The Henson Journals

[58]

2nd Sunday in Advent, December 5th, 1920.

I celebrated the Holy Communion in the Chapel. William communicated. All the morning I remained in my study preparing a sermon for the evening. After lunch Maish & I set out in the car for Boldon, but our way through the Park was blocked by a large beech, which had been blown down in Friday's gale. In endeavouring to get round it, the car stuck in the sodden grass, & was extricated by the combined efforts of ourselves, the woodman & his sons. We turned back, & set out through the town, arriving after a curiously complicated journey, about 5 p.m. At Evensong I preached in the parish church of St Nicholas, an interesting 13th century church, distinguished by three tombs of former rectors – recumbent effigies in recesses against the north wall of the chancel, & the south wall of the nave. There was also a fine double piscina. The congregation was beyond the capacity of the building which is not large. I preached with reference to the occasion – the 700 anniversary of the church – drawing a comparison between the XIIIth century & the XXth, both as to resemblances & differences, & referring to the Boldon Book. After service, in the Vestry, I spoke strongly to the Rector & Churchwardens on the necessity of getting the Electoral Roll under the Enabling Act properly prepared. There are but 200 names out of a population of 3000. The parson – Leake – is evidently a very High Churchman. We retuned to the Castle after supper, arriving a little after 11 p.m.

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