Diary March 1880 - September 1881

27 March At vestry meeting "Wm. Lawrence looked very crestfallen at being not elected for Overseer this year" [Wm. Lawrence often described as drunk or surly with gout when William paid visits for signing rate books, etc.]

27 March Election procession in Chelt

14 May Appointed as assessor & collector of Inhabited House duty

18 May "Wrote to Sir Julian Goldsmith for Charles Berry upon a curious subject: how a secret might be made known to the former - of the means of becoming a father to a son - a ticklish affair!"

19 May Talking with the landlord of the Black Horse near Cranham aged 85; an ardent believer in phrenology, 'talked of the bad behaviour of his only son & how Furber of the Promenade had foretold [by phrenology?] that the boy would turn out bad - upon enquiry we found that all this amounted - that the parents had spoiled the boy from the first - & done their best to help fulfil the prophecy"

11 July Vault in Churchdown church discovered during lowering of the pulpit & pew of the Great House

13 July At Thos. Lawrence's to reassess rates: "he & Mr Viner sat solemnly smoking long churchwarden pipes - tipped with sealing wax"

24 Aug Visit to relatives at Lower Stone

'Taken to a field called Tyler's Lease where Uncles Wm, Leonard & Tom were reaping & Dan & Harriet were binding April wheat

25 Aug "I put their reaping money affairs right"

28 Aug At the 'Bird in Hand' saw a caricature of Rev. Caleb Carrington sometime vicar of B[erkeley?] & who died in the debtors' prison at Gloucester goal

28 Aug. Over new Severn Br. to Penyran

31 Aug. Visiting Monmouth

13 Sept. At Club committee meeting; wondering if they should affiliate to junior branch of the Odd Fellows

5 Oct. Meeting of whole club. Not joining any other club

7 Oct. Policeman killed hedgehog in fowl house. William realised he was a policeman 'by the flash upon his buttons' in the dark

31 Dec. New Year's church service at All Saints, Cheltenham (typically detailed description)

1881

1 Feb. Funeral for Uncle Hambling of the Crown at Charlton Kings church

7 Feb. Visit to surveyor of taxes in Gloucester

25 March Minutes of vestry meeting

31 March Collecting rates: 'went to Woodlands and found with some difficulty Shad. Gaze who occupies a hovel in Prestmead'

4 April-9 April Collecting up census papers and working on returns

13 April Election of school board 'the band afterwards turned out and paraded the village' (throughout March and April there are many references to discussion and arguments over the proposed school board)

18 April Annual fete at Churchdown

12 May Son William born

13 Aug. To Monmouth and Forest of Dean

14 Aug. Attended nonconformist chapel "not withstanding my strong prejudices". "Mr. Propert [the preacher] looked at me when he spoke of the superstitions of the Church - Lois put her umbrella upon the altar!!"

16 Aug.-20 Aug. Visit to relatives at Lower Stone

25 Aug. Choir trip to Speech House