The Henson Journals

[218]

Wednesday, April 23rd, 1930.

If Robert Bridges had lived two days longer, his death would have synchronized with the birth of Shakespeare. Already the papers are canvassing the claims of possible successors.

In Cameron Lees's History of the Abbey of Paisley I find the following, which connects it with Durham:

"A large bell is said to have hung in the tower (fallen in the time of Abp. Hamilton), and to have been carried by the English soldiers in the time of Cromwell, to Durham, & placed in the Cathedral of that city. There is no trace of it to be found there now." (p. 213)

The author adds the following note:–

'I have made enquiries, in which I have been assisted by one of the Cathedral Chapter clergy. All the Cathedral bells were re–cast under Dean Comber in 1693, having been previously re–cast in the same century. None of the present bells have any inscription referring to Paisley."

The Abbey of Paisley was an off–shoot of the Cluniac house of Wenlock in Shropshire. In 1219 Honorius iii raised the Priory to the rank of an Abbey, & thus the connexion with Wenlock was severed.

[219]

Miss Ramsay, Ella, and I motored to Paisley where we viewed the restored Abby Church. Only the Nave, and one of the Transepts is ancient: all the rest is restoration. The whole length of the church is about 270 feet. I was impressed by the method of perpetuating the names of those who fell in the War. They are inscribed on silver plaques on the pages of a book, and locked in a small recess in the wall underneath the large window in the North Transept.

We lunched with Lady Renshaw with whom were Madge & her son–in–law, Herbert Ogilvie. He spoke much to me about his two sons, whom he describes as unusually intelligent young fellows, but whose attitude towards religion is anything but respectful. He said that he understood that Oxford was in a very bad state morally. I have heard this report from so many sources that I begin to fear that there may be some foundation for it. He took us to see the garden of an eccentric plutocrat named Holmes. The daffodils, rhododendrons, & 'American currents' were amazing. We returned home for tea, to which Mr Robertson, the local minister, came.

[220]

Ella and I motored to 115 Glasgow Road, Paisley, and found Mrs Elliott and Derek expecting us. She is a slight, dark–eyed woman, very young–looking to be the mother of a boy of 19. She told me about her husband, & the circumstances of his death. He was an Irishman, and not very prudent in financial matters: & she was now very ill–provided. I said that, if Derek worked well & behaved well, there was no reason why he should not be able to finance his academic course. I said that I would certainly stand his friend, & that I should like him to spend part of his vacations at Auckland Castle, that he might have the use of my books & facility for reading. Derek will be 18 in December, so that there is an interval of 5 years to be bridged before he could be ordained. He will certainly be the last boy in whom I will allow myself to be interested, and it would be lamentable, indeed, if he turned out to be a second Kenneth!

[221]

April 24th, 1930

My dear Budworth,

I took advantage yesterday of being in the neighbourhood of Paisley to call on Mrs Elliott, Derek's mother. She tells me that he has made up his mind to be a clergyman. Of course the purpose of a boy is often written in water, but now and again it holds, and then it is the best kind of purpose. Anyway I told her that I approved, & would willingly assist in enabling him to carry out his intention, but that you ought before everybody else to be consulted as to procedure. He will be 18 in December, which is very young for the University: and another year at school might well be desirable: &, of course, much turns on his wits. It is very my intention to befriend the lad, though he might find much assistance towards Holy Orders.

Always affectly

Herbert Dunelm:

The Rev Canon Budworth,

Durham School

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