Diary of Rev Edward Stevens

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.

Visited Elizabeth Manning and took some mutton for her two girls Ada and Florence, both of whom are very delicate. When I went in yesterday they had only cabbage and bread for dinner.

Visited James Tay, who is suffering from Sciatica and rheumatism. He is badly off as blacksmith’s work is not so much needed now as it was a few years ago and there is another of the trade at Sibford Ferris.

Whitsun Day. The Methodists paraded the village this evening singing and there is  a Gospel tent at work at Epwell.

“Punch” has a good thing today. “Head Master, with cap and gown, looking very solemn and dreadful to youngster before him. Now can you tell me in what respects the language of the members of the Society of Friends, commonly called Quakers, is different from ours, yours and mine, I mean?”

“Please Sir, they don’t swear”.

Drove Bell and Burdon to Swalcliffe, and preached. We took supper at the Vicarage after the service.

Dr. Wilkinson told me on Friday that Major Norris had taken up his residence at Swalcliffe but that he was ill, having been injured at a “Cock-fight” in the Hussar Yeomanry or other military sports at Oxford a week or two ago, and had in consequence to wear a sort of iron collar to support his head, because the muscles of the neck or spine were injured.