Diary of Rev Edward Stevens

Very fine, but cold wind. Had to reprove boy Hyde severely for neglect of duty and stupidity in leaving Ruby standing out in the cold wind by the stable door while he went to his dinner. I told him to groom her there. He merely tied her up there and left her. She broke loose and went into the sunshine in the yard.

I drove Rosa to Shenington to visit Mrs John and Miss E Shellswell. We staid to tea. Arthur Shellswell was not at home, but I put Ruby in his stable. We left at 7.30 pm.

John Lively called this morning and spoke of Hyde’s bad usage of the mare. He and his elder brother who seems to have no work ran the mare round the pound against her will and she broke loose from them. I have had frequent complaints about the conduct of my boy, and would discharge him, but there is not another to be got, and he can do very well if he will. I reproved him severely.

There was a very high wind and heavy rain all night.

Fine. Received a letter from Cousin W Green and sent him by parcels’ post my rough notes of the Culpeper Family and “The Story of Hollingbourne”. I called at Inns’ this afternoon to see him about the rain coming into the schoolroom, but he was not at home. Bell and I called at Miss Eliza Lamb’s, but the place was locked up. She called on Mr and Mrs Ainge. He is better. They told her that his last son, David, who has been in the Littlemore County Lunatic Asylum several years died there on the 3rd inst and was buried there on the 9th.

I wrote to Rev Edward J Corbould of Teynham, Sittingbourne, asking whether he could tell me anything about the Mr Stephens, of Teynham, who married Martha, daughter of John Spencer Colepeper, born 1769.

Drove Bell and Rosa to Banbury. The day was very fine and the roads washed clean by the heavy rain. We sent apples and pears to Aunt Emma and Frank.

We have posted this week to addresses of Schools in Calendar of College of Preceptors 600 prospectuses of the ACS. We were told at the GWR at 2.15 pm that the daily papers had not yet arrived from London as the line South of Oxford was rendered impassable by floods, and at last communication was opened by means of coaches on the road. We met Mr and Mrs Graham Jones in Banbury and also Mr Trumper. We got back about 6 pm.