John Worsley was born at Cuerdon Green, near Bamber Bridge, 21 May 1812 and came to Ampleforth in 1826. He was clothed 13 November 1831 and professed 15 October 1833. He received his Orders as follows: Minor Orders 11 July 1834; Subdiaconate 12 July 1834; Diaconate 28 May 1836; Priesthood 20 May 1837.
He was sent on the Mission in 1839 and served as follows:- Liverpool St Peter's 1839; Rainhill 1840; Birtley 1841; Bath as assistant to Fr Maurus Cooper 1842. He became Incumbent of Bath in 1850 and filled that post for the remainder of his life, 36 years. There he died and was buried. He was made Cathedral Prior of Bath in 1870.
Fr Clement achieved a very considerable work for his Mission: a new church and presbytery 1861-, and new schools in 1883, not to mention a constant work of improvement and embellishment to the church fabric and furnishings. He did not enjoy good health yet his zeal never slackened. Bishop Hedley preached his funeral sermon, in which he gives Fr Clement and his work the highest praise. We cite one sentence only: 'He was wanting in nothing which a priest and a pastor is required to do; but in a certain sense all his work is summed up in the thought that he has built up the House of God, walls which will gather within their compass the souls and the hearts of men.'
The so-called 'Standish' church student fund, founded by a Miss Dale of Bath, came to Ampleforth through Fr Clement. He was an uncle of Fr Clement Standish, the first student on the fund, and great uncle of Fr Clement Hesketh.
Henry Sutton was born in Liverpool 12 October 1812 and came to Ampleforth 7 September 1831 at the age of 19, on the recommendation and at the charges of D Francis Fairclough of St Mary's Liverpool. He was clothed 13 November 1831, but not professed until 4 January 1834. He received his Orders as follows:- Minor Orders 11 July 1834; Subdiaconate 12 July 1834; Diaconate 28 May 1836; Priesthood 20 May 1837. He was sent on the Mission in 1838 and had a missionary career which is remarkable for the number of its changes. Here is a summary:- Birtley 1838; Biddlestone 1839; Lawkland 1840; Workington 1841; Chipping Sudbury 1842; Coventry 1846; Liverpool St Anne's 1847; Coventry 1854; Wappenbury 1856; Bridgend 1857; Rhymney 1864; Bungay 1866; Studley 1872; Cheltenham 1876-84. That makes fourteen stations in all. He retired to Ampleforth, aged 72, in the year 1884. He was nursed in his many infirmities by a laybrother, and enduring his sufferings with much patience and resignation died at Ampleforth and was buried there.
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[Dom Henry Ignatius Sutton, born 1812, habit 1831, died 1886] was born in Liverpool, and was nineteen when he came to Ampleforth, presumably as a postulant, for he received the Habit two months later. He was ordained in 1837, and in 1838 was sent on the mission. He spent forty-six years in apostolic work, and in 1884, retired to Ampleforth seriously broken in health. During those forty-six years he was at several missions or chaplaincies in either Province, Canterbury or York.
In the last two years of his life, Fr Sutton was nursed and cared for by a lay brother, and bore his many infirmities with exemplary patience. The biography makes no mention of blindness being one of these afflictions, but we boys were told that he was blind, and the writer saw the old priest one day just outside the Museum, and the impression he gave was of a man really blind. The mention of the Museum is a reminder that what is now a dormitory was then the Museum and a very pleasant one it was. A page in Ampleforth and its Origins says that in 1818 'President Brewer, whose efforts for and interest in his foundation grew ever stronger, came to live at Ampleforth, and built to the north out of his own money the present monastic refectory and the eight rooms and dormitory above it'. The top floor was no doubt a dormitory for many years but by 1886 it was certainly a museum where one learnt a little zoology, long since forgotten, from Fr Bede Polding. 'The present monastic refectory' then held the whole establishment, monks, boys, any visitors and the one or two laymasters, all that is except the eight or nine lay brothers whose refectory was the room with the Dick Turpin doors on the opposite side of the cloister. The middle floor of small rooms in this 1818 building was occupied then by monks or the one or two lay masters, and an occasional 'paying guest' called a 'parlour boarder'. In 1889 or 1890 the School was growing and needed more dormitory space, so the museum cases were moved, mostly to the cloister between the clock and the glass doors. One result of this change was the loss of a valuable collection of gold coins. A small winding staircase led down from the Museum to the back part of the monks' library, the main part of which, after many transformations, is now St Oswald's common room. The staircase is presumably still there walled up, and the Fiji god which stood in a niche half-way down has gone the way of many another museum piece. It is worth mentioning that this building of President Brewer's was condemned about 1856 as thoroughly unsafe by an architect, a stranger to Ampleforth and so impartial - a letter in the archives is the authority for this. In 1890 another architect, an Old Boy, the designer of the Bath and Bath House, was consulted and gave much the same verdict. Yet the building still stands, and the Procurator and his advisers cannot have been disturbed by these opinions, or they would hardly have set about refitting and refumishing the eight rooms for monastery and school guests.
