Diary of Rev Edward Stevens

The draper at Banbury brought out clothing for Town Estate Trustees distribution in the school room and the children accordingly had a holiday.

To the Trustees of the Sibford Gower Town Estates.

Gentlemen,

We shall be much obliged if you will kindly allow us the use of the schoolroom on April 24th after the children have been dismissed, for the purpose of giving a concert and dance on behalf of the Sibford Cricket Club.

We are resident rate-payers of Sibford Gower and will undertake, if you grant the use of the room, to be personally responsible for the maintenance of strict decorum on the premises and so leave clean and in good order, to close at a reasonable hour, to allow no intoxicants to be brought on the premises, and to pay to the treasurers of the Town Estates the cost of making good any damage that may be caused to the premises or their contents, except by accidental fire, during the time of their occupation by the Committee of the Sibford Cricket Club.

We also undertake that the use of the premises for school purposes shall in no way be interfered with
and are, Gentlemen
Your obedient servants
E. Jewell
Frederick Inns

To the Rev E. T. Stevens
Hon. Sec. to the Sibford Gower Charity Trustees.

The Methodists seem busy here today having some local preachers about. They had a brass band parading the village this evening. It consisted of 6 trombones which made a most hideous noise, but had no following except about 6 or 8 children. I did not see any Sibford men among them.

I wrote to the Warden of New College today asking whether the College would allow the balance of the £300 granted in January 1875 towards a new vicarage house to be expended on very necessary and moderate improvements to this house and other buildings.

The children came round to the vicarage with their May-garlands before going to Church. Bell was not pleased with their doing so, as she was very busy with spring-cleaning going on and she had told them to come here after the service. They probably went all round Sibford Gower first so as to start for Burdrop and Sibford Ferris after coming out of Church without having to return to Sibford Gower.

The children’s “May Tea” was held in the schoolroom at 4 p.m. £1.19.6. had been collected so that there was enough, after paying for the tea, to give some pence to each. There were 97 altogether.

Mr. Long, the Baker asked me to go in as he would like to speak to me. On our going in he told us about ten times that he had made up his mind to have 50 penny loaves made for the jumble sale.