BARONESS PAULINE VON HUGEL (1858-1901)
Relatively little is recorded about the Baroness Pauline von Hugel, partly due to her own desire to avoid the limelight. Perhaps a study of her family background offers the best opportunity of obtaining some insight into her life.
Baron Carl Alexander von Hugel, her father, was born at Ratisbon, Bavaria, in 1795. The barony was one conferred by the Holy Roman Empire and was used by all members of the family. The Baron served in the Austrian Army during the Napoleonic campaigns of 1813 and 1814. He has been described as a genial military officer, widely travelled, and an enthusiastic botanist.
His interest took him to India, where in 1833 he met Colonel Farquharson, a widower with a baby daughter. Later the Baron wrote a book on Kashmir and the Sikh Kingdom.
In 1848 General Farquharson - the former Colonel - stayed with the Baron at his home in Hietzing, near Vienna, and the outcome was that his daughter who accompanied her father married the Baron in 1850, she then being nineteen and the Baron fifty five. On her maternal side Elizabeth was the grand daughter of Benjamin Outram, an engineer of some distinction.
A portrait of her by Thomas Richmond, painted at about the time of her marriage, shows a girl of grace and charm, with delicate features.
The Baron von Hugel was appointed Austrian Ambassador to Tuscany in 1850, and the newly married couple took up residence in Florence, where their eldest child, Friedrich was born in 1852; two more children followed, Anatole, and Pauline who was born in Florence on 3rd November, 1857.
After ten years the Baron was in 1860 sent as Ambassador to Belgium, and the family lived in Brussels until 1867, when the Baron retired. They then came to England and settled in Torquay.
It is known that Friedrich was educated by tutors, and it seems probable that Anatole and Pauline were similarly taught. The Baron died in Calais in 1870; later that year Friedrich had a severe attack of typhoid, which permanently undermined his health. He married Lady Mary Herbert in 1873, she being the daughter of Lady Herbert of Lea, sister of the Earl of Pembroke. In 1874 when he was staying in Malvern for his health Friedrich mentions as an item in his daily routine "Latin with P(auline) from Half past nine to eleven". This casual reference is virtually the only information regarding her upbringing.
Probably Pauline lived with her widowed mother for several years. At any rate, the Bournemouth Observer, in its Directory supplement, lists amongst the visitors in 1878 the Baroness von Hugel, the Baroness Pauline von Hugel and Miss Redmayne. Why they came to Bournemouth is not clear. Certainly there were connections with the two. A letter written by Frederic about the year 1870 has the address Portman Lodge, Bournemouth, this being a small house in Exeter Road.
Later, Frederich and his family - there were three daughters - often spent holidays at Wilton House, the Pembroke family home. The Herbert Home at Westbourne was a memorial to his wife's father. Frederich also came to Bournemouth to read Greek with the classical scholar Frederick Althorp Paley.
When they came to Bournemouth in 1878, Pauline and her mother took up residence at Moorfield~ a house at the junction of Richmond Hill and Bodorgan Road. Here they continued to live for many years. The Miss Redmayne mentioned in the Directory was a lifelong friend of Pauline; she is more elusive personality than her friend however, and virtually nothing seems to be known about her.
At some later date - when and why does not seem to be recorded - Baroness Pauline and Miss Redmayne moved to Boscombe, the Baroness buying a house which she named Loreto, and which was in Christchurch Road, opposite the present Gloucester Road.
Boscombe was a growing part of Bournemouth and in 1884 Father De Lapasture of the Sacred Heart Church had been given responsibility for the Catholics in Boscombe.
Frederick Paley previously mentioned was a Catholic; he had purchased a house in Owls Road, which he named Althorp, and it was at his house that Sunday catechism classes were held in 1885. The Religious of the Cross moved to Parkwood Road from Bournemouth in 1887, and they established a temporary chapel for the local Catholics, which was opened on 1st January, 1888.
As Boscombe and Pokesdown continued to expand, the temporary chapel became too small. Baroness Pauline, together with Miss Redmayne and other friends, arranged for the purchase of a property named Holywood, together with some two acres of land, to provide a site for a new Church. This site was near to the house Loreto in Christchurch
The foundation stone of the Church was laid in 1895, the Baroness herself meeting the entire cost of the building. The Church was opened by Bishop Vertue of Portsmouth on 8th September 1896, and the preacher was Bishop Hedley, O.S.B., of Newport.
