Diary of Rev Edward Stevens

Visited Joseph Dale who has been unable to work for a week or two.

Holy Communion offertory 10/3.

Gave notice of confirmation to be held at Swalcliffe on March 5th.

Epiphany. Divine Service at 9.15. Afternoon went to Banbury.

Visited Thomas and Joseph Manning, the latter of whom is still very unwell. I told them that I should be glad to give him a letter for the Radcliffe Infirmary if he would like to go there, but that they had better consult the Doctor about it.

No one came to the Penny Bank this evening.

Eleanor Hone saw me go past her house this morning and then as she has done several times before sent a begging note to Mrs Stevens who sent her some bread, grocery and money.

Visited Joshua Lines, Samuel Woolgrove, Zilpah Rimell who was not at home. Widow Hannah Keene, John Padbury, Widow Hathaway. Thomas Wilkes. Gave a way half a dozen copies of the Cottagers’ Almanac for 1879 with which the recipients seemed much pleased.

Mr Elley came this evening to go over various school accounts with me.

Visited – school – Eleanor Hone (not at home) – Sarah Hone.

John Bull – when I spoke to him about his neglect of Church he said his conscience smote him very much and he felt that his miserable condition in worldly respects was a judgement upon him for that neglect. He was in a fearful state of distress – but appeared to be reading his bible when I went in. He told me he had been for many years a regular communicant and was never absent from Church – but that after his wife’s death he ceased to go to church and had gradually sunk into his present miserable condition.

Visited Ann Fox who told me John Bull owed her several pounds for maintenance of his daughter Ada. I gave her 2/6 to get anything that was necessary for the girl, whose feet are still very bad. I promised to send her a pair of boots, which I did.

Visited Thomas Aris of Burdrop, who has had no work for several weeks and was reported to be very badly off. I spoke to his wife and also to him whom I met in the road on my return home about their neglect of church. I ordered 2/9 worth of bread and groceries at Ann Fox’s for them and told him to fetch them.

Visited the Misses Dix.