Author: Thomas Turner

…About 8:10 my brother and I set off for Lewes on foot where we arrived about 11:30. But as we found Mr Snelling not at home, we were obliged to stay. We dined at Mr Friend’s on a shoulder of mutton roasted and green sallard [salad] (my family at home dining on the remains of yesterday’s dinner)… About 7 o’clock Mr Snelling came home and cut my brother an issue in his temple. We stayed at Mr Scrase’s all night and lodged there and both went to bed very sober.

At home all day. Very little to do. My brother stayed all day. We dined on the remains of Monday’s dinner with the addition of a piece of bacon and some turnip greens. This day drew off a barrel of cider.

At home all day. My brother stayed all day. We dined on the remains of yesterday’s dinner. This day paid Mr Thomas Awcock in cash 5.19.8, by a receipt for land tax 14/- and by another for quit-rent 16d, which together make the sum of 6.15.0, and is in full for 1 year’s rent due for his land, which is used by my mother and myself. A prodigious melancholy time. Nothing to do.

…Worked in my garden part of this day. In perusing an abridgment of the Life of Madame de Maintenon in the Universal Magazine for March, I find the following, being the last advice given her by her mother, Madame d’Aubigné: to act in such a manner as fearing all things from men and hoping all from God.

In the afternoon my brother went home and my nephew along with him, his mother being at Framfield and I understand has been there ever since Thursday. I must say I think it somewhat odd for her to send there for the boy without sending either for me, my wife, self or Philip, or even her not coming over herself without sending word she would come one day next week if we would send word which day we would have her come.

My relations seem all to look upon me with a coldness that I cannot but take notice of, and for a reason to attribute their so doing to, I am at a loss to find. I can only say this, that if I know my own heart (which I may not and therefore err, for as the prophet Jeremiah observes: “She is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked”), I never think myself more happy than when I think myself a-serving any of my relations. Though undoubtedly by my so doing and their unkind retaliations, I am greatly injured and, I may say, impoverished. For to speak the truth, they seen to play at the game of outwit with me, or at least to take advantage of good nature or, if not that, of a simple and easy supineness or negligence. But their natural affection must, I think, so far bear away that all my ill-usage must proceed in part from their acting without thought or premeditated design, and from false and groundless chimeras formed in my own brain.

Thomas Davy breakfasted with us. My wife, maid and Philip at church in the morning, but not myself on account of my being ill with a cold. We dined on the remains of yesterday’s dinner with the addition of a suet plum pudding and some pickled salmon sent us yesterday by Mrs Roase. My wife, maid and Philip at church in the afternoon. This day have I taken up a resolution, God being my helper, to live a sober, virtuous and pious life, which God grant I may do, through the mercies and intercession of my blessed Savior and Redeemer, Amen.

At home all day. Read part of Horneck’s Law of Consideration and one of Tillotson’s sermons.

At home all day and not busy. …We dined on the remains of yesterday’s dinner with the addition of a pearl barley pudding. Just as we had dined, my mother and sister came in, who dined on some rashers of pork and pickled salmon. They stayed all night. This day paid Joseph Fuller 2/0½ for 1 leg of mutton received today.

At home all day; at work in my garden. My mother and sister stayed all day. We dined on a leg of mutton boiled and a piece of pork and rice plum pudding… My mother, sister and nephew stayed all night. In the evening Thomas Davy at our house.

At work in my garden part of the morning. After breakfast my mother, sister and nephew went away. Paid Jenner the hatter 17/10; viz., by book debt 4/9, by goods today 3/3½, by cash today 9/9½ in full for goods received today; viz.,

3 hats	0.7.6
1 do.	0.6.0
4 lb wool	0.3.4
For lying a waistcoat	0.1.0
	0.17.10

Paid Thomas Cornwell 6/6 on the parish account and what I put in the Easter account. At home all day. In the afternoon posted my day book. This day there was a cock match at Jones’s between Mr Clinch and Watt Dicker, but I did not go down.

In the morning at work in my garden. We dined on a piece of pork, suet, pearl barley pudding and turnip greens. In the afternoon Sarah Trill came and drank tea with us. At home all day. Read part of a book written by Vincent Perronet, vicar of Shoreham in Kent. In the evening Thomas Davy at our house, to whom I read one of Tillotson’s sermons. This day our parish and Chiddingly played at cricket at Broad Oak, when ours was beat, Chiddingly having 8 wickets to go up.