The Henson Journals
Fri 13 March 1931
Volume 52, Pages 105 to 106
[105]
Friday, March 13th, 1931.
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Charles went with me to Darlington, where I took the 11.24 a.m. train to King's Cross, which arrived something before 5 p.m. I drove to the Deanery at Westminster, where I found the Dean. Mrs Norris was in bed with shingles. After tea, I made a vain attempt to see Vernon Storr, and then walked to St James's Palace, where I inquired after Lord Stamfordham, who underwent an operation some days ago. He is over 82 years old. The footman assured me that he was making fair progress.
Lord Macmillan, Miss Meriel Talbot, and Mr Norris, the Dean's artist son, came to dine. Miss T. said that Mr Gladstone's Secretary told her that the G.O.M. used to mark his correspondence with the letters G.D. and C.A. which meant "Go to the Devil" and "Civil Answer".
Lord M. spoke with admiration of Simon's ability, but said that he was extremely unpopular in the profession: & that the Judges before whom he pleaded, disliked him. He lacked the best of all pleader's endowments viz. sincerity. I was much interested in Lord M.'s account of his visit to America with the Bar Association. Mr Norris said that Gainsborough's "Blue Boy" was rapidly perishing through the ill conditions under which it hung.
[106]
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The Dean told us of his unpleasant experience with a female barrister who had come with the Judges to the Official Service in Westminster Abbey. When, according to custom, he "received" the legal Dignitaries at the portal of the Abbey Church, & shook hands with them, he offered his hand to the young lady, but she put her hand behind here, & said "I have not the pleasure of your acquaintance", & when he explained that he was, as Dean, welcoming her to the Church, she repeated her formula, & brushed past him! The next night he was dining at the Temple, & told the episode to Lords Finlay & Mersey, between whom he was sitting. "There", cried these venerable Judges, "you see what we are subjected to by these pert young hussies!". They both expressed their belief that this invasion of the law by females was but a passing phase, & that in a few years there would be again peace in the Inns of Court! Lord M. spoke of Ld Young, an eminent lawyer of un–courtly manners & outspoken speech, who at a great dinner party at Dalmeny, addressed Gladstone thus – "Mr G. you'll have much to answer for in the Judgment Day". When asked to explain himself, he replied with brutal terseness – "You talk so much!".