Fr Justin* | Dawprabamfau

Dom. Justin Dawson, O.S.B.

Norman was born on 1st May 1904

Ann, Veronica, Norman, Anita, Vincent.jpeg

Norman was educated at school in Farnborough and, after a year at St George's College, Weybridge, entered the Junior Seminary of St John's in Wonersh, near Guildford, Surrey, on 10th September 1920, where he remained until February 1923.

After a brief spell as an accountancy clerk in London, he took a post teaching English in Jerusalem in 1925 (aged 21), then a civil engineering post in Egypt, working on the Nag Hammadi barrage, which was completed in 1930.

This was followed by a spell in Canada, at the invitation of his uncle Ed, visiting / staying with family and working in the Dawson Brothers stationery business in Montreal, before returning to the UK in 1935.

"Uncles Adrian and Norman both lived with our family for short period when we were young. I remember Uncle Norman being around when we lived on Lake Avenue. On Halloween night he came downstairs dressed like a ghost with a sheet around him. It wasn’t so much the outfit, but the howling that scared us to death. Then he went outside and scared the kids on the street. He was a fun uncle, constantly kidding us."

From “Rambling Roses, A Mother’s childhood memories …” by Theresa Humes (née Dawson), Norman's niece,

written between 4th May 2002 and 21st March 2003

and printed in “Born Again Hunter” volume 1,

by David Dawson Humes (published 2011).

Norman joined the Benedictine Order at Buckfast Abbey in Devon in 1937.

War-time fire drill at Buckfast

newspaper article from November 1940

Brother Justin is clearly visible in both pictures.

If you visit Buckfast, you can see that the fire hose has been positioned some distance from all buildings and is pointing safely away from the abbey!