Brother Tom Caulfield SDB

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Brother Tom Caulfield SDB (RIP)

Brother Tom enjoying his retirement at St. Joseph's in Bolton

A Prayer by Tony Brady for Brother Thomas Caulfield SDB (RIP)

Lord,
In Your love and power
be always at his side.
Grudge not time nor the hour
to be his hope and guide…

In sickness and thro’ sadness
Still let him see Your face.
Bless his fleeting gladness
with Your all-protecting grace…

Fill with joyful clearness
his shadowed hours of sight.
Keep him safe in Your nearness
from Evening’s fall to Morning light.

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Tributes to a great man and Great Salesian

John - Hello!

I should have embedded this in the previous email. TB.

Brother Tom Caulfield came to Blaisdon from South Africa in the mid 1950s
and took over the teaching of carpentry to the boys following on from
Brother Edward McEvoy. He never lost his monumental patience with me as,
time and time again, I failed in my joint work: mortice never somehow
connected to tenon, dovetail was either too tight or too loose, even the
simplest joint needed copious glue to ensure a semblance of connection. He
was an extraordinarily patient teacher and modest to boot.

Little known fact about Bro. Tom Caulfield! During the 1950s, in Blaisdon
Hall, dry rot was discovered in one of the ceiling hammer-beams above the
magnificent wooden staircase. Experts were called in and the estimated cost
was horrendous. Undaunted, Bro. Tom made a replacement beam in his workshop
from seasoned Blaisdon oak.

In the sawmill it was band-sawed and cross-cut from a specially selected
log. Brother Tom carved all the tooling and reaming and curliques required to match
it to the other beams. Brother Alan Garman built the specialist scaffolding
that was required. Then Bro. Tom removed the affected beam; treated the rot,
which was actually in the wall, the beam and under the flat leaded roof.

He completed the job with a perfect match, in design, tone and overall
finish. A master craftsman! Looking at the spot with him 20 years later I
could not see the slightest difference. As I had helped on the labouring
side, I should have known where to look. He identified the area for me.
Seamless! In his time, he also made all the furniture in the Chapel
Sanctuary, Reredos, altar frontage, lectern and the three devotional
chairs -gestoria.

Tony Brady, Northern Ireland

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Dear Friends,

I called Brother Michael Delmer a short time ago to get a News update on Brother Tom.

It seems they have discovered that Bro Tom has had a Stroke. His speech is really affected. Brother Michael feels that he is unlikely to return to St Josephs, short of a kind of miracle.

Please keep up the prayers for Brother Tom who has been such an influence in the lives of many Blaisdon Past Pupils.

Tom Brown, a previous President called me yesterday, as I had left him a voice mail message about Brother Tom. He was very grateful I had let him know of Brother Tom's condition. He sends his kind regards to all on National Council.

Tom Brown, Past National President

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G'day Norman.
Thank you for sending me the very sad news of Bro. Tom's death. Yes I was at Blaisdon from the start of his time from South Africa. I did 12 months traineeship with him as a carpenter, when I left school. He was a wonderful teacher and a real gentleman with boundless patience. He taught me so much, which put me on the right path throughout my working life and beyond into retirement.
Yes I am deeply saddened and I feel I have Lost a true friend, and yes I must admit I have shed tears of grief.
90 years is a good innings, but he was one of those special people you wish could live forever.
I live so far away, in Brisbane Australia and sadly will be unable to attend his funeral but you can rest assured he will be uppermost in my thoughts and prayers.
If you do attend his funeral, would you be so kind as to relay this message to his family and the wonderful Salesian community. A humble, holy, wonderful man. God bless you Tom.
Once again Norman Thank you. Kind regards

Terry Chaplin. Known at Blaisdon as " ITCH " Brisbane, Australia

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Hi John
Sad news indeed.
A great man a great Salesian and a great humanitarian.

