The Henson Journals

[96]

Monday, August 8th, 1921.

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I worked on the Preface until 1 p.m. when we started in the motor on an expedition to Morebath, where my father was born, & where my cousin, James Henson, now lives. We lunched in picnic fashion on the road–side, & arrived at the village about 3 p.m. We went at once to the church, a neat building low–pitched, dating, I should judge, from the 14th century. I noticed with interest a tablet headed 'James Henson. C.W. 1824', which recorded some benefaction to the parish. In the churchyard were many graves bearing the name, Henson. I distinguished those of my grandfather and grandmother, also that of my uncle. My grandfather died in 1865, aged 81, and my uncle in 1880. Both lived at Loyton Farm, a whitewashed farm–house, with a thatched roof, two–storied, which we were taken to see. It was odd to reflect that 109 years ago my father had been born in that house. We had tea with my cousin, Frank Henson, and his wife (née Florence Ellis). The Vicar, Mr Voysey (if I mistake not, the heretick's son), came to tea. He said that he and I matriculated together at Oxford in 1881. He had been no less than 26 years incumbent of that little country parish. There were in Morebath Churchyard the graves of Monty Bere's forefathers.

Frank Henson agreed with me that our family had come from Porlock. He said that our great–grandfather had owned a good deal of land about Morebath. I asked whether he could explain the precise relation in which Ernest Henson stands to our branch of the family: but on this subject he could tell me nothing.

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