Monks of Fort Augustus
Although the monastery may have passed into history, and the buildings taken on a different lease of life, one part of the history of the Abbey that will always remain in Fort Augustus is the life, and death, of the monks. The monks cemetery with its beautiful spot overlooking the loch was part of the monk’s garden, out of bounds to the boys. But the monks funerals often gave the boys an opportunity to see the cemetery. With the demise of the Abbey, the cemetery was more accessible. The list below provides a history of the monks (and nuns from the old convent and some laity) who made up some of the history of Fort Augustus Abbey and who are buried in the monks cemetery. There are many other monks not listed below who were monks of our Abbey and who continue God’s work on earth or whose resting place is elsewhere. These are signified with a *
| Monks | |||
| Br Wilfrid ATKINSON | (1900 – 1989) | ||
| Br Raphael AUER | (1876 – 1957) | His father was Bavarian (watchmaker), mother Swiss. Was expert watch-mender. Brother to Canon Bernard Auer (Aberdeen) | |
| Fr Michael BARRETT* | (1848 – 1924) | ||
| Fr Swithun BELL | (1880 – 1944) | ||
| Fr Francis BLACKWELL | (1888 – 1940) | Clothed and simply professed at Erdington: transferred to FA before Solemn vows. | |
| Fr Odo BLUNDELL | (1868 – 1943) | Chaplain RN 1914-18. Present at the battle of Jutland May 1916. | |
| Br David BROOKS | (1917 – 1987) | ||
| Fr Gregory BRUSEY | (1912 – 2001) | nephew of Fr Ambrose Geoghegan | |
| Fr Thomas CAMPBELL | (1871 – 1924) | ||
| Fr Aloysius CARRUTH* | (1911 – 2004) | Brother of Fr Edmund Carruth | |
| Fr Edmund CARRUTH | (1910 – 1988) | Brother of Fr Aloysius Carruth | |
| Bishop (Sir) Maurus CARUANA* | (1867 – 1943) | Was secretary to Apostolic Delegate in Philippines. Choirmaster 1912, developed plainsong. Bishop of Malta 1915 (consectrated.10 Feb). Awarded KBE 1918: was in Malta during the siege 1941-43. See Wikipedia entry | |
| Fr Luke CARY-ELWES* | d 1946 | 1899 Fr. Luke Cary-Elwes who had played violin with Elgar in village school, joins community & paints the Catacomb Chapel at the Abbey. | |
| Fr Bernard CHAMBERS | d 1968 | ||
| Fr Elphege CODY | (1847 – 1891) | ||
| Br John CONDON | (1907 – 1986) | Originally a plumber, then electrician, and head cook for fifteen years: then Porter’s lodge. Earned Long Service Medal in Auxiliary Fire Service. | |
| Fr Placid CORBALLIS | (1866 – 1949) | ||
| Br Patrick CULLEN | (1900 – 1972) | ||
| Br Stephen CUSICK | (1887 – 1960) | ||
| Fr Francis DAVIDSON* | (1939 – 2018) | Buried at Ampleforth | |
| Fr Edward DELEPINE* | (1918 – 2013) | Buried at Ampleforth | |
| Fr Cyril DIECKHOFF | (1869 – 1950) | For the family history (escape from the Russians), see M.Butler Holme Eden: the Nuns of Fort Augustus, 2006, p48. | |
| Fr Hugh DIMAN* | (1864 – 1949) | An Episcopalian convert, he studies theology in Rome 1919 (Academia Nobili, Angelicum), and was ordained at Belmont. Was one of funding group at St Anselm’s, Washington. First headmaster of school at Portsmouth, Rhode Island in 1926 | |
| Abbot Mark DILWORTH | (1924 – 2004) | ||
| Br Gabriel DONOGHUE | (1895 – 1978) | ||
| Abbot Oswald EAVES | (1909 – 1975) | Family connection with St John Southworth. Completed the nave of the Abbey church and built Calder wing of school. Went to Sweden 1960-74, but for health reasons returned to Carlekemp. Abbot in 1952 | |
| Fr Columba EDMONDS | (1861 – 1923) | ||
| Br Dominic FASSEAU | (1887 – 1959) | Buried beside his father in the monk’s cemetery; George Fasseau | |
| Br Bernard FLANNIGAN* | (1903 – 1939) | ||
| Fr Vincent FOGARTY | (1907 – 1973) | Founding Prior at Alderwasley 1950-53 | |
