The Henson Journals

[84]

Wednesday, October 8th, 1930.

A dull day, with gleams of sunshine between down pourings of rain, comfortless & depressing. The two clergy – Haswell and Strong– went away after breakfast. They were travelling together as far as Newcastle.

Charles and I went to Durham for the "coming of age" of S. John's College. We began with a service in the Cathedral, at which the Bishop of Ripon preached an excellent sermon from Wisdom vii. "From generation to generation passing into holy souls, she maketh men friends of God and prophets." I pronounced the Benediction from the throne. Then we went to the little church in the Bailey which is used as a chapel by the students of S. John's, & there I dedicated a window. This was followed by lunch in the College itself, over which the Bishop of Manchester presided. He proposed the Toast of the Visitors & coupled with it my name. I made a speech in reply & then the company dispersed. After some talk with the Bishop of Jarrow about the miserable business of Merryweather, I returned to Auckland leaving Charles to follow later.

[85]

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Ella and Fearne went to South Church for the Harvest Festival, and brought to supper the preacher (Perrot Vicar of Middleton) and his wife. [symbol]

Sir Thomas Oliver was present at the function in S. John's College, & incidentally I learned from him that I am expected to make a speech at the dinner tomorrow. It is not easy to discover what I can say which will be interesting, relevant, welcome to the audience, & judicious. There is considerable jealousy of the clergy inbred in these scientific folk: & a certain amount of suppressed resentment against the ecclesiastical connexions of the University of Durham. There is also, I suspect, a growing desire in Newcastle to break away from academic relation to Durham, & go on its own way. How my address to the students will be received remains to be seen. It is not inconceivable that it might be condemned as inappropriate or resented as unflattering. In that event, I should have to make my count with a partially alienated audience, when I came to the dinner. It might possibly be advisable to make some reference to the new developments of science in which the co–operation of doctors & clergy is clearly very important e.g. eugenics, psycho–therapy, sex–instruction etc etc.

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