Diary of Rev Edward Stevens

… Walked to Burdrop with him this evening. It is Sibford “Wake” time so there appeared to be dancing going on in Mr. Leake’s Barn.

… My paper on the old Church Wardens of Epwell and their Account Book was returned by the Editor of the London “Guardian” this morning without note or comment. I sent it up at his invitation about a month or five weeks ago. The course of literature is very disheartening as a supplementary source of income.

I sent a postal order for 3/- for a reserved seat for “The Sign of the Cross” to Mr Commin, bookseller Banbury for tomorrow evening. One of William Greet’s Companies is to perform it at the Exchange Hall, Banbury tomorrow and Thursday. Mrs Ainge is going to drive a party in tomorrow evening and Rosa is going with them.

… I hear that some members of the Sibford Brass Band, jealous because a Harp and Violin were employed to play for the dancers, made a disturbance outside the School room. They were mostly the worse for drink. Fred Inns threatened to summon some of them before the magistrates before they finally left.

Mr Langley showed me a letter he had received from Mr William Lamb, Quaker Farmer, saying that he wished to send his two eldest boys to school, but did not wish them to learn the Church of England catechism as they had not been baptized.

… Mrs Elley has sold to the Trustees of the Methodist Chapel an old cottage adjoining her house which was a nuisance to the Chapel, by obscuring the light and keeping the latter damp. They pushed down a large portion of the old building as I was passing this afternoon. It caused a great crash and a large cloud of dust.

Bright, sharp frost. Thomas Cakebread called and asked to be put on the list for coal and clothing. I told him he should apply to the Trustees at their next meeting. On his request I promised to put his name down for the next coal distribution subject to the approval of the Trustees.

…

Visited School. Took Clothing Club and Penny Bank money. Visited Mrs Charles Barnes and Miss Sabin. Met Mr Oddie at Sibford Ferris; though it was very cold he was hatless and overcoatless. He walked as far as the East End of the village with me and back as far as William Hawtin’s. He complains about the Sibford Tradesmen and their dilatory ways and says he is the “best cheated man in Sibford”.

… Then we called on Mrs Enock who, about a month or two back underwent a serious operation for gall stones at her daughter’s in the North of England. She says her doctors and friends think she has made, so far, a wonderful recovery. She tells me that her house is part of an ancient Roman temple. The foundations are evidently very good and probably ancient.