The Henson Journals

[115]

Thursday, March 27th, 1919.

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We left the Palace at 9.45 a.m. and motored to Culmington where I confirmed 32 persons in the quaint little 13th century church (All Saints). The fabric has been much abused, but it contains a fine double piscina, an Easter sepulchre, an unusually low arch leading from the tower into the church, and an odd steeple (or arrested steeple). The Rector, Rev. D .E. Holland, is a brother of Sir T. Erskine Holland, quondam Chichele professor of International Law. He is a delightful old parson, well–liked by his parishioners, of a type now, alas!, not often met with. We lunched at Culmington Manor but Mr & Mrs Thomas Shaw had been called away by the illness of their infant child. MrMason the Vicar of Diddlebury with Westhope, a cheerful man with a very puzzling parish, lunched also, and Mr Jeffrey, the Rector of Tugford and Vicar of Shipton (the population of both parishes is only 272). After lunch we motored to Halford where I administered Confirmation to 28 candidates in a tiny church. The parson, de Castro, holds Halford with Sibdon Carwood, both parishes having less than 300 people.These tiny parishes constitute a grave problem. The clergy have not enough to do, and generally also they receive less than they can reasonably be expected to live upon – a double disablement for effective ministry, indolence and poverty.

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