The Henson Journals

Tue 10 March 1931

Volume 52, Page 102

[102]

Tuesday, March 10th, 1931.

More snow during the night. The papers are full of the inconveniences of this belated winter. The farmers are counting up their losses in sheep and lambs. Traffic is dislocated and held up: & the weather prophets hold out no hope of any change.

Charles and I walked in the snow for an hour. Later we motored to Sacriston, where I confirmed 40 persons from the 3 parishes of Sacriston, Kimblesworth and Witton Gilbert. The incumbents were present with their candidates. There were 15 boys and 25 girls: the discrepancy being entirely due to Kimblesworth, from which 11 girls were presented, and no boys! It needs no saying that this an "Anglo–Catholick" parish. The association of "Anglo–Catholicism" with very few male candidates is so persistent that it is irrational not to connect the two facts. Why will boys hang back when that version of Christianity is set before them? Is it that the clergy press them to go to confession before being confirmed? I strongly suspect that this is the explanation. Of course when once the Rite is seen to be mainly administered by females, the notion begins to take root it is an unmanly thing for any boy to be confirmed.