This post follows up on my earlier piece about my Kiely family research breakthrough, and zooms in on one of the Kiely sisters in particular: Ellen Kiely (1876–1962).
In religious life she became Sister Mary Benignus, later Reverend Mother Benignus of the Congregation of the Religious of Jesus and Mary (usually shortened to R.J.M.).
Ellen’s connection to my tree is one of those classic “genealogy in the wild” links: she was one of the six sisters of the husband of my maternal second cousin twice removed. That sort of relationship can be written down neatly ... and yet takes some thought about what it really means (well at least for me).
Once Ellen's name surfaced however, she didn't stay distant for long. The moment you can follow a someone through records, and in this case particularly through census records and religious congregation records, you begin to see the person living inside the recorded dates - that becomes especially important if it's a woman, and even more so if it's a woman whose life was shaped by religious vows and community.
From research breakthrough to one woman's life
In my previous post, A Breakthrough Moment, I described how source notes pulled from two published Tipperary Athletes profiles of the brothers Tom and Larry Kiely led me to develop a structured research map for their six sisters. From there, the task became:
➤ confidently taking the clues from those notes to build a best-evidence profile for each sister,
➤then test the profiles against primary records wherever possible — civil birth and death registrations, death notices and obituaries, religious order archives and convent registers, census records, and the occasional newspaper snippet that pins a name to a place.
Once those core details were corroborated, each profile could finally do what we really want family history to do: become the outline of a life story.
What follows is that evidence-anchored story for Ellen Kiely.
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| Photo shared by Congregation of the Religious of Jesus and Mary Archivist, Sr. Mary Kelly |
Following the trail of Ellen Kiely / Sister Mary Benignus through records:
The Kiely Family:
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| Collection of Irish Civil Birth Records for Ellen Kiely |
Civic Birth Records confirm that Ellen was born on the 27th of October in 1876. She was born on the family farm at Ballyneale, County Tipperary, Ireland. Her parents were William Kiely and Mary Downey. Ellen's birth was registered in the Carrick-on-Suir District, which at that time sat across parts of both County Tipperary and County Waterford in Ireland.
Ellen was the sixth of ten children born to William and Mary. The family included four brothers (although one boy was stillborn and unnamed), and six sisters - civic birth records were found for all but one of those children.
Remarkably, five of the sisters entered religious life and archive records provided by the relevant religious orders provided the entrance dates for these sisters:
- Mary Ann Kiely / Sister Mary Camillus became a Sister of Mercy in Dungarvan, Ireland in 1889 when she was 22 years old.
- Johanna, also known as Hanna, Kiely / Sister Mary Ita became a Presentation Sister in Lismore, Ireland in 1890 at the age of 18.
- Ellen Kiely / Sister Mary Benignus became a Sister with the Congregation of the Religious of Jesus and Mary in Ipswich, England in 1901, when she was 25 years old.
- Honoria, known as Norah or Nano, Kiely / Sister St. Philip became a lay sister with Congregation of the Religious of Jesus and Mary in Ipswich, England in 1904 when she was 26.
- Catherine Kiely / Sister Teresa entered the Order of Saint Ursula in Belgium in 1904 at the age of 32.
The remaining sister, Margaret Kiely, remained on the family farm until she married in 1916, aged 45.
It's a striking pattern in one generation - one that hints at faith, family culture and the practical realities of that era. It led to Ellen, at the age of 25, stepping into a life that would carry her far from Ballyneale.
Ellen's Order: a quick snapshot of the R.J.M.
The R.J.M. were founded in Lyon, France (1818), with a mission centred on education and service of the poor. Their schools evolved into boarding schools and academies designed to provide girls with a strong Christian education “conformable to their social position” — language that places us instantly in the class-conscious world of the 19th century.
By the 1860s, the Sisters were established in England, and Irish families often sent daughters to Willesden for schooling, with formation links back to Lyon.
Later, the congregation expanded int Ireland, establishing at Gortnor Abbey (Crossmolina, County Mayo) in 1916 as a boarding school. In 1925, the Sisters founded a hostel for third level university students in County Galway, with further educational foundations following in later decades.
That’s the institutional shape of the order — but what matters for Ellen is what it asked of her: education, service, and a readiness to go where she was needed.
Dowries: the practical side of a “spiritual” pattern
Before I move into Ellen’s formation steps — the dates and places that map her years in the R.J.M. — it’s worth pausing on one practical detail that sat quietly beneath the spirituality and adds another layer to this story.
Like many families of that era, Ellen's father William Kiely provided a dowry for each daughter who entered religious life. In other words, when a Kiely sister crossed the threshold into a convent, she didn’t arrive empty-handed — she arrived with a substantial contribution made on her behalf. That contribution helped support the community she was joining, and it also meant that each daughter’s vocation came with a very practical transaction attached to it.
When you line up the Kiely sisters’ entrances — five sisters entering different congregations, in different places — this detail adds an important dimension. It suggests that the family’s strong religious culture sat alongside a deliberate, practical commitment: each entry was also an investment, repeated again and again, to ensure a reasonably comfortable future when marriage wasn't the chosen or possible route.
