Diary of Rev Edward Stevens

Very bright and pleasant day, though there was a sharp frost this morning. Bessie left to return to Cheltenham. I drove her and Bell to hook Norton station via “the Elm”. The roads were so extremely “heavy” with mud, owing to the break up of the severe frost which went very deep, that my dear old mare “Ruby” had the greatest difficulty in getting the carriage up the hills. But we caught the 3.48 pm train just in time. I think this is the first occasion of my driving out since Christmas, but it did me good, I think.

William Coleman came this evening for his clothing ticket and asked me whether I would let him one of the gardens down the lane, I told him the larger one was to go with the cottage, and the smaller one I could not spare.

Fine. Visited George Payne, William Barnes, Joseph Coleman.

I received last night by carrier from Banbury GWR the parcel of new books for the Sibford Lending Library, consisting of 22 volumes of “The Leisure Hour”, “Sunday at Home” etc, many half bound, which I ordered a few days back through Messrs Simpkin, Marshall & Co having sent cheque for £3.7.2 in advance.

Reuben Sabin’s wife sent me a letter from Rev W Griffiths Rector of Clocaenog, Ruthin asking her to let Luther, who has been with him a year or two, stay for another year at £8. He speaks very well of the boy. I wrote a note to Mrs Sabin to say that the boy ought to stay and be thankful that he has a good place and good wages whilst so many thousands in the country have neither work to do nor food to eat. “Jane” Keene, our maidservant had a holiday to day to go to Banbury.

Visited Jane Messenger and Mr Elley. Walked round “Pig & Whistle.” Weather wonderfully mild compared with what it has been.

Henry Bishop called this evening about the Glebe land etc. We came to a preliminary understanding (1) that Miller and Abbotts should draw up the agreement. (2) that the rent for land, buildings and cottage should be £29 instead of £30 which I asked. (3) that the rent should be paid half yearly punctually on April 6 and October 11th on which condition I would return 10/- each time. (4) The stone walls to be put in sufficiently good order by Bishop himself. (5) Pigs and fowls to be kept out of my garden. He proposed his brother Charles of Tysoe Hill as his security. I said I would accept him if Miller and Abbotts were satisfied. I said he might leave the matter for the present and I would try to get “Agreement” that was made with R Gaydon. Bishop said he would ask his brother Charles.