The Henson Journals

[533]

Wednesday, December 15th, 1915.

499th day

The Archdeacon came to see me at my request to discuss the functions of honorary canons. He showed me the Order in Council of 1844, which defines their position. So damp & unpleasant was the day, that I did not walk with Logic, but went into the Library. There I happened to come upon a book which contained several interesting references to this house:– "Memoirs of the Life & Writings of Thomas Comber D.D. sometime Dean of Durham &c " compiled by his Great Grandson, Thomas Comber A.B. Evidently Comber's Revolutionary principles & active zeal for the government of William III made him very odious to the sly old Jacobite time–server, Bishop Crewe.

Comber, a recently ordained man, went up to London in Nov: 1666 to solicit some preferment. 'He remarks, that in this journey to London "he saw the cellars still smoking from the late dreadful fire", which had made such destruction in that noble city". (p.41) Three years previously Comber had 'studied in Sion College Library, with great profit & satisfaction to himself' (p.27). He would be painfully interested in the total destruction of Sion College. Comber was ordained at 19: and married Miss Thornton before she had completed her 15th year (p.50).

Mr Green, the Vicar of Norham, a young–looking man of 65, who is about to resign his benefice, of which we are patrons, came to see me. He had been curate to Creighton at Embleton. I inquired what manner of parish priest that distinguished man had been. He said that he took his fair shares of the parochial work, & was respected by the people who perceived his distinction. He gave a series of sermons on the Epistle to the Corinthians. One old woman lamented to the curate, "Ah Sir: I do wish the rector were done wi' they weary Corinthians!." I inquired respecting the [535] parish. How many communicants had he out of his population of over 1500? He replied, "about sixty", and added that one third of these came from the Scottish side of the Tweed. But, then, two–thirds of the people were Presbyterians. I asked about the services &c. He said that he was himself a moderate High Churchman: he took the Eastward position, but did not read the Athanasian Creed. He thought a moderate Evangelical might be acceptable to the people, but that an aggressive High Churchman would probably provoke resentments. He told me that the parish church was a fine structure, in the Norman style, the work of Flambard of Pudsey: & that there was an excellent rectory. The net value of the benefice was about £450. He inquired when I thought it would be desirable that he should date his resignation: & I said, Not before Easter.

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