Ellen was part of that pattern too. When she entered the Religious of Jesus and Mary in 1901, her vocation wasn’t only marked by formation dates and changing “houses” — it was also supported, quite tangibly, by her father’s dowry contribution.
Ellen's Formation Steps: not just dates, but turning points
After contacting the Religious of Jesus and Mary via their website, I received information from a Sister who is currently working on a history of the Irish Sisters who served in England and Ireland.
An archived profile sheet from the R.J.M. records mapped out Ellen’s formation steps and her "houses" / places of work - where her religious life was spent.
Ellen’s formation steps read like a travel itinerary across Catholic Europe:
- Entrance into religious life (Holy Orders): 13
September 1900, Fourvière, Lyon, France
- Clothing: 19 March 1901, Fourvière,
France
- Profession: 14
January 1903, Ipswich, Suffolk, England
- Perpetual vows: 14
January 1908, Willesden, North West London, England
These aren't just ceremonial milestones - they're location markers that show how her vocation was formed across France and England: France for formation, England for
profession and long-term community life—especially in Willesden, located in North West London, England. They are also the points where an ordinary young woman from a farm in County Tipperary becomes a Sister, then commits, then stays.
(For those who may be interested in a more detailed description of Ellen's formation, I've included a more detailed section about formation at the end of this post).
The "Houses" Where Ellen Lived: a life you can track
The same R.J.M. congregation record also
outlines where Ellen spent her religious life. What makes this especially
satisfying for a family historian is that UK Civil Enumeration and Register Records (especially census and electoral-style entries) support those placements - so we can see Ellen appearing in independent records exactly where the congregation says she was.
Here is Ellen's timeline of "houses", where her religious life was spent - paired with census record evidence (wherever possible):
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| Convent of Jesus and Mary Ipswich, England 1900s |
- Ipswich, Suffolk, England — Jan 1903 to Oct 1904 (1 yr 9 mths)
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| Convent of Jesus and Mary Willesden, London 1908 |
- Willesden, North West London, England — Oct 1904 to Sept 1912 (7 yrs 11 mths)
- Willesden Green, North West London, England — Sept 1912 to Oct 1918 (6 yrs 1 mth)
- Ipswich, Suffolk, England — Oct 1918 to Jan 1920 (1 yr 3 mths)
- Rome and Spain — Jan 1920 to June 1920 (6 mths)
- Willesden, London, England — June 1920 to Sept 1921 (1 yr 3 mths)
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| The National Archives of the UK; Kew, Surrey, England: 1921 Census Returns (section 1) |
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| The National Archives of the UK; Kew, Surrey, England: 1921 Census Returns taken in April (section 2) |
- Record match: the 1921 England Census places Ellen at the Convent of Jesus and Mary, on Crown Hill Road, Willesden, working as a teacher in the secondary school.
- Willesden Green, London, England — Sept 1921 to Sept 1930
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| London Metropolitan Archives; London, England, UK; Electoral Register 1930 |
- Record match: the 1930 England Census places Ellen at the Convent of Jesus and Mary, Park Avenue, Willesden Green. The 'Ow' next to Ellen's name indicates she is the head of the convent - she has the Occupation Qualification on this electoral register. This supports the note on the following congregational record that Ellen was Reverend Mother Benignus by 1930.
- Gortnor Abbey, Crossmolina, County Mayo, Ireland — Sept 1930 to Sept 1937 (7 yrs)
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| Second page of the Congregational Records |
- Record Match: An additional entry from R.J.M. convent history records shows Ellen moved from England to Ireland. She appears to have held senior leadership already in England as Superior Mother, and in Ireland she is associated with major improvements at Gortnor Abbey — a new wing begun in 1930 and later works including dining room and sleeping accommodation completed in 1936.
- Galway, Ireland — Sept 1937 to June 1938 (9 mths)
- Research note: no
Irish census survives for the 1930s to confirm either the County Mayo or County Galway placements, so
- Willesden, London, England — June 1938 to December 1962 (14 yrs 6 mths)
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| The National Archives; Kew, London, England; 1939 Register (taken in October) |
- Record match: the England 1939 electoral register entry lists Ellen back at Crown Hill Road, noting her occupation now as "Secondary School Teacher (Retired)" — a poignant detail suggesting a lifetime spent in education, even after active teaching ended.
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| London Metropolitan Archives; London, England, UK; Electoral Register 1949 |
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| London Metropolitan Archives; London, England, UK; Electoral Register 1959 |
- Multiple English Register-Style Record Matches: dated 1949, 1950, 1952, 1954 and 1959 consistently place Ellen back at the Convent on Crown Hill Road in the Borough of Willesden, London.
Why This Is A "Best of Both Worlds" Research Win:
This is a case where congregation records give you the narrative structure — formation steps and postings — while the civil census records provide independent confirmation that the places named were real lived locations.
Together, these two evidence streams meet in the middle and they turn Ellen from a name on a birth record into a woman whose life can be followed from convent to convent, across the years. As you read the timeline, it's hard not to picture the rhythm: arriving, settling, teaching, packing up again, moving on.
Ellen died on the 7th of December 1962 at the Convent of Jesus and Mary, Willesden (Death registered Oct–Dec 1962, Willesden District, Middlesex, England).
