The Henson Journals

[168]

Thursday, August 16th, 1923.

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Just before waking this morning I had a vivid dream . I was in Auckland, & as I entered the State Room, I saw Harold Knowling. "You have come at last, Harold", I said, & he ran forward & threw himself into my arms. "Is Elsie with you? I asked and awoke. I note the dream, because it was so vivid. I cannot think of anything that has suggested Harold to me recently. Many years ago, John Doyle described me as 'like Archbishop Laud'. At least in recording my dreams, I follow the steps of that great Churchman!

The Times reports two episcopal appointments. Guy Warman is transferred from Truro to Chelsmford, and the Archdeacon of Oakham, (Whittinghame) is appointed to St Edmundsbury & Ipswich. I wrote to both ^of^ them expressing pleasure & goodwill. This leaves Truro vacant, & there it might seem reasonable to appoint an Anglo–Catholic. He would be less mischievous at that distance from London than elsewhere.

Lady Cohen walked with us to the parish church of Hythe, where we were received by Mr Dale, the Vicar, a civil middle–aged man, who showed us his fine church, of which he spoke with knowledge, intelligence, & a decent pride. The 13th century chancel is a very noble composition. There are interesting remains of the older Norman Church in the nave. A curious feature is the great collection of skulls & thigh bones (8000 of them) in the crypt, or rather ambulatory of the church. We went into the Vicarage, where the Vicar & his wife showed us their fine colletion of water–colours.

[169]

After lunch our hostess took us for a very enjoyable expedition to Rye and Winchilsea. On the road we stopped to visit the interesting but badly dilapidated church of Brooklands. Here was a most curious Norman font of lead, and some medieval glass. In the churchyard was a wooden campanile, which reminded me of the far more noble campanile of Pembridge. At Rye we were shown the parish church, a large building of various interest. The Vicar (Fowler) had got both his churchwardens to receive me, & there was an annoying crowd of tourists who pressed in after us. In the street I ran into John Bailey & his daughter. We visited the Town Hall, & then went to tea with Lady Blomfield, the wife of the architect Sir Reginald Blomfield. Their house is nobly placed, commanding a wonderful view over the marshes to the sea. After tea we went on to Winchilsea, where we visited the interesting fragment of the great 14th century church, where are some notable monuments. There are the remains of a monastery. Then we returned home. I sate beside the chauffeur, Ernest Clason, with whom I had much pleasant conversation. He told me that he was 22 years old, and that he hoped to be married next year. He had left school when he was 12., and "gone into the stable". At 15 he had started driving a motor, but had been stopped as under the requisite age. I counselled him to read in the waiting intervals which his trade provided. We parted very good friends.

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