The Henson Journals

[38]

Thursday, November 1st, 1923.

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I wrote a little discourse for Buckingham Palace utilizing the suggestions of Guy Fawkes Day. This occupied the morning. Then I walked in the Park with the dogs. A fine herd of Highland Cattle have been brough into the inner Park. The Bishop of Ripon arrived about 5 p.m., and we had much talk. He was for a short time chaplain to Lightfoot & he told me the following.

Dr Heartley, sometime Canon of Christ Church, who died in 1895 at the age of 95, was educated at a private school in Witton–le–Wear about the year 1812. He used to come into Bishop Auckland to buy books etc. he remembered being told that the Sexton of South Church had been confirmed by Bishop Butler, who reigned from 1750 to 1752, being resident hardly more than half the time.

Strong says that it is the tradition & habit of Leeds to ignore the Bishop of Ripon. Accordingly, he is never invited to be present at municipal functions, & was not asked to be present even when the Prince of Wales visited the city. Nevertheless, he likes Leeds, & is getting to know the citizens. He is really at heart an advocate of Disestablishment, & his objection (so far as he has one) to the system created by the Enabling Act is that it presupposes Disestablishment. He agrees with me that it is not properly consistent with the name & claim of a traditional Church.

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