In losing Father Laurence Buggins Ampleforth has lost a familiar landmark and an agreeable personality, a man remarkable for the devout regularity of his life and for an attractive serenity of mind. Much of his fifty-six years of religious life was spent in other spheres of work, but Ampleforth - to its great advantage - recovered him for his last twenty-six years, during sixteen of which he served it as a benign and much-respected Claustral Prior. A recognition of his valuable services came to him in the year 1941, when he was appointed Cathedral Prior of Worcester. A yet higher dignity was designed for him at the conventual Chapter of last September, when his brethren nominated him for the Titular Abbacy of York. He was then in rapidly failing health and, though pleased that he should be offered this dignity, regarded it with a certain whimsical detachment, being quite sure that he would not live to be elected. And so it fell out; he died within a very few weeks of his nomination. During his last illness - a steady failure of the heart - he had liked to describe himself as 'all packed up an waiting for the taxi'. The end came peacefully on Thursday, 25th September. He was buried at Ampleforth.
Philip (Laurence) Buggins, with his pre-Norman patronymic, came of a devout Catholic family of the Midlands and was born in Birmingham on 30th April 1878. He came to school at Ampleforth in the year 1890 and distinguished himself less in the classroom than on the cricket field, where he developed into a useful and noticeably stylish batsman. According to the régime of those days there was an early morning period of 'Prep' in the Big Study, preceded by Morning Prayers. And, appended to the prayers, was a reading by one of the boys, standing by the Master's desk, of the appropriate pages from the Miniature Lives of the Saints. This was something of an ordeal for any boy, but Philip Buggins had then a slight stammer and the Prefect of the day thought fit to give him more than his share of these readings. It was not really the best medicine for his case, yet he took no obvious harm, being already a patient sort of person and sturdily inaccessible to psychological complexes.
His schooldays finished, Philip Buggins took the Benedictine habit at Belmont in September 1896 and made his Simple Profession the year following. His novitiate and years of ecclesiastical study at Belmont passed uneventfully. So far as he distinguished himself from his fellows it was for the possession of a good voice, which was of service not only in choir but also at community concerts. This same voice was an asset to him throughout his life, enabling him to promote the good performance of the Church's liturgy - to which he was devoted - and to give much pleasure to his brethren.
Returning to Ampleforth in the summer of 1900, he took his Solemn Vows (29th September) and having completed his studies was ordained Priest on 24th April 1904. Nine months later he left Ampleforth to become assistant priest at St Alban's, Warrington. He proved a conscientious missioner, assiduous in his work for the people and much loved by them. As a preacher he commanded a simple, direct and unpretentious style, which reflecting his own deep piety was both elective and much appreciated. His brethren came to know him as a man of prayer and in consequence they were not much surprised when in September of 1914 - after rather more than nine years at Warrington - he was appointed Novice Master at Belmont. He became in due course one of the Canons in the Benedictine Chapter of the old Diocese of Newport.
He had been appointed Novice Master in the month after the outbreak of the first Great War, and that same war led presently to the extinction of the novitiate. So in December of 1917, Fr Laurence returned to the mission field, first at Leyland and then (January 1919) at Liverpool (St Anne's). In September of 1919 he became Chaplain at Stanbrook Abbey, which post he held for six years. After Stanbrook he was for fifteen months assistant priest at St Mary's, Cardiff. By this time Ampleforth had acquired its own novitiate and in December 1926 Fr Laurence was recalled to Ampleforth, to succeed Fr Bernard Hayes as Novice Master. He held this responsible post until the year 1935, and again from 1942 to 1945. He became Claustral Prior in September 1935 and remained so until September of 1951. He was then in declining health, yet continued to serve the community in such ways as he could until within a few weeks of his death.
Such is an outline of Fr Laurence's life. Undistinguished by great mental gifts, he was nevertheless well endowed for the work that came to his hand. His mind may have been an unspeculative one and of strictly limited range, yet within its limits it was eminently lucid and he had a natural gift for plain statement and simple exposition. His gifts of character were more striking. He had a sturdy common sense and a serenity of outlook that was seldom ruffled. He was an admirable 'community man', one who could be relied upon for exact observance, an observance of that cheerful and unpretentious sort that attracts and stimulates. His brethren had much confidence in him, knowing that they could count on his wise advice and unaggressive sympathy. There is no doubt but that he achieved an infinity of good in the various works to which obedience called him, all of it done without display and as a gladly accepted part of his monastic service. It is not for us to estimate that good, but we may confidently trust that it will be richly rewarded. May he rest in peace.
PHILIP LAWRENCE BUGGINS 25 September 1952
1878 30 Apr Born Birmingham
1890- Educ Ampleforth
1896 3 Sep Habit
1897 8 Sep Simple Profession
1898 29 May Minor Orders Belmont Bishop Hedley
1900 29 Sep Solemn Vows Ampleforth Prior Smith
1902 11 May Subdeacon Ampleforth Bishop Hedley
1903 19 Mar Deacon Ampleforth Bishop Ilsley
1904 24 Apr Priest Ampleforth Bishop Lacy
1905 11 Feb Assistant at St Alban's Warrington
1914 21 Sep Novice Master, Canon & Subprior to Prior Kindersley at Belmont
1917 Dec Assistant at Leyland
1919 Jan Assistant at St Anne's Liverpool
Sep Chaplain at Stanbrook
1925 Sep Assistant at Canton
1926 Dec Novice Master at Ampleforth & remained so until 1935
1935 10 Sep Prior & remained so until Sep 1951
1938 10 Sep to 1941 Junior Master
1941 10 Sep Cathedral Prior of Worcester
1942 9 Jul Re-appointed Novice Master (while remaining Prior)
(but has been acting NM since April)
1946 Sep Ceased to be Novice Master
1951 Sep Ceased to be Prior
1952 25 Sep Died at Ampleforth