Diary of Rev Edward Stevens

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.

3rd Sunday in Lent. Delightfully mild, calm, and sunny. My lips are still swollen with cold which rather disfigures me so that I scarcely know myself “in the glass”, but I got through my duties in church this morning with greater comfort as regards the voice, – and efficiency – than I have done for some months.

I churched this afternoon George Green’s wife and Arthur Haynes’s wife.