In the morning Mr Burgess, and I went to Waldron in order to accompany the parish officers to Uckfield [by our] previous agreement of the 12th instant to give security to Robert Durrant. We called at Mr Wood’s and breakfasted, and Mr Attwood [alias Wood] and both of us went to Uckfield where we met Mr Bonwick the overseer of Waldron, but found Mr Courthope was not at home; so we could not have his determination in this affair.
We then went to Mr Halland’s to endeavor to make it up between ourselves, but could not on account that some of the cunning people of our parish think 18d per week too much and sent us with orders to give but 15d. They insist on 18d per week and 40/- for her lying-in–what in reality we must come to pay, thought we might have made it up to the 12th instant for 15d per week. Then Mr French would give but 12d per week. But, Oh! all this trouble and charge proceeds from the ignorance of that man; for in the first place he obliged the man to be sent away with a view to defraud the parish of Waldron of having any security (which cost us 15/-). And now to dally with an affair that almost a child must know the end of! But, however, in complaisance to Mr French we did not comply with the 18d per week, but took the note we gave then the 12th instant and gave them another to forfeit £20 if we did not meet them the 24th instant at Uckfield to give such security as shall be adjudged proper by Mr Courthope, or otherwise to deliver up to them the body of Robert Durrant. Now how black and unjust must it appear before the justice to think we should send the man off with an intent to evade Justice and to put the parish of Waldron to an unnecessary expense in taking him.
As we came home we met Mr French, whom we informed of what we had done, but he blamed us for not (instead of leaving it to Mr Courthope) entering into a recognizance to have it tried at the sessions… Spent on the parish account this day as under:
| 1 pint wine and beer | 0.1.6 |
| Horses and ostler | 0.0.6½ |
| Turnpike | 0.0.2 |
| 0.2.2½ |
Rec’d a letter today from the new state lottery office in Cornhill that the lottery ticket between my brother and I, No. 66643, was drawn a blank the 15th instant; so I have had no fortune in this lottery… The gardener at Halland made us a present of a fine cauliflower and some pears.