The Henson Journals

[59]

Tuesday, July 27th, 1920.

I travelled to York by the 10 a.m. from King's Cross, & arrived there about 2.30 p.m. I proceeded to the Minster, & found everything prepared for the ceremonial of my "Confirmation". This took place in the Choir, & was preceded by the Litany. Cruickshank came from Durham, and acted as my chaplain. Baker–Wilbraham, as Vicar–General of the Archbishop of York, was the central functionary. He and I travelled back to London afterwards. There I went to Garland's, & established myself in a convenient room.

Thus ends my brief tenure of the Bishoprick of Hereford: & thus begins my tenure of the Bishoprick of Durham.

The duration of my episcopate ‒ February 2nd 1918 when I was consecrated Bishop Hereford in Westminster Abbey to July 27th 1920, when I was "confirmed" as Bishop of Durham in York Minster ‒ was little more than 2 1/2 years, too little to test myself, or fairly to be judged. Yet, when I recall the circumstances in which that episcopate began, I should be more or less than human if I did not feel a modest sense of satisfaction at the achievement of so brief a time. Mainly, the credit is due to the precipitate malice of my enemies, who made the dangerous mistake of belittling the man whom they hated. Thus they provoked the repugnance of the ordinary man's conscience, & disposed him to be something more than just to such small merits as I was found to possess.

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