In 1841, Lady Mary Arundell (c. 1785–1845) (widow of
Lord Arundell of Wardour) opened a small school for girls in her home Paget House in Woodgate, Loughborough. Lady Mary asked the Rosminian Sisters of Providence to assist her in this endeavour and two nuns from Italy were sent to Loughborough. On the Solemnity of the Annunciation ("Lady Day") 25 March 1844, the Rosminian sisters took charge of the work, which was the first Roman Catholic school in England run by religious sisters. Mary Amherst (Sister Mary Agnes) (1824–1860) joined the Order in 1846 and came to Loughborough. In 1854, she became the first Superior in England of the Order. Loughborough became the central house of the Rosminian Sisters in England. Mary was engaged to the architect
Augustus Pugin. Pugin had proposed to Mary in November 1844, shortly after the death of his second wife. Mary had accepted. However, the engagement did not last, for in May 1846 Mary entered the Order of the Rosminian Sisters of Providence. Mary's brother William became a Jesuit. Her brother
Francis became Roman Catholic Bishop of Nottingham (1858 to 1879). A convent was established at Gray Street, Loughborough, and the school moved to Gray Street. The convent and chapel were designed by architect
Charles Hansom, brother of the inventor of the
Hansom cab. Charles was an
acolyte of Augustus Pugin. == Alumnae ==