One of the great influences on my life and I am quite sad that I never saw him again after leaving the Hall. I intended to go and see him this time round in August/ Sept.
Golly he must have only been in his late twenties when I arrived at the Hall because it is 60 years since I left the Hall. What a dedicated life he lead, as of course many others did too, but I always felt that Bro Tom was somebody special. I say do you remember he nicknamed me Glue. (Yes Alastair he was most amused when I relayed this to him last time we chatted. JW) His reasoning was that I was so slow round the shop and yet I could swim like a fish and run so fast I must melt like glue when swimming or running. I hated carpentry but loved old Bro Tom. I had a much more interesting time working on things electrical instead of the carpentry. What did you do there I don't remember. (Like you I was a carpenter JW)
How things have changed since those far off days. I remember I concreted the floor of a huge room in the stables area on my own using a shovel and wheelbarrow; no mixers in those days, and then I went into Gloucs. to pick a motor or two to go up in the loft to drive some lathes we installed. The electric motors were only two horsepower but bugger me they were huge, they stood about three feet tall and were about as long and wide. Today such a motor you could carry in one hand.

Do you also remember an old man we used to call St Joseph that worked in the carpentry shop he was from the village I used to charge he batteries for him. (Sadly I don't. JW) I remember he was making a chest of drawers when I was there and they were so perfect that when you closed a drawer the air pressure would push another drawer out so he had to drill holes in the back to let the air out. I have to say there is no way you could get work like that done today.

Well must get to work
Regards
Alastair, Auckland, New Zealand

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Alastair, Tony's answer to your question, as always provides a mine of local Blaisdon history and enriches us all by doing so. Hence I add to Brother Tom's Tributes, as he clearly knew who you were referring to.

Alastair - Hello!
That “Joseph“ the carpenter you mention in your great tribute to Brother Tom Caulfield RIP is probably Mr. Bill Brewer. He was the resident electrician before the Salesians took over Blaisdon Hall. As you know, it had its own generated electricity supply then. The generating system took up a large area. It was eventually converted to Brother Tom’s workshop and classroom right next to the Sawmill. Bill Brewer was also an all rounder handyman.
Bill lived at "Sharon" the cottage at the top of Stud Farm drive and, to his chagrin and later bitterness which simmered as an anti-Salesian attitude, was made redundant when Bro. Jan was brought in. He was able to buy the cottage which hitherto had went with his post at The Hall. He had a daughter named Ruth.
John Magee, a theologian almost ready for ordination, fell in love with her, abandoned his priestly vocation and married Ruth. She and her Dad were staunch Protestant and John, against the grain of that time went along with their faith. Sadly, he was for some years - until more enlightened times -persona non grata at the Hall while Father Dan and Brother Joe retained an edifying Christian charity towards him. John used to slip down clandenstinely to the Stud Farm Chapel for Mass. Their only child a son Tim, was christened as a protestant, on the insistence of Bill. Timmy, as his mother always called him was often brought down to Stud Farm as a baby and child by his father. John qualified as a Teacher by postal correspondence and taught for years until his retirement at Abenhall School near Cinderford. To the eventual delight of Ruth, John became Minister at Blaisdon Parish Church - a form of Protestant Deacon.
John, Ruth and Bill always took an interest in me and I was able to regularly enjoy the hospitality of their home and be a friend for a somewhat lonely Tim. Tim qualified as a teacher and died tragically young in London - he drowned in The Thames.
John, Ruth, Bill and Tim rest eternally in Blaisdon churchyard. Ruth had lived on alone for some years. When their long living dog - Toby - died I buried it with Tim's broken-hearted help in The Gully close to Stud Farm.

Date:   9/5/2008, 9:08, GMT +1

Name:   John Ward

Email:   j.ward@virgin.net

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"Brother Tom Caulfield came to Blaisdon from South Africa in the mid 1950s and took over the teaching of carpentry to the boys following on from Brother McEvoy."

Funny how times changes things. I arrived at the Hall in around 1946 and left in 1948. I still have the reference Fr Bill Daly wrote for me. Bro Tom was there when I arrived and when I left so he was definitely there before the 1950s. (As he was for me too. JW Each writes their story from their own experiences.)

Regards
Alastair

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Brother Tom will always be in the thoughts of the O'Neill family. He wrote a wonderful article in the Blaisdon book of Recollections.

May he rest in peace.

Terry O'Neill, Wales

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Hi John,

This is Nicholas. Thanks for the Email regarding Bro. Tom Caulfield. Yes he will be missed by all. He was such a nice and gentle person. I knew him very well and knew him in 1962-1963, as he was my carpentry and joinery teacher.

I am sorry I cannot attend his funeral as I live in Malta but he will be in our prayers. May He Rest in Peace.

