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Neither myself nor servant at church in the-morning. My friend Tipper, Samuel Jenner and Betty Carman dined with me, on a beef pudding and potatoes and a goose roasted and applesauce. My friend, self and servant at church in the afternoon… Molly and Bett Carman drank tea with me and Mr Tipper.

My brother Moses called on me just before churchtime, but did not stay. Rec’d of Mr Tipper in cash 1.7.0 and [a] bill, value £10, which makes together the sum of 11.7.0 and is in full of all demands to this day… My friend Tipper, Sam Jenner and myself spent the evening at Master. Durrant’s. My brother called on me again in the evening, but did not stay, only to eat a bit of supper with me. Mr Tipper stayed and took part of my bed.
 

My friend Tipper stayed and breakfasted with me and then went away. This day received a letter by the post from Mr Richard Waite at the Devizes that the bill value 7.3.0 sent him the 16th ult. came safe to hand. I dined on the remains of yesterday’s dinner.

Thomas Durrant and his mother drank tea with me. Rec’d of Thomas Braizer £9 for two years’ interest on a free and copyhold mortgage due to myself and the other executors and devisees of Mr Will Piper deceased. In the evening Molly and Bett Carman and Thomas Durrant and I played a few games of whist; I lost 3d.

This day Sam Jenner went to Cranbrook for me and my brother, and coming back late in the evening took part of my bed. At home all day and in the first part of the evening wrote my London letters. Paid Mr John Wilbar’s nephew at Lewes 2/3 in full for 6 large oil brushes received of him today…

Sent Mr George Otway…£10. Also sent Mr Will Margesson in the same manner the bill value £10 I received of Mr Thomas Tipper on Sunday last, as also [a bank note for £10]…

Sam Jenner and James Emery both at work for me dined with me on a beef pudding and potatoes. At home all day and pretty busy. Paid John Piper 2/1½ for half a bushel malt received of him today, for a gift to Will Eldridge on the parish account. Rec’d of Joseph Fuller [two] notes, value £20… John Piper and Mr Bannister coming in in the evening, they, Sam Jenner and myself went to play at brag, and it being excessive bad weather they played all night; I won 3/6.

Samuel Jenner a-writing for me half the day dined with me on a hot giblet pie. At home all day. In the evening wrote my receipts for the first two quarters of the land tax, which I expect to pay in soon.

My brother came over in the morning to assist me in cutting out some bedding for Mrs Coates and breakfasted with me and also stayed and dined with me on the remains of yesterday’s dinner with the addition of a plain suet pudding and potatoes. After we had finished our work my brother went home. This day received a letter by the post from Mr Thomas Dyke & Son in Sarum that the bill value 10.19.0 sent him the 16th ult. came safe to hand. At home all day; in the evening Sam Jenner came in and stayed and took part of my bed.

Sent Mr Richard Stone, surgeon and apothecary at Blackboys, by his servant Christopher Vine, in cash £12 for the following bill:

Sir       £12.0.0,            Framfield, Nov. 9, 1764
 
Seven days after date pay Mr Thomas Turner or order Twelve Pounds for value received and place it to account of,
 
To Sir, your Humble Servant,
 
Mr William Baldwin                      Richard Stone.
 
at the George Inn, Southwark.

Sam Jenner, a-writing for me all day, dined with me on a piece of beef boiled, an apple pudding and potatoes. Paid Ben Shelley in cash 1 guinea in full for the same sum he paid Mr John Winter the 31st ult. as a gratuity for his trouble from the heirs of Thomas Mepham deceased, which money they have deposited in my hands.

Paid Richard Fuller 2/- for a bullock’s heart and tongue bought of him today. In the evening my sister came to see me and brought me in cash from my brother 13.15.0, for which I returned him [a bill] of the same value (by David Brooker, who brought my sister) on Mr Will Margesson… At home all day. Samuel Jenner took part of my bed. My sister stayed all night. Pretty busy all day. In the evening Joseph Fuller and Thomas Durrant sat with me some time. Paid Edward Martin 4d for 2 lbs of tripe bought of him today.
 

Sam Jenner a-writing for me all day and he and my sister dined with me on the remains of yesterday’s dinner with the addition of some boiled tripe and onion sauce.

In the afternoon walked down to the house of Francis Turner, where the coroner for the Eastern part of this county took an inquisition on the body of Matthew Lewer, a poor man and a lath-cleaver, who was last night found dead in a wood in this parish where he had been at work the whole day a-lath cleaving in company with Matthew Lewer his nephew, John the son of his nephew, John Hook and John Lavender.

