Peter Anson


Peter Frederick Anson was an English non-fiction writer on religious matters and on architectural and maritime subjects. He spent a period as an Anglican Benedictine monk.

Biography

Peter Anson was born Frederick Charles Anson in Southsea on 22 August 1889, the son of Charles Eustace Anson, later a rear-admiral, and his wife, Evelyn, née Ross. He was educated at Wixenford School until the age of almost 15. His father's family had a history of prominence in the Anglican Church.
Anson converted to Roman Catholicism on 5 March 1913. In doing so, he followed the example of the members of the Anglican Benedictine monastery on Caldey Island, Pembrokeshire, Wales, under Aelred Carlyle, of which he had been one since 1910. He was received into the Third Order of the Franciscans in 1922, adopting the name Peter.
Anson was the author of some 40 books, many of them on religious subjects, and one of them a biography of Aelred Carlyle. He was also an accomplished artist. In 1936 he moved to the north-east of Scotland, his mother's country of origin, living at Macduff, Banffshire from 1937 to 1952, and becoming involved in the early activities of Scottish nationalism. His acquaintance there included Neil M. Gunn and Compton Mackenzie.
Anson's many contributions to church history were acknowledged in 1966 by Pope Paul VI, who invested him with a knighthood of the Order of St Gregory. After returning for a period to Caldey Island, he joined the Sancta Maria Abbey at Nunraw, East Lothian. He died on 10 July 1975 in Edinburgh and was buried at Nunraw.

Selected bibliography