Author: Thomas Turner

No service at our church today, it being a-repairing. A prodigious wet forenoon, so it was almost impossible to get to any other church. I dined on a piece of beef roasted.

In the afternoon Mr Tipper, Thomas Durrant and myself rode to Laughton Church where we heard a sermon preached by the curate of Laughton from John 1:12: “But as many as received him, to them gave he gave power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” After churchtime we walked down to Mr Shoesmith’s, where we drank tea and stayed a pipe. Came home about 7:50 very sober. Spent 4d where we put up our horses.

In the evening read part of Hervey’s Theron and Aspasio. A very wet night. Mr Tipper sat with me in the evening.

I dined on the remains of yesterday’s dinner. At home all day. Bett Reeves drank tea with me. In the evening wrote my London letters. A most prodigious wet evening.

Sent Mr Thomas Neatby and Son… £12. Also sent Mr George Otway £20… A violent windy and rainy forenoon. I dined on the remains of yesterday’s dinner. At home all day. In the afternoon busy a-writing. Sam Jenner sat with me a while in the evening, to whom I read several numbers of The Tatler. But very little to do in the shop.

I dined on the remains of yesterday’s dinner. At home all day and but very little to do. In the evening wrote out some bills and read a few papers of The Connoisseur.

A great quantity of snow fell in the forenoon, but there being no frost, it did not lie long on the ground. Paid Joseph Fuller Jr in cash £20 on account. Also paid him 9d for a bullock’s cheek bought of him today. I dined on a piece of beef boiled, an apple pudding and turnips. The 2 Misses Carman drank tea with me.

In the evening went down to Mr Porter‘s, where I supped and spent the evening with him. Came home about 10:20. Mr Porter and I settled some affairs relating to the trust reposed in us by Mr Piper’s will, of which we were devisees and executors.

Jarvis Bexhill, buying some goods in the shop and it being a very wet forenoon, dined with me on a piece of beef boiled and cabbage with a piece of pork.

Dame Durrant made me a present of a goose, and she, Thomas, Mr Tipper and Sam Jenner drank tea with me. I gave the good woman also a little of that which she esteems of more value than gold, ay, of that delicious cordial, Mrs Nant’s [brandy distilled in Nantes], a thing truly of greater value than a goose. Oh, that sweet delicious relish! How it enlivens the spirits, gives one all the pleasing sensations that are so agreeable to our nature. And above all, when there is too much taken, it renders the most agreeable part of the creation mere brute creatures, as is too often this poor woman’s case.

This day balanced accounts with Ben Shelley as under and received of him in cash-3.15.6:

Mr Shelley Dr.
To money received for 47 tod 11 lbs of wool he sold for me and my brother at 19/- per tod	44.19.0
To money he received of Mr Ben Treacher in full for rabbit skins due to me	0.5.6
To cash paid him Oct. 1762	1.6.0
	46.10.6
Per contra Cr.
To a bill for carriage from the 30th Dec., 1761 to the 30th June, 1762, both days inclusive	10.13.10
To money paid to Mr Will Haslam the 28th in full on my account	0.9.2
To money paid Mr Will Margesson on my account	30.0.0
To the carriage of the wool	1.12.0
Received in cash	3.15.6
	46.10.6

At home all day and but very little to do. In the forenoon busy a-writing and in the afternoon a-marking up goods. In the evening Mr Tipper sat with me a while. Rec’d by Shelley from Mr Neatby Jones’s bond, value 32.10.0

This day agreed with Mr Harman the stonemason at Heathfield to write our altar-piece and completely ornament and paint it, the letters to be the best leaf gold, and he to have seven guineas for doing it.

I dined on the remains of yesterday’s dinner with the addition of a plain suet pudding. At home all day and not at all busy. In the evening Sam Jenner and Mr Tipper sat with me some time. A very dull heavy time with me, trade bad, and money very scarce and hardly any friend in the world that can or will be a friend to me. But many of my relatives quite the reverse, which daily brings to my mind the memory of that sincere and virtuous friend whom I have not, my wife.

Exchanged Neatby’s bond on Jones for the note of hand I gave Jones the 2lst instant.

No service at our church in the morning. I dined on a goose roasted and apple-sauce. No service at our church in the afternoon. I walked down to see Mr Carman. I drank tea with him and his family; came home about 8:20 very sober.

This is not the right use that Sunday should be applied to. No! it’s not. Therefore what an unhappy man must I be to continue to practise things out of compliance and complaisance to the custom of the world, which my reason condemns as wrong and irreligious.

I dined on the remains of yesterday’s dinner. At home all day. Sam Jenner, being to come to saw wood for me tomorrow, lodged at my house. In the evening writing my London letters. Not at all busy all busy all day. Thomas Cornwell made me a present of some eels. In the day busy a-writing. I

n the evening read a few papers of The Connoisseur. Oh, the melancholy gloom that has overspread my anxious mind! now do I daily and hourly find the loss of that dear dear girl, my wife.

Sam Jenner a-sawing of wood for me all day. My brother came over in the forenoon to stand the shop for me during my absence in the afternoon, he together with Sam Jenner dined with me on the remains of yesterday’s dinner with the addition of a hot giblet pie.

In the afternoon Mr Porter and myself walked up to Mrs Piper’s, where we settled the account relating to our executorship etc. to her husband, and I paid in all the cash that I had received of that account and was paid my bill for goods etc.; so there is nothing due from me or to me on that account except the money of the balance of cash in hand, which was 1.9.7½ and which I now have as the balance of cash in hand as treasurer to the said trust.

Lent Thomas Braizer in cash 1.7.0, for which he gave me his note of hand. We came home about 8:10. My brother went home in the evening. Sam Jenner lodged at my house. Paid Joseph Fuller Jr 7½d for a breast of mutton bought of him today for Dame Burrage.