The Henson Journals

[172]

Monday, April 27th, 1914.

Mine host motored me to Leamington, where I caught the express to Paddington. On the way we passed through Warwick: the view of the castle from the bridge is superb. Having left my baggage at King's Cross, I went to the barber & had my hair cut. Then I walked to Westminster, & lunched with Pearce. We went to the Athenaeum, & voted for Bayley, who came up for election.

In the club I found several of my friends – Dicey, Mowbray, Buckle, Geikie, &c. John Murray, the publisher assured me that he agreed with every word of my Edinburgh article.

I returned to Durham by the 5.30 express.

Today's papers are full of the accounts of a great landing of rifles & ammunition in Ulster. Events are marching quickly towards some terrible catastrophe.

[173]

The Bishop of Jarrow's acceptance of the Bishoprick of Bristol raises the question whether the suffragan–bishop ought to hold a canonry. I feel strongly that he ought not to do so: & I wrote at length to the Archbishop of Canterbury to that effect, urging at the same time Gow's special qualifications for the canonry. I thought it right to let the Bishop of Durham know my views, & also that I should place them before the Prime Minister.

On Wednesday (April 29th) I went to the prison, and addressed the prisoners on "The Great Fire of London as seen by contemporaries["]. It was truly a dolourous performance. The prisoners are of the lowest type, many of them being almost half–witted, & almost all belonging to the lowest & most ignorant class of the population. They were quiet enough, but not, I think, interested.

On Thursday (April 30th) Cruickshank & I walked through the wood, which was beautiful with blue–bells.

The "Times" reported a debate in the Upper House of the Canterbury Convocation, on a series of resolutions moved by the Bp. of London, & supported by the Bps. of Oxford & Winchester. The new Bp. of Chelmsford (Watts–Ditchfield) made his debut as an obscurantist. The Bishop of Hereford moved, & the Bishop of Lincoln seconded an Amendment.

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Issues and controversies: irish home rule; Kikuyu; female suffrage