Diary of Rev Edward Stevens

Taught Boys’ School this morning. Rain and thunder in afternoon.

Saw John Horsman about repairs and flagstones at School doors. Arranged that the broken flags should be taken up – the slabs of slate from the old cistern at the school house to be put down in their places, and a new galvanised iron cistern to be provided for the school house.

Rain all afternoon. Jesse Bishop called about repairs at the Heath Farm.

Printed sermon notices for Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution.

Rain nearly all day.

Drove Cassie to Brailes and Winderton.

Elizabeth Grimey (late servant at Dr Routh’s) who came as temporary servant last Friday, left today.

Mr Woolgrove called this evening.

Visited school this morning.

Punished Herbert Lines at his mother’s request for playing truant. He has been away 33 out of 40 times.

Visited Miss Somerton.

Mr Elley came and helped to carry Rosa down stairs in the absence of our cook, the temporary woman not being strong enough.

Miss Dix returned from Shropshire and called with some wildflowers for Rosa.

Robert Austin called about Farm. Said he could not get on with Bishop – he would give £10 a year for the lower part of the farm, if Bishop would give £50 for the upper including the house, and the Trustees would accept them as separate tenants.

Widow Humphrey Sabin came to work for the day, but like most of her class is very inefficient in domestic work.

John Horsman’s (mason) daughter came again for wine and asked for soup or beef tea or mutton broth for her mother as a matter of course because the Doctor ordered them, but I told her that her father who was at work for the Trustees and to whom they were paying over 33/- per week for the work of himself and his boy, should provide necessaries for his wife; for that he was in a very different position from a labourer with 12/- or 15/- a week and a good many mouths to feed. I saw Horsman himself afterwards and told him so. But as he said he was hard pressed for money, being unable to get what was owing to him in some quarters, I advanced him 10/- and did the same on subsequent occasions until he had finished the work then in hand when I paid him the bill amounting altogether to nearly £5. But I gave the girl nearly a pint of wine for her mother, though it is the second supply within a week. Visited her in afternoon.

Visited Mrs Shelswell. A Farm Committee met in the School room this evening at my request, present Messrs Hall, Page, Woolgrove, myself in the Chair. Mr Mann was absent though I had sent him a notice. They settled what candidates for the 2 acre pieces should be accepted; also as to certain repairs at Heath farm, tenders for which had been sent in by Poulton, Horsman and Fox.