Diary of Rev Edward Stevens

Snow. Drove to Banbury. Drove out Mr and Mrs Davies.

I invented carrying apparatus for steep gradients so that Webb and I can carry Rosa up and down our steep staircase without difficulty. None of the carrying chairs I have ever seen are of any use in this house.

Visited Sarah Goff and Phillips.

Applied to Religious Tract Society for grant for Village Library.

More snow at night.

Visited Mrs Shelswell, Mr Norris, Mr Dix, Mr and Mrs Davies, Mrs Turner. Bell was with me.

Visited T. Holland, W. Hall, J. Coleman, H Keene, Joshua Lines.

Great excitement at Burdrop this evening. It was said that a man had left the Bishop Blaise for Shutford the worse for drink in company with James Gilkes who had suddenly missed him when they got along Shutford Road. Charles Lines and several other men took lanterns to look for him without success. I saw them in Alcock’s Lane on their return. The man supposed to be lost is a clock-maker from Hornton.

Snow again last night.

Attended Sunday School this morning and Choir practice this evening.

Elizabeth Holland, Dorcas Scruby, Mrs Hiorns’s servant and Lucy Lines behaved ill in Church. I spoke about it very strongly in my sermon (this afternoon). Edgar Lines and other boys behaved ill in the road after church this morning.

Conversion of St Paul. Only Frank, my servant Eliza and the Clerk were present beside myself.

Snow last night. Rapid thaw all day with dense fog.

Buried Mark Barnes’s youngest child Mark; the certificate gave the name Mark Aram Barnes, but as I baptized the child privately by the name of Mark only, I so entered it in the Burial Register.

I did not have the children at Church owing to the inclemency of the weather, and told Mr and Mrs Elley to give them some bread and milk at 11. The children were pleased enough.

Thaw continues. Drove to Brailes. Mr Davies accompanied me. Called on Mr Smith, who told me he had written to tell me he had made up his mind to resign his living in favour of his son-in-law Garrard.

Thaw continues. Wrote to London & County Bank to transfer £150 from deposit account to drawing account and sent deposit receipt for purpose.

Called on Mr Dix, Mrs Dix, Miss Somerton and John Harris senior.

Fine. Thaw continues.

Webb unwell : not at work.

Snow and rain.

Joseph John Lamb called for Sibford Ferris allotments land tax for Richard Austin who is not well.

Webb still at home suffering from diarrhoea and sickness. I called to enquire after him. Charles Barnes is doing his work.

Webb still at home.

Sent £2.2 advertisement “To Ecclesiastical Patrons” to the “Globe” newspaper.

Visited W. Fox, H. Keene, S. Goff, Mr Oddie, H. Simmons.

The roads are unusually soft and muddy even for this time of year, owing to successive frosts and thaws.