The Henson Journals

[73]

Wednesday, December 7th, 1921.

The papers print the terms of agreement subscribed by the Government and the Sinn Fein leaders. Ireland is constituted "a Free State within the British Commonwealth of Nations". Ulster may retain her present position as long as she desires to do so, but her frontiers are to be delimited by a Commission. The immediate relief is immense, & makes it difficult to examine the arrangement coolly: but all must turn on the good faith of the Sinn Feiners, and that is a highly doubtful factor. I spent the morning in writing a sermon for the Freemasons next Sunday; and then I motored to Witton–le–Wear, and lunched with Major Rudyard, the Vicar's Churchwarden. Mr Wilkinson the new Vicar, and his wife were there, and Mr Moscroft, the architect. After lunch we went to the Vicarage in order to decide the great question. Can it be repaired so as to form a habitable residence? Or, must it be pulled down, & a new house provided?, or, finally, is there any middle course between repairing, and replacing? To repair the present house would, it is roughly estimated, cost £1700: to replace, could not cost less than £4000: to renovate & enlarge, would require an expenditure of at least £2500. The whole funds available are about £1200. The fabric is certainly in a most deplorable state: & there are neither drains nor baths! I promised to ascertain whether any funds could be contributed from extra–parochial sources. Major Rudyard & his co–churchwarden were emphatic in asserting that the parish could, and would, do nothing!

The Rev: F.S. Myers, Vicar of Southmoor, called to see me. He wanted me to write on the Marriage question in some Sunday paper, to which he himself had contributed an article on the same subject. I told him that in no circumstances could the Bishop of Durham enter into public controversy with one of his own clergy. He had tea, & returned home.

Carnegie Simpson acknowledges a copy of "Anglicanism", & expresses agreement with the views there expressed. He adds that he will commend it to his class at Cambridge. Lord Stamfordham sends me a brief letter of thanks, but I doubt whether he would agree with my position; as (if I am not ill informed) he has become one of Dickie Shepperd's followers! Indeed, he could hardly take a line which involved criticism of the Archbishop.

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