Author: Thomas Turner

At home all day. About ten o’clock Mr Tucker came in, as did my mother and brother about 11:30, which is the first time my mother has been at our house this 17 or 18 months. We dined on a piece of bacon, the remaining part of the neck of veal boiled with cabbage and carrots, and a roasted shoulder of mutton and green salad, with a plum pond pudding. About 3 o’clock my brother went to my uncle Hill’s in order to get a horse to go with me to Cuckfield upon tomorrow. About 3:20 Mr Thomas Scrase and Dr Snelling came in, who all stayed and spent the afternoon with me. My brother came back just before we drank tea, and they all drank tea with us. This day Thomas Scrase brought me a new wig, value 21/-. Mr Tucker, Snelling and Scrase went away about 7 o’clock, as did my mother and brother about 7:30. After my company was gone, I went down to Mrs Atkins’s to inform them of my intended journey tomorrow… Got Mr French to pay the poor.

In the morning I was called up about 5:25 by Master Mugridge to inform me he had some wheat to dispose of, and I agreed for Sinden to look on it. About 5:50 I set out for Framfield on foot, but met my brother about the London Gate with a horse. I got on horseback and went and breakfasted at Framfield. After breakfast we set out for Cuckfield in order to treat with Mr Hesman concerning hiring of his shop. We arrived at Cuckfield about 11 o’clock where we treated with Mr Hesman and saw his stock. He agreed to leave it immediately by appraisement or to cry a sale and keep on till St Michael and then leave it by appraisement. But we agreed to consult within ourselves and let him know our minds in about 14 days’ time. We dined at the King’s Head on veal cutlets. We just called on Mr Joseph Hill, and from Cuckfield we went to a fair at St Joan’s Common. From thence we came to Chailey and drank tea (meeting with Mr Beard a-coming from the fair by accident). We came together as far as Uckfield where we parted, my brother going to Framfield, and I came home about 10:30. I spent about 4/6. This day I received of my mother 4.4.0 for her half part of the mare bought between us, my family at home dined on the remains of yesterday’s dinner.

At home all the morning. About noon I and Mr Elless walked down to Whyly where we found Mr William Rice and John Browne. My business was to consult Mr French concerning Braizer’s child. Did not stay above half an hour…At home all the afternoon. My brother drank tea with us. Rec’d of Master Darby the cash lent him the 2nd instant. Gave the gardener at Halland a knife, value 12d.

At home all the morning… In the evening Master Darby, myself and one of Master Rice’s men went down and looked at Master Trill’s house, and it seems very much out of repair. I gave orders to have it repaired. Read some of Tillotson’s work. Master Piper and Mr French again come with, “I wish you would write the land and window tax books for us.”

At home all day. Busy a-writing the land tax book. Dined on the remains of Sunday’s dinner with the addition of an eel pie. Read some of The History of England. Finished writing the land tax book.

In the morning wrote out one window tax book. About 9 o’clock Mr French called me to go to Laughton with him in order to see a funeral there; to wit, the Hon Lady Frances, dowager of Castlecomer, sister to his Grace the Duke of Newcastle, and accordingly we went.

She was brought to Halland about 11 o’clock, but not taken out of the hearse, and was interred in their family vault at Laughton about 1:30, and in the 69^th year of her age. The pall was supported by the Hon Col Pelham, Sir Francis Poole, — Campion Esq, T. Pelham Esq., John Pelham Esq. and Henry Pelham Esq. The funeral service was read by the Bishop of Chichester. There were two mourning coaches, Mr Pelham’s and Col Pelham’s and the bishop’s, but not so great a number of people as might have imagined.

We called at the keeper’s as we went and also went into Markwick’s at the Pound both before and after the funeral. For Mr French is that man who would willingly never be without a dram of gin in his hand. Oh, that mankind should be so abiggated to that baneful liquor, a liquor more sure to kill than even a cannon ball. We called at T. Jones’s as we came home, but, however, I got home about 6 o’clock, and sober.

After I came home, I dined on what my family left; to wit, a cold eel pie and batter pudding and cold bacon (but that I ate none of). Afterwards I finished writing out the land and window tax books. In the evening Mr Elless and I walked up to John Vine the younger’s to borrow his little horse to ride to the [Tunbridge] Wells upon, but he was not at home, which was a good excuse for not lending me it. I spent 6d, and James Marchant came home with us from Laughton.

