The Henson Journals

[20]

Monday, February 18th, 1901.

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The Audit Chapter was held in the Jerusalem Chamber. The proceedings had to be continued after Evensong, when I moved,

'That the Dean be requested to authorize the use of the Revised Version of the Bible in the Abbey at the option of the Canon in residence.'

Armitage Robinson offered a strenuous & irrational opposition: but he was absolutely alone, and I had determined to accept no compromise. Finally we carried the motion by 4 to 1. [symbol]

[21]

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Feb. 22nd 1901

Dear Mr Montague Smith

I know your genuine interest in St. Margaret's, & I much appreciate your care & work for the Church: but, after carefully considering the situation, I see no reason for alarm, & much for good hope. There is no ground for thinking (at least I know of none) that the measure of support given to the Parochial organizations will be less in the future than in the past: & on the Choir we are effecting an economy of about £500 per annum.

We cannot go back to the exact position under Dean Farrar, even if we desired to do so, for the interval has materially altered the situation. It would be really absurd to be the responsible owners, or rather, trustees of a great organ like that in S. Margaret's, & not to use it adequately. Therefore we must be ready to expend a sufficient sum to secure an organist & Choir worthy of the Church & the Instrument. I should never have approved the introduction of an organ, so costly & extensive, but there it is, & I must accept it as part of my charge.

Last year for many reasons was a very [22] unfavourable year for the finances of S. Margaret's, & yet the total deficit on all the accounts do not amount when justly considered (as far as I can discover) to £150. We shall face an expenditure reduced by some £500 in the current year. Why should be in doubt [sic] as to our solvency? I ought to say decisively that I am not prepared to reconsider the question of the Choir. We have taken up a position after careful thought: it has been very well accepted by parishioners & congregation: it would be weak, & undignified, & indefensible to abandon it almost immediately. Do not be anxious. All will come right, if we stand firm & work together like men.

Let me deal with Mr Lemare. His position is a delicate & a difficult one: & he has, so far, acted with great self-suppression, &, in my judgment, very honourably. On all hands I hear satisfaction expressed that he sees his way to remain at S. Margaret's.

There, my dear Mr Montague Smith, is all I think need be said, except only that I should like to repeat that I value your constant & loyal work very highly.

[23]

It is a great strength & help to me to have Churchwardens like those of S. Margaret's, & as I mean to treat them with the utmost frankness & confidence, as not merely colleagues, but personal friends, so I depend on them for a loyal & constant support in the course which we have decided upon & announced.

Believe me,

Very sincerely yrs.

H. HENSLEY HENSON.

I think it would be well to let Mr Hunt see this letter.

[24]

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To Charles McArthur Esq. M.P.

March 4th 1901

Dear Sir

I thank you for your letter. My practice in S. Margaret's has no connexion whatever with any doctrine, Roman or other, of the Holy Communion. It is the pious custom which, ever since I have been in Orders, I have followed without offence. It is our practice in the Abbey, as, I believe, in most, if not all, Cathedral Churches, where I am sure, no suggestions of Roman or other errors are found to be connected with it. I assume that my congregation understand this, & need no explanation of an accustomed act of reverence, which like bowing at the Name of Jesus, or turning to the East at the Creed, or uncovering the head on entering Church, or kneeling at prayer, & at the reception of the Holy Communion, needs no other explanation than that wh. lies on the surface of every act of accustomed reverence. This I may rightly add, that I am rather more than ordinarily vigilant about reverent action in S. Margaret's because I find a very lax tradition in that [25] respect in the Choir, & to some extent in the congregation. I am sure you will support me in trying to raise the level of the Church in this respect, & as to suggestions of Romanizing sympathies, I must ask you to banish them wholly from your mind. I do not resent them under all the circumstances of the hour, but I trust that they will not survive my explicit assurance.

Hoping to have the pleasure of making your personal acquaintance before long.

I am,

My dear Sir,

v. faithfully yrs,

H. HENSLEY HENSON

[26]

On March 6th, I wrote to Dr Ince proposing to write 3 dissertations for the Doctor's Degree on 1.Peter, 1.Cor.XV, Acts II.

On March 7th the 2nd Churchwardens' meeting was held. We sat for an hour and a half. Our unappropriated subscriptions were voted away thus:- National Schools £15: Cottage Home £10: Parish Magazine £5: Girls Club £5 = £35

[27]

Dartmouth Hall.	Mr H. Montague Smith.
S. Margaret's Relief Society.	Mr H. A. Hunt.
Soup Kitchen.	Mrs Tyler Smith.
Tothill School Institute.	Mr Scholes.
School Treat Fund.	Mr Rutt. Mr Fedarb.
S. Margaret's Cottage Home.	Mrs Lloyd Williams.
Bandinel Charity.	Mrs Henson.
Girls Club.	Miss Henson.
S. Margaret's Natl Schools.	Mr Rutt.
Parish Magazine.	Rev. S. Kirshbaum.
Boys Club.	Mr Robinson
Fresh Air Fund.
Alms Fund.
Church Printing.

[28]

General Subscriptions

Bp. of S. Alban's Fund	2.2.0
Oxford House in Bethnal Green	2.2.0
Free & Open Church.	1.1.0
Bp. of London's Fund	1.1.0
East London Church Fund.	2.2.0
S.P.G.	1.1.0
Oxford Mission to Calcutta	1.1.0
Eastern Churches Association	.10.6
Church House	1.1.1

[29]

Parochial Subscriptions.

National Schools.	£11.0.0
Westminster Hospital.	£3.3.0
S. Margt's Cottage Home.	£5.0.0
Curates Fund.	£20.0.0
Refuge & Rescue Work.	£2.2.0
Swimming Club.	£1.1.0
Regatta	£1.1.0

[30]

March 7th 1901.

My Dear Lemare,

At the Churchwardens' meeting this afternoon, we had before us an account from Novello for music amounting to over £18 and evidently extending over a considerable period. We decided to pay it, but thought it right that in future all orders for new Music should be given by the Churchwardens. Your course will be, when you think some new music is needed, to write to me, & state what you want: then I will lay it before the Churchwardens at our monthly meeting, &, if it is approved, they will give the necessary order.

It was pointed out that advertisements of the Organ Recitals were appearing weekly in the papers. I trust you will not forget what I pointed out before, that the Churchwardens are not prepared to pay for more than the posters, the programmes, & one advertisement announcing the beginning of the series of recitals & another announcing its close. Our finances will not admit of more, & it is essential that decisions once taken are acted upon.

Further, I have ordered that in future [31] the lights shall not be turned down at the organ recitals. A complaint came to me from some ladies who were molested last week by some man, who seems to have been drinking. Of course, an intruder of that kind argues nothing against the general good order, which is excellent, but this is a case of not letting our good be evil spoken of, & therefore, in future, there will be light.

I trust you have now quite recovered from your indisposition. I am myself still rather a poor creature.

Yours sincerely,

H. HENSLEY HENSON

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Issues and controversies: accusations of Romanism; Revised Version