Author: Thomas Turner

At home all day. In the morning my brother came over for the mare to go to Rotherfield Fair upon, but did not stay. We dined on the remains of yesterday’s dinner with the addition of some boiled bream. Paid Halland gardener in cash 0.5.7; viz.,

To cucumbers sold for him	0.3.0
To pears do.	0.0.3
To apples do.	0.0.8
To money borrowed	0.0.4
To 1 bushel pears rec’d today	0.1.4

I received of him 3/- on account afterwards. Received of Mr William Piper 1 bushel pale malt and one bushel brown do. In the evening read 2 of Tillotson’s sermons. Very ill with a cold all day. In the day read part of the 5th volume of Medical Essays and Observations.

In the morning John Durrant gave a drink to my colt… We dined on the remains of yesterday’s dinner with the addition of some boiled tripe and cauliflower… Thomas Durrant came in the evening to cut my wife’s hair; he stayed and smoked a pipe with me and stayed till about 8 o’clock. At home all day and very ill with a cold.

We dined on some boiled tripe and some boiled whiting. In the afternoon my brother came over to bring the mare, but did not stay. In the day read part of the 5^th volume of Medical Essays etc. Paid John Cayley 4/- in full for one year’s rent for my stable, due about the 10 July last.

At home all day. In the evening read 3 of. Tillotson’s sermons. My wife very ill. In the evening wrote a letter to Mr Nicholas Attwood to inform him Mr Burgess and I proposed to be at his house on Monday between 8 and 9 o’clock in the morning, either to give him security, or to proceed to Uckfield to wait Mr Courthope’s arbitration.

In the morning John Durrant gave my colt a drink, for which, and for the drink he gave him on Friday, I paid 3/- and in full of all demands.

My whole family at church in the morning… This being the second time of the asking between Richard Parkes and Mary Vinal, it was publicly forbid, and Mr Porter ordered the woman to come to him after churchtime to show him just cause for her so-doing. After we came out of church Mr Porter sent for me to come in to hear what the woman had to say, and I accordingly went into Mr Porter’s. The poor girl, whose name was Anne Stevenson, declared that about 3 years ago she had a child by him, and that he had many times promised her marriage, which she was ready to make oath of at any time (if ever she should be called upon to it), and that he had kept her company so lately as Michaelmas last, and farther that she would be glad to be married to him at any time. Upon this Mr Porter assured her he would postpone asking them any more till such time as he had satisfied and agreed with her.

We dined on a piece of boiled beef, plain rice pudding, apple pudding and turnips. My whole family at church in the afternoon… Thomas Davy at our house in the evening, to whom, and in the day, I read 6 of Tillotson’s sermons. Rec’d of John Streeter in cash 1.17.6, which I am to send to Mr James Burfield of Steyning, and which is in full for one year’s rent due from John Streeter to Mr Burfield at Lady Day last.

In the morning I went up to Mr Burgess’s in order to call him to go to Waldron according to appointment, but while I was a-staying for getting himself ready, Mary Vinal came in there and informed us she was with child by the man to whom she had been twice asked and yesterday forbid, upon which I ordered her to go to Mr Courthope’s to swear the father, which she readily agreed to.

We then proceeded to Waldron and went to Nicholas Attwood’s where we could not agree up our affair upon any other terms than what they offered us the 17th (and what in reality was just). Then Mr Attwood and we set out for. Uckfield where we arrived about 12:40. We dined at the Maiden Head on some mutton chaps… After dinner we laid our affair before Mr Courthope (in order to abide by his arbitration). He adjudged that we must give security to the parish of Waldron to pay them 18d per week so long as the child shall be chargeable to their parish of Waldron, or be by us otherwise provided for, and also to pay the sum of forty shillings in part to defray the expenses of her lying-in. We then applied to Mr Charles Thornton, attorney, to make out a bond, which he did upon the aforesaid terms. Mr Burgess and I signed the same and took up our note that we gave to Mr Bonwick and Mr Attwood the 17th instant.

I found Mary Vinal had, according to her promise, been with Mr Courthope and sworn that the child she was now pregnant of was begot on her by Richard Parkes, husbandman of the parish of Ringmer, upon which I took out a warrant to apprehend the said Parkes.

We came home about 6 o’clock and I immediately went down to Jones’s, there being a public vestry. (notice thereof being given yesterday). It was the unanimous consent of all that as at the vestry; viz., Thomas Turner, Joseph Burgess, Joseph Fuller, Will Piper, Joseph Durrant and Jeremiah French, to give to Thomas Daw, upon condition that he should buy the houses in the parish of Waldron which he has some time been treating for (by reason he then would be an inhabitant of Waldron and clear of our parish, it being a purchase of £55),

half a tun [ton] of iron	10.0.0,
1 chaldron coals etc.	2.0.0,
In cash	8.0.0
	20.0.0,

and find him the sum of £20, which he is to pay interest for; also for Joseph Burgess to go tomorrow with him to Mrs Browne’s at Pemberry to buy the said house, a fine present for a man that has already about the value of £80. But yet I believe it a very prudent step in the parish, for he being a man with but one leg (and very contrary withal), and his wife being entirely deprived of that great blessing, eyesight, there is great room to suspect there would, one time or other, happen a great charge to the parish, there being a very increasing family. And I doubt the man none of the most prudent ones, he having followed smuggling very much in time past, which I doubt has brought him into a trifling, lazy way of life.

Mr Burgess and I spent on the parish account as under (all of which he paid except 14½d):

To half the charge of the bond	0.3.10
To half the dinner, drinking etc.	0.1.11¼
To half the horses	0.0.2¾
Ostler	0.0.1½
Turnpike	0.0.4
Spent at Waldron	0.0.7
Mary Vinal’s examination and warrant	0.2.0
	0.9.0½

My wife at home very busy today in putting up the goods for the audit.

