Diary of Rev Edward Stevens

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.

William Holland’s wife called this morning and asked me to lend her money to pay her grocer who has threatened to put her husband in the County Court. I told her I had found it necessary to make a rule against doing anything of the sort. Her husband was at work and earning regular wages and it was his business to pay his way. She said he had been ill some time ago. I told her that he was not ill for long and that when he was well he would not get up in the morning to go to his work. She replied that that was the case and she repented having had anything to do with him or his father. I reminded her that none of them ever came to church, and that she had brought herself into trouble by her own wickedness. She had two bastard children in the Banbury Workhouse and then came out to live with her present husband long before she was married to him, living with him, his father and her two children in a wretched place with only one bedroom.

Mr Thomas Rimell died this afternoon aged 83.

Visited school this morning. Drove to Banbury.

Robert Braddell and Minnie Sophie and Hattie Smith came to tea and supper.