The Rev. Timothy Cyril Pitt Brook (1906-1991).
The Shirburnian, Michaelmas 1991
Tim Brook, who died in September, aged 84, arrived at Sherborne in 1946 to be assistant chaplain to the Revd. V.H.H. Green. He was no new young master, as he had previously taught at Stowe for 8 years, and after that was in charge of the Royal Merchant Navy School at Wokingham. He fitted easily into school life. He became senior chaplain in 1951, but when he was appointed Housemaster of Elmdene in 1958 he handed over to the Revd. F.C. Carpenter. He remained assistant chaplain or senior chaplain until 1964 and shortly after that he became rector of combined local parishes. At Trent he found himself in the unusual position of having Lord Fisher of Lambeth as his curate!
A man of considerable presence, he was very much liked by his colleagues. At Elmdene, he and his wife Betty were an ideal combination for dealing with the first year boys. They could not have wished for a kinder or more understanding housemaster.
His teaching was mostly confined to the Lower school, where he taught English as well as Scripture. He was to be found frequently refereeing House Leagues on Careys. He had once played for the Harlequins 1st team with his twin brother Peter, who was an established international forward.
The Brooks enjoyed social life and Tim’s benign appearance belied his strongly held views about people, and he chuckled happily over any bit of scandal!
As a chaplain his sincerity was obvious to everyone and his divinity teaching and sermons reflected his innate goodness and kindness: he spoke from the heart. No colleague ever called on him for help, to take extra lessons or invigilations, or on personal matters, in vain. His answer was always an immediate yes. His influence for good was profound, though he was too modest a man ever to claim a deep knowledge of theology. The community was sad when Brooks left in 1964 for Parish work but friends kept in regular touch in their spacious Rectory at Nether Compton.
Everyone was pleased when Tim ‘retired’ in 1973 and returned to Sherborne. He was soon invited to take ‘a service’ at Castleton church; the ‘service’ developed into 18 years of devoted service to that community! In later years his wife’s illness rendered her increasingly immobile. Tim was a familiar figure in Cheap Street, basket in hand, as he did the shopping. A number of boys at present in the School will recall him clearly, as it became a custom for Houses to attend morning service at Castleton in rotation. He served the Christian church with gladness and great goodness, and was unfailingly and cheerfully supported by his wife.
H.F.W. Holmes.
The Revd. Tim Brook Award.
Readers of The Shirburnian may like to know that a fund has been set up in Tim Brook’s memory by his twin brother, Peter. It is intended that the income from this fund should be used to help boys in financial need at Sherborne School. Mr Brook hopes to raise a capital sum of £5,000, so providing about £500 to be disbursed annually. The generous contributions of Sherborne residents and friends have so far raised about £2,400, and further donations would be most warmly welcomed. Cheques should be made payable to: Sherborne School – Tim Brook Memorial Fund. They should be sent to: The Bursar, The Bursary, Sherborne School, Sherborne, DT9 3LF.
OS Society Annual Record, March 1992
Tim was born in Croydon in the now distant days of King Edward VII. He went to Whitgift School, St Catherine’s College, Cambridge, and finally to Ridley Hall to prepare for his ordination, which took place on Trinity Sunday, 1931. In May this year we rejoiced to be able to celebrate with Tim on that memorable day.
Sevenoaks gladly welcomed the enthusiastic young curate, but all too soon, the first Headmaster of Stowe, J.F. Roxburgh, seeking a chaplain with pastoral gifts, a good sense of humour and a touch of the indefinable thing called holiness, persuaded Tim to join his staff.
In 1935 Tim and Betty were married and their wonderful partnership began. In time to come Tim’s brother, Peter, a worthy representative of England on the Rugger field, also destined to be a school chaplain at Canford and then at Clifton, married Betty’s sister Janet, and the union between the Wheeler and Brook families was complete, to the delight of Tim, who was so great an upholder of family life. On the outbreak of war it had been Tim’s intention to offer himself as chaplain to the Forces, but the Bishop of Oxford confronted him with an urgent challenge to be Head of the Merchant Navy School and he and Betty, feeling bound to respond, set off for Wokingham to undertake the arduous wartime task, for almost every week must have brought the disastrous signal of someone’s father lost at sea. Such was the price of keeping open the ocean routes to freedom. The pastoral concern carried by Tim and Betty must have ben immense. After the war their long association with Sherborne began. For 45 years his influence touched many people. One who has valued him as a colleague through the years has described him as ‘a wholly good man, gentle, warm hearted and patient, never patronising or pompous’; another has commented that although he was a friend to everyone who came his way, he was a very private person who listened to views of others but seldom aired his own opinions. It was a touch of his saintliness.
Others will write of his time as a schoolmaster, housemaster and chaplain, just as others will tell of his time as a country parson of whom George Herbert would have approved and of the halcyon days at Trent when he had the 100th Archbishop of Canterbury as his honorary curate; and many will thank God for the quiet reassuring ministry at Castleton. But all of us will think of Tim ‘as the dearest friend, the kindest man’.
H.L.
Rev. Timothy Cyril Pitt BROOK (1906-1991).
Born 21 September 1906.
St Catherine’s College, Cambridge University, 1928, BA (Hons).
Ridley Hall. Ordained 1931.
1929-1930, Assistant Master, Limes Prep School, Croydon.
1931-1933, Chaplain at the parish church of Sevenoaks.
1933-1941, Chaplain and Assistant Master, Stowe.
24 April 1935 married Elizabeth Maud Wheeler (1913-1997).
1941-1945, Headmaster, Royal Merchant Navy School, Wokingham.
1945-1946, Assistant Master and Assistant Chaplain, Uppingham.
Assistant Chaplain, Sherborne School, April 1946-Trinity 1965.
Housemaster of Elmdene, 1955-1965.
Held the joint living of Over and Nether Compton, 1965-1973.
Died 31 August 1991. Buried on 10 September 1991 at Castleton.