She was buried the following day, on the 8th of December, in 1962 at St Mary’s
Roman Catholic Cemetery, Kensal Green, North West London.
After decades of movement—France, England,
Ireland, and even that brief period in Rome and Spain—her story closes where the
records most consistently place her: with her Willesden community.
More About Ellen’s formation as a Religious of Jesus and Mary: reading the dates as a human story
One of the most helpful things that the Jesus and Mary Sisters’ congregation records gave me was not just where Ellen was, but what stage of formation she was moving through as she became Sister Mary Benignus.
Formation in the Religious of Jesus and Mary (R.J.M.)—founded
by Saint Claudine Thévenet—was (and still is) an intentional journey:
deepening a woman’s relationship with God, learning community life, and
preparing for apostolic service, especially in education and social work.
A strong thread running through it is Ignatian spirituality—being
“contemplatives in action,” finding God in all things.
When I map the formation stages against Ellen's dates, what I see is a gradual, steady commitment - not one dramatic moment, but a life built step by step.
Looking More Deeply Into Ellen's R.J.M. formation pathway (and Ellen’s likely timeline)
1) Aspirancy / Contact
This is the “getting to know you” period—accompaniment, dialogue, and
discernment while a woman is still living her ordinary life.
For Ellen: this phase happened in the late 1890s as she explored
her vocation.
2) Postulancy (about 1–2 years)
A candidate lives with an R.J.M. community and begins to experience the rhythm of
prayer, community, and mission, often while continuing education or work.
For Ellen: possibly 1899–1900, leading into her
recorded entrance in September 1900.
3) Novitiate (about 2 years)
A more intensive period focused on spiritual formation, prayer, and learning
the R.J.M. charism and constitutions. Commonly:
- Year 1: deeper interior/spiritual formation
- Year 2: often includes some apostolic experience
Key moment: investiture / “clothing” - receiving the habit, an outward sign of an inward commitment beginning to take shape.
For Ellen:
- Entrance into religious life: 13
Sept 1900, Fourvière, Lyon
- Clothing / investiture: 19
March 1901, Fourvière, Lyon
This places her novitiate years broadly across 1901–1902, when she was about 25–26.
4) Temporary Profession / Juniorate (about 5–6
years)
At the end of the novitiate, the Sister makes First Profession
(temporary vows) of poverty, chastity, and obedience. These vows are
usually renewed annually during the juniorate. This is the stage where a Junior
Sister is actively involved in the congregation’s ministries (very often teaching)
while continuing formation.
For Ellen:
- Profession (First Vows): 14
Jan 1903, Ipswich, Suffolk, England
- Temporary-professed years:
roughly 1903–1908, Willesden, London, England ... ages 27–32
5) Perpetual Vows / Final Profession (lifetime
commitment)
After several years of temporary vows, a Sister makes her final, irrevocable
commitment. In many traditions, elements of the rite can include powerful
symbolism—such as prostration during the Litany of Saints (signifying
total surrender to God) and the reception of a ring symbolising lifelong
commitment.
For Ellen:
- Perpetual vows recorded: 14
Jan 1908, Willesden, London, England
Ellen’s lifelong commitment occurred in the 1908–1909 window, when she was 32–33.
Formation does
not “end” at final vows
A final piece worth highlighting is that formation is lifelong. Even after
perpetual vows, R.J.M. Sisters engage in ongoing formation to keep growing
spiritually and respond to changing needs in the Church and wider world.
For Ellen:
- there is a strong clue of that ongoing formation in her movements during 1920.
The congregation timeline places her in Rome and Spain from January to June 1920. It’s very plausible that this six-month period was not “ordinary posting”, but a purposeful time of spiritual renewal and deepening formation—the kind of program often described in religious life as a “second novitiate” or renewal period.
Rome was (and remains) a natural centre for that kind of
concentrated formation experience, especially for sisters preparing for greater
responsibilities or simply renewing their vocation after years in ministry.
Rome is a natural centre for that kind of concentrated formation, especially for sisters preparing for greater responsibilities or renewing their vocation after years in ministry. And the Spain component may well have included pilgrimage to Marian shrines, aligning with the congregation’s Marian identity (Jesus and Mary) and the broader Catholic tradition of pilgrimage as prayer and recommitment.
Taken together, that short but distinct chapter suggests a version of Ellen that I find especially compelling: not only a long-serving teacher, but a woman who stepped away at times to deepen the spiritual foundations that sustained decades of service — and, later, leadership.
That ongoing formation shows up in the
responsibilities she later carried—especially as Reverend
Mother Benignus, and in her leadership work at Gortnor Abbey.
Why this
section matters for Ellen’s story.
This formation lens helps us read Ellen’s dates as more than milestones. It turns them into a human story of gradual commitment—discernment, training, first vows, years of service, and finally a lifelong promise—rooted in community life and expressed through education.
Because her formation locations (Fourvière, Ipswich, Willesden) come through
congregation records that also align with civil enumeration evidence, we get a
rare, satisfying combination: the “inside” story from the order, and the
“outside” confirmation from public records.
