Thomas Graham Egerton was born in Dublin on 23rd September 1899, the younger son of Sir Reginald Egerton, who at that time was Secretary to the Post Office. He was educated at St Anthony's Eastbourne under Mr Patten, from which he entered Osborne in 1912 and proceeded to Dartmouth in 1914. The Dartmouth cadets were sent to sea in 1915 and he was present at the Battle of Jutland; at seventeen he must have been one of the youngest Naval Officers to take part. In 1919 the Navy sent him on a short course to Trinity College, Cambridge, and in 1920 he received the habit from Abbot Smith. Following the usual course of studies, he was an undergraduate at St Benet's Hall, Oxford, reading mathematics and engineering science, in which he was placed in the second class in 1927. His long career in teaching then began, punctuated by reception of the usual orders up to the priesthood in 1930. At the same time he was master of ceremonies and held a commission in the Officers' Training Corps, as it was called, and which had then an ex-regular officer of each of the three services (and was known locally in Northern Command as the N.A.A.F.I.!). He moved to the Junior House as assistant to Fr Illtyd Williams in 1932, which post he retained till in 1937 he was appointed Warden of the hostel which we opened for young unattached men in Paddington. This not very fortunate venture came to an end on the outbreak of war in 1939. Father Philip was recalled to the Navy in 1939, to teach navigation, and served throughout the war, first at Chatham and later in Australia. Taking his discharge in Australia, he taught for a time there in grammar schools, but returned to England and taught on loan at the Austin Friars' school in Carlisle, until he took up again his teaching career at Ampleforth in 1957. This he continued to do until he was appointed assistant priest at St Mary's, Cardiff, in 1967. For two years, 1964-66, he was also Infirmarian at Ampleforth, and his principal work at Cardiff was with the hospitals, in addition to the ordinary parish routine. His health showed signs of failing about two years ago and he died in Llandough Hospital near Cardiff on 30th April 1973 and was buried there.
Such is the record of a very full and varied life spent entirely in the service of others, whether in the Royal Navy, his classroom, or the parish of St Mary. He carried on with whatever job came to his hand without the slightest sign of ostentation, seeking no recognition of his work, and behind and above it all was his devotion to God, backed by a great devotion to Our Lady and a very considerable gift of prayer. One might say that this was enough to fill more than a lifetime, but there was more yet. In his spare time he devoted countless hours and a great part of his annual holiday to the organisation of the sick pilgrims in the Ampleforth Pilgrimage to Lourdes. His devotion to the welfare of the sick on the journey and at the Grotto, extending over many years, will be well known to those who took part in the pilgrimages. May he rest in peace
THOMAS PHILIP EGERTON 30 April 1973
1899 23 Sep Born Coollock Dublin
1909-12 Educ St Antony's Eastbourne
1912-14 Educ Osborne
1914-15 Educ Dartmouth
1915-20 Active service in Navy
1919-20 Trinity College Cambridge
1920 15 Aug Postulant at Ampleforth
28 Sep Habit
1921 Temporary Vows
1924 7 Oct Solemn Vows
1928 Tonsure & Minor Orders Abbot Edmund
29 Jul Subdeacon
1929 21 Jul Deacon
1930 20 Jul Priest
1923 Oct to Jul 1927 Studied Math mods & Engineering (2nd cl) Oxford
1932 Sep to Dec 1937 Assistant at Junior School
1937 Jan In charge of Ampleforth Hostel Paddington
1939 Mar Left Ampleforth Hostel Paddington
1957 Ampleforth
1964 Sep Infirmarian till 1966
1967 Assistant at St Mary's Cardiff
1973 30 Apr Died
Buried at Cardiff