The Henson Journals

[326]

Wednesday, September 18th, 1929.

The ''Yorkshire Post'' has a perturbing paragraph announcing that the Headmaster of the Abbey School at Richmond, Yorkshire, had been committed for trial on three charges of indecently assaulting boys under 16 years of age, boarders at his school. I turned to 'Crockford', & failed to find this clergyman's name: then I turned to my [B.L.]? and found it. In 1916 he was placed on the list by the Abp. of C. He is described as 'Lately Sec. of Boy Scouts Assocn. in Victoria, Aust'.

Now how did this man come to be appointed to the Headmastership of a school in England after having been certified as disreputable?

There is no doubt in my mind that our disciplinary system in the Anglican Communion is seriously defective. The present shortage of clergy has intensified the peril, for not only are unsatisfactory men being accepted for Ordination, but men of tarnished record are being appointed to positions. The 'bad hats' of England are got out to the Colonies, and the Colonial reprobates come back to us. A ruinous reciprocity of scoundrels.

[327]

"Attainments in learning and science do little to make men wise in politics. Some eminent scientific men have been in this respect no wiser than their undergraduate pupils. There have been countries in which the chiefs of public services and the professors in Universities were prominent in the advocacy of policies which proved disastrous."

Bryce 'Modern Democracies' i.89

Bryce expresses disappointment at the meagre effect of education in creating the will to serve the public in the educated. see vol.ii.p.500–501

France and Switzerland are honourable exceptions.

'In none of the other countries does the traveller feel that the class to which wealth or knowledge or capacity gives social influence is doing the full duty to the State'. What is the value of an academic education as an instrument of mental & moral discipline, or of competence for social service? Are the educated more, or less, prejudiced than the ignorant? In what sense can it be said with truth that knowledge is intellectually emancipating?

[328]

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Lomax of Ferryhill lunched here. He has a considerable "crisis" in his parish. Some of his choirmen, including the cross–bearer, had joined the Wesleyan Male Choir, a body which sang in the district but was not directly associated with the Wesleyan Chapel. Lomax insisted on their either abandoning this association or their membership of the Church Choir. They "showed fight", & pleaded the example of the Bishop, who had preached in Dissenting Chapels!!! It is not surprising that they should be puzzled. Either the strictly "Catholick" position, or the "All–going–the same–way" Protestant is intelligible, but this via media which refuses to condemn Schism, & yet refrains from embracing sectaries is hard to understand.

Pattinson & I motored to Leadgate, where I instituted the Revd John Hamilton to the Vicarage in succession to old Coney. I ordained Hamilton myself six years ago, and he has been assistant curate of Christ Church, West Hartlepool, ever since. There was a crowded church: a good attendance of the local clergy: & a reverent service.

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