After this digression it should be recorded that Fr Sutton's years of suffering and patient waiting for death came to an end late in the summer of 1886, a few days before the School returned at the beginning of September.
William Gillett was born at Preston in 1825 and came to Ampleforth in 1845, aged 20. He was clothed 8 November 1845 and professed 20 November 1846. He received his Orders as follows:- Minor Orders 14 December 1848; Subdiaconate 15 December 1848; Diaconate 30 November 1849; Priesthood 13 December 1851. He became a member of Prior Cooper's Council 16 February 1852 and Subprior 29 August 1858. In June of 1862 he was sent to Belmont, becoming a Canon of the Diocese and presently Novice Master. He held the latter post until 1873.
In the spring of 1873, Prior Bede Vaughan, having been nominated Coadjutor to Archbishop Polding, asked that Fr Anselm, an intimate friend, might be allowed to go with him to Sydney. This was granted and they proceeded together to Australia. When Dr Vaughan became Archbishop of Sydney in 1877, Fr Anselm became as Dr Gillett the Rector of St John's University, Sydney. The Archbishop leant much upon him as a friend and valued counsellor who was very acceptable to himself and who secured also the respect and affection of his clergy and people. Six years later, in 1883, he accompanied Archbishop Vaughan to Europe, on his way to make his visit ad limina. The Archbishop died suddenly, on the day after his landing in Liverpool, and it fell to Fr Anselm to take to Rome the reports on the state of the Archdiocese of Sydney. Having performed this duty, he returned early in 1884 to Ampleforth and was again appointed Subprior. In 1885 Bishop Hedley asked for his services and obtained him as chaplain at Bullingham to the Poor Clares and the Sisters of Charity. Having fulfilled the duties of this office for three years, he died at Bullingham and was buried at Belmont.
James Hickey was born at Liverpool in 1830 and came to Ampleforth in 1842. He was clothed 1 November 1849 and professed 6 November 1850. He received his Orders as follows:- Minor Orders 30 November 1849; Subdiaconate 13 December 1851; Diaconate 10 April 1854; Priesthood 17 May 1856. He became a Councillor in December of 1856 and in August of 1858 was appointed Master of Novices, Juniors and Laybrothers. In the school he was a successful teacher of English. And he was a skilled photographer.
His office of Novice Master terminated in 1860, when Ampleforth began to send its men to Belmont, and he ceased to be Junior Master in 1862; but he became Professor of Moral Theology, a post which he held from 1862 to 1865.
After this relatively long period of work in the monastery, he passed early in 1865 to the Mission and was appointed assistant priest at Ormskirk. The Incumbent, Fr Francis Kershaw, died very soon afterwards, 14 March 1865, and Fr Aidan was appointed to succeed him. This post he held until his death, adding much to the beauty of the church and building a good presbytery.
At the General Chapter of 1883 he was elected Provincial of York and made Titular Abbot of Evesham. When he laid down the office of Provincial at the Chapter of 1888, he became Cathedral Prior of Canterbury and Abbot without title. His health was now failing, though he was no more than 58 years of age; he died at Ormskirk in this same year, and was buried there.