| James FRASER | d 1906 | Postulant | |
| Br Anthony FREEMAN | (1888 – 1957) | ||
| Br Martin FUREY | (1871 – 1950) | ||
| Fr Stephen GEDDES | Father Stephen was one of the last monks to be ordained (Ordained 8 December 1988). An experienced businessman later taking up his vocation, he was the bursar and vocations director at the Abbey. He was a Royal Navy chaplain for a time before the Abbey closed and was a parish priest in the Diocese of Plymouth before his retirement. | ||
| Fr Ambrose GEOGHEGAN | (1882 – 1965) | ||
| Fr Cyprian GIBSON | (1892 – 1960) | Army signaller 1915-18, listening in to German telephones; also studied Sanskrit in the trenches. Nashdom 1929. FA from 1932; taught Philosophy from 1939. Acquired working knowledge of Church Slavonic; familiar with French, Latin Greek, Italian. Later studied Hebrew (made card index dictionary), Arabic: late in life started Russian. | |
| Fr Paulinus GORWOOD | (1854 – 1917) | ||
| Br Francis GOSFORD* | d 1923 | ||
| Br Placid GRADY | (1905 – 1984) | ||
| Fr Augustine GRENE | (1916 – 1992) | Prior, Headmaster, Novice Master Fort Augustus | |
| Fr Meinradus GRIMM | (1864 – 1938) | ||
| Fr Aelred GRUGAN* | (1951 – 2019) | ||
| Fr Antony HAIN* | (1952 – 2019) | Buried at Ampleforth | |
| Br Malachy HANSON | (1912 – 1956) | ||
| Abbot Celestine HAWORTH | (1911 – 1987) | ||
| Br Richard HORAN | (1885 – 1942) |
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| Br Adrian HOUGHTON | (1910 – 1982) | Took charge of poultry yard, then kitchen, school refectory, the shop. | |
| Abbot Oswald HUNTER BLAIR | (1853 – 1939) | Supplied much of the funds for first buildings at Fort Augustus. Helped found St Bede’s College, Manchester. First Master of St Benet’s Hall 1898. | |
| Fr Philip HYNES | (1906 – 1972) | Supplied much of the funds for first buildings at FA. Helped found St Bede’s College, Manchester. First Master of St Benet’s Hall 1898. | |
| Fr Philip JACKSON* | d 1964 | ||
| Br Benedict JACKSON | (1905 – 1969) | ||
| Fr Laurence KELLY | (1915 – 1987) | Was torpedoed with party of evacuee children on way to canada 1940. Much work in school – gamesmaster, housemaster. | |
| Br Francis KENNEDY* | (1882 – 1938) | ||
| Fr Augustine KIRK* | d 1946 | ||
| Abbot Wulstan KNOWLES | (1881 – 1965) | ||
| Fr Hildebrand LANE-FOX* | (1871 – 1912) | author of Chronicles of a Wharfdale Parish – http://www.historicbramham.org.uk/folder12-m.html | |
| Fr John LANE-FOX | (1880 – 1974) | Cousin of Fr Jerome Vaughan. Chaplain, Irish Guards (MC; lost eye and finger). | |
| Br Ignatius LENGENFELDER | (1867 – 1943) | ||
| Abbott Leo LINSE | (1850 – 1910) | ||
| Fr John Baptist MacBRIDE | (1913 – 1998) | A Lester student: later ran sailing for the school. Also spent time at Carlekemp. Spent last his six months at Ampleforth, in the infirmary. | |
| Archbishop Joseph MacDONALD* | (1871 – 1950) | Archbishop of St Andrews & Edinburgh 1929-50. Clothed by Abbot Leo Linse. As Abbot reopened school at FA 1920, & responsible for foundation of Washington & Portsmouth. As Archbishop, encouraged religious orders to come into the diocese (CP,OP 1931; WF 1933, Cistercians 1947) | |
| Fr Ninian MacDONALD | (1887 – 1972) | Started in FA alumnate under Abbot Linse. Was Army Chaplain (23 Div in France, then 48 Div in Italy): negotiated cease-fire with Austrians. Worked as negotiator/interpreter for Allied Commission round Fiume till 1922. Was in USA (Portsmouth, then Newman, Delbarton for Newark Abbey). Also Chaplain to Kilgraston Convent (Sacred Heart nuns). | |
