Janet Erskine Stuart

Janet Erskine Stuart, also known as Mother Janet Stuart, (11 November 1857, Cottesmore, Rutland, England – 21 October 1914, Roehampton, England) was a Roman Catholic nun and educator.

Biography

Early life

Her father, The Reverend the Honourable Andrew Godfrey Stuart, a son of Earl Castle Stewart, was the Rector of Cottesmore and she was the youngest of his thirteen children. Her mother, his second wife, was Mary Penelope Noel, a relative of the Earl of Gainsborough.

Catholic vocation

She converted to Roman Catholicism at the age of 22 and in 1882, she entered the Society of the Sacred Heart at Roehampton. In August 1911, she was elected the fifth Superior General of the Society of the Sacred Heart and Mother Janet Stuart held the office for three years until her death, aged 56, from undisclosed causes..

She believed that each parent had the right to ask the teachers: "What have you done with my child, for my child? Show me the trace of your influence on her mind, heart, character, and conduct". She also believed, "it is not so much what we say or do that educates; what really educates is who we are". Sister (later Mother) Janet Stuart insisted that educators must "bring up children for the future, not for the present".

Writings

Her writings included The Education of Catholic Girls (1912), The Society of the Sacred Heart (1914), and Highways and By-ways in the Spiritual Life. Stuart contributed also to the Catholic Encyclopedia.

Legacy

• Stuart Hall for Boys, a K-8 school and Stuart Hall High School, a high school for boys (both in San Francisco, California)
• Stuart Country Day School (Princeton, New Jersey)
• Doane Stuart School (Rensselaer, New York)
• Digby Stuart College, a constituent college of the University of Roehampton (England)
• Stuart Hall School for Boys (New Orleans, LA)
• Stuartholme School, a Catholic day and boarding school for girls aged 12–17 located in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia