Diary of Rev Edward Stevens

Harvest Festival. Collected in Church £5.12.11½.

Mrs Stock died about 4.30 pm after one or two days’ illness. I did not know she was ill this morning and had not seen her since last Tuesday.

Visited Misses Dix.

Michaelmas Day. Divine Service at 9.15 am and also in the evening at 7 when I preached on St Michael and All Angels. I announced yesterday’s collection and said that any further contributions for the Hospitals might be put in the alms box. The result was an addition of 10/4½ making the whole amount to £6.3.4.

The object of the service this evening was chiefly to see the effect of lighting the church with the lamps and a few extra candles whilst the decorations were up. It looked extremely well yesterday, but the lighting this evening was not sufficient to be effective.

Jesse Bishop called this morning, and as he declined to give the Trustees notice, I served him with one to leave the Farm etc next Michaelmas.

Charles Lines’s wife called and paid £5.5.9 for rent of his 11 acres at the Heath.

Some of the young men of the parish wanting to form a brass band have agreed among themselves to subscribe 2/- a week each for that purpose. They have thus accumulated £14. This evening they came to me with a polite note or petition addressed “Ladies and Gentlemen”, stating what they were doing and saying they woudl be glad of assistance towards the purchase of the necessary instruments which would cost about £54. I asked them to meet me in the Schoolroom after service, which they did, and had some talk with them, promising to draw them up a proper body of rules so as to put the matter on a suitable footing before going farther with their petition for assistance.

Visited Charles Lines, Widow Hancock, George Hone and his wife who are living with his mother Mary Hone, William Poulton, Ezra Green, C. Leaver.

Young David Hone asked me if there would be a chance for him to get an allotment this year. I told him he must come up on rent night and bring the rent, then he might possibly get one. He wanted the one which his “uncle James” used to have and which John Lively will give up. I told him I could not say anything about that.