At home all the morning. Mr French and I went with Gilbert the bell-hanger up in the steeple to see what was the matter with the great bell. We found the gudgeon broken. We accordingly agreed to give him for mending it 7/6 and to pay Joseph Durrant for his work besides. It must ensue as 4 natural consequence for Mr French to go into Jones’s, which we did. We spent 5d and had most of the liquor to himself…

My brother came to call me to go to Tunbridge Wells. Accordingly about 4:30 we set out, he upon Mr French’s little horse and I upon my own. We called at, my aunt Ovendean’s at Boarshead and stayed about 30 minutes. We got to my brother’s at the Wells about 7:30 and stayed and chatted with my brother until past ten, when we adjourned to the Angel and stayed there. We broke up past 2, but all very sober. We should not have stayed so late had it not been for a little diversion we were partakers of, occasioned by some words happening between the gentleman of the house and his barkeeper, or whore, or, I am pretty well assured, both. But what a surprising thing it is to think a man should suffer himself to be used in such a manner by an almost common jilt. My brother paid the whole reckoning. Moses and I lay at the Angel and Crown. I bought of Mr Edmund Baker the 1^st volume of The Tatler for T. Davy, which cost me 18d, and also Ainsworth’s Dictionary for Mr Francis Elless, which cost me 12/-.

In the morning my brother and I got up and took a ride about mile on the Tunbridge road when he went to Thomas Coyfe’s and I returned back to the Wells and breakfasted with my brother. After breakfast my brother and I took a walk out in the fields to see his ponds. I came back and dined at my brother’s on a roasted shoulder of veal, a piece of bacon, cabbage and bread pudding.

After dinner, as my brother and I were taking a walk, we met with Mr Hargrave, who had us to the Angel and treated us with a bottle of wine and 1 pint of porter and 1 pint of mild beer. As we sat a-drinking, my brother came back to us from T. Coyfe’s. We drank tea at my brother’s and set out for home about 6:30. I brought my brother’s son in my lap as far as my mother’s. We called at my aunt Ovendean’s, but did not stay, neither to get off nor to drink. I came around by Framfield on account of my wife’s being there, for she and T. Davy walked over to Framfield in the morning and went to church there in the morning and dined with my mother. I stayed there no longer than putting the pillion on my horse. We left the little boy at Framfield and came home about 10:30, my brother coming along with us to lead the horse back again. My brother stayed with us all night… We spent about 2/1 apiece as under:

For horse’s hay and Oats	0.2.0
To the ostler	0.0.6
To the chambermaid	0.0.6
To the boot-cleaner	0.0.2
1 pint wine	0.1.0
	0.4.2 half of which is 0.2.1.

At home all the morning and very busy. My brother went home as soon as we had breakfasted. In the morning Mr French and Mr Piper came for the land and window tax books. As Mr French has so often favored me with a horse, I could not expect any gratuity from him. But as to poor old Piper, who never conferred a favor on me, he sneaked away with, “Sir, I thank you,” but forgot either to pay for the paper, which was 2d, or so much as to say he should be glad to have an opportunity that he might have it in his power to serve me as far. Oh, thou black fiend, ingratitude! But what can one expect from a wretch who sets his whole delight in nothing but money and knows not the real use of it farther than it is conducive to the adding of store to store? This day Nicholas Divol and his wife were here. I balanced and received of him in cash 13/9, and there remains 10/- more due to me as under:

Divol Dr.
To sundries at several times	1.18.9
Per Contra Cr
To carriage of 20 cwt of goods from Lewes	0.15.0
Rec’d as above	0.13.9
	1.8.9
remainder due	0.10.0

Dame Divol drank tea at our house. About 5 o’clock my brother came over to inform me Mr Rideout was over at Framfield. Accordingly I got up behind my brother and rode over to Framfield in order to ask his advice about the shop at Cuckfield. But when we came to Framfield, Mr Rideout was gone home. I stayed there about 2 hours and came home about 9 o’clock. This day we dined on a piece of pork and carrots. Paid for a chick 6d.

At home all day. Sent Francis Smith by his servant. T. Hemsley, in cash 4.2.0… which he is to pay in London for me. This day my brother came over to have their horse home and dined with us on a knuckle of bacon and a chick pudding. This day died Elizabeth Elless, and immediately after she was dead, Mr Adams told me Mr French and I would be fined on account of her death. The reason was because we carried her before a justice and asked her to swear the father.