Diary of Rev Edward Stevens

Mrs Elley called this evening with her needlework accounts.

Visited Sarah Hone and John Reason. The half melted snow on the roads is now frozen so that they are very slippery.

Very dangerous travelling owing to the slippery state of the roads.

Visited Misses Dix.

Cricket Club dance at the schoolroom. I went up for an hour between 9 and 10. About 50 persons were present. Mr Joseph Pettipher and Mr Mann had borrowed the room for the purpose.

Frank Lamb called and told me he had made up his mind to go to Canada as he could not get work half his time here. I gave him £ to pay the deposit for his passage to Montreal or Toronto.

Snow all day. Visited School and taught. Visited Mr Horsman and his wife, found them very badly off. No food, no coal. They had had nothing to eat since breakfast – 8 hours – boy Harry has no work – never has much and when he has he gets only 1/- per day. The “Parish” does not allow them anything. It did give them 2/- a week up to January – but they applied for more – the Guardians not only refused any increase but took off what they had allowed and offered them “the House”. Their son George in London promised to allow them 1/- a week but they had not had anything from him for a fortnight. I gave them 2/-.

Drove Bell to Banbury to see a carriage at Sole’s, £12. 10 very cheap and decided on buying it, not because I feel I can afford it, but because my old one is so much out of repair that it is hardly safe to use and to put it in order would cost more than it is worth.

Band played on lawn this evening. A German photographer named Ross, from Chipping Norton “took them”. He did it ill – charged them 1/- each. He also “took” my family group. I paid him 7/6 for six cabinet size.

George Green (labourer) called and asked me to give him a “character” to become landlord of the Wykham Arms. I tried to dissuade him from having anything to do with a business of that kind, but wrote on the paper brought “I believe George Green to be a steady and industrious man”. He used to be a tippler, and though now a teetotaller he is running into the way of temptation, as I told him, and is likely to lose the few pounds he may have saved.

Holy Communion. Choir practice in the evening. Joseph Hone was playing hockey in the field at back of the school at time of practice. As he pretends to belong to the choir I told him he had better go in to practice. He did not do so. Nor did he come when I sent his brother Charles for him. I therefore sent him word that he was expelled from the choir.