Father Benedict Milburn, who died on August 9th, was the youngest of three brothers educated at Ampleforth. He was born at York forty-two years ago, and he died in his home town six days after an operation which was suddenly found to be inevitable. He came to Ampleforth in the year 1914 and passed normally through the school course. Although not in any sense an invalid, or even what one would call a delicate boy, he was not allowed to take part in the normal athletic activities of school life; but when, towards the end of his school life, he could take more part in such things, he showed no slight strength and prowess in many directions. In studies he achieved good success, and, perhaps through not being able always to play games, he developed, as such boys do, various interests of his own, and a quiet characteristic individuality. When he left school he passed straight to the novitiate under Fr Bernard Hayes, and, having surmounted the first obstacles of monastic life, he went to St Benet's Hall at Oxford, where he obtained an Honours Degree in History. He was ordained priest, three years after his return to the School Staff, in 1930, and continued to teach, first at Ampleforth, then at Gilling, until 1934, when he left for Liverpool to take up parish work. After some months there, he was sent to St Mary's, Warrington in the Spring of 1935, and stayed there for seven years, doing hard work among the people, and having for his special department the charge of the men and boys of the parish, who thrived under his care and enthusiasm.
In 1942 he was appointed parish priest of St Oswald's, Padgate, the daughter parish of St Mary's, where he spent the remaining four years and a half of his life. There he had full responsibility for about twelve hundred souls, and any one of them could bear witness to his zeal and energy in their service. He never spared himself, and, when he began to show signs of ill health, he made so light of his troubles, that no one ever really suspected that he might be seriously ill. It was characteristic of him to ignore such things, and, up to the last month of his life, he was looking forward to joining the juniors in the Lake District - a habit of many years which he had formed. When he left Warrington for his holiday, scarcely more than a week before his death, he took his bicycle with him, though he could hardly walk for what was though to be sciatica. A few days later he had to undergo a serious operation, and he never recovered from it.
Through the kindness of Canon Farrar, a first Requiem Mass was sung in St Wilfrid's at York, and then the coffin was carried to Ampleforth, where the final rites were performed on August 12th and the following morning. A large assembly of Warrington people at Padgate on the next Saturday bore witness to their love and appreciation for one who had cared for them so faithfully as long as he had strength.
We offer our deep sympathy to Fr Benedict's mother and his brother, Mr Vincent Milburn, and other members of his family.
BENEDICT MILBURN 9 August 1946
1904 9 Aug Born York
Educ Ampleforth
1922 28 Sep Habit at Ampleforth
1923 29 Sep Simple Profession Abbot Smith
1926 1 Oct Solemn Profession Abbot Matthews
1928 25 Jan Tonsure & Minor Orders Abbot Matthews
29 Jul Subdeacon
1929 21 Jul Deacon
1930 20 Jul Priest Bishop Shine
1924-27 Read History at Oxford
1932 Sep Assistant Junior School
1933 Jan Assistant Prep School Gilling
1934 Aug Assistant at St Anne's Liverpool
1935 May Assistant at St Mary's Warrington
1942 Apr Parish Priest at St Oswald's Padgate
1946 9 Aug Died at Purey Cust Nursing Home York
Buried at Ampleforth