James Talbot was born at Euxton, near Chorley, in 1833 and came to Ampleforth in 1848. A brief obituary of him in the Ampleforth Diary [July 1890 p29] informs us that after leaving school he endeavoured to found a Catholic college at Hammersmith, in conjunction with 'Dr Glennie and Fr Capel'. The venture does not appear to have been a success, and James Talbot abandoned it to take the Habit at Belmont 19 November 1862, being then 29 years of age. He made his Simple Profession 18 December 1863 and his Solemn Profession at Ampleforth 12 January 1867. He received his Orders as follows:- Minor Orders at Belmont 17 December 1864; Subdiaconate 16 March 1867; Diaconate 27 December 1868; Priesthood 31 October 1869.
In January 1870 Fr Benedict became a Councillor and was appointed Procurator, which post he filled to the general satisfaction. At a later period, 1879-83, being one of several Laurentians who helped in the foundation of Fort Augustus, he held the same office there; but left when Fort Augustus was separated from the English Congregation.
In the year 1873 he passed to the work of the Mission and served as follows:- Ormskirk 1873; Bedlington 1876; Cleator 1876; Liverpool St Peter's 1877; Orskirk 1878-79; Merthyr Tydvil 1884; Swansea St David's 1884; Acton Burnell 1886; Little Malvern 1889-90. He died suddenly of heart failure at Little Malvern and was buried there. He was a man of great cheerfulness of temperament and kindness of heart, who endeared himself much to the people whom he served.
Anthony McEntee was born in Ireland, at Edenderry in Queen's County, in 1809. He came to Ampleforth as a young man during the troublous period of the Prior Park episode. He was clothed in 1832 and professed in 1836. [Something is said of him in the Ampleforth Diary for July of 1891 p55 and in the History of Ampleforth Abbey p334] It is clear from such notices that he was a valuable servant of the House, a factotum prepared to undertake the most varied tasks. Not the least of his functions was that of infirmarian, and he was the manufacturer of a salve that is said to have possessed the most effective curative qualities. Although some of his methods were of a primitive nature, he was a most attentive and solicitous infirmarian and earned the affectionate sobriquet of 'Old Quack'.
Throughout his long life he had himself enjoyed almost unbroken good health; but years and unremitting toil at last got the better of his constitution and the severe winter of 1890-91 adding the finishing touches. He was compelled to take to his bed in January of 1891, and after two months of such confinement made a peaceful and happy end. His monument in the cemetery was erected with the subscriptions of members of the Ampleforth Society.
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[Br Antony Benet McEntee, born 1809, habit 1832, died 1891] was born at Edenderry, Queen's County, and came to Ampleforth soon after the disastrous year, 1830. He was clothed as a lay brother by Prior Towers in 1832, the last lay brother probably totake solemn vows, and for many years the only lay brother in the community. Until he was a very old man his work for the house was very varied and valuable. In the earlier years he rode to York once a week for the letters, and to Helmsley, marketing, and he used to tell how he would sometimes take a run with the hounds if he fell in with them. He brewed beer, he was infirmarian for the monks and boys, twice a week he went to the brook to manage the engine which pumped water to the top of the Bathing Wood hill. The History of Ampleforth says of him - 'most loyal, hardworking and useful of servants; model of humanity, devotion, obedience and cheerful courage; a man of great personal strength, iron constitution, and tireless energy; frugal, trustworthy under all circumstances, everybody's right-hand man, on whom the Prior counted as a help in his care of the property and the procurator in his efforts at economy; a lay prefect among the boys, a foreman among the workmen, a butler in the store rooms, a nurse in the infirmary; what boy during fifty years would not remember the good old lay brother's personal solicitude for him, his care for everything concerning him, from his sore throat to his boots and slippers, and who did not know that when he came back in manhood, almost a stranger, there would be one at least who would know him'. A case of small-pox once occurred, much more dangerous then than now. Br Benet took charge, and chiefly by his great care it was the only case.
When he died in 1891 so many Old Boys had recollections of him that the Ampleforth Society put up the tall granite cross that stands over his grave in the monks' cemetery.
Thomas Margison was born at Brownedge in 1814 and came to Ampleforth in 1824. [See his obituary in the Ampleforth Diary of July 1891 p82] In 1830, all the boys above him having departed for Prior Park, he was left first in the school. He was clothed 13 November 1831 and professed 15 October 1833. He received his Orders as follows:- Minor Orders 11 July 1834; Subdiaconate 12 July 1834; Diaconate 28 May 1836; Priesthood 20 May 1837.
