…In the forenoon Mr Jeremiah French and one Mr Fletcher of Eastbourne called on me to go with them to take an account of the goods of Thomas Fowler, who, going to London about-6 weeks ago, has not since been heard of; so it is conjectured he must have lost his life by some accident of one kind or another, he being a very old man–I believe above 70. We accordingly broke open his chests, boxes’ etc., but found nothing of any value but common household furniture which we took account of. All this was done in the presence of Mr Fletcher, Mr French, Mr Joseph Fuller, Peter Adams, Mr Josias Smith, Mr Joseph Burgess, Margaret Fox, myself, Thomas Ling, the Widow Cain and a man who was a stranger to me. I came home about, 1:20.
We dined on the remains of yesterday’s dinner. In the afternoon Robert Diggens called at our house, and I walked over to Framfield with him to get a gray, yard-wide gown for Mrs Porter, but my mother had none. I stayed with my mother about an hour and came home about 5:20. In the evening went down to Mrs Porter’s and acquainted her I could not get her gown before Monday, who treated me with all the affability, courtesy and good humor imaginable. Oh, what pleasure would it be to serve them were they always in such a temper. It would even induce one to almost forget to take a just profit. In the evening read part of the New Whole Duty of Man.