pop
TO ular in the provinces since that event. where
rs, she has realized handsome fortune, Mrs Wood
'r- has never been able to make good her stand in
he London. Up to that time she was one OF the
es creates, favorites in the itish metropolis The
by Dublin Evening Post gives the following state
III ment:
a' To dispose Of sccpticsm as to the conversion
81 of Mrs Wood to the Roman Catholic religion
NC we are enabled to state through the kindnes
III of Protestant gentleman of this city, frien
y" OF ours-Mr. Robert Bremen, (who will excuse
"" our giving his name)-that he, after using hi
7" utmost endeavors to dissuade Mrs Wood from
VI the step she was about to take, accompanies
that lady, on Saturday last from the resdenc
mo- OF Mr.. Wood, on their separation, made for he
an ample provision, should she either take III
b. veil or return to live in the world. The sepa
ent ration of Mr.. and Mrs. Wood was solely on tn
his ground of the impossiblity of her being receive
INTO the Catholic church, without resolving O
ng, such separation as that church does no, recos
at Mise the doctrine Of divorce, and Mrs. Woo
oil felt there could not be any compromise in ma
,ers that regarded eternity. The parting
use, Mrs. and Mr.. Wood and their infant son, WI
ira truly affecting and proved the intensity OF the
Sin. attachment, the sacrifice they made, and u
past triumph ofrelgion over this world ltappea
pic that the decision of Mrs Wood was no sudd'
vine ebulliton. On the contrary, she had been {
several months in communication with Il
|, the jealous and truly pious Roman Catholic clere
who man of Wakefield the Rev. Mr. Morris, who
have she had selected her instructor in the ten'
Yes. ofthat church, into which she was publicly
ation ceved on Sunday, the 5th Of February in
a to. chapel of Wakefield, where she made her n
commuaion.