Person DS/UK/1008 Lovell; William (1901-1978); Jesuit Brother Lovell William 1901-1978 Jesuit Brother Male Born 6 August 1901 at Olyney, Buckinghamshire. Entered the English Province of the Society of Jesus 7 September 1922. Final vows in the Society of Jesus 15 August 1973. Died on 17 December 1978 at Harare.

William Lovell was born at Olney in Buckinghamshire on 6 August 1901. When he left school, he worked on a farm until just before his 21st birthday he went to Manresa as a Brother Novice. Lovell went to Rhodesia in 1924 and spent the rest of his life there. On arrival in Salisbury, he was asked by his Superior to gain as much knowledge as he could about printing and in 1925 he went to the Salesian Institute in Cape Town for training and experience. At the same time the decision was taken to set up a printing press to work for the whole Mission, especially the production of Shona religious books and a periodical. Lovell was at Chishawasha by 1929 and was in charge of carpentry and the gardens, and by 1932 the press was installed and operational and Lovell was doing the printing too. Soon he was producing hundreds of thousands of copies of a Shona catechism, translated from the English ‘Penny’ catechism, and Shona Readers for primary schools. These were used both in Catholic Mission school and in those of other denominations. Prayer books, hymnals and many religious booklets were printed by him. From 1943 Lovell was joined in the printing works by Fr Bevis Collings SJ. Lovell learnt leatherwork and made shoes and other leather items including footballs. He would obtain a cow hide, tan and cure it and make shoes and boots and other things from the leather. He taught many people how to repair shoes, who later set up shoe and boot repairing businesses. He also became a tailor and made all his own suits, and taught others how to do this too. He was a carpenter too, and made children’s play equipment, as well as rosaries. His energy was undimmed until about 1973 when he started slowing down, and in 1976 he said he was unable to carry on with the printing press. He went into St Anne’s Hospital in August 1978, and was then moved to Nazareth House, where he died on 17 December 1978. He was buried at Chishawasha on 20 December 1978 after Mass in the church concelebrated by Father Provincial and 20 other priests. Member of the English Province of the Society of Jesus. Letters and Notices Vol. 83 pp.314-318 International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons and Families - ISAAR(CPF) 2nd edition - ICA 2004 ISBN 2-9521932-2-3 National Council on Archives, Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997 Yes MAllen 25/04/2018 CURIA\mallen 04/06/2021 3d4f1920-9b34-4d25-8c37-afbb0d6b8206