Diary of Rev Edward Stevens

1874, December 10, Thursday 

Received from Miss Ackerley, Sefton House, West Derby, Liverpool, £1/2 for examining her pupils’ exercises. Returned from Sibford by 4.45 train from Banbury. Leonard came to dinner. Stock of Pembroke, Mack, the Cingalese of Exeter, and Frank Coghlan, of Balliol were invited but could not come. Hughes came this evening.

1874, December 13, Sunday

Took first Baptism at Sibford, George Spicer, age 2 days, died this afternoon.

I called on Hughes at Jesus College this evening.

1874, December 16, Wednesday

Great fire in St. Aldate’s early this morning. Went to Sibford. Very small congregation this evening owing to the snow.

1874, December 17, Thursday

Visited William Mannings’ wife. She purposes going to Horton Infirmary on Monday. Met Canon Payne. Visited Miss Dix. Returned to Oxford. Mr and Mrs Wilson and Fred came this evening, also Miss Harbage and Herbert Jackson.

1874, December 25, Friday 

Christmas day. Went to Sibford this morning. Took Harry. Passed through yesterday’s wreck, a sad sight. Returned at night.

1874, December 26, Saturday

Went to Sibford, taking Chester with me to bring horse back to Banbury. I staid at Sibford for meeting of Charity Trustees on Tuesday.

1874, December 29, Tuesday

Attended meeting of Charity Trustees in Schoolroom. Returned as far as Broughton

This possibly incomplete entry ends book 1 of the diaries. Apart from a note by Leslie Baily there is then a gap of over two years until book 2 (labelled Volume IV) begins on 24 February 1877.

1877, February 24, Saturday 

Saint Matthias Service at 10am. Visited Widow Young who is unwell and looks half starved. She has 4 children at home two of whom are at work earning 8/6 per week. She has also her sister’s (Widow ?Ellen? Bond) baby, the payment for which she devotes to her rent. I gave her a 2/6 parcel of grocery.

Called on David Hone’s wife who complained that I had not given her daughter Phoebe Payne a parcel of grocery at Christmas. I told her it was merely because I could not give to everybody and she had received during the year very considerable charity – gifts amounting to some 45/- and that the Christmas gifts of grocery from the Loggin Charity were better bestowed on the aged and sick and on those who did not receive the larger charity.

Went over Heath allotments and to Farm about repairs. Hands not at home.

Mr Woolgrove called this evening and said that he and Mr Hitchcox proposed to collect the church subscriptions before Easter this year in order to present paid accounts at the Vestry Meeting.

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Read about the Rev Edward Stevens here.