The Henson Journals

[102]

Thursday, October 16th, 1930.

Merryweather came to see me at 4 p.m. The Bishop of Jarrow, Dr Jackson, and Ferens were present. The interview had been arranged originally in order that he might explain to me the conditions under which he might be permitted to have a lay–worker licensed to his parish: but in the interval his outrageous behaviour had taken place. Accordingly, I began by telling him that there could be no question of my sanctioning his employment of anybody, until he had remedied his fault. He appeared quite careless and callous: so I spoke to him with great severity, seeking to open his eyes to the gravity of the position in which he had brought himself: and I insisted on knowing whether he meant to obey my order next Sunday morning. He said he must think it over, so I closed the interview. The Bishop of Jarrow went after him, and sought to bring in to a more reasonable mind. Later the Bishop returned to me and [103] reported a provisional arrangement. If I would allow Merryweather to make his public recantation by deputy, & would facilitate his getting an assistant curacy, whereby to maintain his wife and family, he would both sign his recantation, and resign his benefice. I demurred to undertaking to have any hand in assisting him to get any more clerical work, but finally agreed not to object to the Bishop of Jarrow's doing so. Thus, then, the matter stood over. If after thinking over the proposal, Merryweather agreed to it, he was to attend at the Chapter Office tomorrow at 12 noon, and there to sign the two documents. Rather against the Bishop of Jarrow's wishes, I instructed Ferens to communicate the letter which I addressed to Merryweather last night to the press. It seemed to me that there had already been too long delay in letting the world know that the Bishop was not wholly indifferent to the necessity of doing something.

[104]

I wrote to Dr Jackson, the Rector of Chester–le–Street, offering him the honorary Canonry vacated by Canon Scott's death.

The Revd Sidney Smith, Vicar of Greenside, lunched. He wished me 1. To reconsider the case of Spenser whom I rejected as an Ordination Candidate, some years ago; 2. to allow him to exchange with his lay–reader on Sundays, so that he might occasionally preach in the Mission churches of his parish. I rejected the first request; and the second I conceded on condition that such exchange were not made more frequently than once in the month.

The missionary lady who, as Mrs Starr, distinguished herself by rescuing a young English girl whom the Assidis had abducted, & who was for that achievement decorated by the King, arrived to stay the night & speak to Ella's C. M. S. meeting in the State Room tomorrow. She impressed me as a very capable person, and the opinions she expressed on Indian politics were remarkably sane & intelligent. Also, for a missionary, she was quite good–looking!

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