The Henson Journals

[81]

Friday, June 22nd, 1917.

1054th day

Heavy thunderous weather, withal chilly and damp, bad for body and mind. I spent the morning after Mattins in writing a number of letters, among others to Hider, Ernest, Holt, & Nimmins. This weeks ecclesiastical papers point unmistakeably to anarchy in the Church of England. Lord Halifax & the E.C.U. will go to the stake for unrestricted 'Reservation', let the Bishops say what they will. Temple & his team are out for Disestablishment. The "Record" continues in the old canting, prosecuting style! The Bishop of London pleads for the abolition of Deans! I attended Evensong, and afterwards walked for an hour and a half with the Bishop of Jarrow. A letter from St Loe Strachey tells me that my letter on "The Clergy & National Service" had arrived too late for insertion, & would appear in the "Spectator" of next week. That letter is accompanied by many sinister circumstances of vacillation in the sending, & delay in the publishing!

[82]

June 22nd 1917

Dear Mr Nimmins,

I think everything is now fairly arranged for George to start as a midshipman in August or thereabouts in the service of Messrs Holt & Co., a first–class Liverpool Firm.

Mr Holt wrote to me yesterday to say that the boy's outfit should not be purchased until he gets another notification, but that he ought to have everything matured for immediate action thereafter: & that a sum of £4 or £5 would be the right amount to deposit with the Master for his use during an ordinary voyage to the East.

I hope you will allow me to bear these charges. George has been a good boy with us, & I am much interested in him. It would please me to do this for him.

Mr Holt adds that he should learn how to wash clothes. Perhaps Mrs Nimmins will take this in hand.

If only the War would end, & sea–faring brought back again to its normal state, we shd all rejoice: but over this we have no control, & so far as war–risks go, it is hard to say whether it is safer to be on sea or on land.

Yours v. sincerely

H. Hensley Henson

Bethune–Baker has a very sensible letter in the "Times" under the heading "The Church & Liberty"; he draws attention to the miserably inadequate franchise proposed by the Archbishops' Ctee's Report. He claims that a place in the new consultative and legislative assemblies of the Church should be given "to all its members by baptism who care enough to claim it". This cuts at the main root of the whole sacerdotalist plan for transforming a National Church into an Episcopalian Sect.

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