The Henson Journals

[286]

Friday, December 17th, 1926.

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Arthur writes to say that this silly rumour about my becoming Archbishop of C. is current in Minehead, and that he is being questioned about it. He actually seems disposed himself to regard it as serious. It is really exasperating, for even the repudiating of it seems to give it a kind of authority, & attaches it to me personally, which is equally invidious & offensive. I wrote at once to bid him sweep the thing aside with contempt as an impudent & offensive stunt of our latter–day journalism.

Two pleasant young fellows came to lunch. They were Sedbergh boys now at Cambridge who had come to see Ernest. One of them, Macpherson, told me that he had made up his mind to take Orders. Also, Canon Crudace & his sister with the lady from Witton–le–Wear lunched.

I motored to Durham, & took up my quarters in the Castle for the Ordination. Newsom gave the address at Evensong, & was so rambling & verbose that we were late for dinner. I had interviews with the men. They are the following: –

Deacons:	Oswald Noel Gwilliam	23.	licensed to S. Mary's, Gateshead
	Robert William Bruce Richards.	26.
	Gerald Munro Neill.	24.	" " Grangetown
Priests:	Norman Copland	26.	" " Beamish
	Kenneth Kay	24.	" " Herrington
	John Savage	32.	" " Shotton
	Reginald Christopher Unwin	24.	" " S. Gabriel's, Sunderland
	Fred Crosby	45.	" "
	John James Moore	46.	" " Lyons.

On the whole, they are a satisfactory set, though no one of them seems to be distinguished by any unusual ability. And all except the 3 working men, Savage, Crosby, & Moore, are of the right age.

The total number of men ordained in the C. of E. last year is stated to be no more than 373, which represents a slight reduction from the year before. The annual "wastage" exceeds 600 men!

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