| Fr Andrew MacDONNELL | (1870 – 1960) | In or about 1912, he came to Canada and served as a parish priest in Ladysmith, British Columbia. During the First World War, he was a chaplain with the Canadian forces and was decorated with the Military Cross. After the war, he devoted both time and energy to the re-settlement of Scottish Catholics in Canada, mainly in Alberta | |
| Fr Simon MACKIN | (1880 – 1930) | ||
| Br Michael MAGUIRE | (1910 – 1996) | Two sisters nuns, brother priest (Glasgow). Worked as slater & plasterer, & Fire service in war (esp Clydebank blitz 1940-41), and as joiner etc at FA. Last of FA laybrothers. | |
| James McKAY | d 1940 | Postulant | |
| Fr Laurence MANN * | (1963 – 1945) | ||
| Fr Bernard McCLYMONT* | (1867 – 1944) | ||
| Joseph MANLEY | d 1880 | Postulant | |
| Br Antony MATTES | (1865 – 1929) | ||
| Br Thomas McCAFFERTY | (1869 – 1954) | ||
| Br Joseph McCAULEY | (1906 – 1974) | ||
| Fr Laurence McGANN* | d 1965 | Francis Laurence McGann, Chaplain Corps, USN’, (ret.) … Before entering the Navy in 1941 he was a Benedictine monk and business manager at Portsmouth – Newport Mercury from Newport, Rhode Island | |
| Fr Ethelbert McCOMBES | (1909 – 1960) | ||
| Fr Andrew McKILLOP | (1908 – 2002) | Had been steward on Cunard liners. Ordained while at Quarr. MBE 1995 for recording weather from 1929. On closure 1998 joined Downside. | |
| Br Paschal McLAUGHLIN | (1900 – 1989) | ||
| Fr Thomas McLAUGHLIN | (1914 – 1979) | ||
| Br Ignatius McNAIRN | (1902 – 1974) | ||
| Br Nathan MICHIE | (1816 – 1914) | ||
| Fr Kentigern MILNE | (1856 – 1942) | Started as seminarian, then Belmont: was appointed (to his astonishment) Prior(Superior) by Rome 1886, personally selected by the Pope because he was a Scotsman (Whelan, Annals 1.272; cf M.Butler, Holme Eden: the nuns of Fort Augustus, 2006 pp 13-15). Milne was later Prior 1891-10, under Abbot Linse, and 1913-17 (Abt.Hunter-Blair), & helped found St Andrews Edinburgh (later Carlekemp) in 1930. | |
| Fr Aaroius MOODY | (1855 – 1894) | ||
| Bishop Ansgar NELSON* | (1906 – 1990) | Born in Denmark, went to USA for study 1925, became Catholic & joined Portsmouth. Studied philosophy, Hebrew, German. Was chaplain to German POWs in Newport. 8 Sep 1947 consecrated Coadjutor Bishop to VA Sweden (Mueller); succeeded 1957, as second Bishop in Stockholm. Resigned (health) 1962; chaplain to nuns, Switzerland, then 1967 retired to Portsmouth. | |
| Br Wulstan NEVILLE | (1880 – 1944) | ||
| Br Magnus O’BRIEN | (1899 – 1967) | ||
| Br Gerard O’BRIEN | (1883 – 1963) | Worked mainly as carpenter: keen on walking and fishing. | |
| Fr Alphonsus O’CONNELL | (1891 – 1965) | ||
| Fr Bede O’DONNELL | (1905 – 1978) | ||
| Fr Gregory OULD* | (1864 -1939) | Considerable musician, organ, plainsong, composer. | |
| Fr Vincent PIRIE-WATSON | (1934 – 1983) | Vaughan Housmaster, Major in CCF, choir master, excellent sailor and extremely talented monk | |
| Fr Jerome POLLARD-URQUHART* | (1850 – 1916) | ||
| Fr Edward RAUTH | (1886 – 1945) | ||
| Fr Anselm RICHARDSON* | (1911 – 1987) | Brother of Robert (M), nephew of Augustine (L), first cousin once removed of Terence (L) Army chaplain in World War 2, spent much time in Iceland. | |
| Br Robert ROONEY* | d 1941 | ||
| Fr Denys RUTLEDGE | (1906 – 1997) | Lester student (pre-seminary) at FA 1925: First in Classics at Edinburgh (St Andrews Priory). Army Chaplain 1935-45. Hermit on Mull 1949, then Canna. Two years in ashram in India, then 1961-82 with Araucanian Indians in Chile. returned to FA 1982 (health) but always in Choir till final illness. | |
| Fr Stephen RYAN | d 1959 | ||
| Br Henry SCHUTZBACH* | (1872 – 1931) | ||
| Br Paul SCOTT | d 1959 | ||
| Fr Benedict SEED* | (1933 – 2020) | ||
| Fr Benedict SETON | (1880 – 1945) | ||
| Br Jacob SHERRY | (1889 – 1958) | ||
