Diary of Rev Edward Stevens

Mr. Turner told me that Henry Tarver who married the Swalcliffe girl had taken the cottage in which Charles Hands died. They have white-washed it themselves and papered the lower room so as to make the place quite tidy. She had some chairs down by Stratford left by an aunt (?) and as the carriers would have charged five shillings to bring them she borrowed a hand truck and fetched them herself. Stratford is 18 miles from here – a very good road but hilly till Brailes is passed. I met her with her baby a day or two ago and spoke to her. The baby looked very jolly  and well dressed. I asked her how she was  getting on and said I should come and see her when she gets into her new house. “Oh, that will  be kind of you, Sir” replied she – “I shall be so glad”.

I had a long talk with Thomas Meadows who said that when he was a boy living at Sibford Ferris and bread was a shilling a loaf the managers of the Sibford Gower School would not allow Sibford Ferris children to attend for under 6d. per week.

Anna Aris (widow of Thomas) called and asked me to sign a character form for her son Thomas who left here about 2 years ago and is applying for a licence as driver of a “Stage carriage” in London. I stated that I knew nothing of his skill as a driver but that I knew nothing detrimental to his moral character.

This evening someone called with a petition to the House of Commons, praying that household suffrage might be conferred on rural population. I observed Mark Barnes’s name “Syloey” Sabin and others, most of which were signed with “his mark” only without the explanatory words. I declined to sign it.

I had a conversation with Joseph Messenger who told me that the cottages in which he, Widow Keen and Sylvia Sabin live were, when Sibford Gower kept its own poor, the workhouse and known under the nickname of the “Bugbear” – He does not remember the workhouse but he helped to carry a cousin of his to the grave who had once been an inmate.

Visited William Hall whose baby is ill. Henry Tarver whose wife says he is at work Swede cleaning, but will not be able to earn more than 7/6 a week at it. They have a lodger, a young man belonging to Tysoe and who is working for Mr Nicholls on Mr Payne’s farm. He pays her 1/6 per week which is some help to them.

I hear that when Mr. Dodgson, Curate of Brailes, recently married, was here with his wife on Monday, my little Frank age 5 years 3 months looked through the railings by the stairs very earnestly and asked “Have you been very happy lately Mr Dodgson?” On his replying that he had, Frank remarked “I am so glad”.