The Henson Journals

[11]

Wednesday, March 9th, 1927.

A brilliant morning with a slight frost. I wrote some more of the Conference Address, and then had an interview with Mr Ferguson, the Vicar of Collierley, who wished to consult me about a living which had been offered him by some Patronage Board in the diocese of Lichfield. He is a terribly conceited fellow, & excessively polemical, but in his own way works hard, & would be hard to replace. On the whole I counselled him to stay where he is. He stayed to lunch.

Lionel and I motored to Eaglescliffe, & there I confirmed 46 persons in the parish church. The Anglo–Catholik eccentrick, Milner, Vicar of Elton, brought some candidates. The Vicar of Egglescliffe [sic], Mr Dingle, is, I think, a widower, & displays the decent melancholy proper to that description. We went on to St. John's, Stockton, & there I confirmed 111 persons. The parson, Batt, is an Anglo–Catholick. The service pleased me. Harlow, the Vicar of St Peter's, told me that it was his birthday, & asked me to write his name in the copy of 'Church & Parson in England', which he had today received from the publishers. Thus I learned that the poor thing had actually been distributed. Will it do any good? Will it not rather cause additional offence? I was a jackass to send it out!

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