Diary of Rev Edward Stevens

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.

In doors all day with a cold, but walked to Burdrop for exercise this evening, felt I could not stay in any longer.

Attended School Attendance Committee at Banbury.

Alice and Lily Mountain returned home.

Very cold, with some rain snow and hail.

Webb told me his boy William had given up the situation I got him at Bredwardine Vicarage and had enlisted as a soldier.

Visited Ellen Hone and told her I had ordered some food at Thomas Webb’s for her boy Charles, who, she says has been unwell and unable to work for a week and is consequently half starved. She is an idle goodfornothing woman who still has the man living with her, and she might go out and earn her living as other women do; but talking to her seems useless. I cannot do anything for her whilst she keeps the man Mumford there, and so I have told her – but I pity her children very much.