The jury was myself as foreman, George Bannister, Robert Hook, Thomas Durrant, John Piper, Thomas Bristow, Edward and Richard Hope, Henry Godley, Stephen Weaver, Francis Gibbs, Will Henly and Sam Washer. The verdict we gave was that the person died a natural death by the visitation of God, for upon the examination of Matthew Lewer, John Hook and John Lavender it appeared the deceased had been ill with a cold for some days, and then even complained more particularly and left his work half an hour before any of the rest of them, on account of his being so ill. He was found dead in about hour by the people at whose house he lodged, who went in search of him, he not coming home so soon as usual, and being a pretty old man.

Upon the examination of Francis and Isaac Turner, the persons who found him, they declared that there did not seem any appearance upon the ground where he lay of more people’s footing or that there had been a scuffle with him and any other person. Nor upon the jury’s examining the dead body could we find any cut, bruise, stab or any other appearance of hurt, so that I should presume and hope to all probable appearances he died a natural death, agreeable to the jury’s verdict. We came home at about 5:40.

As soon as I came home I was sent for down to Mr Porter’s, where I immediately went and sold Mr Porter a colt, the property of the assigns of Mr Vine. Myself and Joseph Fuller, who came in soon after me, spent the evening there and supped with Mr and Mrs Porter on a roasted partridge, some boiled red herrings and bread and cheese. Betsy Fuller drank tea and spent one the afternoon with my sister. In my absence my brother William came to see me in the evening and supped at my house and stayed all night. We came home from Mr Porter’s about 11:30.

My brother, sister and myself at church in the morning, the text in Ephesians 4:14, 15: “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, my grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.”

During the time they were singing psalm, James Hutson, headborough, and myself went out and searched the ale-houses and the barber’s shop. The barber we found exercising his trade, but as it was the first time, we forgave him. The alehouses were clear of tipplers.

My brother, sister and Mr Carman dined with me on a bullock’s heart roasted and stuffed and a currant butter pond pudding. My sister and self at church in the afternoon, (my brother going away in churchtime) the text in Luke 16:31: “If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.”

My sister and Bett Carman drank tea with me. In the evening Thomas Durrant and Joseph Fuller sat with me some time, to whom I read one of Tillotson’s sermons. A very wet day till near 6 o’clock in the evening.

My sister dined with me on the remains of yesterday’s dinner. My sister spent the afternoon at Joseph Fuller’s. In the evening wrote my London letters, and about 6:30 went down to Mr Fuller’s to accompany my sister home. We stayed there and supped on a piece of cold roast pork, a piece of cold boiled beef and bread and cheese. We played a few games of whist in the evening; I won 8d. We came home about 12:10. Pretty busy today.

Sent Mr Will Margesson enclosed in a letter by Benjamin Shelley delivered to his brother the bill value £12 on Baldwin, which I received the 9th instant from Mr Richard Stone. My sister dined with us on a piece of boiled beef, an apple pudding and potatoes.

In the afternoon walked down to Whyly with some stuffs in order to sell Mrs Blackman, which I did, and during my short stay there Mr William Francis, linen-draper, called there on me, but, owing him no money nor wanting any goods, I did not go home with him. Mr Robert Chester at Lewes drank tea with me and my sister.

In the evening went down to Jones there being a public vestry in order to consult what was to be done relating to John Jones’s affair, which was this: Mr Chester of Lewes. having a bill of sale of Jones’s goods to be the amount of £61 and having been lately obliged to pay £11 for arrears of rent due from Jones (to prevent the landlord’s distraining [i.e., selling all the goods to raise the £11], which one would have been attended with more expense, and must have been [would have to have been] paid from the effects), now Mr Chester, having lately advanced the above sum, was desirous there might be a vestry called, that he might attend it to know if the parish: would assist Jones with money to pay a part of it.

Upon debating the thing, it was the unanimous opinion of all present (who were myself, Mr Carman, Mr Blackman, James Fuller, Richard Hope, John Cayley and Richard Page) not to yield him any assistance, but for Chester to put his bill of sale in execution when he pleased. I next represented to the vestry that there was due from Thomas Tester to myself and the other executors and devisees in trust of Mr Will Piper 2 years’ and a half rent, which the man had informed us he was unable to pay, and begged they would take the same into consideration whether we should distrain the goods or [whether] the parish would pay part or all the rent.

It was determined by 5 voices to 1 (myself as concerned on the other party giving my voice neither way) that we should distrain the goods. We stayed till about 9:30: and then broke up. Spent on the parish account 4/3. A very cold day and not very busy in the shop. I think, of all the company I ever spent the evening with in my life, that of James Fuller is the most disagreeable, he being stupidly ignorant and withal prodigiously abusive.