Diary of Rev Edward Stevens

Our Rural Postman presented a petition this morning asking for subscription towards purchasing a new pony, his having died. I promised 10/- and entered my name – the first on whom he called – stating that when he had collected £10 (I believe) he was to bring the petition to me to close the list. I felt it necessary to do this in order to prevent the abuses which have occurred on similar occasions before. I should not have taken the matter up on this occasion, but the young man has not been appointed very long and he has his blind father to keep and a young brother to look after him.

Rain more or less all day.

Wrote final letter to Fortescue and Sons about Mann and Inns.

Thursday May 6 I wrote my first letter to them. They wrote May 9 asking me to call.

May 10. I called and saw Charles Fortescue.

May 13. they wrote to say they had not heard from Mann and Inns.

May 15. They wrote enclosing copy of Munton & Stockton’s letter saying in effect that they could not accuse me of any dishonourable conduct with respect to church accounts as they were collected and paid by the Churchwarden.

Today I wrote saying that that was practically a denial of having said anything to which I could object but if they had not said something of the sort the matter would not have been talked about as it had. I therefore told Fortescue’s that so far as I was concerned the correspondence was closed : but that I declined to give up my Church Vestry Book to Frederick Inns, as it was not a Parochial Vestry Book – nor a Churchwarden’s Account Book, but a history of the Church and matters connected therewith, and that no-one had written in it but myself. Adding that if F. Inns would bring or send the Church Accounts to me for the past year I would enter them in my book so that they could be referred to when necessary.

Warmer today, but showery in morning.

Taught in School  from 9¼ to 10. Also this afternoon.

Visited Mr George Dix, Miss Dix (not in), Mr Woolgrove.

Dull, and rather warmer, but no rain.

Drove Bell, Ethel Hole and Frank to the Round House at Edgehill.

Ethel Hole left Banbury for London by the 1.19 train. I drove her in.

Visited Anna Aris who had asked me about the age of her grandson Tom (Mullin’s filius) who was christened Thomas Henry Parish. He tells her he has enlisted for a soldier but the authorities are in doubt about his age. He was born in the workhouse at Banbury and baptized at Sibford when he was 3 or 4 years old, i.e. in 1871, so the Certificate of Baptism is useless for the purpose.

Bell and I visited Fanny Barnes at New Barn Farm.