The Henson Journals

[313]

Thursday, April 28th, 1921.

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I left the Castle at 7.45 a.m., and travelled to King's Cross by the early train, arriving at 2.15 p.m. Leaving my bag in Park Lane, I went to the Athenaeum, where I fell in with Cantuar: who was rather grumpy. I told him that I had come up to speak against him! Then I went to the hair–dresser, & having been "sleekified" by his labour, went to the House of Lords. Here I found several bishops. Lord Stuart of Wortley moved the rejection of the Divorce Bill, & was followed by a tiresome old rambling Papist, Lord Bray. Then the Archbishop spoke, and I followed. Practically I read my speech, which was well listened to. Lord Selborne made a rather angry reply: then Lord Buckmaster summed up. The division was 87 to 48. Several peers congratulated me on my speech. Lord Barrington introduced himself to me as the great grand nephew of the famous Bishop Shute Barrington. Lord Chelmsford told me that when I turned round he & the peers sitting on the bench behind the Chancellor couldn't hear: but mainly he thought it a good speech. He voted with me. Lord Lambourne told me that he said when I became a Bishop, that now another Lloyd George had been brought into Parliament! This is a double–edged compliment!

[314]

Mr Gray, one of the Hartlepool shipbuilders, came into my carriage, and talked very pleasantly most of the way from Peterboro to King's Cross. He was himself a prisoner with the Germans, and had witnessed many brutalities done to our men in the confinement camps. But he agreed that there was little use in keeping up the exasperation by trying the criminals. He says that there are 7000 men out of work in Hartlepool, and that distress is already acute. He is chairman of a relief committee. The Bishops talked rather foolishly about the Strike in the Upper House of Canterbury. The Archbishop told me that he wished nothing had been said, & that the Bishop of St Alban's was most ill–advised. I had the Bishop of Southwell as my companion at dinner in the Athenaeum. He says that Archdeacon Wakeford has been "carrying on" with women for years past. In the late Bishop of Lincoln's diary was an entry to the effect that he had earnestly remonstrated with Wakeford over the risk of grave scandal. The Bp. of Gloucester, who was one of the assessors, told me that he was of opinion that the Archdeacon was a kind of "sex–fanatick". It seems doubtful whether he will be formally unfrocked, but he is legally incapable of holding office.

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