The Henson Journals

[622]

Wednesday, May 10th, 1916. London.

654th day [coincides with Thursday, May 18th, 1916]

Accompanied by Ella and Ernest I travelled to London on Monday [sic] the 10th May, and, after seeing Ernest off at Victoria, went to 16 Elvaston Place, where Miss Mundella entertained my wife & me most hospitably until Thursday, the 18th May, when we returned to Durham. On Sunday, the 14th, I preached in S. Margaret's at Mattins, and in the Abbey in the evening. Both sermons I prefaced with a short reference to Archdeacon Wilberforce, whose death was announced on Sunday morning, & whose funeral in Westminster Abbey we attended on Thursday. Lord Haldane dined at 16 Elvaston Place on Friday, the 12th May. I had some talk with him during dinner. As we were leaving the dining room to follow the ladies, he detained me for a few minutes to say that he would like to send me a narrative he had prepared of his proceedings from his accession to office as Secretary of War in 1906 to his retirement from the Chancellorship in 1915, when the Coalition Ministry was framed. He pressed on me the private character of this document, & begged me to bring it back to him on the Monday following, when he would be glad [620] [symbol] to talk it over at tea in his house. The document consisted of 162 type–written pages, & was of an extremely interesting & outspoken character. He states incidentally that it was written in April 1916 . In the course of this narrative very private documents are quoted, & many intimate communications with eminent individuals disclosed. It is amazingly interesting, & certainly gives a great impression of the Writer's energy, versatility, mental grasp, & far–seeing patriotism. Of course it is a personal Apologia by a skilled advocate. On Monday, the 15th, I went to 28 Queen Anne's Gate, and had an hour and a half's conversation with Lord Haldane. This was most informing & interesting. His relations with King Edward VII were evidently most intimate. On Tuesday the 16th May, I went to the Athenaeum, &, by arrangement, met the Bishop of Southwark there. We conversed for more than an hour. In the course of conversation he told me that he was very confident that a Bishoprick would shortly be offered to me, & that Asquith had himself expressed his intention of bringing me into the southern Province. I took the opportunity of discussing the question of my joining the Bench. On the whole Burge was not very encouraging as to the possibility of effecting much. qua Bishop. He said that the Archbishop seemed to have changed, & was now generally guided by Bishop Talbot. This, of course, agrees with my reading of his Grace. I walked in the Park with Lord Charnwood, and had much talk with him. There was a great concourse in the Abbey for Wilberforce's funeral, & the service was very solemn & moving.

[618]

In the Athenaeum on Tuesday I fell in with Kenneth Gibbs, Archdeacon of St Alban's. He told me that the Speaker had offered him the Chaplaincy of the House of Commons in succession to Wilberforce, & that he had declined it.

The sermons that I preached on the 14th were attended by very large congregations. In the Abbey the Archbishop of Canterbury & Mrs Davidson were present.

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