Diary of Rev Edward Stevens

1895, February 13, Wednesday 

Wrote to Miss Anderdon. Received nice letter from Frank. He says Miss A will allow £130 plus £30 for tutor. A delightfully calm and sunny day, but still intensely cold. Visited school, Mr and Mrs Ainge, Mrs Turner, Jane Messenger, G Spicer, Edward Fox Ezra Green. Distributed some coal tickets to day and yesterday. Widow Mary Sabin died during the night aged about 86.

Mrs Rugg wrote that Annie Martin died on 7th. inst and was to be buried near Birmingham yesterday.

A death announcement cut from the Banbury Advertiser of 21 February 1895 is pasted into the diary: “Sabin—February 13, at Sibford Gower, Mary Sabin, aged 88 years.”

1895, February 14, Thursday   a

Received another letter from Mr Stone about the proposed gardening lectures, and replied to it and wrote to Poulton in enclosing it. A very bright but intensely cold day. I did not go out.

 

Cutting from the Banbury Guardian, 14 February 1895

SIBFORD FERRIS.

A LARGE RAT.—During threshing operations on the farm of Mr. R. H. Lamb on Friday last, an unusually large rat was killed. Its length, including the tail, was 19¼ inches and it weighed 17 oz. It would be interesting to know whether specimens of this size are often found in a wild state.

1895, February 15, Friday  a

Intense cold still dull. Very slight snow in afternoon. Visited Widow Joseph, John Lamb, Horsmans, J Aris, W Barnes, George Payne. Saw Joseph and Thomas Coleman in the field and gave them their coal tickets. Left Joe Payne’s with his mother as his wife was confined a day or two ago.

Mr Woolgrove called. He and Mr Hall had been over the Heath Farm to see Poulton’s mounding work etc, and said they agreed that we should pay the bill £32.14.6 knocking off 14/6 by agreement with Poulton.

Lewis Poulton called this evening and I paid him his bill of £32 in accordance with the Farm Committee’s request, as I calculated that there was sufficient in the Bank to meet it though I have not yet received Miller & Abbot’s account. He said the Horticultural Society Committee could not meet till Monday and at his request I wrote to Mr Stone leaving him to fix 3 days for the lectures on gardening, suggesting Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday March 5, 6 & 8. There is to be a Conservative meeting at the Bishop Blaise Inn tomorrow evening about Mr Wynne’s candidature for the Banbury division of Oxfordshire, as Sir B Samuelson is retiring and the jury did not come to a verdict in the divorce case of Hawtin v Hawtin and Wynne and Hawtin has no money to go on with a new trial. It is a sad case for Wynne, who, however, must be held innocent till he is proved to be guilty. Many, Poulton and the Doctor included, are strongly in favour of his continued candidature and support.

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Read about the Rev Edward Stevens here.