Diary of Rev Edward Stevens

Fine. Visited Miss Sabin. Sent in to the Ecclesiastical Buildings Fire Office claim for £2.5 for Frank’s overcoat. Percy Mountain buried to day. Bell was to have returned home but remained for the funeral.

Quinquagesima and St Matthias. Rain in afternoon. Poor congregations. My nose burst out bleeding at about 2.30, a thing it had not done for many years. I was afraid it would prevent my taking the service, but I managed to staunch the bleeding with cold water. It however, began bleeding somewhat in church but not sufficiently to prevent my reading, prayers and preaching.

Dull and cold. John Lively here cutting the privet hedge which was overgrown. He drove Rosa (with Ruby) to Banbury to meet Bell arriving from “White House” Mr Morgan’s, Honour Oak Road by 2.48 train. They reached home about 5 o’clock. Bell had been away ever since the 23rd January visiting Mrs Lindsay Page at Chislehurst, Mrs Mountain at Hawtree, West Dulwich, Mrs Morgan and Katie Witenhall at Croxton Road, West Dulwich. She and Lottie went to see Aunt Emma at Essex Road.

Bessie poorly and in bed all day. I was very busy with Town Estate, Loggin and School accounts.

Ash Wednesday. Bright, sunny, frosty. Service in Church, Litany and Ante Communion. Churched Mrs F Ward of Burdrop and Mrs James Dyer of Sibford Ferris.

The Drawing grant arrived on Monday. £3.4. I visited school on Monday, took Club money etc and gave Langley cheque for £1.12, half Drawing grant, and paid him 5/3½ for bread and milk supplied to little school-children who seemed to need it at 11 am each day during the severe weather.

Walked round “Pig & Whistle” and Pound Lane with Bell this afternoon. Sunny but very muddy.

Fine. Sunny, some frost. Visited Mrs Woolgrove; Joshua Lines (out); C Leaver, ill with pleurisy, did not see him; Job Harris and wife; Widow Reason; John Dyer; Anne Robinson, saw her daughter Emma who is at home ill.