He served for a time as Prefect of the school, which then as a result of the Prior Park episode contained only some 30 boys. He was elected a Councillor 26 November 1838 and became Subprior and Secretary of Council. He was already in charge of the Mission of Brandsby. [See the History of Ampleforth Abbey p336-7 for a story of an exploit of his with the horse that used to convey him to that Mission].
Fr Maurus went on the Mission in 1840 and served as follows:- Liverpool St Peter's 1840, St Anne's 1843, residing in the 'chapel-house' while the church was a-building. Soon after the opening of the church, August 1846, he was superseded in the incumbency by D Anselm Brewer and spent about a year at Ampleforth, where he appears to have served as Prefect [MS 262 No 46] Returning to the Mission in 1847, he was again assistant for a year at Seel St, and from 1848 to 1851 at Wrightington. He became Incumbent of Wrightington in 1851 and served in that capacity for the remaining 40 years of his life. He was a much respected parish priest and a faithful son of Ampleforth, where his visits were much welcomed. He died at Wrightington, of which he was the last Benedictine Incumbent, and was buried at Parbold.
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[Dom Thomas Maurus Margison, born 1814, school 1824, habit 1831, died 1891,] was a native of Brownedge, three miles south of Preston, now often called Bamber Bridge, the greater part of the large cotton area village. It is nearly our oldest mission or parish, with the largest of our churches. In his last year in the School, 1830, he found himself at its head by the departure of all the boys above him in the almost fatal exodus of some monks and more than half the boys to Prior Park. About the time of his Ordination in 1837 he was Prefect for a period, and it is recorded that he quelled a rebellion among the thirty boys,the total to which the School had sunk, aided by his dog - probably a sheep-dog. By the end of 1838 he was Sub-prior and secretary of Prior Cockshoot's Council. He was already Brandsby missioner, riding there each week-end. Fr Almond in the History of Ampleforth Abbey tells of an incident characteristic of Fr Margison's lifelong love of his brethren. In 1838 they were anxious and dispirited. Prior Tower's term of office, 1830-34, had not been a success - though he was a notable figure in the neighbourhood as a controversialist, preaching under the big tree that stood till lately at the foot of Oswaldkirk Bank, and from a cart in Helmsley market-place. His successor Prior Bede Day, 1834-38, though a much abler men and noted for his carefulness, economy, kindliness, and his handsome commanding presence, 'had no luck in his administration', though there are reasons for deeming it much less unsuccessful than some have thought. (He was an uncle of the Victorian judge, Sir John Day, who was one of the three judges in the famous Parnell versus The Times case. The old judge paid a visit to Ampleforth in 1888, not long before the trial began.) The community for their next Prior had set their minds on Fr Allanson, the annalist, and later for many years the popular Provincial of the North. He was stationed at Swinburne in Northumberland from 1828, till his death in 1876. One week-end young Fr Margison rode back to Ampleforth by way of Swinburne in order if possible to persuade Fr Allanson to come to the rescue of his brethren. He failed by reason of Fr Allanson's undue diffidence, but the failure detracts nothing from Fr Margison's enterprise in riding nearly 200 miles for the sake of his community. He was something of a sporting character. His readiness to help others, his geniality, and openhanded generosity made him an ever welcome figure at his visits to Ampleforth during his fifty-one years on the mission. Such generosity was possible because monks were then allowed the use of the money they were in possession of at the time of their Profession. This privilege, or burden, 'peculium' as it was called, lingered on till 1858 from the days when the monasteries were abroad, and the monks on the mission were necessarily dependent to a considerable extent on their own resources for the means to keep body and soul together.
Fr Margison was sent in 1840 to St Peter's, Liverpool, as assistant to a Gregorian father of note, Fr Ephrem Pratt; for until 1891 the missions belonged to the Congregation and were staffed indiscriminately by monks of any of the three monasteries at the order of the President and the two Provincials. In 1843 Fr Margison (he was always called Marge-y by his intimates) was sent to begin the new mission of St Anne's, Liverpool, the large parish lately handed over with great reluctance and sorrow to the Archdiocese of Liverpool after a hundred years of Benedictine tenure. The Provincial, Fr Anselm Brewer, had provided a house for the priest to live in and use as a chapel while the first part of the church, which many of us know so well, was being built. This portion, the nave, was designed by Charles Hansom, the younger brother and partner of Joseph Hansom, the inventor of the hansom-cab, 'the gondola of London'. The work done by the two brothers at Ampleforth will be mentioned a little further on.
