The Henson Journals

[35]

Thursday, July 8th, 1926.

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Dr Jackson, the Rector of Chester–le–Street, came to see me about the appointment to Pelton, of which he is patron. I had some talk with him about the state of feeling in his parish, which is an important mining centre. He said that the majority of the miners would at once resume work if they dared to do so: that they were weary of Cook: and ashamed of the Russian money. The rates in his district are 31/6 in the £, and will rise higher: but he did not think the administration of relief was either dishonest or extravagant. He said that the men generally had the idea that "the Church was on their side", the result of the Archbishop's unfortunate action, of the vapourings of the Communist parsons, and the vague "sentimentalisms" of "Copec". I was interested to learn that Jackson's opinions were becoming much more restrained and economically "orthodox", since he had come to know more of the actual character of the "socialism" which reigns in our mining districts.

Slorach also lunched here. He came to say Goodbye, as he will soon leave the diocese in order to take up his work in Sheffield as Secretary of the Board of Finance. He says that the C. L. B. platoons at Houghton–le–Spring and Chester–le–Street have been disbanded because no suitable officers can be found. It is here that the lack of young clergy tells so disastrously.

I accompanied the ladies to Mrs Fryer's house in order that I might see the garden, which was beautiful. Miss F. told me that the house (rebuilt) dated from 1515. There are sweet–scented rushes in the pool, which claimed to be the original source from which the rushes in Wolsey's Pool were brought, but this is clearly an impudent inversion of the history!

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