| born 14 April 1910 |
| died 25 February 1982 aged 71 |
| clothed 1936 |
Baptised: Arthur Joseph Houghton
Brother Adrian joined the monastery in the 1930s, clothed in 1936.
In the 1950s, Br Adrian ran the poultry farm beside the River Tarff. The whole Fort Augustus area received a supply of free-range eggs and dressed poultry from the farm. At one point in 1951, he had intended to start a fresh stock. Unfortunately, the outbreak of fowl pest in other parts of the country prevented him from getting the clutches of eggs he needed. The following year, he had 250 hens who, (coaxed by a cunning arrangement of alarm clocks and electric lights), were laying 130 eggs a day. In February 1958, Br Adrian’s poultry produced 8,000 eggs!
He also served in the school refectory and provided general maintenance.
In September 1958, after many years of sterling service, Br Adrian retired from the Refectory serving and maintenance. This was now in the hands of an outside catering firm. Br Adrian now operated the School book and games equipment shops as well as the tuck shop. The tuck shop was located in the main building beside the gamemaster’s office before relocating to the Abbey shop. Once there, he also managed the Abbey shop itself.
His day took in other interests, such as rose-beds, pot plants on every window-sill and cats. For years he trained the altar servers and was in charge of the School cleaning. Four hours’ sleep was all he found necessary. He despised siestas!
On 14 February, 1981 after suffering a stroke, Br Adrian Houghton was transferred to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness. Then, on the day after Ash Wednesday (25 February 1982), Br Adrian died at the age of seventy-two. For generations of schoolboys, he was a cook who provided wholesome and abundant meals. For others, he masterminded the Refectory with Rudolf, Peter and Lily.
Details taken from Abbey Boys by Mike Turnbull
Brother Adrian’s headstone in the monk’s cemetery
