Fr Elphege died on 16th July at St Joseph's, Hoghton, so long known as Brindle Chapel, where he had been parish priest from 1927 until last autumn. He was the youngest of three brothers at school at Ampleforth towards the end of last century. They were members of a staunch Lancashire family which had contributed much to the revival of the Faith in Warrington during the past hundred years. George Hind came to Ampleforth in September 1887 when just thirteen. Like both his brothers he was an athlete, and is remembered as a cricketer, soon in the XI, a batsman with a finished and graceful style, and as an effective centre-half in the soccer XI. He was a careful and conscientious worker, always high in his form. In 1898 he entered the Novitiate then at Belmont, following the example of his elder brother, who had become a monk in 1888, and was known to generations of boys as Fr Austin, the Prefect of Studies, and then the first to bear the title of Headmaster. Before his Ordination, Br Elphege was one of the pioneers who began in 1897 the house at Oxford, now St Benet's Hall. Superiors however withdrew him two years later, and he spent several years teaching mathematics at Ampleforth. Since Fr Elphege's death one who knew him at this period has written:
Fr Elphege was ordained a priest in 1901, and two years later returned to Oxford for three years as the Monastic Superior of the Hall.
Then followed a year at St Benedict's, Warrington as assistant. It was during these years that Fr Elphege contributed many articles to The Journal on historical subjects. He wrote on Rievaulx, Byland, Kirkham, Lastingham and St Mary's, York; also on the three pre-Reformation Benedictine foundations at Oxford, Gloucester Hall, Durham Hall, and Canterbury College. He much enjoyed this work, and the help he was able to give to Fr Cuthbert Almond, the first, and for so long, Editor of The Journal.
In 1908 he was sent to Merthyr Tydfil where he spent nearly twenty years, first as assistant priest, and for seven years as parish priest. Merthyr Vale, now a separate parish, was served for many of those years from Merthyr, and Fr Elphege had a busy Sunday, saying his second Mass, and instructing the children at Merthyr Vale, and visiting the Catholics in the neighbourhood.
In 1927 he was sent by Abbot Matthews to Brindle Chapel in his native country, the oldest of the Ampleforth Missions. Until a year ago he worked with single minded devotion for his people, very rarely taking a holiday or even a Sunday away from his parish. At his funeral one of his brethren, who had known him for fifty years and more, recalled in his sermon at the Requiem how in early days the worldliness of life at Oxford had scared the young monk, and deepened his vocation. The same witness spoke from personal knowledge of Fr Elphege's unassuming and self-forgetting labour for his people, and especially for the children in his school. He told, too, how he had come to know by a mere chance that, until his health broke down, Fr Elphege was in the habit of spending two hours each evening before the Blessed Sacrament.
Four years ago his health began seriously to fail, and in the autumn of last year he was relieved of his responsibility as parish priest. He remained, however, until his death among the people he had served so long and so well. May he rest in peace.
GEORGE ELPHEGE HIND 16 July 1947
1874 15 Sep Born Warrington
1887- Educ Ampleforth
1893 3 Sep Habit at Belmont
1894 6 Sep Simple Profession Prior Raynal
1895 2 Jun Minor Orders Bishop Hedley
1898 27 Mar Solemn Profession Ampleforth Prior Smith
29 Jun Subdeacon
1900 10 Mar Deacon
1901 10 Mar Priest Ampleforth Bishop Lacy
1903 Assistant at St Anne's Liverpool
Oct House Superior at Oxford
1907 23 Feb Assistant at St Benedict's Warrington
1908 23 May Assistant at Merthyr
1920 In charge
1927 Aug Parish Priest at Brindle
1946 Sep Retired through ill-health but remained at Brindle
1947 16 Jul Died at Brindle