In the morning about 2 o’clock Mr French called me to go and take up Parkes, upon which I arose. We called Thomas Fuller Jr and all set out together on our intended journey. We called and stayed at Martin’s at the Broyle Gate about one hour. The reason of our calling was to know where their headborough lived; who, he informed us, was one Nicholas Pocock, upon which we went forward on our expedition. We called up the headborough and then proceeded to the house of Mr Will Barnett (where Parkes lived) where we arrived about 5:40. The people of the house being just up, we went in and found the man sitting by the fire, whom we took without any resistance; we brought him back to Martin’s. After staying about 15 minutes, and the man declaring he was willing to marry the girl, Thomas Fuller and I went with him to Lewes to take out a license (Mr French going home on foot to get the bride for the celebration of the nuptials).

We got to Lewes about 7:15 and breakfasted at the White Horse and took out a license, I being bondsman for the poor creature. We came back just by 11 o’clock, immediately repaired to church and Mr Porter married them in Mr French’s, the clerk’s and my presence, I being what is commonly called “father”. Mr French and I both signed the register book as witnesses to the said marriage. Then the man, John Durrant and myself set out on foot for Uckfield for the man to swear his, parish (Thomas Prall going on horseback to get the order signed). When we came to Uckfield, the man swore himself upon the parish of Hellingly. Finding Mr Bridger to be at Mr Courthope’s, we sent T. Prall home to carry the woman to Hellingly, we proposing to come after on foot. We accordingly took out an order and got it signed by Mr Courthope and Mr Bridger, we then making the best of our way home, though when we got there we did not stay above 10 minutes. We set forward for Hellingly (Thomas Prall and the bride being gone before). When we came to Horsebridge, we found the nearest parish officer lived at the Dicker, upon which we went on till we came to the churchwarden’s house, whose name was John Acton, and to whom I delivered them both, about 8 o’clock, with a true copy of our order, in the presence of Thomas Prall and John Durrant. I came home about 9:05, and I think made a good day’s work of it.

In my absence my brothers John and Moses came to see me, and they dined with my wife on the remains of yesterday’s dinner and some boiled whiting (myself dining, or rather supping, on a scrag end of a neck of mutton boiled, when I came home). They both stayed and drank tea with my wife, as did Dame Henly and husband. My wife received of Will Henly in cash 1.1.2 and paid 4d for 10 whiting she bought today. I spent on the parish account today as under:

At Martin’s	0.2.10½
Turnpike	0.0.6
At Lewes for eating, horses etc.	0.3.3
The license	1.6.0
Paid Mr Porter	0.10.6
Do. the clerk	0.2.6
Spent at Uckfield	0.2.1
Ring	0.1.1
Spent at Horsebridge	0.0.8½
The order and signing	0.5.0
Paid John Durrant	0.1.6
Paid Thomas Prall	0.2.0
Liquor etc. at my house	0.1.6
	2.19.6

My brothers went home about 6:20. My wife very busy at home all day. My wife paid for 1 lb mutton 3d. My wife gave some women with a pass 12d.

My brother Moses came over in the morning and breakfasted with us, but did not stay. We dined on the remains of yesterday’s dinner with a piece of a neck of mutton boiled. At home all the fore part of the day. In the evening went up to the audit and received of Mr Vine and Mr Patrick (on account of the executors of the Rt Hon Henry Pelham Esq) in cash 2.8.0; viz.,

To a bill of nails	0.16.6
To the audit bill	1.11.6

Gave Mr Vine’s servant 12d and came home about 8:30. Paid today 15d for 64 herring. In the forenoon very busy. My wife very ill. In the morning wrote a list of inhabitants of this parish for John Watford to carry in to the court today for the steward to choose a headborough out of.

Very busy all the day. We dined on piece of beef boiled, a light pudding, turnips and cauliflower. In the evening one Elizabeth Blackman came to us with an order from the justices of the town and port of Seaford, but as she came of herself and was not brought by any parish officer, neither was her examination upon oath, we did not receive her (on account we were not obliged to it). Mr Burgess and I went and informed Mr French and Mr Coates of what we had done, who acquiesced in what we had done. Robert Hook, Thomas Davy and myself in the evening went and asked Osborne’s servant to swear her parish tomorrow, which she agreed to. We then went to ask Anne Jeffrey the same, but she protested she would not. Thomas Davy and I played at cribbage in the evening, but I neither won nor lost.

In the morning Thomas Prall and I went down to Osborne’s and took their servant and carried her to Uckfield when she swore herself upon our parish, but could not be persuaded to swear her great belly. I took out a summons for Anne Jeffrey. I came home about 3 o’clock. We dined on the remains of yesterday’s dinner with the addition of a light pudding and some fried herrings. Rec’d of Will Henly 4/6 in full. Paid Mr Samuel Beckett in cash 5.14.0; viz.,

To cash paid to William Ashmore in full	0.14.0
To money on the last quarter’s carriage acc’t	5.0.0

My brother came over in the afternoon to borrow the mare. He stayed and drank tea with us. I received of him in cash 3.1.4, which, with the cash I received the 10^th and 12th instant from my mother by him, makes the sum of 9.13.4. I have paid on her account as under:

To Crowley	4.6.4
To a bill of spice etc.	3.15.0
	8.1.4

…My wife very ill all day.

At home all. day and busy. We dined on the remains of yesterday’s dinner with the addition of a light pudding and some turnips. In the afternoon I sawed some wood. Oh, how pleasant is it to be at home in business, rather than hurrying about in the manner I have this last week; so I think no life can be so pleasant as a retired country life with a small competency. In the evening read one of Tillotson’s sermons, and in the day part of Josephus’s Jewish Atiquities.