Diary of Rev Edward Stevens

Saints Philip and James: Divine Service at 9.15 am.

Rain.

Wrote note to F. Inns telling him that as I understood he and Padbury were going to propose the entire setting aside of the R.S.A. plan for improving the pond I should decline to summon a meeting of Ratepayers for the purpose; but that, of course, he might get the overseers to do so.

Miss Shelswell and Miss Ida Berridge came to tea.

I received the boys recently confirmed this evening at the Church, gave them a quiet discourse with good advice and presented a Communion Book to each.

Visited John Reason, Joshua Lines, William Haines, Dr Routh, Maria Payne, Ellen Hone, Thomas Keen.

The Brass Band came down this evening and played on my lawn. I gave them £1 which Mr Jenkins, of Upton House had left with me for the purpose when he came to the Conservative meeting.

Holy Communion at 8 o’clock and at noon so that lately confirmed should not lack an opportunity to receive their first Communion. Most of them came, and altogether there were 59 communicants.

Attended Archdeacon Palmer’s Visitation at Banbury Old Church, and stayed to dinner at the Red Lion with him and the Clergy and Churchwardens.

Rain in morning.

This evening Job Smith’s Mother-in-law (the woman who returned from America some months ago with 3 or 4 children and her widowed daughter with two and has been in the Workhouse ever since at a great charge to the ratepayers) called and asked me to give her an order for admission to the Workhouse. I told her I could not do that, she must go to the relieving officer, but that it was rather too late to go there tonight. She replied that she did not want to go till tomorrow, but that she had no bread for her children. I gave her a shilling. In reply to my enquiries she said she came out of the house last week to make arrangements for her return to America which Mr Ommanney was arranging for her. But doubtless her real reason was to have some fun at the Tadmarton Club. She has been staying with her daughter here in Sibford, where there is barely room for Job Smith and his family, and less accommodation in the way of furniture than of space. On the following Thursday I met her and her children going in.