St. Martin in Brown County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
The Ursulines of Brown County
Photographed By Craig Doda, May 4, 2024
1. The Ursulines of Brown County Marker
In July of 1845 eleven Ursuline Nuns arrived in Saint Martin, a village of French and Irish settlers at the northern tip of Brown County. John Baptist Purcell, Bishop of Cincinnati, had urged these Ursulines to establish a school for young ladies. He wanted their presence in his diocese because this organization of women founded by Saint Angela Merici in 1535 was known for their skill in educating youth.
Julia Chatfield, an Englishwoman, led the group, bringing an Irish novice and postulant from Boulogne, a metropolitan city in northern France. Pauline Laurier, accompanied by seven French-speaking sisters from the farming area of Beaulieu joined her. The Bishop offered them a tract of land that was part of the Virginia Military Land Grant deeded to the Diocese by General John Lytle. So much did they identify with the spirit of their new environment that they became known legally as The Ursulines of Brown County.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Churches & Religion • Education • Settlements & Settlers • Women. A significant historical month for this entry is July 1845.
Location. 39° 12.483′ N, 83° 53.262′ W. Marker is in St. Martin, Ohio, in Brown County. Marker is on Anderson State Road, 0.4 miles east of Ohio Route 251, on the right
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Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. "Cross in The Wilderness" (here, next to this marker); St. Angela Hall (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Gymnasium (about 500 feet away); Solomon Run Low-Head Dam Removal (about 600 feet away); Welcome Center (about 800 feet away); Fr. Raymond Kammerer Library & Learning Center (approx. 0.2 miles away); Chatfield Hall (approx. 0.2 miles away); a different marker also named The Ursulines of Brown County (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in St. Martin.
Photographed By Craig Doda, May 4, 2024
2. The Ursulines of Brown County Marker
Photographed By Craig Doda, May 4, 2024
3. Ursuline Cemetery
Credits. This page was last revised on May 8, 2024. It was originally submitted on May 8, 2024, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 44 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on May 8, 2024, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
