Waterford News
16th November 1923
Serious Illness of Mgr.Count Bickerstaffe-Drew.
“We deeply
regret to learn that the celebrated writer who signs himself “John
Ayscough” is lying seriously ill at a hotel in St. Malo. “John Ayscough”, is Monsignor Bickerstaffe-Drew, the son of the Rev. Henry Lloyd Bickerstaffe, an Anglican clergyman, [He] was
a most distinguished scholar of Oxford University, and joined the Catholic church
while he was an undergraduate at the ancient seat of learning. Monsignor Bickerstaffe-Drew’s illness must
have been a sudden seizure, for the Editor of this paper has a letter from him
dated St. Malo 5th November, in which he stated he was hard at work
writing a story for Green and Gold [a literary magazine printed by Waterford
News] - a story which, he said, “I shall be much disappointed if you do not
care for it”. In a letter from Versailles,
dated 12th October in sending the Editor of “Green and Gold” a
contribution for his magazine- a story which will appear in the Christmas number…
mentioned that- in the year 1886 he was for six months on a visit at the island,
with some dear friends, Geraldine and Claude de Lacy; and it was there I
received my appointment [as army Chaplin], which I held for 33 years. I have a lot of Power forbears, who are all
County Waterford people. One queer
ancestor of mine (through the Powers) was Valentine Greatrakes, “The Stroker”,
whose home was at Affane.
The mother of
Mons. Count Bickerstaffe-Drew was before her marriage, Miss Mona Brougham Drew,
of Heathfield Towers, Youghal. Her
distinguished son (who is now in his 65th year) was private
chamberlain of his late Holiness Pope Leo XIII, and subsequently of Pope Pius
X. He was created domestic prelate of
his Holiness in 1904. He is a Knight of
the Sacred Military Order of the Holy Sepulchre and Count. His other distinctions are numerous and
world-wide.”
The Count was
born in 1858 and died in 1928. He
converted to Catholicism in 1878. He was
ordained in 1844 and served as a chaplin in the British army for more than 30
years.
