The Henson Journals

[190]

Friday, August 31st, 1923.

Before breakfast I wrote to Wynne Willson expressing my pleasure on learning that he hd decided to accept my offer of the Vicarage of Bishopwearouth in the Rural Dener of Sunderland. I wrote to Fry the Prime Minister's Patronage Secretary urging the importance of Crown nominees to benefices in the diocese of Durham not being drawn from the Durham Clergy.

After lunch we motored to Farleigh or Farley Castle, where we had tea with Lord and Lady Cairns. The latter is connected with the Barnes of Hereford whose account of the late Bishop had been sufficiently favourable to ensure me a kind reception. After te we visited the ruins of the medieval castle which are picturesquely place on a hill overlooking an extensive plain. The Chapel which is now arranged as a museum , contains some Hungerford tombs, of which one was surrounded with a beautiful iron grill of 15th century date. Underneath this chapel is a charnel house or crypt, which hold the leaden mummies of the Hungerfords whose monuments are above. We returned to Brockham End through Bath and Bradford.

The papers report a dangerous situation which has developed suddenly beween Italy and Greece by reason of the assassination of an Italian mission in Greek territory. Mussolinni is a hectoring diplomat, and unless he can be made to moderate his tone, there may be renewed war in the Adriatic.

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