Diary of Rev Edward Stevens

Innocents’ Day. Divine Service at 9.15 am. 5 present besides myself and clerk. Visited James Hone, William Holland and Thomas Aris. Work very slack. Jesse Bishop called and paid the whole of his rent.

Miss Dix gave Sunday School children tea and cake and a Christmas tree this afternoon. She made them a little very kind speech saying she had taught in the Sunday School 25 years.

Mr Oddie would have lent us a good tree, but owing to the snow it could not be brought up the hill.

Sent my name up as original member of the Clergy Pensions Institute together with a cheque for £5. 6. (1/- for Rules). £5. 5 per annum at my age will purchase me a deferred annuity after 65 of £7.9. and it is returnable any time previous with compound interest at 2½ per cent. The address is Clergy Pensions Institution, Arundel House, Temple Station, London W.C. They have £10000 invested and hope to get contributions from wealthy church people to increase pensions so that each retired clergyman may have £200 per annum.

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.