Diary of Rev Edward Stevens

Hired Thomas Webb and his horse and wagonette for an Excursion to Stratford on Avon to show Roland and D’Arcy Braddell Shakespeare’s Birthplace etc. It was a fine day on the whole though rather cloudy at starting. We left at 9 am and got caught in a shower the other side of Newbold. However, it soon passed over. But in walking along the road from Stratford to Shottery we got caught by en extremely heavy downpour. We stood under some trees which kept us fairly dry. My party consisted of Bell, Edith Brooke, Roland, D’Arcy and myself. We visited Shakespeare’s birth-place and the museum contained there – Ann Hathaway’s Cottage, which has been recently bought by the “Shakespeare Trustees” for about £3000. Mrs Baker, a descendant of the Hathaways who has had charge of the place about 50 years was there to “do the honours”. She remembered well the visit of Charles Dickens, Washington Irving and others and showed us the stone on which they sat. We also visited “New Place” and the Church. We had only a very slight shower on our return journey, and reached home at about 9 pm the horse being evidently very tired.

Baker Long met me and told me he was anxious to do something for the poor widows of Sibford Ferris as it is Harvest Festival tomorrow, so he would give them a half quartern of flour each.

Harvest Festival, a very large congregation. The church was beautifully decorated and brilliantly lighted.

School reopened this morning.

Soden of Epwell White House asked whether the Trustees would allow him some land to do some necessary mounding between the Furze Land which he holds and some fields on the farm. I asked him to let me know the length required. He would do the labour if we would fund ???

Miss Lamb of Burdrop gave a magic lantern for the use of parish (cost £20).

Soden called about the mounding. I sent him down to Mr Woolgrove to fix a time for meeting at the Heath.

Inns called and asked for use of schoolroom next Friday as Dixon had made up his mind to start a reading room and having collected some subscriptions thought there should be a public meeting for the affordment of a Committee. Would I take the chair? I replied that I would lend the schoolroom but could not promise to take the chair; I felt a great reluctance in associating myself with a scheme which seemed to be foredoomed to failure.

Dr Wilkinson sent me a letter which Dixon had addressed to him asking for subscriptions to his proposed reading room.

Charles Woods butcher called and paid me £11 for rent (Church Close £10, Bite of slinket £1).

This evening the Dixon Reading Room meeting was held in the schoolroom. I did not go but wrote a note to Inns saying why I could not.