The Henson Journals

[58]

Saturday, May 19th, 1923.

I finished the Sermon, & journeyed to Scarborough. The throng of holiday–makers at York was so great that there was little hope of my getting a seat on the train by which I had planned to travel. I came on comfortably in a later train, which brought me to Scarborough in time for a dinner at the Prince of Wales' Hotel as the guest of Sir William Smith and the Mayor of the borough. The Lord Mayor of London with his wife, son, & daughter were also guests together with Mrs Scharlieb & others. Among these was a talkative American who, though himself drinking wine, adventured a defence of Prohibition. I joined issue with him, & indeed he had no supporter.

The Revd John Wynyard Capron, Vicar of Scarborough, has only been in his present benefice a few months. He was till lately Vicar of Pontefract. He has only been 14 years in Orders, & this is the 3rd benefice which he has held. He is married and has one child, a boy three years old. He expresses himself with some vigour in opposition to Anglo–Catholic opinions & practices: but I am not sure whether his conversation did not reflect a desire to propitiate the Bishop of Durham as much as his own opinions! His wife was rather more vehemently on the same side. But of more than 16,000 parishioners, rather less than 700 are entered on the electoral roll! But Dissenters are numerous, & Papists not inconsiderable.

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