Diary of Rev Edward Stevens

About 7 p.m. a note came from Mr R. Lamb asking whether I would let him see the “Award of the Parish of Sibford Gower” at 8 o’clock, as he was desirous of consulting it. I replied that I should be at home and he could see it. He came at 8 o’clock and brought Mr. Oddie with him to read it for him. I let him have the “Award” and every old lease and document I had belonging to the Trustees as a mere matter of courtesy. His main object was to find out whether any Quakers had ever been Trustees. I do not think he found any except perhaps Michael Pettipher, who said he was a Quaker.

Mr. Oddie said he did not take a particle of interest in the matter.

They did not leave till 11 o’clock or later.

Speaking for myself alone, I told Mr Lamb that I should welcome him as a trustee at the proper time if the Church of England character of the School could be bona fide maintained. I did not fear that he would try to upset it, but others, if Nonconformists, were appointed might desire to do so if appointed.

I spent a long time examining Town Estate Deeds for information about 6 separate closes of land which are mentioned in the “Award of the Parish” and subsequent documents down to 1828, but which now appear to have been lost. I commenced the enquiry 10 years ago but dropped it as it appeared to be useless work.

Showery and cold. Not a very good attendance at Church: 90 morning, 150 afternoon.

Joshua Holtom’s wife called and asked me if I could get her girl Alice a situation. She is only 13. I reproved her for taking the child away from school a year or more ago and letting her get into idle ways, and told her that if I got her a situation it would be with church people, as I did not know any others.

Fine. Drove Bell round White-house and Epwell. The stones on the road broke one of the springs of my carriage.

Good Friday. Methodists’ Tea Party. A whole “break” full of people, most of whom were speakers, came from Chipping Norton.

Easter Week. Received from Longmans a notice that as the “Scripture Facts” had ceased to sell, they proposed to convert the remaining copies into waste paper. They offered to present me with half a dozen copies if I wished to possess them. I accepted their offer.

Mr Edmunds, Agent to Mr Wynne, gave a magic lantern lecture in the School-room this evening, which he called “Scenes in the life of the Queen”, but the views were mostly the same as those he exhibited last year. He read “Jane Conquest”, “The soldier’s Dream” and “The Charge of the Light Brigade”. The room was pretty full. I took the chair.