Diary of Rev Edward Stevens

Miss E. Dix called this afternoon and said that Mr Routh Senior having suggested that a subscription should be got up among the friends of the Rev. G. Eliot former Vicar of Sibford to assist him in sending his children to the seaside etc. and that they had collected £20. Would I think it a slight if Mr Routh sent the money? I replied “By no means” adding that I was glad to find that there was so much kindness and liberality among my people and the “Friends”: that I should be glad to contribute a guinea to the fund and only wished I could afford ten. I said also that as they knew more about Mr E and his circumstances than I, they would know better how to manage the matter without hurting his feelings.

Drove to Brailes this afternoon. Mr Smith told me that Miss Dix had sent him a copy of the last letter they had received from Mr Eliot in the hope that some at Brailes and Sutton who knew Mr Eliot when he was curate at the latter place would help. He told me that Mrs Eliot had no fortune, that she was daughter of the late Mr Watling, Rector of Tredington and formerly a fellow of Jesus College Oxford.

Mr ?Limson? of Stow-on-the-Wold, uncle to Mr Robert Braddell, drove over this afternoon – we were nearly all out when he came. He put up at Mrs Elley’s.

Service this evening. Barnes told me the funeral of Mrs Legge would take place on Friday at 3.30 if convenient to me.

Visited School and taught 1st Standard for a time.

Mr Fox has put some rough stones in the gateway leading to the boys’ School to save trouble of removing them to a distance. I told Mr Elley they should be properly broken and levelled by those who put them there.

Visited Widow Cakebread, Mr Ellis and Mr John Enoch.

Mr John Hitchcock of Horley called this morning.

Mrs Legge’s funeral took place at 3.30 this afternoon.

Called on Mrs Mawle. Asked whether she could account for the fact that the rent of the Fuel or Furzeland (£10, at present in the occupation of Henry Herbert) appeared in the Feoffees accounts for the past 17 years, and yet Mr Miller tells me it does not belong to the Feoffees. She said she did not know.

Received a note from Mr Montagu saying that Mr and Mrs Harvey had left his parish and come to live in Sibford in one of Mr J Hitchcox’s cottages. Would I allow him to transfer their clothing club account to me? I replied that I would if they were decent church people and that as the money I gave was given for the assistance of such persons I intended to exclude all others.