Author: Thomas Turner

My whole family at church in the morning; that is, my wife and self… We had a brief read for fire, which amounted to £1100 and upwards. The poor sufferers chiefly lived at Great Haylen in the County of Southampton, and one of the sufferers was of the City of Chichester in this county. I collected 2/8, and 1d I am to put in for John Piper and 2d I gave myself makes collected in the whole upon this brief the sum of 0.2.11.

We dined on a leg of lamb boiled and spinach with some gooseberry pie. No churching at our church this afternoon, Mr Porter preaching at Laughton. At home all day. I read 1 of Tillotson’s sermons and part of Sherlock on judgment. Thomas Durrant, Thomas Davy and Mr Elless at our house in the evening a-drinking of syllabub, Thomas Durrant finding milk, and we cider etc.

In the morning sent Mr Sam Durrant in Lewes (by the post John Streeter) in cash £26 in order for him to send me a bill for the same sum in lieu thereof; viz.,

5 thirty-six shilling pieces	9.0.0
1 twenty-seven do.	1.7.0
8 guineas	8.8.0
6 half-guineas	3.3.0
1 four and sixpence	0.4.6
11 half crowns	1.7.6
43 shilllings	2.3.0
14 sixpences	0.7.0

At work in my garden part of the forenoon. Paid Mr Thomas Goldsmith 12d in full for carriage of roods from Lewes. After dinner I rode down to Laughton Pound where I wrote a general release from Thomas Goldsmith, of the parish of Waldron, William Butler and Elizabeth his wife of the parish of Chalvington and Thomas Darby the younger and Elizabeth his wife of the parish of Laughton, unto John Goldsmith of the parish of Laughton, which said release was witnessed by myself and Willian Gurrs. They gave me 2/6 for my trouble and 2/9 for a sheet of stamp paper.

Came home about 6:40 very sober. Rec’d from Mr Sam Durrant back by the post one bill on Sir Joseph Hankey and Partners, dated today, 21 days’ date, payable to me or order, No. 1945, value £26. Thomas Davy at our house in the evening, to whom I read the ninth book of Milton’s Paradise Lost.

Sent Messrs Margesson and Collison (enclosed in a letter) by Messrs Beckett and Shelley the bill I received yesterday from Mr Sam Durrant… We dined on the remains of Sunday’s dinner with some green salad and gooseberry pie. My wife and I drank tea at Joseph Durrant’s. In the evening went down into the fields to see Mr Elless, Thomas Fuller and Thomas Durrant run a foot-race of 24 rods, which was won by T. Durrant.

In the evening read part of the 10th book of Milton’s Paradise Lost. At work in my garden part of the day and also a-sawing some wood. No news yet about Master Darby’s affair. Lent Joseph Durrant my horse to ride to Mayfield Fair upon.

In the morning Mr Charles Cooper the sheriff’s bailiff called upon me and informed me that he had not yet arrested Master Darby, but was then a-going to do it. He stayed and breakfasted with us. Paid Thomas Burfield in goods 3/6 for 6 beehives which he brought to me today…

After dinner rode over to my mother’s, where I stayed about 2 hours, my mother being not at home. As I came home I called at Mr Chatfield’s and looked at his wool for my mother and agreed with him that she should give him 20/6 per tod for it, and as the price of wool was not yet settled, if it turned out better than what we imagine, he shall have the full value of it according to the market price. Came home about 5:20. In the evening read part of the 10th and 11th books of Paradise Lost.

In the forenoon at work in my garden. We dined on a plain batter pudding, spinach and a gooseberry pudding. At home all day. In the evening Joseph Fuller Jr smoked a pipe with me. A very cold, sharp day and evening. Paid John Adcock 6/8½ in full for 10¾ lbs of wool received today.

We dined on a buttered pudding cake and some spinach… Paid Thomas Burfield in goods 3/6 for 6 beehives. At home all day… In the forenoon read part of The Peerage of England. Paid Halland gardener 10d for 1 peck of gooseberries received by him today.

Sent by the post today to Mr John Wathen, hatter at the Three Conies in Cannon Street, one bill… value 6.5.0… in full of all demands to this day. Paid Joseph Fuller by his son Richard 15d for part of a neck of veal, weighing 5 lbs, at 3d per lb received by him today. Thomas Cornwell a-ditching for me today part of the day; he dined with us on a piece of veal boiled, a piece of bacon and spinach… In the afternoon at work in my garden.

In the morning about 5:40 my wife and I set out for Lewes on our roan mare, where we arrived about 7:20. We breakfasted at Mr Thomas Scrase’s and dined at Mrs Roase’s on a shoulder of veal stuffed, a pigeon pudding and green salad. We stayed and drank tea at Mrs Roase’s… We called on Mr Bennett and Mr Madgwick, but did not stop at either house. We also went to see the Castle Mount, which I think a most beautiful sight, it being so well adorned with a great variety of shrubs and flowers, and so exceeding high that you have a command of the prospect of all the circumjacent country round. We came home thank God very safe, sober, and well about 8:30. Spent today as under:

Myself gave Mrs Roase’s servant	0.0.6
My wife do.	0.0.6
Gave the man that showed us the Mount	0.0.6
Turnpike, horse, and ostler	0.0.6
	0.2.0

In the morning Mr French and Mr Piper came before I was up and called me in order to make the land tax books, for in reality they must be carried into the sitting today; so accordingly, I made them, though I do not remember that I was either thanked or offered to be paid for the paper. But as to Mr French’s part, he has so often conferred favors upon me that I lay under great obligation to him, but as for Mr Piper, I know of none he ever conferred on me though sometimes solicited thereto; so that I think I may without partially say he is a mean-spirited old wretch. However, let him go as he is, for he will, I doubt, always remain poor in the midst of riches.

We dined on some veal boiled and the broth and caper sauce. Paid 4½d for 10 small plaice bought today. Paid John Pentecost 7/6 for 12 lbs of wool bought today. Paid Thomas Cornwell by a book debt and money 5/- in full for gardening, ditching etc. Bet Fuller drank tea at our house. In the evening went down to a public vestry at Jones’s, where our company was Joseph and Thomas Fuller, Mr French, Joseph Durrant, Will Piper, Richard Page and myself. There was nothing of any moment agreed to but that Peter Adams would be released from a bond which he gave the parish as security for the child born of the body of Anne Cain, of which he is the putative father, upon condition that he shall pay to the churchwarden or overseer on Monday the 3rd of July next the sum of four pounds, and also at the same time to pay to them, or either of them, a sum sufficient after the rate of 18d a per week to defray the expenses of keeping the said child until it shall arrive at the full age of 7 years.

Came home about 9:45 when I found my wife very ill. I also received a letter from my father Slater that my sister-in-law Ann Slater was very dangerously ill and given over by the doctors. Spent at Jones’s 1½d.

In the morning sent Thomas Davy to Hartfield to know how my wife’s sister did. Also sent for Mr Stone to visit my wife. Molly Hook came today as a servant during our pleasure. We dined on some boiled plaice… In the evening Mr Stone paid my wife a visit and declared his opinion of her illness that it was a rheumatic disorder with the gravel in her kidneys. Thomas Davy came back in the evening and brought us news that my sister was very bad, and I suppose he had a great deal of my mother’s nonsense, which she is very full of, having a great volubility of tongue for invective, and especially if I am the subject though what the good woman wants with me I know not, unless it be that I have offended her by being too careful of her daughter, who, poor creature, has enjoyed but little pleasure of her life in the marriage state, being almost continually (to our great misfortune) afflicted with illness. But who is the person that should repine at what the sovereign Disposer of all events pleases to afflict us poor mortals with here below?