Author: Thomas Turner

After breakfast I set out for Lewes where I dined with Mr Faulkner Bristow on some roast beef, broiled sausage and cold spare-rib (my family at home dining on the remains of Tuesday’s dinner, as did James Awcock and Thomas Durrant and my brother). My brother stayed and kept my wife company till nearly 4 o’clock…

Paid Mr Faulkner Bristow 19/- in full and then paid him 12/- in full for ¼ cwt of currants bought of him today… Rec’d of Mr Plumer 3/- in full for 2 lbs of Battle powder charged in my last account more than I had. Rec’d of Mr Will Lee in cash 9.10 0 which with taxes etc. outset is in full for one year’s rent due at St Michael last to Mrs Virgoe; viz.,

Mr Lee Dr.
for 1 year’s rent	16.0.0
Per contra Cr,
To one year’s land tax due Lady Day 1758	3.0.0
To 1 year’s do. due Lady Day 1759	2.12.0
To 2 year’s insurance due Xtmas, 1760	0.18.0
Rec’d in cash	9.10.0
	16.0.0

Paid Robert Rice on account of his father Will Rice in cash £5 for Mrs Virgoe and gave him a bill on Mr William Lee, 10 days after date, for 3.7.0 in full for a quarter’s rent (when the 13/- for a quarter’s land tax is outset) due at Christmas just past… Spent 2d only on my own account for the turnpike. Came home very sober about 6:20.

After I came home, went down to Mr Porter’s and balanced accounts with him and received of him in cash 69.15.6 in full to this day. Stayed and supped there and came home about 10:50. Gave Winifred Akehurst 6d to her Christmas box.

My brother came over in the morning to borrow my horse to go to Lewes upon. I gave [him] in cash £105 to get of Mr Sam Durrant a bill for me of the same value… Gave John Streeter the post 2/- for his Christmas box; that is, 12d which I gave him last year and which he returned again, thinking it not enough, and 12d for this year. Gave 12d to the carrier’s servant for his Christmas box. At home all day, but far from being busy. A thorough wet day.

In the morning John Durrant Jr bleeded my wife, for performing of which I gave him 6d. No service at our church in the morning, Mr Porter preaching at Laughton. We dined on the remains of Tuesday’s dinner with the addition of a raisin suet pudding. Myself and servant at church in the afternoon… Thomas Davy at our house in the evening, to whom, and in the day, I read 4 of Tillotson’s sermons. Mr Francis Elless lodged at our house. about 11:50 at night we had a violent storm of wind and rain etc., and according to the report of some a good deal of thunder and lightning.

In the morning my brothers Moses and Richard came to see me, and breakfasted with me… my brothers went away as soon as they had breakfasted… In the evening balanced accounts with Mr Whitfield, and received of him 14/1 in full, having outset 0.1.10½ for Philip’s schooling.

Sent Mr Will Margesson enclosed in a letter by Beckett and Shelley (delivered to Shelley) the bill I received yesterday of my brother from Mr Sem Durrant, value £105. Also sent Mr John Crouch enclosed in a letter by Beckett and Shelley (delivered to Shelley) one bill on Mr William Margesson, dated today, 30 days’ date, No. 421, value £10. We dined on the remains of yesterday’s dinner, with the addition of a light pudding, turnips and potatoes. Charles Diggens drank tea with us. Gave Master Darby’s apprentice 4d to his Xtmas Box. In the evening wrote out Mr Coates’s bill…

We dined on the remains of yesterday’s dinner. At home all day, and but little to do. Joseph Fuller Jr and Mr Thornton smoked a pipe with me in the evening. Oh how pleasant has this Christmas been kept as yet, no revelling nor tumultuous meetings where there too often is little else but light and trifling discourse, no ways calculated for improvement; and it’s well if it’s not intermixed with some obscene talk and too often with vile and execrable oaths. Not that I am anyways an enemy to innocent mirth, but what I protest against is that which is not so.

In the forenoon my brother came over (in his road to Lewes) and I gave him 1 bill on Mr William Margesson, payable to him or order, dated tomorrow, 30 days’ date, value 18.19.0, No. 422, and I also gave him another bill on Mr William Margesson, dated the 7th instant, 30 days’ date, payable to him or order, No. 423, value 6.11.6, which two bills together make the sum of 25.10.6 and are in full for the note of hand I gave my brother the l4th of November last of the same value, and which note of hand I accordingly took up.

Balanced accounts with Mr Thomas Carman and paid him in cash 1.8.1 in full on my account; viz.,

Mr Thomas Carman Dr.
To a book debt	3.15.4
In cash today	1.8.1
	5.3.5
Per contra Cr.
Rec’d 3 tod 14 lbs wool at 8½ per lb	3.17.11
Rec’d by cash paid Mr Stephen Juden in full on my account to this day	1.5.6
	5.3.5

Rec’d of John Jenner in cash 4/- in full and then paid him 12d for cutting half a load of bushes. We dined on the remains of yesterday’s dinner. At home all day and pretty busy. Mrs Scribbens drank tea at our house.

After breakfast walked over to Framfield… My brother and I walked over to Uckfield where I got Mr Thornton, an attorney, to write 5 letters to Mrs Virgoe’s debtors, and one to Thomas Prall on my own account, for the doing of which I paid him 6/-; viz., 5/- on Mrs Virgoe’s account and 1/- on my own account. We came back and I dined at my brother’s on some cold meat pie… I brought my sister Sally home behind me, my horse already being at Framfield. Thomas Davy and James Marchant spent the evening with us. John Watford and his father a-hedging for me today.

Paid Benjamin Shelley in cash 3.6.9 in full for the same sum he paid Mr Thomas Neatby the 2nd instant. We dined on the remains of yesterday’s dinner, or at least on the remains of Christmas Day’s dinner. My sister and wife paid Joseph Fuller’s wife a visit in the afternoon… In the evening read part of the London Magazine for December.

My wife, self and sister at church in the morning… We dined on a bullock’s tongue boiled, a raisin suet pudding, turnips and potatoes. My wife, self, sister and servant at church in the afternoon… A great deal of snow fell today, but as there was no frost but little of it lay.