An entry in CD’s Account Book (Down House MS) of 6 May 1848 (Saturday) reads: ‘Sunday School M^r Innes £3’.

The Down Coal and Clothing Club was a local savings club run by Innes, to which villagers contributed on a regular basis and the local gentry made ‘honorary’ contributions to supplement the funds. CD was apparently taking over responsibility for the club from Innes (Moore 1985, p. 469). Among the Down House MSS there is a small notebook entitled ‘Down Coal Club Honorary Subscriptions 1841 to 1876 Inclusive.’, and which contains the accounts in CD’s hand from 1848 to 1869. The donations from eight to ten honorary subscribers came to a total ranging from £16 to £35 annually. CD regularly contributed £5. Charitable and co-operative organisations such as this were similar to, but less structured than, the friendly societies, which were primarily intended to provide insurance coverage (Gosden 1973).

The next payment to the Sunday School recorded in CD’s Account Book (Down House MS), on 16 February 1849, was for this amount.