Diary of Rev Edward Stevens

Bad cold caught in travelling yesterday. Dr Routh called this evening and asked me to borrow some astronomical Magic lantern slides for him to use in lecture at Witney. He told me Mrs Ellis was very ill. I said I would go and see her tomorrow.

Mrs Ellis died early this morning. Attended Penny Bank morning and evening.

Called on Canon Payne. Not at home. Went to Banbury. Mr Kirkland, from Pinegrove, Dundee came as a pupil at £150.

Gave out clothing club tickets.

Frederick Inns and Henry Bishop called this evening and asked my advice about sending their children to school. They refuse to pay the 3d per week assessed to them by the Trustees. I told them I had already given them my advice and they had not taken it. I objected to their wasting my time or that of individual trustees about the matter. But they staid some time.

Esau Tarver called with his allotment rent.

Funeral of Mrs Ellis. Visited school. Called on Mr Whale and Mrs James Rimell.

In bed all day with violent cold.

Met Bishops’ Commission appointed at instance of Ecclesiastical Commissioners to whom I have applied for a grant for Parsonage, at Swalcliffe Vicarage at luncheon. It consisted of Rev Canon Payne, Rev H Back, Vicar of Banbury, Rural Dean and Rev J H Cookes, Rector of Tadmarton.

Among other particulars I supplied was the following account of Fees received for the past seven years.

1871  £ 2.  3.  4
1872       13.  4
1873       10.  4
1874    1.  3.  4
1875    1.  3.  4
1876    5.  8.  0
1877    1. 10.  0

Income

From College, Corn rent £150
Land, let                 40
Cottage                    3. 10
Eccl. Commissioners       27.  0
Q.A.B.                   9.  2.  8
                       £ 229. 12.  8

Canon Payne set down the house here as “unfit for occupation” or rather told Mr Back to write it, which he did.

Very wet. My cough was very bad.

Winderton Church opened. Mr Smith had invited me and asked me to write a report for the newspapers – but I was unable to go, though I afterwards wrote reports.

I spoke to W Barton Senior in the vestry this afternoon when he came to have his child registered after Baptism, about the outcry made last winter when the Trustees gave 2/6 for each child who had attended 250 times during the year and the report that it was he who wrote the notices calling the “public meeting” in Tennant’s Barn – although he was one of the very recipients of the half-crowns whom the others were jealous of. He declared that he had nothing whatever to do with it. His boy William is gone out to service. I sent a kind message to him by his father.