Author: Thomas Turner

In the morning balanced accounts with Joseph Fuller and paid him 6.17.7 in full; viz.,

Myself Dr.
To a bill of meat from 16 April to 11th September	0.14.8½
To 3 tod 8 lbs wool, 20/-	3.5.0
To money paid by Mr George Tomlin to Messrs Margesson & Co. for my use	6.9.0
Due for the hire of a horse on the parish account at Easter last	0.12.0
	11.0.8½
Per Contra Cr
To a bill of goods	4.3.1½
In cash today	6.17.7
	11.0.8½

Our servant went over to Framfield, in the forenoon. We dined on the remains of yesterday’s diner with the addition of a beef pudding, a small pike and eel given us by Roger Vallow. My brother came over in the afternoon in order to go to Battle with me tomorrow. He stayed all night. Rec’d by him from my mother in cash £5 in order to pay for some nails on her account. In the evening wrote my London letters. In the afternoon posted my day book.

About 6 o’clock my brother and I set out for Battle Market where we arrived about 10:10…I went in order to see Mr Breeden, but he was not at the market. I bought of Mr John Hammond 50 lbs of powder, which cost me 3.10.0. We dined at the Bull’s Head on rump of beef boiled, a loin of veal roasted, a roast goose and a currant pudding and an apple-pie… We came home very sober about 7:10. My brother stayed all night.

I think Battle to be a pleasant situated town, and there seems to be a considerable market for stock, etc. on the 2nd Tuesday in every month. The abbey, which belongs to the family of the Websters (and which was built just after the conquest in memory of that battle fought near that place between the Conqueror and Harold the then King of England, in which the latter, his 2 brothers, most of the English nobility and 97974 common men were slain), is the remains of a fine Gothic structure. There is also a deanery and a low-built church. There is also in the town a free school.

We spent as under:

By being decoyed in, by an acquaintance, to an ordinary, it cost for dinner only and about 2 glasses of wine	0.3.0
Our horses and ostler	0.0.11
Spent	0.0.2
	0.4.1
the half of which for my share is	0.2.0½

Paid for stuffing my saddle 6d….

My brother stayed and breakfasted with us and then went home. In the forenoon Mr Jeremiah French and Mr Joseph Fuller came and informed me that Robert Durrant was in the custody of the parish officers of Waldron on account that Elizabeth Day, belonging to Waldron, but a certificate person to this parish, being big with child, has sworn it upon Robert Durrant. They accordingly desired Mr Burgess and I would go and give the officers security on account of this parish in behalf of the man, and we both accordingly went. When we came there the man was so ill that he could not go before a Justice, and they seemed not willing to take anything less than an indemnifying bond; so I came back again to consult the people of this parish (leaving Mr Burgess there). It was agreed I should go and ask Mr Courthope the most they could oblige us to pay per week, which I accordingly did. But when I came to Uckfield, Mr Courthope was not at home; so I could have no advice from him.

After that, staying at Uckfield and getting some mutton chaps (having had no dinner), I went to Waldron again where, to my great surprise, I found Mr French, Mr Piper and Thomas Fuller come to treat with the officers. They then offered to take our bond for 15d per week for the maintenance of the child and 40/- for her, lying-in, but Mr French was obstinate and would not permit us to give above 12d per week and insisted for it to be left for Mr George Courthope to decide. Mr Burgess and I accordingly gave Mr Nicholas Attwood our note of hand to forfeit £20 if we do not meet him or some other of their parish officers on Monday next at Uckfield in order to have Mr Courthope’s determination, and if he will not determinate it, then to deliver them up the body of Robert Durrant again. I came home, but wet enough, about 10:15, and very sober. Spent this day on the parish account 23½d; viz.,

At Waldron	0.0.6
At Uckfield, my chaps and bread	0.0.6
½ pint wine	0.0.6
Turnpike and oats	0.0.4½
Ostler	0.0.1

Paid for 10 whiting 6d. My family at home today in my absence dined on some cold meat pie and some fried whiting…

At home all day; nothing to do. We dined on a piece of boiled beef, a light pudding buttered, turnips and some fried whiting… In the evening read two of Tillotson’s sermons, and in part the day part of The Complaint, which I think to be an extreme good book, the author having treated each subject with a seriousness of style suitable to the occasion of it.

Paid John Durrant 12d for cutting a rowel in my colt. Thomas and Fortunatus Slater, two first cousins of my wife called on us today and stayed about an hour or two…

In the forenoon papered out a bag of 6d nails. Mr Robert Nixon and Mr Thomas Stevenson called on me, but I gave neither of them any orders… This day received a letter by the post from Mr Hodges the keeper of the new state lottery office in Cornhill that No. 66612, being the ticket which belongs to Mrs Atkins, and one of the tickets which, Mrs Atkins and my wife went partners in, was drawn a blank on the 12th instant. I also received a letter from J. Hazard’s, lottery office that the ticket No. 38567 which I registered for Master Hook was drawn a blank the 11th instant.

Thomas Davy at our house in the evening, to whom, and before he came in, I read 2 of Tillotson’s sermons. At home all day. A-sawing of wood in the afternoon. In the day read part of the 5th volume of the Medical Essays and Observations, by a society at Edinburgh.

My whole family at church in the morning… We dined on the remains of yesterday’s dinner with the addition of some boiled whiting and some cold baked suet pudding. My whole family at church in the afternoon… At home all day. Thomas Davy at our house in the evening, to whom, and in the day, I read 5 of Tillotson’s sermons. This day Richard Parkes and Mary Vinal were asked.

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 12^th 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 24^th 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.

…We dined on a piece of boiled beef, a piece of the scrag end of a neck of mutton, an apple pudding, cauliflower and turnips. Rec’d of Mr Joseph Burgess, the 2/2½ I spent yesterday. At home all day. In the evening read three of Tillotson’s sermons.

In the morning walked over to Framfield and breakfasted with my mother and cut out for her 18 round frocks. I dined there on a piece of bacon boiled, light pudding and cabbage… I stayed and drank tea at my mother’s and came home about 5:20. James Marchant in my absence made me a present of some bream. Paid Thomas Butler, Mr Vine’s servant, 9/-, being money he paid to Mr Tooth, gingerbread baker, for gingerbread which he brought from Lewes for me today. In the evening read 2 of Tillotson’s sermons, and, I think, two as fine sermons as ever I heard or read.