The presence of Bishop Headley reflected the interest of the Baroness in the Benedictines, having at one time seriously considered becoming a Benedictine Nun. The dedication of the Church Corpus Christi - was due to the particular devotion of the Baroness to the Blessed Sacrament.
The Boscombe church was established as a separate Parish at Easter 1897, Father De Lapasture being appointed in charge. This priest was to continue working in Boscombe until his death in 1923 at the age of 84. The house Holywood was adapted for use a the presbytery.
When the Church was opened the Baroness, a talented musician, played the harmonium and led the singing, and she continued in charge of the choir for several years. Some time after the opening of the Church she provided a choir loft and bought an organ.
This organ was transferred to the adjoining Convent when the Church was enlarged in 1933.The Baroness also gave a Guildroom which formed the first part of the parish Guildhall, surviving until 1976, when it was demolished to make way for the new school buildings.
During the following years, the health of the Baroness gradually failed, and by 1899 Friedrich is voicing his concern. By May 1900 it was said that she was dying at Boscombe. Her painful illness lasted, in fact, for another year; on Friday, 29th March, 1901, Friedrich came to Loreto where she died at 8.40; Her mother, Anatole, the three nieces and Father De Lapasture were also there.
The requiem Mass was offered at Corpus Christi on the following Monday, 1st April, being the Monday in Holy Week, and the interment took place the next day at Stratton on the Fosse, close to Downside Abbey in Somerset, as she herself had requested, the Abbot of Downside conducting the graveside service.
In writing of Pauline shortly before her death Friedrich had commented upon her cheerfulness in spite of the prolonged and painful illness he privately regarded her as a saint.
Preaching at the requiem Mass, Father Delaney, S.J., Rector of University College, Dublin, had said "... we are at once struck with the fact that it (her life) was a very strange and singular life. There was a young girl, richly endowed in mind and body, starting life with every advantage of birth and surroundings and personal attractions ... "
He mentioned that after a few weeks of her first and only season in Society she had said to her mother "I cannot bear it any longer - around us there are so many poor people in misery and want who could be relieved by what I am spending so uselessly". Father Delaney said that she had had her moments of darkness and trial, but through them all she struggled on.
Father De Lapasture in his sermon in September Of 1908 at the anniversary of the opening of the Church had referred to the way in which the Baroness Pauline had sacrificed all that she had, her whole life strength, for the good of others and for the glory of God, especially in the Blessed Sacrament. She had prayed and labored, working with her hands for the Altar, or writing religious articles or instructing others, even in her last illness, almost to her last breath.
In seeking to understand the character and life of Pauline von Hugel, one may again consider the other members of the family. Her father is reputed to have had a pleasant personality, and was interested in science.
Anatole established a reputation at Cambridge as an anthropologist. Friedrich attained international recognition for his depth of learning, and was devoted to his Church. It is thus only reasonable to suppose that Pauline would have had her share of ability. In fact, it is known that she had a love of music; she was not without literary talent, and had three small books published.
Two of these were novels on religious and moral themes: the third was a life of Prince Demetrius Galitzen, who became a priest and went to the United States where he founded a township which he named Loreto. Did this have any bearing on the name the Baroness chose for her house in Boscombe? it would be interesting to know.
That the Baroness wished to do good unobtrusively is known; for example at her express wish no reports of the opening of Corpus Christi Church, her own personal gift, were sent to the Catholic newspapers or periodicals of the day. But for the fact that her brother Friedrich became so well known, even less about the Baroness would be available to-day.
On her death, the Baroness left her house, together with two adjoining properties, for the benefit of Corpus Christi parish. The Church contains a memorial brass to her which reads:
In honour of Our lord Jesus Christ, ever present in the Blessed Sacrament, this Church, under the title of Corpus Christi, was built by the Baroness Pauline von Hugel who spent her life in the service of the poor and in all good works. It was solemnly opened, September 8th 1896, by the Rt. Rev. John Vertue, first Bishop of Portsmouth and given faith the Presbytery and other endowments to the Fathers of the Society of Jesus.
This Tablet has been erected by the Fathers and Congregation of the Church in grateful memory of the Foundress who died March 29th 1901 , of her faithful friend Diary 'Ellen Redmayne, who died February 7th 1902 and of others who assisted her in the establishment of the Mission in order. that they who worship in this beautiful house of prayer may ever remember them in prayer.