Diary of Rev Edward Stevens

… Word was brought to me by Mr. Enock’s daughter that a woman was dying in the road near her mother’s house. I went and found an Irish tramp with his wife who had fainted partly from hunger and partly from fatigue. Mrs. Enock was trying to revive her with some tea – but apparently without avail. I had a flask of brandy in my pocket and gave the poor woman a teaspoonful which soon revived her. The man was a bricklayer’s labourer “in search of employment” so he said, but they looked very like professional tramps. She was quite unable to get farther so I induced Mrs. Bishop of the Wykham arms to let them lie in her cart-shed for the night, and to provide them with food. …..

The Irishman and his wife left. He called to thank me, having been moved thereto by the people at the Wykham Arms. I paid Mrs. Bishop 2/6 for his entertainment.

The Parcel Post commenced operation today.

Called at Well’s at Swalcliffe. They showed me at my request, some old copy-slips, very beautifully written by a master of Sibford Gower School in the middle of the 17th century – and who was ancestor to some member of the family. They are extremely well executed and for the most part in a good state of preservation.

Attended meeting of Guardians at Banbury.

Received £97. 19. 4 from Simpkin Marshall & Co. for sales of Analytical Classical series for the half year ending June 30.

Visited Richard Haines; June Haines; William Haines; and Widow Robinson, whose boy Joseph has been laid up for a week or two with a bad leg, injured by kick from one of the horses belonging to his master Mr. Richard Lamb. The leg seemed very bad, but the doctor had not been called in, as they could not afford to pay him. The woman receives no relief. She is a widow, who went to America with her husband before I came to Sibford. He died there leaving her with two or three children. On her return or soon after, she gave birth to a child by her late husband’s brother and some 5 or 6 years ago she had another child by the Roadman Joseph Harris of Sibford Ferris. She is however an industrious woman and keeps her children wonderfully tidy. Her two elder girls are in service, and the only means of living she has is what she can earn together with three or four shillings her boy gets, and perhaps a trifle from the father of her last child. Having had to stay at home to nurse the boy she said they had to go on very short allowance. But she is an uncomplaining woman, although she has, I fear, some serious failings, and I have never been able to get her to Church.