Diary of Rev Edward Stevens

Called on the Misses Dix. Miss E. Dix told me she had spoken to Edward Holland (“Ned”) about not coming to Church. He said he would not come whilst I was here, for that I had asked Mr. Enoch to turn him out of his house when he had the young woman then with his son. Subsequently at my suggestion Miss Dix told him he had not been to Church for months before that time. He then said something about the “Loggin Bread” – I asked her to remind him that if I had not given him the Loggin Charity in loaves, I had given him 5 to 10 times the amount in money and other ways when he was ill. He then said he had to milk the cows on Sunday – Miss Dix told him he had not to do that during Church time – It is very good of her to take so much trouble – but I fear he is an incorrigible. She told him he did not go to Church to pray to the clergyman, but to God to which he replied that was just what Mrs. Norris told him.

Thomas Padbury’s horse died last week. His wife called this morning and asked me to write out a petition for her to raise money to get another. I told her I did not think I could do so but would think about it and she might call on me again tomorrow morning. She said they had eight or nine horses die since they had been married. Herbert told me they would kill as many as they could get with overwork and that the carrying around petitions was quite a “trade” with some people who go from village to village and make a dead horse or cow or pig bring in much more money than a live one.

Lucy Padbury, Thomas Padbury’s wife called this morning. I told her I could not write a petition for her as I had been obliged to refuse to do so for others. I told her I had heard her husband overworked his horses and that was the reason he lost them. That as they were both strong hearty people without children they ought to have saved money. That if they had not the means of buying another horse they should give up the idea of keeping one. That they would be much better off without one if they would go to regular work. I gave her 10/- for herself as she said they were very badly off – telling her particularly it was not towards another horse and forbidding her to tell anyone about it.