In 1846 ex-Provincial Brewer, a Laurentian and nephew of President Bede Brewer, the 'founder' of St Laurence's at Ampleforth, succeeded Fr Margison at St Anne's and he returned for a year or so to Ampleforth and again was Prefect it seems. In 1847 he returned to the mission, and in 1848 he was sent to Wrightington, near Wigan, where he spent the rest of his life, forty-three years. The missioner was also the chaplain of the Dicconson family at Wrightington Hall. Fr Margison soon won the respect and affection of his people and of the successive squires at the Hall. One mark of the esteem in which he was held by the family was the gift to him of the tapestry which hangs now in the School Library. (The scene it depicts is still a mystery - Solomon and the Queen of Sheba perhaps, or possibly King Cophetua and the Beggar-maid.) A Dutch artist, with a son here thirty or more years ago, who often acted as the adviser of wealthy Americans in their purchase of art treasures, was of opinion that the tapestry might well at the right time fetch £2,000. Fashions in such things change rapidly, or one would be inclined to say 'Sell it at once and put the sum to the Church Fund'.
One of Fr Margison's many friendships was with a distinguished Gregorian, Dom Roger Bede Vaughan, the second Cathedral Prior at Belmont, and from 1873, Coadjutor to Archbishop Bede Polding of Sydney, and then his successor in the see. When Archbishop Vaughan left England after his consecration, Fr Margison was one of his companions to Rome on the first stage of his journey. While at Belmont Prior Vaughan had added the chapel of St Benedict to the church. When it was being built, Fr Margison paid his friend a visit - it was Epiphany-tide. The Prior took 'Margey' into the unfinished chapel and said - 'Magi eum viderunt et magno Regi munera obtulerunt', and promptly received a donation for the work.
Fr Margison died at Wrightington in 1891, and the mission, after being 'supplied' for nearly a hundred years by Benedictines, reverted to the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Liverpool. Just then some change was taking place in the chapel or the churchyard so that the funeral could not be at Wrightington, and Fr Margison's body was buried at Parbold, the recently established Benedictine mission a few miles away. So great, however, was the regard of the Dicconson family for one who had been so long their chaplain that a few years later they begged that his remains might be brought back to Wrightington and buried there, which was done.
George Burge was born at Dunster, Somerset in 1810 and came to Ampleforth from Taunton in 1830, being then a recent convert to the Church. He was clothed for the Lamspring Community 13 November 1831 and professed for the same at Ampleforth 15 October 1833 [It is probable that his clothing also took place at Ampleforth, although the Obit Book locates it at Broadway, since the Broadway foundation does not appear to have been started until 1834. Certainly an Ampleforth Council passed him for clothing, 12 November 1831. Council Book p64] He received his Orders as follows: Minor Orders 11 July 1834; Subdiaconate 12 July 1834; Diaconate 28 May 1836; Priesthood 20 May 1837.
He appears to have passed from Ampleforth to Broadway shortly after his ordination. The attempt to resuscitate Lampsring at Broadway came to an end in 1841, and the Obit Book says that Fr Laurence was 'affiliated to St Laurence's' in that year. But the obituary in the Ampleforth Diary of July 18 [p82], while saying that the members of Broadway 'attached themselves to the existing monasteries', continues 'Though not affiliated to Ampleforth, Fr Burge always looked upon it as his Alma Mater, and for over thirty years he never missed an Exhibition Day at Ampleforth'.
He did not stay at Broadway, passing in 1839 to the service of Foxcote, Warwickshire, a chaplaincy of the Canning family. In 1848 he became the first Incumbent of the newly-founded Mission of Barton-on-Humber and was at Barton for the remaining 43 years of his life, though he gave up active work in 1888. He died and was buried at Barton, his funeral being attended by a large concourse of the townsfolk, by whom he was greatly respected.
