Author: Thomas Turner

My wife a good deal indisposed with the pain in her side and has an ulcer broken out on one of her legs. Oh, heavy and great misfortunes! But let me not repine since it is the will of Almighty God.

…At home all day. In the evening read part of Addison’s Evidences of the Christian Religion. Sure never was a more melancholy time than now. What the reason is I know not, but I have so little trade and my trust is so great that I think I must be ruined. And how to extricate myself out of my difficulties I am quite at a loss. I should not care how poor soever my own living was, so I had but a prospect of not losing that little I once had.

…This day being St Thomas’s day, gave the following people one penny and a draught of beer for a Christmas gift; viz.,

1	Widow Gower	18	Edward Babcock Jr
2	Dame Novice	19	John Dan
3	John Humphrey	20	Widow Day
4	Francis Turner	21	William Eldridge
5	Widow Trill	22	James Emery
6	Richard Braizer	23	John Streeter
7	Ann Wood	24	Will Slarks
8	Ed Babcock Sr	25	Will Slarks
9	Widow Cain	26	Robert Baker
10	Thomas Ling	27	Susan Swift
11	Thomas Heath	28	Richard Prall
12	Richard Heath	29	Widow Cornwell
13	Samuel Jenner	30	Thomas Dallaway
14	Thomas Tester	31	John Durrant
15	William Henly	32	Richard Vinal
16	Roger Vallow	33	Widow Bristow
17	John Elless

…In the evening read part of Hervey’s Meditations. Thomas Davy at our house the latter part of the evening.

Mr Elless dined with us on the best end of a leg of mutton roasted. Mrs Piper drank tea at our house. In the evening Mr Elless and I walked down to Halland to carry some hose for Mr Coates, but did not stay. After I came back, read part of Addison’s Evidences of the Christian Religion. My wife continues very ill.

…In the evening Thomas Durrant cutting my wife’s hair and stayed and smoked a pipe or two with me. At home all day. My wife very ill with a pain in the side.

In the morning sent Mr Robert Plumer by John Streeter the post in cash 24.14.0, which money is in full on my account… Rec’d back by the post from Mr Robert Plumer a receipt for 23.13.0, one of the guineas I sent him today not being weight, and which guinea the post says he has put off and will pay Mr Plumer the same sum on Thursday next. In the evening settled an account between Thomas Fuller the previous overseer of this parish and Mr Joseph Burgess the overseer for the next year, when Mr Burgess paid Thomas Fuller in cash 14.13.6; viz.,

To a balance due to the parish from Mr Burgess when he made up his accounts with the parish at Easter last	11.7.6
By a mistake then made to the prejudice of the parish.	3.6.0

Afterwards Mr Thomas Fuller paid Mr Joseph Burgess back again in cash: 2.18.8; viz.,

To Sinden’s poor tax, which the parish agreed to pay.	1.6.8
Do. to Francis Turner’s poor tax which the parish also agreed to pay, both for the year 1757	1.12.0

At home all day. Took physic today. In the evening wrote my London letters. Delivered my watch to Mr Henry Weller of Eastbourne for him to repair for me. In the evening Thomas Davy at our house.

Myself only at church in the morning; the text in Joshua 24:24: “And the people said unto Joshua, The Lord our God will we serve, and his voice will we obey.” We had a brief read for a fire that happened in the parish of St John’s Wapping in the county of Middlesex whereby a widow woman and her two daughters are reduced to the extremest want and poverty, their loss amounting to upwards of £1340 beside the ground-rent of the premises, which was £20 per year, and 30 years more to come of the lease, that with rebuilding the same it must still add to their losses. I gave 3d to the said brief. We dined on a roasted pig and bread sauce.

In the afternoon my wife, self and servant at church; the text the same as in the forenoon, from which words we had a very good sermon. In the evening Mr Francis Elless and Thomas Davy at our house, to whom I read 2 of Tillotson’s sermons.

Paid Mr Ben Shelley in cash… 6.13.6… in full for the same sum that he paid this week to Mr Neatby, distiller… We dined on some boiled tripe, a light pudding and some potatoes. In the evening my brother came over, but did not stay… Mr Henry Weller at Eastbourne and Joseph Fuller spent the evening at our house.

…In the afternoon very busy. Molly Geal, Halland housemaid, drank tea with us. In the evening read one of Tillotson’s sermons.

…Paid John Streeter in cash 3/11 for 1 pair silver clasps which he brought me from Lewes on Monday. In the afternoon my wife went to see Mrs Porter, and about 7:30 I went down. We played a few games of whist, but neither won or lost. We supped at Mr Porter’s on some roasted potatoes, sausages and bread and cheese. We stayed chatting with Mrs Porter and Mr Porter till near 12 o’clock. A very melancholy time–but little to do, and really no getting in of any debts. I cannot think what will become of me. Oh, could I be in some piece of business where I could carry on business in it’s proper channel! Then should I be siting in the sphere that is my choice. Not that I would desire to amass a large sum of money together. No, only that I might have the prospect removed from before my eyes of an approaching poverty.