The Henson Journals

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Thursday, May 27th, 1920.

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The heat last night made sleep impossible. Mrs Smith & Walter Smith left for Wales. Ella & I motored to Croft Castle, & lunched with Major & Mrs Atherley, very pleasant people. After lunch we were shown the Castle, a large square building with a considerable annex erected by the first purchaser of the present family, Kevill–Davies. Hard by the house is the little parish church which is distinguished by fine recumbent effigies of a medieval Croft & his wife, and by a number of fine medieval tiles. In the grounds is a fine chestnut avenue, grown from the nuts brought from Spain by the Croft who flourished under Queen Elizabeth. We motored to Yarpole, & there I dedicated a Memorial Cross in the presence of a numerous assembly. Little Billy Kevill–Davies unveiled the monument, on which his father's name is inscribed at the head of the fallen soldiers. After the dedication I administered their pledge to 11 boy–scouts. Then we motored to Hereford.

I received a frigid and ambiguous letter from the Archbishop of Canterbury returning the letter from Abp. Söderblom. His Grace is evidently alarmed at the prospect of the Lambeth Conference declining to recognize Swedish Orders! Probably he has consulted his privy pundits, & they have warned him. I wrote a short letter indicating my surprise at his suggestion of difficulty with the Lambeth Conference, & stating that I would not acknowledge any authority in a body, avowedly gathered for purely consultative purposes, to control me in the exercise of my undoubted liberty.

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