Brother Peter, an old man full of days and honoured by us all, died on July 8th at St Joseph's Nursing Home, Horsforth, and was buried in the Monks' Cemetery here on the Feast of St Benedict, July 11th.
He was born at Cuerden, Lancashire, in June 1859 and was baptised with the name William at Farington Parish Church. On the death of his Protestant father his Catholic mother had him received into the Church by Fr Anselm Walker at Brownedge. Father Walker was at that time sending a number of Brownedge youths to try their vocation as Lay Brothers at Ampleforth and in 1880 he brought William Woolley. At his clothing he took the name Peter and at the end of his year's novitiate made a Promise of Obedience as a lay brother oblate.
In those days there were a number of lay brothers and these joined the Community for morning meditation at six o'clock, Conventual Mass, Compline and Night Prayers, this last then attended by the whole community and School. The Rosary was their Office and, in his years of retirement, the Rosary was constantly seen in Brother Peter's hands. Bringing no special craft or trade with him, Brother Peter nevertheless brought two good hands and a very willing heart. For twelve years he was the trusted famulus and custodian of Prior Burge's rooms, for twenty-six years of Abbot Smith's and for fifteen of Abbot Matthew's. Prior Burge also put him in charge of the boys' bathroom where he was to remain high priest for sixty years, keeping discipline by a fixed and rigid ceremonial that was never allowed to vary and which was extremely effective. It was there that he introduced and taught the technique of his hero Jimmy Ross of Preston North End, who used to visit Ampleforth to coach the team in the days when the School played 'Soccer': and after Rugby was introduced, he transferred his enthusiasm towards training a highly successful village team.
Another of his activities was to attend the annual O.T.C. camp in the capacity of 'Corporal Peter' and, when the new monastery was built, Prior Burge gave him the keys of the wine cellar. The pleasant ways of the monastic cup-bearer made him a popular figure at exhibitions, Punch nights, Goremire Day and the greater Feasts. A hundred and one other obediences came to the willing lay brother and only when he was over eighty could he take no more. Even during his retirement he made himself useful with ration books and stringing labels.
Since 1920 Brother Peter was in the habit of taking his annual holiday with a cousin who by accident had got into touch with Fr Walker's successor at Brownedge. There he was a welcome guest and great was his joy when his cousin became Member of Parliament for Spen Valley.
The early piety of his Brownedge days and the Garden of the Soul did not prevent him from following the wishes of Pope Pius X and, since the publication of the decree on Frequent Communion, he became a daily communicant. Several times he joined the School Pilgrimage to Lourdes. In retirement Brother Peter was a great reader and entertained his visitors with many a story of the old days at Ampleforth. His memory was remarkably good and he was able to remember many details of the hundreds of boys who passed through his hands which they themselves had sometimes forgotten.
In May of this year the failure in strength of his fourscore and six years became evident and he was taken to St Joseph's Home for treatment which he could not get here. In the first week of July Fr Abbot was called to receive his Last Promise and to give the Last Blessing. On July 8th his good soul went to its reward while Fr Illtyd recited the prayers for the dying.
As we left his body on the 'Hill' we said 'there was not found the like' to Brother Peter.
BROTHER WILLIAM PETER WOOLLEY [oblate] 8 July 1945
1859 13 Jun Lostock Hall
Educ Brownedge School
1880 21 Sep Entered Ampleforth
Novice for about 18 months
1883 15 Aug Became an Oblate and made yearly promise until his death
1945 8 Jul Died