The Henson Journals
Mon 1 December 1930
Volume 51, Pages 184 to 186
[184]
Monday, December 1st, 1930.
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My morning was interrupted by a visit from the Vicar of Middleton–in–Teesdale (Rev. H.C. Perrott) whom I received with as much churlishness as I could decently exhibit because I was busy, and he had not asked beforehand for an interview. He brought the Baptismal Register in order to prove to me that there could be no more than 9 persons in his parish who would reach the age of 14 next year, although the parish contains no fewer than 2304 inhabitants. He offered a succession of explanations. Middleton was a nonconformist centre, having 3 resident ministers all provided with large & well–equipped chapels. Most of the infants were not brought for baptism to the Church, nor were their mothers 'churched'. Moreover, Middleton contained many middle–aged and aged couples who were childless. I must needs to be sceptical of this apology offered in advance for a failure to produce confirmation candidates from that parish, which has only one equal in completeness, & that is Stanhope. It is odd that the two "capitals of the dales" should both be distinguished in this bad respect. In both cases the incumbent provides, perhaps, a sufficient explanation.
[186] [sic]
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Morris Young and his wife lunched here. He told us of an odd custom which he had encountered in a parish in Oldham, where he had recently taken duty. The churchwardens showed him the Baptismal Register for (I think) some date in the 18th century, where it was recorded that between 800 and 900 infants were baptized on one day. It was the practice on one day in the year to remit the customary fee of one shilling for Baptism, & the mothers saved up the children against that day!
Charles went with me to St Andrew's, Tudhoe, where I collated Samuel Moore to the Vicarage in succession to Marsh. There was a large congregation, and a good muster of clergy, including Sykes, who really seems to be becoming normal again. Parry Evans both read the prayers, and inducted the new Vicar. His slow, pedantic method of reading & intoning "gets on my nerves", and his sepulchral voice and aspect depress my spirits. But, Que voulez vous? He is pious, conscientious, and enormously hard–working, & for these qualities much may be pardoned.