Clare Imrie
Amy Elizabeth Imrie (née Pollard; 4 October 1870 – 4 April 1944), was a British heiress and one of the wealthiest women in Britain who, at the age of 37, became a Roman Catholic nun, Sister Mary Clare and, subsequently, Mother Superior of the Order of Poor Clares.[1]
Biography
[edit]Born as Amy Elizabeth Rosalie Pollard in Demerera, British Guiana, nowadays Guyana,[1] to William Branch Pollard and his first wife, Elizabeth Anne Pollard (née Blackley).[3] After the death of her mother, at age 1, she went to live with her mother's sister Hannah Imrie (née Blackley) and her husband William Imrie. She was later adopted by Hannah and William.[2] William Imrie was co-owner of White Star Line shipping, and Amy was the sole heir to his fortune upon his death in 1906, receiving income from his estate during her life. She became one of the wealthiest women in Britain.
Later in 19016, Imrie converted to Roman Catholicism, became Sister Mary Clare and entered the Franciscan Order of Poor Clares,[4][3] eventually leading the convent as Mother Clare.
In 1910 she funded the building and interior decorating of St Mary of the Angels Roman Catholic Church in Liverpool, which is known as "the Vatican outside of Rome", because of the splendid artistry displayed in its interior.[citation needed]
Imrie also funded churches elsewhere in Britain. She provided the money for the construction of Our Lady and St Nicholas Church in West Looe Hill, Looe, Cornwall, in 1923, to serve the local Catholic population as a chapel-of-ease.[5][6]
Death
[edit]Imrie died 4 April 1944 in Looe, Cornwall,[1] aged 73. She is buried behind the High Altar at Sclerder Abbey, Cornwall, England.[3]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d "Plaque (on the wall of the friary of St. Mary of the Angels Roman Catholic Church in Everton, Liverpool) honoring Mother Clare Imrie". Archived from the original on 26 October 2009.
- ^ a b "Amy Elizabeth Imrie blue plaque". Open Plaques. Retrieved 11 April 2025.
- ^ a b c Genealogies of Barbados Families: From Caribbeana and the Journal of the Barbados Museum and Historical Society. Genealogical Publishing Com. 1983. p. 474. ISBN 978-0-8063-1004-6.
- ^ St. Clare and Her Order: A Story of Seven Centuries. Mills & Boon. 1912. p. 229.
- ^ "Looe - Our Lady and St Nicholas". Taking Stock. Retrieved 11 April 2025.
- ^ South Western Catholic History. Vol. 1–5. 1983. p. 23.
External links
[edit]- Reproduction of the text accompanying the plaque (unveiled on 13 June 2003)