The Henson Journals
Wed 16 April 1930
Volume 49, Pages 205 to 206
[205]
Wednesday, April 16th, 1930.
A warm beautiful day. I wasted the morning in writing letters, including one to my Chancellor in answer to his inquiry as to my wishes in the matter of issuing licences for the marriage of "innocent" divorced persons. On the whole I judge it to be inexpedient.
Malcolm Keir Ross, a pleasant–looking lad from Stockton, who is now at Keble in his second year, came to lunch, & then walked round the Park. He interested me very much. His father is the Secretary of the local branch of the Engineers' Union. I was surprized to learn that though Malcolm is an ardent member of "Father" Bott's congregation, & did make his confession before he was confirmed, he had not done so again, & was not helped by his experience. I believe the Anglo–Catholicks are much more confident on paper about their distinctive methods, than the facts warrant. Much is conceded to their zeal & goodness, but the people do not follow their counsels, nor actually submit to the spiritual disciplines which they insist on.
[206]
Pattinson and I motored to Durham, where I instituted Principal Wallis to the Rectory of the combined parishes of St Mary–le–Bow, and St Mary–le–Bow the Less in the Bailey. There was quite a nice service though the absenteeism of the students reduced the congregation to a collection of neighbours. Dawson–Walker was present, & Lillingston, as Rural Dean, inducted the Rector, Rowlandson, who is enormously fat, carried the wand before me as Churchwarden. Both the little churches in the Bailey have now been attached to S. John's College. This gives a clearly preponderating position to the Evangelicals, a situation which can by no means be pleasing to the Anglo–Catholicks, whose citadel is St Chad's College.
Would it be judicious for me to make some kind of pronouncement with respect to taking the private means of the resigning incumbent into account when the Commission appointed under the Incumbent's Resignation Act have to determine the amount to be assigned as a pension out of the income of the benefice? J.G. Wilson was very wrong–headed on this point.