Nashotah Notes from Lady Ramsey, 1978
Lady Joan Ramsey, pictured with Lord Michael Ramsey, Archbishop of Canterbury (1961-1974)
Nashotah House received a lovely letter recently from Mrs. Hester Kirkham, the widow of The Rt. Rev. John D.G. Kirkham, Bishop of Sherborne (1976-2001), and former chaplain to Archbishop of Canterbury Michael Ramsey, among many others. Mrs. Kirkham sent these to us and noted “Joan’s loopy handwriting”. We think you will enjoy this peek into a bit of ‘life at Nashotah House’, as written by Lady Joan Ramsey in 1978. Mrs. Kirkham wrote:
7 May 2020
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am the widow of The Rt. Rev. John D.G. Kirkham and I am downsizing to return to Raleigh, North Carolina where two daughters live. I am finding it difficult to disperse John’s multitude of interesting possessions even with the lockdown. He never threw away a single scrap of paper.
John was chaplain to Archbishops Ramsey and Coggan. I have recently been through those years and see how much Father Michael and Joan LOVED Nashota [sic]. I emailed Milwaukee and the Bp assured me that you are there and that you might be interested in some of Lady Ramsey’s letters to John. Joan was such a happy and appreciative person — her loopy hand writing shows this.
I have chosen just those pages that speak of Nashota and kept aside those pages with matters of discretion.
It’s rather a mangy job and feel free to discard them. Certainly I don’t want them back. I have so many over the years because they looked on John as a son. Jean and Donald had two daughters (Ruth still lives near in Winchester) and Jean C. used the telephone to speak to us. She and I used to go on painting retreats and her letters mostly speak of that.
John died last October and I was so pleased to receive a deluge of “snail mail” by hand. Guess technology has ended that now. Oh yes — you will see that Joan R. refers to Michael as +M. Also, letters of that time were written to the bottom of the last page, and to save paper, they begin to write on the top and sides for the final bit. A usual thing for those who lived through the war years.
No reply necessary.
Best wishes,
Hester Kirkham
Along with her note, Mrs. Kirkham included a small packet of correspondences from Lady Joan Ramsey, written "back home" to their chaplain to report on their time here at Nashotah House. The entire collection is delightful, mostly just tidbits of their days at Nashotah House where the Archbishop taught periodically. The letters include wonderful references to the students, and how dear they were to the Ramseys. The letters are a jewel of a time capsule and really fun to read. We think you will enjoy a sample here:
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Nashotah House
Nashotah, Wisconsin 53058
Oct. 9th
My dear John,
We’ve had our 6 weeks and go to Chicago tomorrow. We’d be very sad only we are delighted we are coming again next year! +M is just finishing the Retreat — SILENT! & about 28 confessions a day, quite a marathon. I had two lovely lunches meanwhile — one at a housing area where some families live who haven’t room to live — the children showed me round the swings & slides & others joined us in genial mood, capping each others’ tales — “Hey! D’you know what?” One said, “there’s leopards over there” “Where?” I said — & we all trundled off & stood round a grating by someone’s house like Chaplain Peter’s house has in the Precincts, peering earnestly down.
Notes from Lady Ramsey at Nashotah House to friends ‘back home’.
“They’re inside asleep today,” said a boy in an awed voice. Yesterday a girl who works in the kitchen took me to her farm & we had barbecued sausages & peach pancakes — 4 of us and 2 farm dogs in a clearing with breathtaking golden trees & dark red oaks all ‘round. It’s an old Indian campsite and you can see their stove fire sites while walking through the wood that is the old trail. We poured waffle syrup over our pancakes, drawn from the biggest sugar maple trees in Wisconsin. We went to a ladies’ tea in the village near which was fun — a trio struck up Land of the Free and the National Anthem — at which +M sang “Dear Land of Liberty” which has the same tune to their surprise! It’s fun to have slightly made contact with the people who Nashotah is among. We had a hectic full tilt weekend in Peoria — needing you to put your foot down! But fun — retirement means little here! And 24 hours at Seabury Western — heavy pressure to get as much as like. But here has something which is justified with closeness to everyone and yet the lovely library to work in and lovely country to walk in. I think it’s his old dream of Cuddlesdon come true here & we just feel we belong. Everyone wants him back and the Dean is going to say at dinner he’s coming. The staff & wives & children & all are such fun and they really need help & you feel sure God has been helping them...
We now had a great dinner party, great pleasure that “He’ll be back next Fall!” & such hugging all round! There are some very fine young ones here. Come and see us if you have a chance & if not we will be able to “call” you before you go too far & have a few words. Just a year since our awful drive with Silvie rendering plainsong all the way — now happy! Much love.
