The Henson Journals

[98]

Saturday, March 20th, 1920.

The most glorious day imaginable! I walked with Ella in the garden for half an hour before going off to Bradford. I left Hereford at 11.35 a.m., & viâ Droitwich and Birmingham (where there was a wait of 1 hour 15 mins) travelled to Bradford, arriving 7.5 p.m. A churchwarden met me, & I went straight to the Vicarage, where two aged ladies, the mother and mother–in–law of the Vicar received me. On the journey, I read "The Skilled Labourer 1760–1832", by Mr & Mrs Hammond.

Stanford Jones, the Vicar of Bradford, is a slightly–built man, with an eager look and an alert manner. He has an intelligent face, and a manner which might be called conventional though in no offensive degree. He certainly has a sense of humour, and a little appetite for good stories. In his study there was not the plenitude and variety of books that might indicate the student's tastes and habits, but there were enough to suggest a measure of intellectual variety, and this character disclosed the purpose of a preacher who would be accounted "abreast of the times". I observed Inge's "Outspoken Essays" on his table together with several volumes of recent sermons. He was one of the members of the Mansfield Conference on reunion, and shared the distrust of Lacey which Knight expressed, and which has been so shockingly justified by Lacey's ignominious & unsuccessful efforts to explain away his signature appended to the findings of the Conference. The Vicar of Bradford would appear to be one of the neo–Evangelicals, who is seeking escape from the bondage of the party.

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