The Henson Journals

[135]

Thursday, December 4th, 1902.

Mr Archibald S. Routledge came to see me with reference to my letter about Knowling. He, at first, asserted that his intentions and behaviour were excellent, and named many well-known people who were his & friends & relatives, &, as such, vouchers for his character. I was peremptory and severe, requiring his word of honour to break off at once all relations with the boy. Then he became excited & finally semi-hysterical, weeping & flinging himself on his knees, professing his ardent affection for Knowling &c. He finally admitted, while asserting constantly the absence of any impurity, that he had been an utter fool, that he had spoken & written to the lad improperly, that he had treated him quite absurdly. He promised me to have no more to do with him, & asked me to explain matters to him & his (Knowling's) father. I strongly advised him to leave off coming to S. Margaret's: and spoke as solemnly in warning as I could. He thanked me & went away. He strikes me as a feeble, neurotic creature, capable of any collapse.

[136]

In answer to a letter from Mrs Routledge, I wrote as follows.

December 7th 1902.

My dear Madam,

You are under a mistake. I make no kind of imputation on your son beyond that of extreme indiscretion. He is a stranger to me: I have no other sentiments towards him than those of goodwill: &, as I told him, his conduct in coming directly to see me predisposed me in his favour. But I cannot permit the kind of acquaintance which he had formed with Harold Knowling. It is not wholesome either for him, or for the lad: & it is clearly incompatible with the discipline & the credit of the Choir. It must cease at once. If Mr Archibald Routledge had declined to give me his word, I should at once have dismissed Knowling from the Choir, which, he rightly saw, would have been highly unjust to the lad. On recalling my interview with your son, I cannot regret the advice which I considered myself entitled to give him, &, as he thanked [137] me at the time, so I feel sure in the future, he will not find reason to be other than thankful.

Believe me,

faithfully yrs

H. Hensley Henson

[138]

Mrs Knowling sent to me for my perusal two letters, one from Mr Archibald Routledge, the other from his mother. I wrote to her, in returning them, thus:-

Dec: 7th 1902.

Dear Mrs Knowling,

I thank you for letting me see the enclosed letters. Mr Archibald Routledge is a stranger to me, & I daresay his intentions may be excellent: but it is wholesome & creditable neither for himself nor for Harold that he should form & sustain so intimate an acquaintance. I cannot permit it in the interest of the credit & discipline of the Choir. I have pointed this out to Mr Routledge, & he has pledged his word that his intercourse with Harold shall at once cease.

Believe me,

sincerely yrs,

H. Hensley Henson

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Issues and controversies: grooming of choir boys