The Henson Journals

[98]

May 12th, 1922.

Dear Mr Leake,

I gather that you are offering a title for Ordination and I think it right to remind you that you have not ascertained whether I would be willing to accept a title to your parish. The circumstance that your late curate has recently seceded to the Roman Church must needs move some anxiety in my mind as to the wisdom of allowing a young man to begin his ministry under your guidance. Apart from this, I am not satisfied that Boldon is the best suited of the parishes in this diocese for being the scene in which the diaconate should be served.

You will understand, therefore, that you have no permission from me to offer a Title, and that, if such a Title is proposed to me, I shall not accept it.

Yours sincerely

Herbert Dunelm:

The Rev. F. A. E. Leake

[99]

Friday, May 12th, 1922.

Watts, on Morality in Mining districts

Mr Watts, the Vicar of Shildon came to lunch – an odd, little wire drawn dogmatick ^man^ with the eyes of a squirrel. He is a member of the Labour Party, but is 'drawing off' from it as he perceives it developing in an anti–Christian direction. He gives a very dark account of the morals of the miners: and says that he always feels uncomfortable about the clergyman who derives from mining stock. He has grown up among miners, & is on fairly good terms with them, so that his testimony is important. He quoted the opinion of some experienced clergymen, who had mining parishes, that they rarely presented a girl for confirmation who was virgo intacta, & said he did not dissent from this: the fact being that sexual intercourse commonly took place at puberty. He thought that self–abuse, though very common among young children, did not generally continue when puberty was reached, being then replaced by the more normal indulgence. Now all this, even allowing for considerable exaggeration, is very deplorable, very baffling. How can spiritual plants be reared in this vice–saturated soil? Perhaps the very frequency & ordinariness of sexual irregularity go some way to diminishing the depraving effect on the character. On any showing the level of life is dreadfully low.

I went into Durham, & dined in Hall. After dinner I addressed the members of the Evangelical Union in one of the class rooms. I spoke "largo", mainly on the position & prospects of Evangelicalism, & I took occasion to say some "home–truths". Afterwards I was motored back to Durham, where I arrived about 10 p.m.

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