The Henson Journals

[3]

Monday, October 15th, 1917.

1169th day

DrGlyn told me yesterday that there was a place in the docks of Liverpool called "Guinea", and that it owed its name to the sinister fact that it served as a "clearing–house" for negroes in the days of the slave trade. Thereto the unfortunate creatures were brought from Africa, and therefrom they were despatched on their miserable voyage to the West Indies. It is odd to reflect that Gladstone, the trumpeter of modern democracy, should have drawn his inherited wealth from the slave trade, and himself in his earlier years been an advocate of slavery.

I was interested to gather from the Bishop's conversation that he also is embarrassed by Romanizing clergy. Hockley, the new Rector of Liverpool, may be reckoned among them. The ritualist layman, Douglas Horsfall, who says that his mission in life is to advance the cause of the Catholic Church in the Northern Province, has "broken with" the Bishop because his Lordship refuses to sanction the erection of a "Catholic" church in an Evangelical parish against the will of the incumbent!

Major Bradshaw sent his car punctually at 10 a.m. to carry us out to the Fazakerly Hospital. This was originally a Fever Hospital, and the Wards arranged on that account in detached buildings. When the War broke out, it was taken over by the Government for use as a military Hospital. We spent two hours in going over the establishment. I was much interested in the officers & men who had come in from the Flanders front. The chaplain, Mr Bell, said he had known me as an undergraduate at Oxford, but I had no recollection of him.

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He told me that some of the extreme Ritualists ("Catholicks") had refused Communion at his hands, & challenged his manner of ministration! The governing Sister was of the straitest sect of these Pharisees, & looked it. Mr Bradshaw drove us back to the Bishop's house, where we picked up our bags, and made our farewells. The good lady deposited us at 5 India Bldgs, Water Street, where we lunched pleasantly with Lawrence Holt, his partner, an architecturally informed person named Whiteley, & a very pretty young lady, Miss Willink, who is typing in the office. In the course of the conversation I inquired about the "clearing house" for negroes, & was told that the name was not "Guinea", but "Goree Piazza", & that in the walls still remained the rings to which the slaves were chained. Mr Whiteley, who appears to be prominent in munition–making, said that they were now producing so much stuff that they cd not get it away fast enough; and that a considerable body of female munition–makers had been dismissed. He also said that the question of the War had now resolved itself into a single point whether we cd beat the Germans before they cd cut our communications. The transport requirements of America were large & embarrassing. Already 100,000 Americans were in France. Lawrence Holt accompanied us to the station. The train left at 2.35 p.m. We changed trains at Manchester, York, & Darlington, finally arriving in Durham at 8.30 p.m. We learned that no news had been received of "Logic". He has probably been stolen.

[5]

To the Bishop of Manchester

Oct. 16th 1917

My dear Bishop

I doubt if there is so precise a compact as you indicate, but I think it extremely probable that a general understanding has been established. The new attempt to govern the C. of E. by the two Abps has its strength, and most of its mischief, in the very rapid development of such privy, personal arrangements "across the table". Both the Primates are temperamentally disposed to this kind of "secret diplomacy".

I think it will be unfortunate if opposition to Fisher's Bill is brought into the conflict, because, not only are the two issues, educational & ecclesiastical, properly distinct, but also the men who wd be least friendly to "Church Schools", are precisely the same as wd most strongly resent the sacerdotalizing of the Established Church. On this point I beg you to remember that Lancashire is, so far as Church Schools are concerned, not representative of the country. In Lancashire alone can it fairly be maintained that denominational schools are popular in the true sense. You are an Expert on the whole question, & I need not pursue it.

I only write so much in order to relieve my mind of a fear lest we shd be adroitly led into making support of Fisher's Bill and support of the Abps' Ctees Report planks in a single platform. I believe that is what Gore is aiming at, and I think we must avoid the snare. Lord Wolmer's figures are preposterous, & also disingenuous, for his Ctee & its supporters do not really believe or intend that, under the scheme of the Report, commts [6] shd be outnumbered by 3 to 1.

I was in Liverpool on Sunday. The Bishop told me that he was himself in favour of the Baptismal Franchise. We must insist on the point that the Ctee never considered the Franchise, but assumed that of the R.C.C. The matter is therefore properly open for discussion even by the members of the Ctee: & I think it not improbable that a division of opinion may be disclosed between them.

I am, my dear Bishop,

Yours most sincerely,

H. Hensley Henson

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