| Br Hugh SHIELDS | (1906 – 1970) | 1924-27 sent to help found Washington. Then became Printer: produced EBC Ordo till 1968. Also skilled photographer. He took perpetual (rather than Solemn) vows, ‘In the presence of the VR Adrian Weld-Blundell of the Priory of St Anselm at Washington and the monks of the same monastery’ | |
| Fr Bernard SOLE | (1903 – 1972) | ||
| Br Vincent STAIGER | (1881 – 1950) | From Rattshausen, diocese of Rottenburg | |
| Fr Edward STAIGER | d 1950 | From Rattshausen, diocese of Rottenburg | |
| Fr Matthew STEDALL* | d 1947 | ||
| Fr Bruno STOTON | (1871 – 1921) | ||
| Sebastian TILLEY* | d 1976 | ||
| Br George TOLAN | (1914 – 1956) | ||
| Br Denis TOOTELL * | (1817 – 1897) | Schooled at Ampleforth, clothed by Birdsall at Broadway: subdeacon 1845 (never deacon or priest). Went to New Norcia, Western Australia, with Dom Rudeshind Salvado 1846, but health forced return. Went to Fort Augustus at foundation, is linked with Lamspringe, and was last member to die. In canon law, (can. 120.1), Lamspringe could have been revived at any time up to 28.10.1997 (sic). | |
| Fr Jerome Pollard URQUART | (1850 – 1916) | ||
| Fr Martin WALL | (1843 – 1936) | Said to have been the first man in great Britain to ride a bicycle & gave it its name while at Cambridge in 1861. In 1864 he supervised the construction of the first twenty miles of the Madras railway in India; he was for a time an Anglican minister, and a laymaster at FA. | |
| Fr Augustine WALSH* | (1884-1938) | ||
| Fr Peter WALTER | (1893 – 1972) | Edinburgh St Columba, Haddington, loaned to Ampleforth parish till 1939, when auxiliary Army chaplain; 1945 Liverpool St Augustine, Ormskirk. FA 1967 – Notes: His age prevented his going abroad with the Army in Second World War. | |
| Fr Basil WEDGE | (1889 – 1963) | ||
| Fr Basil WELD | (1874 – 1908) | Never a member of EBC. son of Sir Frederick Weld., so his sister (and later his mother) was a nun of Kilcumein (later Holme Eden) | |
| Fr Adrian WELD-BLUNDELL | (1860 – 1949) | ||
| Fr Benedict WELD-BLUNDELL | (1857 – 1931) | ||
| Fr Aelred WHITE | (1912 – 1994) | ||
| Fr Maurus WHITEHEAD | (1891 – 1954) | ||
| Fr Cuthbert WILSON | (1904 – 1980) | ||
| Nuns | |||
| Benedicta CARMONT | (1872 – 1897) | Nun from the old convent in the village * | |
| Agnes VON DIECKHOFF | (1871 – 1904) |
Nun from the old convent in the village * | |
| Adalberta SULLIVAN | (1882 – 1907) | Nun from the old convent in the village * | |
| Maura GERRARD | (1875 – 1908) | Nun from the old convent in the village * | |
| Philumena FRASER | (1876 – 1910) | Nun from the old convent in the village * | |
| Mildred KIGHLEY | (1859 – 1912) | Nun from the old convent in the village * | |
| Josephine FRINGS | (1862 – 1917) | Nun from the old convent in the village * | |
| Lay persons | |||
| Mr William DOCHERTY | (1908 – 1991) | ||
| Edna Clare DOCHERTY | (1912 – 2001) | ||
| Sliam DUIOINS | |||
| Gilbert FARIE | (1882 – 1966) | Headmaster | |
| Georgius J FASSEAU | (1855 – 1917) | Father of Brother Dominic Fasseau | |
| Miss Moira FORSYTH | (1905 – 1991) | ||
| Alexander FRASER | d 1939 | ||
| Peter GREENFIELD | (1934 – 1991) | ||
| Mr Rudolph LIPINSKI | (1907 – 1985) | ||
| Captain Charles MacDERMOT-ROE | (1891 – 1961) | ||
| Andrew McLAREN | (1883 – 1975) | ||
| Miss Kathleen O’DONNELL | (1902 – 1979) | Matron | |
| Miss Catherine SANACH | (1915 – 1976) | Seamstress | |
| Schoolboys | |||
| Michael GARAHER | d 1882 | Schoolboy | |
| Peter TUCKER | d 1960 | Schoolboy | |
| Frank TUCKER | (1912 – 1993) | Father of Peter Tucker, whose ashes were scattered on his son’s grave |
On 10 October 1972, the nuns from the small convent graveyard in Fort Augustus were re-interred in the monks cemetery