The Henson Journals

[59]

Thursday, September 25th, 1930.

A brilliant autumnal day, warm but not sultry. Hamilton came from Durham, and hung my portrait in the State Room. It is, I think, a painting equal to the general average of episcopal portraits. I brought the Newcastle Address to some kind of completeness. It is scrappy, disconnected, stilted, and vague!! Nevertheless, it must serve.

The statement that Neville Talbot is to be translated from Pretoria to N. S. W. has been contradicted.

Leonard Wilson and his wife came to lunch. I told him that he must take up his duty in his parish, Eighton Banks, at the beginning of Advent, and be instituted on a convenient day before Advent Sunday. The large dilapidated house is a "white elephant" in a benefice so poorly endowed: but whether a purchaser can be found for it, is very doubtful. I said that I should willingly sanction a sale if it could be effected on reasonable terms. The freehold of the benefice is a dubious benefit to the clergy of the Church of England, who can with difficulty find the money required for the furnishing of the residence houses, of which they in legal theory the actual owners.

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