Author: Thomas Turner

We arose about 7 o’clock, and after staying about 2 hours for Mr Cooper’s getting up, in expectation of receiving my balance, we then set off without it, he telling me he could not pay it then, but would the next time he saw me. We came home about 12:15. My brother stayed and dined with us on a hog’s heart pudding and short bones. After dinner my brother went home… Mr Francis Elless drank tea with us. Afterwards I went down to Mr Porter’s in the evening and balanced accounts with him and received of him in cash 2.3.0…in full of my account to the 1st January, 1757 except 6/9. James Marchant spent the evening with us after I came back from Mr Porter’s.

In the morning composed the following petition for Will Eldridge, which Mr Elless wrote for him:

“Whereas William Eldridge hath lately had the misfortune to loose a Hog by it’s getting under the Ice and being Drowned, and as it is at a Time that Corn and all other provisions are very dear it will render him incapable to get another which will be a great loss in his Family, He therefore assumes to ask the Charity of his Neighbours, hoping they will commiserate this his Misfortune and he will always (as bound in duty) gratefully acknowledge the favors they shall be pleased to confer on him.”

We dined on a hog’s haslet roasted. At home all day. In the evening went to see James Marchant and stayed about an hour. My wife very ill.

At home all the morning. My wife very ill… In the afternoon went down to Mr Coates’s and carried in their bill, but could receive no money. In the evening I carried down to Mr Porter’s some silver and received of him the 6/9 left when we balanced on Thursday evening and which is in full to the 1st of January, 1757. Thomas Davy spent the evening with us. Rec’d a letter by the post from Mr John Collison for me to meet him tomorrow at my mother’s. Gave John Dan 6d on the parish account.

My wife very ill. While the people were at church in the forenoon I set out for Framfield where I met Mr John Collison. We both dined at my mother’s on the best end of a neck of veal roasted (my family at home dining on a hog-meat pudding)… I afterwards balanced accounts with Mr John Collison as under: We balanced the cash account, when there remained due to me, on the same, 10.0.7½, which balance we carried to the credit of my account for goods, which we then balanced. I gave the bill, value £30, which I received of Mr Smith [this morning], and received of him in cash 4.6.6; so I paid him out of that bill 25.13.6; viz., 15.13.6 on my own account, which leaves £15 to balance on my own account, and the remaining £10 out of the 25.13.6 I paid him on my mother’s account, which is in full for the money I received of her the 30th December and the 3rd and 11th of January. I gave Mr Collison to dispose of for me in old gold 9 pennyweight and 12 grains, and in old sliver 2 oz 12 gr. We stayed and drank tea at my mother’s and then Mr Collison set out for his inn at Maresfield. Thomas Davy being at Framfield at his mother’s, he called me and we came home together about 7 o’clock. He stayed and supped with us.

In the morning received by the carrier a present sent me from my father Slater of a fine spare-rib and some sausages. At home all day. My wife very ill. We dined on the remains of yesterday’s dinner and some hog’s chitterlings. Gave Will Eldridge 12d on the petition I composed for him the l4th instant. In the evening wrote my London letters. This day lent Master Weller the sparerib sent us from Hartfield, 14½ lbs.

We dined on a sparerib baked in the oven. My wife very ill. In the evening balanced accounts with Mr Francis Elless and received of him 1.19.11 in full. He, together with James Marchant, stayed and played at whist with us; my wife and I lost 6d each; viz., 6 games at 1d each game; In the evening balanced accounts with Francis Smith by his brother Josias Smith and sent him by Josias 2.12.0… After balancing I gave Josias Smith in cash £10, which he is to pay to Mr John Crouch for me.

At home all day. My wife very ill… Read part of Salmon’s Gazetteer. A very cold day. Posted some accounts and wrote out John Watford’s bill.

…My wife very ill. Charles and Robert Diggens called on us and drank tea with us and stayed and smoked a pipe or 2 with us. They went away in the evening about 8 o’clock. This day paid Mr Hall, patten-maker in the Cliffe, as under:

27 prs cloth clogs  4½d	0.10.1½
9 prs hair do.      5d	0.3.9
3 doz cloth pattens	1.8.6
	2.2.4½

which is in full except 2 prs of pattens which he sent more than is charged above.

…My wife very ill. This day paid Richard Jenner 20/-, which with the 3.10.3 paid him the 28 December is in full for the butter I had put up by him for Mr Isaac Hook of Lewes, and of which I have not received one farthing. In the evening read 4 of Tillotson’s sermons. Also looking over in the day Martin’s Magazine for November, I find the following particulars of the place of my birth; viz., Groombridge, about 3 miles from Tunbridge Wells, in the Parish of Speldhurst, anciently the seat of the noble family of Cobham, had a market on Thursdays and a chapel of ease, too, belonging to Speldhurst, and since descended to the Clintons and Waller, that renowned soldier. He, in the reign of Henry V took Charles, Duke of Orleans, general of the French army, prisoner at the battle of Agincourt and held him in honorable custody at Groombridge, which a manuscript in the herald’ office mentions to be 25 years. In the time of this this his recess he newly erected the house at Groombridge on the old foundation and was a benefactor to the repair of Speldhurst Church.

We dined on a clod piece roasted in Marchant’s oven. This day balanced accounts with John Watford Jr and received of him 3.2.0 in full. In the afternoon my brother Moses came over, but did not stay. I received of him 1.1.2 for pattens etc. he had today. Gave John Dan 12d on the parish account. This day I took out of the draw [drawer], being the sum I have taken this week, £12–oh, but a small sum!