In the morning got up about 6 o’clock and went down to Thomas Lewer’s in order for him to go to Uckfield to swear his parish, which he readily agreed to, assuring me he would be at my house by 8 o’clock, which he was; and then we both went together in order to call Mr John Vine and Elizabeth Day, the former for company and latter in order to remove to her parish of Waldron, and upon whom I served the summons I had of Mr Courthope the 24th January last. But she absolutely denied going, saying that she would not go for anyone. Whereupon going back to Mr John Vine’s (only Thomas Lewer being with me when I served the summons) we agreed to defer our journey till another day.
Mr Vine and I came down the street together; he stayed and drank a bottle of beer with me… In the afternoon I went down to Mr French’s in order to acquaint him with our proceedings. In the evening Master Hook and I went down again to take up Hyland. When we came to his house, and after patrolling some time about the house, we found the man to be at home by hearing him talk. We then went immediately to Mr Rabson, the headborough of Laughton, in order for him to serve the warrant, which he refused to do without more assistance, though there were two of us and the man we were a-going to take was a man with the use of one arm only. I then desired him to charge his son-in-law, who lived with him, to whom I offered 12d for his trouble, but he refused to charge him. I then proposed a 2nd person in our road to Hyland’s, but he refused him. I then entreated him to go with us alone but could not persuade him. I then proposed his next neighbor, [but he] still rejecting my choice, still continued protesting he would go and charge somebody, which he did; I was after him, entreating him to serve our warrant and not to use us ill, as I imagined he designed (and as I afterwards found true). For he went about a ½ a mile on the contrary road from which we were a-going under pretence to charge a man to go with him. But instead of doing that he went to one of the overseers and told him his business; viz., that he had got a warrant to serve on George Hyland and begged he would send word of it to the other overseer. And after staying at the overseer’s about 20 minutes, he at last told him he should be glad of his company if he liked to go, but he should do as he liked about going. So that one may plainly judge of the baseness of the poor creature’s principles. But we must, I think, say this of him; that he is a compound both of baseness and ignorance. However, we came back again by his house and called Master Hook where we had left him and then proceeded on our road to take the man (our company was Goad, the Laughton overseer; Rabson; myself and Hook.)
When we came to the house, the man and Ann Durrant were both in bed, but he soon came down and opened the door. And then we came away for Hoathly, leaving the poor old man so soon as we came into the park, and only G. Hyland, A. Durrant, R. Hook, Goad and myself came to Hoathly, where we arrived about 12 o’clock and sent for J. Watford. We went into Jones’s and stayed till past 2. We spent 3/2; viz., 3/- charged to the parish and 2d I paid, though for the parish. A. Durrant, myself, Hook, Watford and Hyland came up to our house where we supped, or rather breakfasted on the remains of yesterday’s dinner. We sat up all night. This day gave Mr Thomas Smith the carrier in cash £10 to pay in London for me.