The Henson Journals

[117]

Thursday, August 8th, 1918.

1466th day

I had a bad night, & had to stay in bed all day. Mr Montgomery Campbell came to see me. He gives rather an ill account of the state of his deanery. In Almeley there are many Quakers, who maintain a regular meeting. Their "minister" was old Mr Warner's man of all work, so that relations with the Church were not embittered. Mr W. himself was wont to preach at their Harvest Thanksgivings, & similar functions. Of the "squire", Mr Collett–Mason, he said that he was a recent–comer to the parish in which he had bought a property of 500 or 600 acres: that he was a self–made man, who had "made his pile" in Argentina: and (together with his wife) was "uplifted" by his dominance in Almeley. Mr Campbell evidently shares Norcock's opinion of this gentleman.

The Bishop of Bristol came & sate beside me for an hour after tea. An announcement in the "Daily Mail" informs the public that the Bishop of Wakefield has been forced by the heavy taxation to leave his episcopal palace, & to rent a smaller house. This is the more note–worthy as the Wakefield "palace" is a moderately sized modern house, supposed to match the relatively modest income of a new bishoprick. The situation in the case of the really large houses – Lambeth, Fulham, Bishopthorpe, Bishop Auckland, Farnham – must be difficult. Of course the incomes are larger, but so are the outgoings. It would appear that the War has solved the problem of Episcopal Palaces by taking away the episcopal incomes, which alone made their occupation possible. The practical question now is, how to arrange their speedy evacuation!

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