Throughout his career, Henson made a substantial contribution to edited works and the sections of the periodical press read by the educated classes. A number of items in this category, as in others, centred on historical figures and movements, mostly relating to religion, the constitution, and the Church. At All Souls College, under the guidance of C. R. L. Fletcher and Henry Offley Wakeman, he had pursued further his undergraduate interest in modern history. Fletcher and Wakeman assisted his early attempts at independent research and invited him to write the essays that would become his first publications. He continued to publish articles and essays on historical subjects following his ordination. When he became dean of Durham, he hoped he would be able to undertake the major work of historical scholarship he had contemplated for some years.[1] This centred on the Restoration, an episode he regarded as fateful for the division of the protestant church in Britain, sealed as it was by the Act of Uniformity of 1662.[2] As he wrote to Violet Markham, ‘[m]y mind settles most persistently on making my life here the opportunity of carrying out a long-standing & ever postponed ambition of writing a History of the Restoration Settlement on a great scale’.[3] He underestimated the more pressing duties both in this and later roles that would prove a constant distraction. However, historical writing on a smaller scale continued to be possible. This provided some compensation for the more ambitious work he was unable to complete, falling short in this respect of William Stubbs and Mandell Creighton, historian bishops of the previous generation with whom he was once compared.[4]
Henson contributed many pieces on topical issues to the leading reviews and quarterlies of the day. He also wrote extensively for The Bishoprick, the quarterly diocesan magazine at Durham, which he founded in 1925, financed personally, and largely sustained by his own articles and sermons. As well as distributing the magazine to the clergy of his diocese, he sent copies to prominent figures in politics, the Church, and the universities;[5] in doing so, he hoped to maintain some of his former presence in these circles, and at the same time connect Durham more closely to the wider nation. In the Retrospect he claimed that the magazine achieved a modest success in the influence and circulation it secured beyond Durham. However, it remained primarily a diocesan publication, enabling the clergy of Durham to know the ‘mind and interests’ of their bishop, his other objective in establishing the journal.[6]
The list below is not definitive, and more items will be added as they are found.
The following list was compiled by Hilary Ingram.
‘The Stamford schism: letters relating to Oxford in the 14th century, from originals in the Public Record Office and British Museum’, in Collectanea, ed. C. R. L. Fletcher (Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1885), 1-56
‘The early English constitution’, in Essays introductory to the study of English constitutional history, eds. Henry Offley Wakeman and Arthur Hassall (Rivingtons, London, 1887), 1-44
‘University of Oxford commission: minutes of evidence taken by the commissioners, &c., and presented to Parliament, 1881’, Edinburgh Review, 170 (Oct. 1889), 303-27
‘Christianity and slavery’, in Oxford house papers: a series of papers for working men, written by members of the University of Oxford (Rivingtons, London, 1890), 74-98
‘William George Ward and the catholic revival’, Edinburgh Review, 178 (Oct. 1893), 331-53
