The Henson Journals

[111]

Wednesday, March 18th, 1931.

I received from Newcastle an appeal to me as Visitor of Durham University signed by a number of professors & others, asking me to intervene in the matter of the dismissal of a professor without reason assigned. I sent an acknowledgement, promising a reply in a few days time. Meanwhile I must ascertain what are the limits of my visitatorial authority, and discover something about the real causes of the appeal.

Mr Robinson reports that he has succeeded in patching up the quarrel between the Rector of Winlaton and his curate. I thanked him, & wrote to the two peccant parsons.

We all motored in to Durham to listen to the music in the Cathedral. I had tea in the Castle with Ellershaw, who undertook to procure for me some necessary information about the Appeal. Then I went to S. Nicholas' Church, and confirmed 116 persons. The service was satisfactory save for the circumstance that a stout woman, whom I had just confirmed fell into an epileptic fit, & had to be carried struggling from the Church. Pickering, the Vicar of S. Nicholas, and Thurlow, the Vicar of St Margaret's, are clearly good working parsons, and are making way with their parishioners.

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