William Brindle was born at Brownedge in 1807 and came to Ampleforth with his brother, Thomas, in 1831. He was clothed in the autumn of 1837 and professed 11 November 1838. He received his Orders as follows:- Minor Orders 31 December 1837; Subdiaconate 1 January 1838; Diaconate 31 December 1839; Priesthood 25 June 1845. In this year he was a member of Council.
Before the end of 1845 he went to Brownedge as assistant, and from 1846 to 1849 was Incumbent of Felton Park, Northumberland, a chaplaincy of the Riddell family. In 1849 he went to Aigburth and in 1850 returned to Ampleforth where he held the office of Subprior, from December 1850 to July 1854. In 1855 he passed again to the Mission and was at Bungay for the period 1855-66.
He was then in his sixtieth year and concerned for his health, so that he appears to have been allowed to reside for the succeeding six years with his brother, Ralph, at Barnstaple, the said brother being a Canon and Provost of the Plymouth Chapter. [See obituary notice in the Ampleforth Diary of July 1891 p91] In 1872 he became chaplain to the Canonesses of St Augustine at Newton Abbot, which community he served for the remaining 19 years of his life. That life is described as one of great seclusion from the world and of austere devotion. He was taken ill whilst hearing confessions, was carried into the sacristy and died within view of the Blessed Sacrament exposed on the altar. He was buried at Newton Abbot in the Convent cemetery.
Although residing so far from Ampleforth, and for so many years severed from direct contact with his monastery, yet Fr Ambrose displayed a practical interest in its welfare by assisting its finances. The Accounts show that by the year 1874 he had sunk £1300 of his peculium in the House at a life interest of 5%. They showed further that by his wish, 1881-2, £20 of the interest due to him was to be used for church students. This was tantamount to earmarking £400 of his capital for that purpose. [See the special record of Church Student Funds.]
Cuthbert Clifton was born 12 January 1819[Diary 1891 Xmas p30 or 110: MS note says Born Acton Jan 12 1818], being a member of the Clifton family of Lytham and neighbourhood. His birthplace is variously given as Acton, Middlesex and Leyburn, Yorkshire, at which latter place he is said to have passed his early years [Ampleforth Diary Christmas 1891 p110] He came to Ampleforth in 1830, and leaving school in 1838 spent two years in France, at Montreuil near Paris. Returning then to Ampleforth he was clothed in 1840 and professed 10 February 1841. It is recorded that his was the first public Profession made directly to the Superior; for to enter a religious Order was a penal offence and Professions were regularly made in private and to a deputy of the Superior. [See Ampleforth Diary Christmas 1894 p79] He was ordained priest in 1843. The dates of other Orders are not recorded.
Fr Vincent's health at this time was not good and he was sent on the Mission in 1843, as assistant at Brownedge. Early 1844 he was removed to Workington, where he spent the rest of his life, 47 years, and where he died.
When he took over the charge of Workington, the Mission was provided only with a small chapel and adjoining school, dating from 1812 or 1813, and encumbered by debt. With this provision he had to be content for many years, striving laboriously in the meantime to collect the funds for a new church and further school accommodation. The existing school was enlarged in 1864 and a spacious new church erected in the years 1873-76, to the designs of Peter Paul Pugin and at an initial cost of £10,000, of which half came from his own patrimony. The schools were developed still further, and a convent built for nuns who should take charge of them. And, taking thought also for the needs of the neighbouring town of Harrington, Fr Clifton erected a school-chapel, 1872, and may thus be considered the Founder of the present-day independent parish.
On the death of Provincial Allanson, 1876, he succeeded to his post of Provincial of York; but, though elected to that office in the Chapter which followed, 1878, he declined on the score of failing health. He had long been Praepositus of the Cumberland District and Dean of St Gregory's Conference. The General Chapter of 1878 made him Cathedral Prior of Winchester, which dignity he exchanged at the Chapter of 1883 for that of Titular Abbot of St Mary's York.
His long residence and zealous labours in Workington had earned him the respect, not only of his own flock, but of all the townsfolk and indeed of West Cumberland generally. He held, in fact, a position of exceptional influence and authority and as 'Abbot Clifton' dominated the local scene. When his Requiem came to be sung by Prior Burge, the spacious church was quite unable to accommodate the crowds who desired to attend.
