The Henson Journals

[28]

Friday, May 17th, 1918.

1383rd day

Another brilliant day, and even hot. My morning was disturbed by visitors. Mr Haslewood, to whom I have offered the living of Bredwardine came to lunch, and then accompanied me in the motor to the parish, which is 12 miles distant from Hereford. We visited the vicarage and the church, and called on Mr Williams, the squire.

The vicarage is a rather large & rambling house, well set up on the bank of the Wye, with gadens sloping down to the river. There are stables & other outhouses, all looking rather dilapidated. On the whole, however, the place was more attractive than I expected. The church of St Andrew is placed a little higher up the slope, and is an interesting edifice. On the north wall of the nave I noticed some herring–bone work. The font was uncommonly commodious, and might have been Norman. Mr Williams the squire is a fine looking old man, reputed to be a Protestant. He told me that, when he was an undergraduate at Cambridge, he often breakfasted with F. D. Maurice. I understood him to say that he had some family connexion with the Maurices. We were back in Hereford shortly after 5 p.m. and I went to the Palace, & revised a sermon for Sunday. Then Norcock came to me with a bundle of letters which kept me busy until dinner time. Alice writes to tell me that she has received a post card from the imprisoned Gilbert, who appears to be confined in Karlsruhe. The country is rushing into the opulent verdure of summer.

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