Fr. Edward Etherton was been in Lancaster on December 22, 1853, and was educated at the Jesuit Colleges of Mount St Mary's, near Sheffield, and Stonyhunst. In 1873, on September 7, he was admitted as a novice in the Society Jesus, at Manresa House, Roehampton.
After his noviceship he studied philosophy at St. Mary's Hall, Stonyhurst, and took the London BA. in classics, with 2nd class honours. Having finished his studies in 1880 he taught first at Stenyhurst College and then at St. Frei cis Xavier's, Livepool, until 1884, when he began his theology at St. Beuno's College, Rhyl; was ordained priest there on September 25, 1887, and made his third year of probation at Roehampton in 1889.
As a priest, Fr. Etherington taught at St. Ignatius' College, Malta, between 1891 ane 1893 and again from 1901 to 1903; was Prefect of Studies at St. Aloysius' College, Glasgow, from 1893 till 1901, and at St. Aidan's College and at Buluwayo in South Africa from 1903 till 1908.
On his return to England he worked on the missions at Leigh, We.rdour, St. Helens (in Holy Cross parish) and Yarmouth. He will be remembered best by the many past students of Osterley, now tnemselves priests and religious, whom he coached in Latin and Greek from 1920 till 1936. With advanced years and declining health he was sent to rest at St. Beuno's College, where he died fortified with all the rites of the Church on December 14.