‘The Christian Social Union’, Quarterly Review, 179 (July 1894), 1-26
‘The witness of the gospel to the social duty of the church’ [1896, Cambridge], in Light and leaven: historical and social sermons to general congregations (Methuen, London, 1897), 191-208
‘Life and correspondence of Thomas Valpy French, first bishop of Lahore’, Quarterly Review, 183 (Jan. 1896), 86-109
‘Suicide’, in Oxford House Papers [third series] (Longmans, Green, London, New York and Bombay, 1897), 64-75
‘A cross-bench view of foreign missions’, National Review, 30 (Dec. 1897), 605-18
‘Mr. Kensit and after’, National Review, 31 (July 1898), 694-9
‘The confessional in the national church’, National Review, 32 (Nov. 1898), 374-80
‘Archbishop of Canterbury’s charge’ [7 Feb. 1899], in Cross-bench views of current church questions (Edward Arnold, London, 1902), 91-104
‘The British Sunday’, National Review, 33 (July 1899), 758-69
‘The archbishops’ judgment’, National Review, 34 (Oct. 1899), 289-300
‘The Mivart episode’, National Review, 35 (June 1900), 646-60
‘Our unhappy divisions: a plea for the recognition of non-episcopal churches’, Contemporary Review, 80 (1901), 794-805
‘English Bible’, in The new volumes of the Encyclopaedia Britannica, eds. Donald Mackenzie Wallace, Arthur T. Hadley and Hugh Chisholm (Adam & Charles Black, Edinburgh and London, 1902), 217-9
‘Episcopacy and reunion’, Church Quarterly Review, 54 (1902), 178-203
‘Two reformers’, in Recreations and reflections: being riddles from the’Saturday Review’, ed. Harold Hodge (J. M. Dent, London, 1902), 269-80
‘Jeremy Taylor’, in Typical English churchmen from Parker to Maurice: a series of lectures, ed. William Edward Collins (SPCK, London, 1902), 123-48
‘Westminster Abbey: the centre of the empire’, Cornhill Magazine, 13 (July 1902), 1-9
‘Religion and the poor’, Quarterly Review, 198 (July 1903), 230-45
‘The resurrection of Jesus Christ’, Hibbert Journal, 2 (1904), 476-93
‘The future of the bible’, Contemporary Review, 85 (1904), 565-76
‘On clerical subscription’, Liberal Churchman (Nov. 1904), 44-56
‘Reason and rationalism from the side of religion’, Good Words, 45 (Dec. 1904), 15-19
‘The religious training of the child in the Church of England’, in The child and religion, ed. Thomas Stephens (Williams & Norgate, London, 1905), 220-56
‘Report of the royal commission on ecclesiastical discipline’, Contemporary Review, 90 (Aug. 1906), 241-57
‘The report on ecclesiastical discipline’, Nineteenth Century and After, 60 (Aug. 1906), 182-7
‘Report of the royal commission on ecclesiastical discipline, II’, Contemporary Review, 90 (Sep. 1906), 408-25
‘The national church and the education bill: a retrospect’, Independent Review (Feb. 1907), 149-59
‘The future of education’, Westminster Review, 168 (Feb. 1907), 132-6
‘The educational crisis: a cross-bench view’, Nineteenth Century, 63 (1908), 550-67
‘The Lambeth ideal of reunion’, Nineteenth Century and After, 65 (1909), 761-74
‘First impressions of Durham Cathedral [and] Lindisfarne Castle, Northumberland’, Country Life (7 June 1913), 815-42
‘The Christian standard for the law of the land’, in The kingdom of God and the sexes: marriage, five papers read at the Church Congress Southampton, October, 1913 (George Allen, London, 1913), 147-52
‘The issue of Kikuyu’, Edinburgh Review, 209 (Apr. 1914), 257-83
‘Kikuyu’, Hibbert Journal, 12 (1914), 481-95
‘The issue of Kikuyu’ [13 Oct. 1914, Manchester], Modern Churchman, 4 (1915), 611-25
‘Christianity and war’, Church Quarterly Review, 79 (1915), 119-34.
