Diary 14 1 February 1885 - 31 October 1886

3 Feb. School closed due to measles outbreak

4 Feb. Met Mr. Webb who had been severely burnt about the face and hands while playing Old Father Christmas at Sunday School tea party (worked at the Tax Office, Gloucester)

10 Feb. Visited Llanthony Abbey, remains consisting of the barn and the fine gateway. Mr. Tuthill living there at modern house (belongs to Higford Burr)

13 Feb. Opera at the theatre

21 Feb. Busy collecting taxes "collected at Leavers to my agreeable suprise in the midst of squalor and dirt". In conversation, reference to Mr. Champney drawing more people to (the Barn) from Mr. Yenells congregations [at the meeting house?]

23 Feb. New well sunk [at school]

3 March School back yard pitched

10 March Journey to Berkeley to cast vote (conservative) at West Glos. election (the first time William had ever voted). Relative Tom Pick railing against Marling (Lib.) - "his lordship had been the cause of over 200 hundred [sic] turning for Ackers" (Cons.) Ackers returned by 411 majority. Family get together at Lower Stone

23 March William bought an American organ for himself

27 March Vestry meeting

6 April Vestry meeting

(Loose at 10 May: list of holders of allotments at Prestmead with acreages)

20 May School board meeting. "Messrs Y. and W. L[awrence] snarled over the non-appearance of the cheque book"

25 May To Stratford-upon-Avon by train: Shakespeare's tomb and house, etc. (detailed description)

26 May To Stonebench [to see the Severn Bore]. Describing interior of pub at Stonebench

27 May To Lower Stone

9 July Fête in orchard at Parton Manor

25 July Visited Mrs. Witts in apartment in Cheltenham (Osborne Lodge) very nervous due to former butler, Evans, appearing before magistrates (detailed account)

27 July Choir trip to Weston. Father Mills and William went to the Baths. "The bath man was rather afraid that Fr. Mills was not master of himself and ordered him out - it was highly diverting to see Fr. Mills stalking along in his drawers and singing "Come let us be happy together'

15 Aug. Visit to Lower Stone (until 25 August)

17 Aug. Description of 'uproarious scene of merriment' at the taproom at Mrs. Reaves' caused by tall old woman called Esther Browning

22 Aug. Uncle Leonard "complained of the unconsiousable [sic] time that U[ncle] Will had taken up in the reaping and of the quantity of liquor drank by him and Webb - and which to me seems very excessive, viz. 6 galls. in 2 days of strong cider"

25 Aug. Back to Churchdown, taking back fruit with them: chiefly "Scriggles", "Sheep's noses" and "Tom Puts"

10 Sept. Copy of list of subcribers to [American?] Organ for Churchdown school chapel

17 Sept. Mr. Lawyer Smith's wife had gone off with a dissenting minister

1 Oct. Harris' barn had been converted into a concert hall

5 Oct. Vestry meeting minutes

15 Oct. Reference to Alderman Frier of Gloucester having been accidentally drowned at Weymouth on Tuesday last (13)

16 Oct. Visit to the theatre "where as usual we sat [at the front rail of the gallery] looking like the cat looking through the dairy window". Saw 'Frou-Frou' with cast list including Helen Fortesque, who obtained £10,000 damages for Breach of Promise from Lord Garmoyle.

Saw behind the scenes because mother dropped her umbrella through a hole into a subterranean and got out after audience left

22 Oct. Performance at parish concert hall: programme given

10 Nov. Lord Fitzharding's hunt passed by "as before they were amused to see the school stationed on the terrace to watch them go by"

11 Nov. Account of entertainment at concert room (written by William and published in the Free-Press and Examiner) with programme

12 Nov. Account of Liberal meeting (Tewkesbury Division elections) held at concert hall, addressed by Mr. Samuelson: "If the Liberals were returned to power, it was proposed to pass an Act to form local boards which would have the power to aquire land and let it out to the labourers: also the little remaining Common lands should be allowed to the poor..." [Conservatives returned]

28 Nov. 'A disagreeable day': Father Mills drunk and abusive; Kate (who lived with them) putting herself into one of her 'attitudes', funeral of family burnt in fire in St. George's Street (account given 23 November 1885)

2 Dec. 3rd parish concert. Programme given

4 Dec. At election polls. (Yorke returned by 182 majority against Samuelson)

24 Dec. Christmas morning: at 6am a band in the street played 'Adeles Fidestes' etc. "very nicely"

The usually detailed account of church services given; includes transcript of a carol 'The Three Magi'

28 Dec. To Berkeley and Lower Stone (for 2 days)

Anecdote about Uncle John [Pick?] as parish constable conducting a man [ - Lewis] to gaol

