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| copyright © D. Sharp The former Brighton home of Fr Richard & Dorothea Enraght at 36 Russell Square from 1869 until 1872, where Hawtrey were born in 1871. |
Hawtrey
James Enraght was born in 1871 at 36, Russell Square, Brighton, at
this time his father the Revd Richard Enraght was a curate at St
Paul’s Church in Brighton.
Fr Enraght had the joy of
seeing his son, Hawtrey ordained a priest at Norwich Cathedral in
1895.
In June 1895, Hawtrey was
appointed
as a Curate of Melton Constable and Briston, a village that was just
seven miles from his parents home in Bintree. Lord Hastings was
the Patron of St Peter’s Melton Constable and also for Fr Richard
Enraght's Church of St Swithin’s in Bintree.
Hawtrey
excelled in athletics, rugby and football in his days as an
undergraduate at Oxford University, and after moving to the
Melton Constable, he played centre forward for Melton Park
F.C.
Hawtrey was married to Emily Newton (his second
cousin), the granddaughter of Sir Daniel Gooch, whom was also the
great uncle of Hawtrey.
The
Revd Hawtrey Enraght, his wife, and eldest daughter were close
friends of the composer Benjamin Britten, and would regularly visit
him at his home in Kirkley Cliff Road, Lowerstoft, for afternoon tea
in the 1930s.
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Lynn
Advertiser, Friday 5 August 1938
Death of Canon Enraght, Former
Rector of All Saints’ South Lynn.
With
regret we record the death of the Rector of Lowerstoft and formerly
Rector of All Saints’ South Lynn. Canon Enraght had been lying ill
at the Lowerstoft rectory since his last public duty on 9th
July, when the churchyard extension was consecrated by the Bishop of
Norwich.
He was a son of the Rev. Richard William Enraght,
a Rector of Bintry and formerly Vicar of Holy Trinity, Bordesley,
Birmingham. He leaves a widow and a son and daughter. Another
daughter, who was engaged in the nursing profession, died some years
ago.
Canon Enraght who was 67 on July 25, was educated at Oxford and Cuddeston Theological College, taking his B.A. in 1894 and M.A. in 1901. He was ordained deacon by the then Bishop of Norwich in 1895 and priest the following year. His first curacy was at Briston and Melton Constable with Burgh Parva from 1895 to 1904. In the latter year he became vicar of Ranworth, and in 1913 he was appointed vicar of Holy Trinity, Bungay, where he remained until 1921, when he was appointed rector of South Lynn All Saints.
He was made a Rural Dean of Lynn in 1926, and honorary canon of Norwich in 1928. He was appointed rector of Lowerstoft in 1931 in succession to the Rev. E. C. Morgan. He had been surrogate since 1922.
Canon Enraght took an active interest in the civic and social life of Lowerstoft. He continued the work of his predecessor in maintaining the parish church of St Margaret as one of the best appointed in East Anglia, bringing about interior improvements, and also securing the completion of the War Memorial chapel and bringing up to date the Fishersmen’s Memorial. His zeal in enlisting the necessary support also secured the building of a new church of St Andrew, which was dedicated in 1934, and replaced the old Mission church in the parish.
The
Rev. Albert Armes, of Burnham Deepdale, writes: The passing of
Hawtrey James Enraght causes a deep sorrow in the hearts of all who
knew him and a space in the ranks of the Ministry of Holy Church
which will be very hard to fill. He was a man of the profoundest
spirituality, yet with ever alert and wide-minded outlook on the
affairs of this life. As one who was privileged to work with him for
seven years in Lynn during what one may call the prime of his life, I
shall always be grateful for his deep friendship. He was undoubtedly
on of the Church’s most faithful and loyal sons, ever-ready to
spend and be spent in her service.
The Church’s welfare
always had first place in his heart and that spirit became almost
contagious amongst those with whom he called to work and live.
Wherever he went he set himself out to build up the House of God in
all beauty of holiness. But not only did the Church fabric and
appointments become beautified and renewed under his influence, but,
vastly more important, the congregation of the living Church was
renewed, strengthened, stabilised, settled.
He was indeed a vital force for good living, and carried that atmosphere with him. Deep personal sorrow he had known, but that undoubtedly helped him to strengthen many others in their own sorrows. A preacher of some considerable power, he was nevertheless just plain and homely. But every idea presented had been carefully, if not, prayerfully, duly considered, and every word used had been weighed, and never delegated duties to his assistants which he thought ought to be carried out by himself as Rector.
He hated publicity, and never courted promotion, but those who knew him best, rejoiced when an Honorary Canon was conferred upon him, realising that it was very well deserved.
Of the Tractarian school of thought in Churchmanship, he ever showed a wide sympathy with those of other schools of thought, and those who did not see eye to eye with him were nevertheless compelled to respect his sincerity, and admit that him religion and life were the necessary corollaries of each other.
A tribute to Canon Enraght’s work at Lynn is paid by the present rector (the Rev. A. J. Crawford) and Mr. J. S. Brown (who was churchwarden during the late Canon’s incumbency). It was during this time that the gallery was removed, the new organ installed, and the Lady Chapel restored at All Saint’s church. At St Michael and All Angels’ church a new organ was installed in place of a harmonium. Canon Enraght’s work in South Lynn for three churches will long be remembered. He never spared himself in his work, and upon his departure a deep impression had been created in the parish by his gentle and saintly character.
Canon Enraght was a strong supporter of church schools – All Saints’ church schools were very much in his heart – and he was a pioneer in the movement to build church senior schools in Lynn. He went so far as to have plans prepared for the building of a senior boys’ and girls’ church school on the Friars’ field.
Whilst
in Lynn, Canon Enraght suffered a great in the death of his daughter,
Bridget, and to her memory he gave a memorial prize to be competed
for annually at the All Saints’ schools. Canon Enraght’s
influence extended to a greater field much wider than All Saints’
alone. This was made possible by his duties as Rural Dean, as a
member of the Norwich Diocesan Board, chaplain of the Actors’
Union, president of the Lynn C.E.Y.M.S., and as a member of the
church council and library committee.
transcription by D. Sharp