The Henson Journals

[21]

Tuesday, December 17th, 1929.

De Burton lunched here, and afterwards I took him to my study, and "had it out with him" over the "Popish" manual for Children's Mass, which he has been circulating in his parish. He promised to discontinue using it, & to yield all due obedience to his Bishop. But –

I walked round the Park with Dr McCullagh. The stillness of the weather, & the faint "bite" of winter in the air made walking delightful. We put up a hare. Dr M. said that he had seen as many as 10 magpies sitting together on one rail in the Park.

I motored to Durham, and address the P.C.C.s of the Rural Deaneries of Easington and Durham in the Institute belonging to S. Margaret's Parish. There was, I suppose, a fairly good attendance. The two Rural Deans – Lillingston and Boulflower – were on the platform. The questions were neither particularly intelligent nor very obviously relevant, but, no doubt, the asking of them relieved the questioners. It is obvious that the mass of the P.C.C.'s by no means resent very strongly the action of Parliament. They have very little church–consciousness, and very strong party prepossessions. Disestablishment has always been connected in their minds with hostility to the Church, & they can't easily imagine it otherwise.

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