‘The Church of England after the war’, in The faith and the war: a series of essays by members of the Churchmen’s Union and others on the religious difficulties aroused by the present condition of the world, ed. Frederick John Foakes-Jackson (Macmillan, London, 1916), 237-58
‘Warburton’s notes on Neal’s History of the Puritans’, Essays by divers hands: being the transactions of the Royal Society of Literature of the United Kingdom, 34 (1916), 19-45
‘Church and state in England’, Edinburgh Review, 224 (Oct. 1916), 209-29
‘Prohibition as a permanent policy’, in Liberty, ed. Sir James Crichton-Browne, et al (Eveleigh Nash, London, 1917)
‘The Church of England’, Edinburgh Review 227 (Jan. 1918), 1-24
‘Letters to the diocese’, Hereford Diocesan Messenger, 21 (1918)
‘Re-union’, John xvii. 20, 21 [2 June 1918, St. Martin’s-in-the-Fields], Modern Churchman, 8 (1918), 161-70
‘Practical problems for church reform’, Modern Churchman, 8 (Jan./Feb. 1919), 481-9
‘The Anglican version of Christianity’, in The Church of England: its nature and its future, eds. F. T. Woods, Arthur C. Headlam, E. W. Watson and H. L. Goudge (University of London Press, London, 1919), 52-112
‘Letters to the diocese’, Hereford Diocesan Messenger, 22 (1919)
‘Letters to the diocese, “On confirmation”‘, Hereford Diocesan Messenger, 22 (1919)
‘Letters to the diocese’, Hereford Diocesan Messenger, 21 (1919)
‘Prohibition and true temperance’, Saturday Night [Toronto] (1919)
‘The case against prohibition’, Review of Reviews, 60 (Dec. 1919), 393-5
‘The Church and socialism’, Edinburgh Review, 231 (Jan. 1920), 1-27
‘Letters to the diocese, “Marriage and divorce”‘, Hereford Diocesan Messenger, 23 (1920)
‘England free or England sober’, in Diary for the brewing room [35th issue] (London, 1920)
‘The issues of prayer book revision’, Edinburgh Review, 237 (1 Apr. 1923), 215-37
‘Mediaevalism no solution’; symposium on The return of Christendom’, introduced by Charles Gore with an epilogue by G.K. Chesterton (London, 1924), The Review of the Churches, I (April 1924), 160-3.
‘England and Rome’, Edinburgh Review (1924), 209-26
‘Reunion’, Nineteenth Century and After, 95 (1924), 179-86
‘Is the Church of England still Christian?’, Review of Reviews (Jan.-Feb. 1925), 35-6
‘Spiritual healing’, Hibbert Journal (1925), 385-401
‘The gift of historical thinking’, History, 10 (1925), 1-10
‘The role of the clergy in modern society’, The Bishoprick, 1 (Nov. 1925), 3-17
‘Special candidates for holy orders’, The Bishoprick, 1 (Nov. 1925), 17-20
‘Religion and education’, The Bishoprick, 1 (Feb. 1926), 43-59
‘Rejection of the Shrewsbury bishoprick measure’, The Bishoprick, 1 (May 1926), 79-94
‘Aftermath’, The Bishoprick, 1 (Aug. 1926), 115-28
‘The deadlock in the mines’, The Bishoprick, 1 (Aug. 1926), 129-32
‘Religion and economics’, Edinburgh Review, 244 (1 Oct. 1926), 209-27
‘The passing of the Lord’s Day’, The Bishoprick, 2 (Nov. 1926), 3-13
‘Quakerism’, Edinburgh Review (Oct. 1927), 371-86.
‘Prayer book revision’, The Bishoprick, 2 (Feb. 1927), 52-4
‘The Church of England under George II and under George V’, The Bishoprick, 2 (Feb. 1927), 54-8
‘The composite book’, Edinburgh Review, 245 (1 Apr. 1927), 225-41
‘The composite book’, The Bishoprick, 2 (May 1927), 83-98
‘An open letter to a peer, perplexed as to his vote on the Revised Prayer Book’, The Bishoprick, 3 (Nov. 1927), 3-13
‘The impatience of a parson’, The Bishoprick, 3 (Feb. 1928), 47-51
‘The ministry of women’, The Bishoprick, 3 (Feb. 1928), 52-4
‘The tercentenary of John Bunyan: an Anglican’s reflections on Bunyan’s career’, The Review of the Churches, V (July 1928), 313-18
‘Reflections on the crisis’, The Bishoprick, 3 (Aug. 1928), 113-24
