Great Britain and Ireland form one Province of the Company of Mary, with residences in England, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland. Members of the Congregation first came to England in 1891 as a result of the anti-religious laws framed by the Third French Republic. In 1910, as a result of the same laws, a Junior Seminary or Apostolic School was opened at Romsey in Hampshire. With the outbreak of the Second World War, a structure independent of the French Province had to be created, and the Province of Great Britain & Ireland came into being. A first residence was opened in Scotland in the 1960s, and shortly afterwards the first house in Ireland was bought. Today some members of the Province are involved from time to time in preaching Missions and retreats; but there are also a number of Montfortian Pastoral and Retreat Centres, where Montfortian Spirituality is offered to all who are interested. Some of the members of the Province are working in parishes, often in deprived areas, while a few others continue to serve the young churches in Africa and Asia.