The Henson Journals

[140]

Monday, November 3rd, 1930.

Forty six years ago on this day I was elected a Fellow of All Souls, & my life received a new direction. Was it really for my good? Or for anybody's good? It is, of course, impossible to say since we don't know what my life would have been otherwise. That it would have been quite different is certain: that it would have been far less "successful" is probable: that it would have been less happy, or less useful is doubtful.

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Watts, the Vicar of Shildon, came to see me about the feasibility and the desirableness of making an effort to raise funds for providing boots & clothes for the children of the unemployed. I finally decided to invite a dozen of the incumbents to meet here next week in order to consider the matter. The Lord Mayors' Fund, which raised such a vast sum last year, is no longer available: but the need remains, & becomes greater, as the years pass, & the annual crisis of winter has to be met by people whose houses have been stripped of all vendible objects. Yet the labour is great, and the abuses of distribution both certain and considerable.

[141]

I went to Durham, and presided at a meeting of the Governors of Bede College. I brought the question of Braley's stipend, and we agreed to raise it to £1000 per annum, the University fees being paid to the Governors' Account. This will increase his income by £123 per annum.

I had an interview with Alfred Toomey in Dawson Walker's drawing room, and consented to accept a title from Bishop Auckland, & to ordain him on the same at Advent if he pafsed his examination. He is certainly an attractive youth, and if he have sufficient 'staying power', will make a good parson. It is a pity, perhaps, that he has ear–marked himself for foreign service under the S.P.G.

I sent copies of the Bishoprick to the following:–

15.	Geoffrey Dawson.	23.	[symbol] Mrs Radford.
16.	Noel Storr.	24.	[symbol] Mrs. Richardson.
17.	[symbol] Arthur E. Henson.	25.	[symbol] Revd J. R. Hine–Haycock.
18.	Frank C. Capon	26.	Archbishop of Armagh.
19.	Arthur H. Rawle.	27.	Revd Mr. Rutherford.
20.	Alfred Spelling.	28.	Canon Gordon.
21.	Gilbert Spelling	29.	[symbol] Canon Deane.
22.	[symbol] Miss Audrey Hall.	30.	Dean of Chichester.

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