‘The modern message of the prophets’, in The major prophets: a little library of exposition with new studies, ed. John Stirling (Cassell, London, 1929), 1-12
‘The church and the state’, Review of the Churches, 6 (1929), 372-8
‘Disestablishment by consent’, Nineteenth Century and After, 105 (1929), 44-58
‘The value of church establishment for religion: a rejoinder’, Nineteenth Century and After, 106 (1929), 289-302
‘Letter of advice to a young clergyman just instituted to the cure of souls in a large industrial parish’, The Bishoprick, 5 (Nov. 1929), 3-24
‘The word “protestant”, 1529-1929’, The Bishoprick, 4 (Aug. 1929), 120-3
‘Crossing the rubicon?’, Nineteenth Century and After, 107 (1930), 451-59
‘The genesis of the physician’s ideal’, British Medical Journal, 2 (1930), 746-9
‘Canon Knowlden’, The Bishoprick, 5 (Feb. 1930), 57-8
‘The bishop’s portrait’, The Bishoprick, 5 (Feb. 1930), 58-63
‘The British Lazzaroni’, The English Review, 1908-1937 (July 1930), 36-44
‘Ought the establishment to be maintained [Great Britain]?’, Political Quarterly, 1 (Sep. 1930), 496-510
‘Unemployment in Durham’, The Bishoprick, 8 (Feb. 1933), 44-54
‘Ethical considerations of scientific method’, The Bishoprick, 9 (Nov. 1933), 3-16
‘Things which my soul hateth’, The Bishoprick, 8 (Aug. 1933), 100
‘A christmas message’, The Bishoprick, 9 (Feb. 1934), 38
‘School and Oxford’, Sir Harry Reichel, 1856-1931: a memorial volume, ed. J.E. Lloyd (University of Wales Press Board, Cardiff, 1934), 67-71.
‘General Booth and his army [review of God’s soldier: General William Booth, by St. John Ervine, 2 vols]’, The Bishoprick, 10 (Feb. 1935), 35-43
‘The signs of the times’, The Bishoprick, 10 (May 1935), 69-74
‘Christ and communism [review of Christ and communism, by E. Stanley Jones]’, The Bishoprick, 11 (Nov. 1935), 3-19
‘The Russian mystery [review of Soviet communism: a new civilisation?, by Sidney and Beatrice Webb, 2
vols; Russia’s iron age, by William Henry Chamberlin]’, The Bishoprick, 11 (Feb. 1936), 35-48
‘The university sermon’, Cambridge Review, 58 (1937), 359-61
‘The thirty-nine articles: a case for retention and revision’, Modern Churchman, 27 (1937), 485-94
‘Some reflections on the coronation’, The Bishoprick, 12 (Feb. 1937), 35-45
‘The bishop’s”jubilee”, 1887-1937’, The Bishoprick, 12 (Aug. 1937), 92
‘The thirty-nine articles: a case for retention and revision’, The Bishoprick, 13 (Nov. 1937), 5-13
‘The marriage bill’, Saturday Review (6 Feb. 1937), 108-9
‘Losses’, The Bishoprick, 13 (Feb. 1938), 33
‘Rejoice and remember’, The Bishoprick, 13 (Aug. 1938), 97-9
‘James Geoffrey Gordon’, The Bishoprick, 14 (Nov. 1938), 3-4
‘The strength and courage of faith’, John xiv. 1 [17 May 1939, St. Margaret’s, Westminster], Modern Churchman, 29 (1939), 124-30
‘Disestablishment’, Congregational Quarterly (1944), 113-22
‘William Temple as ecclesiastical statesman’, Modern Churchman, 34 (1944), 205-10
‘Letter of advice to a young clergyman just instituted to the cure of souls in a large industrial parish’, in The Bishoprick papers (Geoffrey Cumberledge, Oxford University Press, London, New York, and Toronto, 1946), 111-32
[1] Journal, 2 Mar. 1913.
[2] Journal, 27 May 1910; 29 May 1913; and Henson to A. B. Wynne Willson, 26 Dec. 1925, in Braley, More letters, 44. For an expression of his belief that the Restoration represented a lost opportunity to reassert the comprehensive nature of the Church, see his introduction to Herbert Croft, The naked truth (1675; London, 1919), xi.
[3] Henson to Violet Markham, 27 Feb. 1913, Markham papers, 25/41.
[4] Journal, 17 Oct. 1918.
[5] Journal, 26 Nov. 1925.
[6] Henson, Retrospect, II, xiii.