The Henson Journals

[153]

Monday, August 18th, 1924.

J. G. Wilson sends me "Notes & Queries" vol. 147, No.7, which contains a note on my predecessor, Richard Barnes, signed J. C. Whitebrook. It offers some corrections of the Article on Barnes in D.N.B., and quotes a scurrilous account of his death from Lee's "The Church under Q. Elizabeth", adding this note:

"It is, however, curious that the diversity of Bishop and Dean at Durham over the question of the consumption of beer shd have commenced in Elizabethan days".

There is no such diversity indicated in the passage quoted, but only that the Dean, Toby Matthew, asked the dying bishop 'in sign of his faith to hold up his hands', & that, in response to this appeal, Barnes'always held his fingers to his mouth', an action which 'his base son' explained to mean a desire for drink. This precious scandal is quoted by Lee from "An ancient Editor's Note Book", a contemporaneous account preserved in MS. at Stonyhurst.

Making an act of faith in the weather, we (i.e. Ella, Fearne, Baddeley, Peel Dennistoun, Ernest, and I) left the Castle at 10.45 a.m., and motored to Borcovicus, where we arrived at 1.15 p.m., and found Mrs Murray with the two girls already on the ground. After a picnic lunch in the Roman Camp, we walked down the wall for some distance, and then returned to Chollerford, where we had tea, & parted with Baddeley. We motored back to Auckland by way of Blanchland and Stanhope, nearly coming to grief on the high ground out of Blanchland.

Peel Dennistoun left by the night train.

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