1886

1 Jan. Visit by old gentleman called Stafford 'who instructs some of the workhouse boys in tailoring' (Cheltenham)

21 Jan. Programme for concert

26 Jan. Son Leonard "went to his club doctor"

4 Feb. Arthur's employer (F. Matthews) broke contract because he accused Arthur of looking through confidential papers

21 Feb. Arthur taken on trial as a piano tuner at Dale & Forty's

8 March Visited Anthony Morris (sic pensioner) who told of "Susan Sly, a reputed witch who lived in this parish in the latter part of the last century...how she turned herself into a hare and ran before the hounds to her own cottage (late Herberts now Sanders of Westgate Street, Gloucester) in Buttermilk Lane" etc.

18 March Concert programme

19 March Visit to Cathedral precincts and bishop's place; "a man was going in with a tray on which was 2 hares, a fine piece of cod - and a bucket of oysters for the sauce"

24 March "In the evening...we went for a gossip to Mrs. Holford [at Churchdown] at the "Old House at Home" - we sat with her in the private sanctum"

25 March Vestry meetings report

27 March "A man named Steed with an enormous nose visited Father Mills - his nose was something to remember...it looked like 3 noses - evidently from intemperance"

10 April Terms of Arthur's apprenticeship with Dale & Forty's as a piano tuner

17 April Discussing Irish Home Rule question with other tax collectors "they were all dead against though several...were Liberals"

26 April Vestry meeting minutes

28 April Taking round a petition against Gladstone's Irish scheme

1 May "[Mrs. Guest] signed.. after a good deal of humming and hawing and not wishing to be against Gladstone and so on"

3 May "As we had heard of the death of Lord Redesdale we tried to think over the names of the other Glostershire nobility but could not think of the names of very many"

9 May Trying to hide Fr. Mills' drunkeness from Churchdown people

16 May Floods along the Severn and the misery caused by it is frightful in Gloster

20 May Fr. Mills died after pleurisy attack

22 May Visited mother "the house smelt quite full of cooking - at which I was scandalised"

26 May Fr. Mills' funeral

2 June Frank Hambling's funeral (died of consumption) [Hamblings of the Crown, London Road, Charlton Kings]

2 July Band processed around village

19 July Choir trip to Weston-super-Mare

25 July Rev. Cornford "was much against the Dean Close Memorial School... [he said that it was not wanted, that the money might have been much better spent in building a private chapel for the Training College so that the students would then not be forced to St. Paul's to hear the wretched Calvinism of Mr. Wright. I was much astonished to hear Mr. C. hold forth.. for I should have supposed that he was a little tainted himself"

16 Aug. To Lower Stone "melancholy at the loss of Fr. Mills whom I miss at every turn" (17/8/86)

20 Aug. At the "Huntsman" where we lunched and combatted the rather radical notions of P. Organ the landlord - but knew hardly what to answer when he went on to tell me how Earl Ducie had lately discharged several old labourers"

22 Aug. Few people at Stone Church sunday service. Told that "people were tired on Sunday mornings in these harvest days and did not come"

25 Aug. "The usual stampeding on the men starting at 5 am"

30 Aug. Visit to Malvern by train "via the new line thro' Newent, Dymock, Ledbury etc."

31 Aug. "The committee men of the club met to consider the matter of paying the death allowance of the late S. Gaze"

7 Sept. Arguing with Lawyer Champney (the nonconformist) "Told him... that it was not for us to judge other people [whether they are saved or not].. and a good deal more to the same purpose which he did not altogether relish"

To Gloucester to prove Fr. Mills will "saw the decorations which have cost over £100 and look very well - especially the 4 arches at the Cross"

8 Sept. Visit by train to Hereford with mother who chatted on her favourite topic "the shortcomings of the rising generation". Cathedral and market described in detail. "Women who keep market sitting at... tables with their articles at front - consisting mostly of ducks, green geese, cream, cheese, butter, fruit and vegetables"

"Noticed on ancient Elizabethan house restored lately and converted into a bank standing detached in the middle of the chief street"

Irish hop-picking women about, "one of whom attempted to kiss the farmer's wife who was going to employ them - who however did not appreciate the delicate attention"

12 Sept. "A curious thing happened at the conclusion of the Doctor's [Rev. Smithe] sermon, "Cobbler" Houldey stood up to make an address to the congregation - he went on with his discourse when upon a signal from the Captain (Child) I began the concluding voluntary which put an end to it"

4 Oct. Gloucester mop day and 40 absent from school in consequence

16 Oct. Rescued Kate who had had an [Epileptic] fit in the High Street, "of course a mob was round her"

At end: note of distances in miles and furlongs between Cheltenham and Bristol