Abbot Clifton was not without devotion to his monastery. A letter survives in which he expresses his desire to attend the opening of the new Church in 1857 [MS 243 No 44] However, there is no question but that the major portion of his heart was filled with the interests of his Mission. As a consequence it would appear that little or nothing of his ample patrimony found its way to his monastery. Indeed, at his death he assigned his whole estate by will to the Mission of Workington. Prior Burge and his Council took strong exception to this action and on 11 December 1891 decreed that the will in question was invalid and of no force, Workington might keep Abbot Clifton's vestments, chalice and books but all else was to accrue to Ampleforth. [Council Book p508] However, nothing came of this strong resolution. By a series of transactions with the Provincials of the North [See the Council Book of the Province] Abbot Clifton had brought his financial affairs into a state of complication which it is very difficult to unravel. Such assets as he had at the time of his death were deposited with the Provincial; but it is by no means clear that he had any assets which were not owed to the Provincial Funds for loans granted him for Workington and spent on Workington. The Provinces were dissolved in 1890 and the Provincial Funds distributed among the several Houses in 1891, that is, in the year of Abbot Clifton's death. The financial business of the Papai Commission, which wound up the Provinces, was very efficiently performed by an expert financier, viz Fr Romerald Riley. Had there been any patrimony of Abbot Clifton's in the Provincial Deposit, he would most certainly have noticed it. The fact that he took no notice of any such patrimony is strong support for the conclusion that every penny of Abbot Clifton's had been spent on his parish. As a consequence, Prior Burge's hope of substantial spolia - he speaks in his Recollections of the sum of £5000 - was inevitably doomed to disappointment.
Thomas Walker was born at Blackburn 21 April 1821 and came to Ampleforth in 1832. He was clothed in 1837 and professed 11 November 1838. He received his Orders as follows:- Minor Orders 31 December 1837; Subdiaconate 1 January 1838; Diaconate 31 December 1839; Priesthood 25 June 1845.
The Community of those days was a small one and the difficult office of Prefect of Discipline was laid upon Br Anselm's shoulders soon after his profession ie when he was as yet a lad of eighteen. It is not surprising that he held the office for a few months only. [See the obituary in the Ampleforth Diary for Christmas of 1893.]
He was sent on the Mission in 1846 to St Peter's Liverpool. He fell ill of the typhus fever then prevalent in that city and was promptly removed to Brownedge, 1847. Before the end of 1847 he had become Incumbent of that Mission, and at Brownedge he remained until his death, forty six years later. For the first twenty two years of his incumbency, that is, until 1869, he worked the Mission single-handed and it is recorded in evidence of his devotion to duty that for seventeen consecutive years he was not absent for a single Sunday.
Apart from his devoted pastoral work, Fr Anselm effected many improvements in the church and schools of the parish. He built new schools in 1861, undertaking to provide out of his peculium £100 of the interest of the debt incurred for them [MS 168 14 December 1861]. To the church he added a spire in 1867 and at a later date a peal of bells. Having made further additions to the schools, he provided a community of nuns to teach in them, and established also a boarding-school under their management.
He was much devoted to Ampleforth, where he was a frequent and highly-respected visitor. He supplied many church students and contributed towards the costs of their education. The Ampleforth Accounts for 1870 show that he had sunk £800 in the funds of the monastery; but by far the larger portion of his considerable peculium went to the North Province.
It is evidence of the esteem in which he was generally held that President Burchall in 1880, in the crisis caused by Prior Kearney's defection, asked him to go to Ampleforth and preside over the Community. But the situation was one which required strong handling and it was not to be solved by the gentle kindliness of this revered personality.
In the year 1882 he had a severe illness, which brought him very near to death and left him with a weak heart and failing eyesight. In 1883, therefore, he resigned the incumbency to Fr Bernard Pozzi, but continued to reside at Brownedge. For ten years more he lived on among his people, endearing himself to all by his simplicity and kindliness. The preacher at his funeral singled out kindness as the chief note of his life: kindness to the poor, kindness to the sick; kindness to all. He was buried at Brownedge.