The Henson Journals
Sun 27 November 1921
Volume 31, Page 56
[56]
Advent Sunday, November 27th, 1921.
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Thirty three years ago, on Advent Sunday, I was publicly instituted to the cure of 12000 souls in Barking Parish Church. Today I have to institute Mr Shebbeare to the Rectory of Stanhope. The way of clerical duty seemed to me obscure & difficult in 1888: it appears almost intolerably so in 1921.
Wilson, Shebbeare & his wife, Clayton, and I motored to Stanhope, and found on arrival that we had time enough to visit the Rectory. It is a large, but also a convenient and attractive house. The gardens are correspondingly extensive. In the Hall there are paintings of several former Rectors, including Bishops Butler and Phillpotts. (Is it possible to conceive two men more sharply differentiated?) The service of Institution was preceded by shortened Mattins, and followed by the Holy Communion. I preached, instituted, and celebrated:– There were 118 communicants. We left the new Rector & his wife in their Rectory, and returned to Auckland in time for lunch.
After lunch Mrs Carruthers, Clayton, and I motored into Durham, and there attended Evensong in the Cathedral. After service – we had tea with Bishop and M rs Quirk: & then returned to Auckland.
Mrs Carruthers spoke about Newstead Abbey, on which lay the curse which has been supposed to attach to the families which enjoyed the possessions of the dissolved monasteries. Sir Arthur Markham's death a few months after he had become tenant of Newstead, had resuscitated belief in the legendary curse. The Webbs, who had owned the building since about 1830, had done some pious works of restoration &c. They had received a letter from the Pope stating that, in recognition of their piety, he would authorize a de–cursing service in the Abbey. Cardinal Gasquet, a friend of the family, had actually conducted this service, which Sir Herbert Chermside (who married a Miss Webb.) had attended. The whole business had been carefully kept secret: but the said Sir Herbert had told Mrs C. all about it. This is a sufficiently startling evidence of the superstition which yet clouds the understanding of our people.