The Henson Journals

[342]

Friday, November 27th, 1925.

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There was more snow during the night, and the roads were in a bad state when, with our chains on, we left the Castle at 10.45 a.m. to motor to Durham for the service in the Cathedral held in connexion with Queen Alexandra's Funeral. There was a large congregation including the Mayor & Corporation, the University, School, Constabulary &c. I pronounced the Benediction from the High Altar. We returned to Auckland immediately after the service.

Rather to my surprise I received the following from Lord Stamfordham in acknowledgement of my letter of condolence addressed to His Majesty:

My dear Bishop

The King desires me to thank you warmly for your kind words of sympathy in his great sorrow as well for your feeling allusion to his beloved Mother. Believe me,

Yours very sincerely

Stamfordham

If all the communications of sympathy with the King are acknowledged so carefully, the excellent Stamfordham will be actively employed, for he writes propriâ manu.

[343]

Clayton and I left the Castle at 6.15 p.m., and motored to Newbottle, taking up Wilson in Durham on the way. I admitted the Revd C. J. Lockyer to the perpetual curacy, which had been vacated by the forced resignation of the previous incumbent. The scandal being recent and gross, the situation was delicate, and I "walked" like Agag "delicately". There was a fair, but not a large congregation. On the whole: I think that probably more good than harm was done by my coming. It is extraordinarily difficult what course to take in these painful (and, alas!, not very infrequent) cases of clerical misconduct. The politeness of the people is such that one can quite easily ignore the scandalous fact altogether, but, since everything is quite well–known locally, this procedure is probably mischievous. Or, one may take the opposite course, adopt a Draconian severity, & out–go the popular conscience in condemnation of the culprit. This procedure may have the effect of transferring the sympathy of the people to the ill–doing parson. I adopted a middle way: alluding darkly, but sufficiently, to the scandal, but invoking the reticence of charity, & emphasizing immediate obligations.

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