Condolences to all his family and to all the Salesian Community.

Apparently about three weeks ago F. Michael O'Meara mentioned me to Bro. Tom as I Emailed to ask about him and he remembered me to him as I Emailed to ask about him an he remembered me and sent his me regards.

Thank you.

Yours truly,

NICHOLAS BORG, MALTA

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John - Hello!

The pics you chose of Brother Tom are perfect. The one showing him reading the newspaper is so natural. On closer inspection he is reading the Sports pages,
checking no doubt on the progress of his favourite football team.

Bro. Tom, along with Father George Hilton SDB RIP, was a dedicated and
lifelong supporter of Blackburn Rovers. I believe Bro. Tom in the
latter years used to wear a Blackburn Rovers shirt when "Reffing" the
Blaisdon boys football matches on the park in front of Blaisdon Hall
and at Harvey's Acre. In the 1950s Blackburn Rovers was a bit of a
"joke" team as it was placed in the lowly Divisions at the time and
most of the boys rooted for the main London teams: he withstood a lot
of ribbing from the boys about his Team's progress. Brian Douglas and
later Derek Dougan were players he put before us a worthy of our
emulation on the Blaisdon sward.

The Rovers wore a kind of cheque shirt and looking now at Brother Tom
reading the paper, I wonder when he was down at Marks & Spencer, or
wherever he shopped in Bolton, he chose the Pringle pattern he is
wearing because of its similar pattern to those shirts worn by his
footballer heroes at Ewood Park. Brother Tom was in his day quite a
nifty half-back, cutting in sharply in from either the right or left and
always ready with an encouraging and complimentary word with any boy who
got the better of him. He would have made a perfect Ron The Manager of
any good football team.

Kind Regards and Best Wishes to Charlie

Tony Brady, Northern Ireland

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To a man who has worked so hard in the Salesian vineyard and has given purpose and

direction to so many young people by his example I am indebted and have the happiest of

memories. May He Rest in Peace

Len Carter, Harefield

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I owe a great debt of gratitude to Brother Tom. I was privileged to have been posted, on arrival at Blaisdon, to the Carpenter's shop and spent three happy years (1946-48) there under Brother Tom's guidance. Not just Carpentry guidance but spiritual guidance in the truest Salesian sense. I still have the tool box, jack plane, mallet and levellers I made there with Brother Tom. I left with these to go to Ferrini House in Northwood on a coach with Father Bill Daly. I remember Len Carter being found a position on the gardens! Alastair Bourne was in the Shop at these times but I do not remember how he came to be moved on, though he states this himself in his emotional Tribute.

At one or two of the Reunions, when it was always a great delight to find Brother Tom there with his cheery smile, I mentioned that the mouth of the plane was not right and the blade did not fit too well. Brother Tom's instant reply was bring it down next time and we will fix it. I never did do so and it is too late now. I felt Brother Tom's time was now needed for the boys in his care. But this was so typical of the man.

John Ward, Uxbridge

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17/5/2008, 13:23, GMT +1

Name: Tony Brad

Number: 35

This pm I shall be watching the FA Cup Final. Just like Bro. Tom did without fail every year. Just imagine! This is the first time he knows the result even before the whistle blows and the ball is kicked! I wonder if there is a Patron Saint of Football Referees? Must Google it. If there is'nt one I shall nominate him. The fact that he managed to teach me basic carpentry could qaulify as the first miracle required to get his Cause off to a good start.

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Wonderful Brother Tom in his twilight years

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Date:   11/6/2008, 17:10, GMT +1

Name:   Tony Brady

Number:   45

In Ireland where I live, there is a custom concerning the recently deceased which is known as The Month's Mind.
Just one calendar month after the death of the person concerned, all the surviving family and as many friends and acquaintances of the late person return to the Church and attend a special commemorative Mass.
Memories of the departed are refreshed and everyone meets around the grave to express their solidarity in sorrow.
I have just done my Month's Mind - figuratively speaking -in the quiet of my garden here in Co. Fermanagh, N. Ireland for Brother Tom Caulfield.
I do not shed tears because he has gone: rather I smile because he lived.
Now I sense the change that the Month's Mind brings for the emphasis moves from sentiments expressed for one who is sadly missed to always fondly remembered.

Tony Brady, Northern Ireland

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