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Nashotah House
Nashotah, Wisconsin 53058
Dearest John,
Thank you for your nice send off letter — & I loved hearing about Bergson & the Floyds (one day Robert will not be there, like the Cheshire cat, I feel!) We have been invited to the de Waals for an International Anselm Something I think it is, in 1979 & are very pleased at the idea. We’re having a lovely time here of course — V. Cass delivered a load of big cass coats — so very kind — in which we sat at D. station in the night till they thawed a train & then off we went — just missing blizzards in NY and here. (There may be one next week — interesting if so!) +M goes for walks on the lake — 20 inches of ice & snow, & is very busy. As an extra, we had a symposium in Milwaukee & Cardinal — they were a great hit! Tomorrow he is celebrating at a “Happening” [Cursillo retreat for teenagers]! A weekend crash course for teenagers, revised from R.C. Mexico — a student’s 16-year-old son in charge. His run warts “put the Pax at the end or you’ll never get them back”! It’s all less mad than it sounds & we “love them gobs”, as they say — gobs a lot!
Everyone here works very hard — about 90 students & as Andrew says “everyone is nice!” It is remarkable they also clean the place themselves etc....
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The Rt Revd. The Bishop of Sherborne
Little Baillie
Sturminster,
Wimborne
Dorset, U.K.
Nashotah House
Nashotah, Wisconsin 53058
Oct 4th
Dearest John,
We are having a happy time — more than half through — home on the 24th-25th. I think we feel more at home than ever here though we also look forward to getting home to Durham. This was likely to be our last visit but now the plan is that if we aren’t too old we will come back in Feb ‘82 — not to lecture, which takes a lot of preparing & energy, but just to be here & all the hob nobbings & talks & discussions — they all seem to love that & so we don’t have to say goodbye! +M is very eager to write a book first which this set of lectures has brought to mind — they have a very fine lot of 1st year students who are very encouraging — & a good many past students come back which is fun! The new member of the faculty (I think it’s called!) is Dr. Holland & he and his wife Jill & 2 small boys are digging in well. He taught at Sherborne & Cheltenham (College, not ladies) & they know you. He seems to be fitting in well and I hope she will be happy too. I think so tho’ their house is rather lonely, but I see they've asked his “advisees” to coffee & cake on Sunday which is a happy omen! They’ve also asked us to dinner! We go out almost nightly to someone’s home. This AM, +M took a quiet morning for teaching the wives ...
A portion of Lady Ramsey’s notes graciously donated by Mrs. Kirkham to Nashotah House.
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Nashotah House was much enjoyed by the Ramseys. So much so that Owen Chadwick devoted a section in his book, Michael Ramsey: A Life, referring to Nashotah House in the chapter entitled “The Man of God”:
This was originally a small mission station to the Indians in Wisconsin. It became a seminary of the episcopal Church of America. It stands in beautiful grounds by two lakes, not far from Milwaukee. It is of the Catholic tradition, and had nearly a hundred students on a three-year course. On Ramsey’s tour of the United States during 1967 he was invited to receive an honorary degree there and sent John Andrew to investigate. (1) Andrew reported that it was very like Cuddesdon. (2) Both Ramseys fell in love with the place and said how they wanted to come for a longer time when they retired.
Archbishop of Canterbury, ret., Michael Ramsey at the Cloister, Nashotah House, c. 1978
Nashotah House became the most considerable work of his retirement. He spent six periods there in all, all of six weeks except one in 1978 when he spent three months as professor of systematic theology while the professor was away. They lived in the cloister in a small apartment which was designed and built for them, and after a little time the students called it Lambeth West. They were part of the worshiping and social life of the community. He found the chapel numinous for his prayers. He liked the library and took lively interest in its additions, and always had a carrel reserved for him, and spent part of each morning at it. The students took him and Joan to see baseball at the County Stadium in Milwaukee but, said an observer, “Bishop Ramsey was not really enthusiastic about baseball.” He was hardly able to watch the match because the screen announced that he was present and thereafter there was a queue for his autograph. On many evenings they had supper with married students in their quarters. On many afternoons he would take a student walking around the lake (a walk of an hour and a half). They made friends among staff and students. He steadily refused to enter into controversy. He brought student tears when on Maundy Thursday he preached a sermon on the humility of Jesus and then knelt to wash the feet of twelve people. The visit in September 1979 coincided with the fiftieth anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood. The community laid on an affectionate celebration at the event both in chapel and at a feast, with old boys returning and a little presentation.
Nashotah House did for him what he had expected from Cuddesdon, and he gave Nashotah House what he had hoped to be able to give to Cuddesdon, and which Cuddesdon by the passage of time could not quite do or receive. Ramsey always looked back on Nashotah House as a halcyon time and as the most important part of his retirement; a quiet and beautiful place, half like a monastery, with a regular round of ordered prayer and praise; where his teaching quality was used on those subjects about which he cared most; and his pastoral quality was used by individuals; and where the atmosphere was young, and forward-looking. They valued him as he valued them. In the month after he died the trustees decided to build accommodation for married students and their families, about which they knew that he and Joan were much concerned. It was to be named Ramsey Hall. (3)
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(1) Canon John Andrew (1931-2014), served as rector of St Thomas's, Fifth Avenue (1972-1996) and served as chaplain to Michael Ramsey, Archbishop of Canterbury (1961-1969).
(2) For further reading on Cuddesdon, mentioned in Owen Chadwick’s book, please see Mark Chapman, God's Holy Hill: A History of Christianity in Cuddesdon (Chipping Norton: The Wychwood Press, 2004).
(3) Owen Chadwick, Michael Ramsey: A Life (Oxford: Clerendon Press, 1990), 386-387.