Paid Sarah Prall by a book debt and cash 4/10 in full for post letters etc. to this day… A remarkable cold day. In the evening I received advice from Joseph Durrant by Dame Burrage that he had orders from Mr James Burfield, owner of Burrage’s house, to distrain the goods in the said house immediately for the sum of 5.18.9, being for 2½ years’ rent, due the 5th October; viz., £2 from the widow Paris (Burrage’s wife’s mother), and the remaining 3.18.9 due from Burrage, the one paying 31/6, and the other 16/- per year. I upon hearing this sent to Master Durrant, who gave me the letter which empowered him to distrain the said goods. I then went down to Mr Porter’s and communicated it to him and informed him, as Burrage had little or no goods, and the goods that were there being the old women’s, I thought it would be very unjust to let her suffer for her son-in-law, which she must inevitably do if the landlord were suffered to distrain. I proposed to him to go and treat with Mr Burfield and to offer him to be paid at Easter next 2 years’ rent; viz., 3.3.0, and to promise to continue paying the said rent for Dame Burrage, (which he assented to) and for me to call a vestry tomorrow and to make the same proposal at the vestry… In the evening read one of Tillotson’s sermons.