Diary of Rev Edward Stevens

Attended Boys School this morning. Choir practice this evening. Very showery all day. Charles Barnes, my clerk, was not at church, owing to his wife’s confinement.

Mr Woolgrove, my churchwarden, called this evening about the American Organ Account. He told me that Dr Routh had informed him that he should resign his seat on the Board of Charity Trustees as he did not like the constant grumbling of some persons about the Charity Administration. The names of grumblers were not mentioned, nor the complaints they had to make.

Lewis Poulton has removed his children from our School where they were charged 3d per week all books etc found and 2/6 given every year on passing examination of H.M. Inspector, to Miss Schimmell’s – a “dame’s school”, where they pay at least 6d per week, find teir own books and have no privileges. It was Lewis Poulton who applied to Trustees to reduce fee from 3d to 1d which, as he is a tradesman, a freeholder and a farmer, the Trustees declined to do.

Sent Frank to School of Art at Sibford Ferris Friends’ School this morning.

Very high wind with rain at night.

Bright, dry and windy. Visited Mark Barnes, Thomas Meadows and C. Holder.

Drove Bell and Frank to Banbury. Dry and fine, but cold wind.

Rev H. Merritt White B.A. Dublin, Curate to Rev Canon Payne of Swalcliffe, removed into Mrs Morris’s house at Burdrop.

Visited Thomas Lively, John West, Thomas Henry Hone, D. Hone, W. Hall, Tailor Hall and Mr Woolgrove (out).

Visited Mrs Shelswell.

Attended Band Practice. The men had some sample uniforms (old soldiers) to try on. Blue, with yellow facings: 15/- the suit, including scarlet cap. They are almost as good as new and are to cost only 15/- the suit.

Made offertory for organ fund to close the account.

Attended Choir practice this evening.

Penny Bank. Very little to be done in this way now. The Actuary of the Banbury Savings Bank told me that nearly all the clergy in the neighbourhood had given up their Penny Banks finding the good done by them totally inadequate to the labour involved in keeping them up.