Diary of Rev Edward Stevens

Thomas Cakebread came in to talk to me and said he should be glad if the “Feast” on Club day could be done away with as it cost a great deal of money and the young members’ conduct was very bad last year. Mr. Woolgrove having set him to work hedge cutting at the Heath Plantation for the Town Estate he asked me whether he would be allowed to work on Good Friday.  I said “No” – He then said he could not afford to lose his day’s wages. I told him that I understood the farmers paid their men for that day if they went to Church and that I should do the same.

Elizabeth Manning called and asked me to write a “paper” for her which she might carry around to collect money to purchase a sewing machine. I told her I could not do that and that she had better ask her own and her late husband’s relations to help her and if she raised nearly enough from them I would give her 10 or 12 shillings to make up the required sum.