The Henson Journals

[83]

Monday, June 23rd, 1924.

I came away by the early train, leaving Glasgow at 8.40 a.m. and reaching Newcastle at 12.39 noon. William met me with the car, & carried me to the Castle, where I arrived about 2 p.m. I wrote letters, including one to George Nimmins.

Macdonald came to see me. He has received a tentative proposal for the sale of his Vicarage, and he thinks that, if anything above £8000 can be obtained for it, the sale should be made in the interest of the living. Half the money wd be needed for the provision of a new vicarage, & half wd go to improving the meagre income. I don't like the tendency which subordinates history, and spiritual interest, and pastoral convenience to the simple consideration of finance. The sale of the vicarages situate in the "business–neighbourhoods", in order to garner for the benefice the fantastic values which attach to the sites, does not attract me. Macdonald assures me that another site, not less convenient to priest and people is obtainable, and that the poorness of the endowment is now a grave obstacle to finding a good man for the living. I admitted the force of these pleas, and authorized him to "explore" the possibilities of sale. At the end of the year at latest we shall have to find a successor to Macdonald, &, if changes are to be made, they had better be made before a new appointment.

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