Borrow Harry Knight’s bike and leave Seagrave at 9:15 for Sileby. I catch the 9:38 train for Leicester. Left Leicester at 10:10, in Nuneaton 10:50. Left at 11:20 am for Stafford, arrived at 12:30 noon. To Meyrick and had lunch. At 3:30 to Dr Mitchell and got extension of leave. At 4 pm to swimming bath and had swim. Home at 5 pm.
Wednesday 7 April 1915 – fine
Left Seagrave at 9:20 am. Missed train for Leicester. Called at Inglesant. Caught train at 10:57 am. Went to No. 5 Military Hospital at Leicester and get an extension for a fortnight and some medicine. Took 12:40 train for Stafford (Great Northern Railway) and searched Registers there. On to Melton Mowbray, saw the Sexton regarding registers. Left for Rearsby at 6:12. Walked from Rearsby to Seagrave . Arrived at 8 pm.
*Sexton – A municipal official charged with overseeing the community’s graveyard. This includes maintaining burial records.
Tuesday 6 April 1915 – showery
Received letter from Shorncliffe purporting “Need a Military Officer’s Certificate and not a civil practitioner”.
Left Stafford at 1:47 for Leicester. Changed at Nuneaton. Arrived Leicester at 4 pm. To Aunt Louise’s and had tea then on to Military Base Hospital for Extension of Leave. Have to go tomorrow at 10:30 am. Leave Leicester for Sileby. At 7:54 pm arrive
(Easter Sunday) Sunday 4 April 1915 – fine
To St Mary’s Church Stafford
A very good service.
Went for a walk with Cyril and Mr Banks to the Beacon two miles outside Stafford. Back to Bank’s and had tea with Mrs Banks.
To Primitive Methodist Church in evening with Cyril and Ede. Touching sermon.
Sunday 28 March 1915 – Bright Snow
To the Primitive Methodist Church with Cyril and Ede. Had an invitation from a Mr Lloyd to go for an automobile ride tomorrow.
At 3 pm Cyril, Ede, Mr Banks and self go to St. Thomas’s Priory 25 miles out of Stafford. To Church in evening at Primitive Methodist.
Friday 26 March 1915
Staying in with Cyril and Ede in their new home.
I go to the Carnegie Library and get very useful information in the morning. At 2:30 pm go into the town of Stafford with Ede. We are shown through the William Salt Library. I stay and study. Ede goes home. Ede sees the printed Pedigree of the Draycots.
*William Salt was a British banker who collected books, pamphlets, manuscripts, drawings and other materials suited for libraries and archives. Upon his death in 1863 the materials were donated to the city of Stafford. The William Salt Library was opened in 1872 to house the material he collected. The Library still operates today and is an important repository of local history in Stafford.
