Diary of Rev Edward Stevens

Very stormy this morning wind and rain. The news of its coming was telegraphed from America and appeared in London papers on Friday last.

Taught in boys’ Sunday School this morning and visited the girls’.

Mr Hitchcox and Mr Woolgrove, churchwardens, came into the vestry and I asked them to come on Tuesday evening to audit the church accounts up to Easter last.

Very stormy in afternoon extremely few persons at church. The 2nd boy Spicer and the youngest son of Widow Lines of Sibford Ferris who almost never come to church were there this afternoon misconducting themselves, so that I had to reprove them before the congregation.

I did not catechize the children this afternoon as there were so few.

Recommended that there should be no choir practice.

Gave out coal tickets (Heath Charity) at the school at 9 o’clock this morning.

Cautioned Mrs Benjamin Messenger to send her little girl more regularly to school. Until this morning she has been absent ever since the holidays.

Mrs Thomas Coleman owed some school pence which she made some difficulty about paying. But she paid it and I told her that if she gave any trouble next time she would have to go without her ticket altogether.

Told George Messenger’s daughter that the Feoffees would take into consideration at their next meeting whether, seeing the allotment rent had not been paid, any further allowance should be given to him.

Called on Miss Dix this morning and learnt that Ezra Hillman came out on Saturday with Miss Mawle and that he is no better for his visit to Eastbourne.

Coal distribution commenced under supervision of James Barnes.

Visited Mr Woolgrove and Mrs Hitchcox with Mrs Stevens and Frank.

Ordered Poulton to make case for fontlet.

Thomas Aris’s wife of Burdrop and her mother in law wife of old Benjamin Aris came and asked for fresh coal tickets as they had lost theirs. I told them that if it turned out that through this carelessness some one else had taken their coals they would have to be the losers; the charity would not. I gave them new tickets quite with that understanding.

Ezra Hillman called to thank me for what I had done for him in sending him to Eastbourne and said that he had seen Lord Saye and Sele’s name in the list of governors of Brompton Hospital. I therefore wrote to him asking him if he could give me an in-patient’s letter and entrusted it to Hillmann to post.

Mr and Mrs Hitchcox and Mr and Mrs Woolgrove and Misses W and M Dix came to tea, etc.

The churchwardens and myself audited the accounts for the year ended easter last. A balance of £6.11 is due to Mr Woolgrove.