In Roggel Road towards the seafront end is a tiny old bungalow known as ‘Mary’s House’. It belonged to Nora Arthurs who died in 2011. Nora was widely known on Canvey, I first met her in the 80s when she asked me to make her some clothes. Nora was born in 1916 in Hammersmith, London part of a very large family. She married her husband James in 1947, her eldest son born there in 1948. Nora moved to Canvey in 1954 with her two young sons, her husband followed later.
Nora in one of her blue dresses
It depends who you talk to about Nora, I have heard some very derogatory remarks about her, she is unfortunately in some circles known as ‘Nutty Nora’. She was known to have visions of the Virgin Mary and because of this she travelled widely and made several trips to Rome. This was about the time I met her. If you read about her through the link at the bottom of the page I am the dressmaker she sought to make the specific blue dresses she needed for her trips to Rome. I am not a Catholic and am not making any comments here about whether I believe she actually had visions or not. All I can say is she was a deeply religious person and she believed she had visions of the Virgin Mary. She told me all about her travels and lots about the ‘messages’ she received although I cannot recall a lot. She was very humble that she had been ‘chosen’. She decided to dedicate her home to ‘Mary’ and people came from all over the world to visit her there. Whatever you think of her she cannot be ignored by the Archive as she is part of the History of the Island.
This google image shows how tiny her bungalow was
If you want to know more please click the link below Nora’s Page
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Nora Arthurs was my Aunt. She believed and tried her best to share that belief. There are many family stories about her visions and visitations to Mary’s house. They may or may not be true. There were concerns about her on the part of the Catholic Church but this did not deter her from her work. Many may consider her nuts but she most certainly live her life totally by her beliefs and that did no-one any harm and may indeed have done them much good. Incidentially after the flood my parents and I moved into that bungalow and my brother was born there in 1953.
I remember Nora well and had many happy visits to Roggel Road. I was one of the people that assembled the well cover, seen on the left foreground of the picture, which covers a fresh water stream under the garden. I attended with friends from the Philippines and they loved Mama Nora. She was a quiet and unassuming person and nobody that took time to visit left feeling they were not welcome. RIP Nora.
Was the source of the stream ever verified? Is Mary’s House still there?
Marys house has been demolished and planning permission approved to build a house on this land. Does anyone else know about the so called stream?
Anniversary Mass for Mama Nora Agnes Arthurs on Saturday 22nd August 2015.AD 11.00am Our Lady of Canvey and English Martyrs, 224 Long Road. Canvey Island. Essex. UK. see details…thanks…all welcome….
https://www.facebook.com/events/769108056535522/
There will be a Traditional Latin Mass at 4.00pm Sunday 15th November 2015.At Mary’s House Church, Our Lady of Canvey and The English Martyrs, 224 Long Road, Canvey Island…..and every Third Sunday at 4.00pm in the future months and years. A Prayer is being composed to obtain favours of Mama Nora. R.I.P.
There will an Anniversary Mass of the departing of Mrs Nora Agnes Arthurs at The Canvey Church of Our Lady and the English Martyrs, 224 Long Road, at 11.00am on Saturday 13th August 2016.http://mybookoftruth.com/ Thank you….The Friends of Mary’s House Universal.
I travelled out to Canvey island, while visiting London from from Dublin,to find Nora. It must have been the mid/late 80’s. Had no idea where to find her. When eventually I reached the house, she welcomed me in and we had tea. I remember the atmosphere. I must have been 21 and it must have been odd for her to ask a stranger in. I was utterly fascinated taking this journey to see someone who our Lady might be talking with. I loved that.
There is a Holy Well at Mary’s House, for Healing, conversions. There Georgeovich Family dug the Holy Well and built surroundings of the Holy Well. There source is from Heaven, this is what Our Lady told Nora Arthurs, the Holy Well is for the time to come, the Holy Well is for the whole world for all humanity.
Regarding the “Fresh water stream”. I don’t know the exact position of this property but ROGGEL road had two drainage channels in older maps. Where these piped in, forgotten about, and then became the source of the fresh water stream.
Anniversary Mass 11.00am Saturday 12th August 2017 for Mama Nora Agnes Arthurs and all Friends of Mary’s House and St Joseph’s Universal at Our Lady of Canvey and English Martyrs Holy Church, Long Road, Canvey Island…..Celebration afterwards……see you there…..deepest gratitude…..RIP….
Anniversary Mass for Mrs Agnes Nora Arthurs at Our Lady of Canvey and The English Martyrs……Long Road….. at 11.00am on Saturday 11th August 2018….all welcome…..refreshments to follow….thank you….R.I.P.
I visited Nora 3 or 4 times in Canvey Island and was in Garabandal , Spain in 2006 together with her and many other people. She showed me the well in her Garden and
I took holy Water with me. I believe that She really got messages from Jesus and Mary. It was about the Warning.
A mirror of the conscience of every soul, that should take place all over the world at the same time for everybody to experience oder 15 Minutes.
I worked for the Evening Echo Newspaper as a journalist and Co-wrote an article about Nora when hundreds of people began gathering at her home on Canvey. The day I was there five coach loads of people from all over the country arrived. They included nuns wearing their habits.
Went to see what was going on with Nora and the visions in the mid 1980s. Only have a vague memory. As I Catholic I know that some visions are genuine and some not. I haven’t done any research so no idea in Nora’s case, but she seems to have been a very good and genuine lady. May she Rest In Peace.
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