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My wife, self, nephew and maid at church in the morning… Mr Porter being lame, the Rev Mr John Stone of tellingly preached here. We dined on a piece of boiled beef, bacon, butter pond pudding and turnips. Here was no churching in the afternoon; so I was at home all the afternoon. Thomas Davy drank tea with us. To him, and in the whole day I read & of Tillotson’s sermons. Thomas Davy sat with us until eight o’clock.

…Paid John Streeter 5/- for 2 dozen hard brushes he bought me today at Mr Wilbar’s. In the afternoon sent my maid to Framfield. In the evening my brother came over, but did not stay. I received of him for goods which he has and is to have 2.9.11½; viz.,

14 lbs saltpetre at 90/-	0.11.3
7 blk. pepper nt. 20d	0.11.8
1 ½ lbs nuts nt. 8/7	0.12.10½
Carriage	0.0.8
½ hundred raisins	0.12.0
Carriage	0.1.6

All the above had except 17 lb raisins. This day gave Thomas Tester an order for 3 pks. of wheat. In the evening read 3 of Tillotson’s sermons.

Paid Clymson the glover…14/3 in full for goods I received of him today… This being St Thomas’s day, I relieved the under-mentioned persons with one penny each:

1.	Widow Hope	18.	Roger Vallow
2.	John Streeter	19.	Will Starks
3.	Widow Pilfold	20.	Thomas Dallaway
4.	Dame Burrage	21.	Widow Cornwell
5.	Richard Brazier	22.	Richard Vinal
6.	Francis Turner	23.	Widow Cain
7.	John Durrant	24.	Sarah Vinal
8.	Will Henly	25.	Thomas Ling
9.	James Emery	26.	John Dan
10.	Lucy Mepham	27.	Widow Day
11.	Sam Jenner	28.	William Eldridge
12.	Thomas Tester	29.	Robert Baker
13.	Thomas Heath	30.	Richard Till
14.	Richard Heath	31.	Ed Babcock
15.	Susan Swift	32.	Ann Wood
16.	Richard Prall	33.	Widow Bristow
17.	John Elless

…At home all day. In the evening read 4 of Tillotson’s sermons. Also in the evening John Watford here a-beating out of some apples for some cider; he supped with us.

…In the day papered up 24 lbs of tobacco in 127 papers… This day I received by Richard Siggs my pipe of cider, which I had made by Mr Heaver of Uckfield. This day I balanced accounts with Mr Jeremiah French (by his wife) and paid her 6.8.6 in full to this day… In the evening read 7 of Tillotson’s sermons.

Lent Mr Jeremiah French in cash £10, for which he gave me his note of hand payable to me or bearer on demand. Paid Isfield miller by his servant 6/- for one bushel of oatmeal received today… This day gave Joseph Fuller orders to carry a bullock’s cheek to Dame Burrage.

…In the evening sent John [Hesman?] over to Framfield for a shroud etc. for Mr Thomas Jones, for which I gave him 6d. Balanced accounts with John Jenner, hatter at Hailsham, and received of him 10½d in full except 10/- for rabbit skins sold him today. Sent his boy 6d for box money.

At home all day. No churching here the whole day. James Marchant and the widow came and dined with us on a sirloin of beef roasted in the oven with a batter pudding under it, a plum suet pudding, boiled potatoes and some bouillis pies. In the evening Thomas Davy sat with us about 3 hours, to whom, and in the day, I read 7 of Tillotson’s sermons.

In the morning the Rev Mr Hamlin of Waldron preached at our church and also gave the communion. My wife, self and maid at church (leaving my nephew at Richard Prall’s). We all stayed the communion and gave 18d; that is, 6d each, we giving our servant her 6d. I believe there might have stopped at the communion about 40 or more people, which I think is more than I ever saw before. We had an excellent sermon, Mr Hamlin in my opinion being the completest churchman of any clergyman in this neighborhood, and one who seems to take a great deal of pains in the discharge of his duty. The text in Romans 12:1: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” We dined on some boiled tripe and the remains of yesterday’s dinner.

No churching here this afternoon. At home all day. In the evening and the day read 7 of Tillotson’s sermons.

In the morning gave two women and 2 children with a pass 12d. Gave John Streeter the post 12d to his box. Gave Thomas Hemsley 6d to his box. Gave Robert Hook 3d to his box. About 12 o’clock I went down to Laughton to attend the funeral of Thomas Jones where there were, I believe, more than 80 people; his age 67 years. We had an indifferently good sermon, but I think very indifferently delivered to the audience. The text 14th verse, 39th Psalm: “For I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were.”

I came back about 5:40 when I went into John Jones’s, the parish being met there at a public vestry to choose surveyors. The two surveyors chosen for the year ensuing are: Mr Will Piper and Mr Joseph Durrant. The electioners, Richard Hope and John Vine Jr. The company were Mr Jeremiah French, Messrs Joseph and Thomas Fuller, William Piper, Peter Adams, Joseph Burgess, John Potter, Edmund Elphick, Francis Turner, John Watford, John Cayley, Robert Hook and myself. I spent nothing. I came home about 7:40.

I gave Elizabeth Akehurst 6d to her box; do. Thomas [son of Francis] Turner 6d to his box. Read 1 of Tillotson’s sermons. Dined today on a piece of a shin of veal stewed. Just almost as we were going to bed, in came Thomas Fuller, Mr Will Piper and John Cayley, and as Mr Will Piper and T. Fuller are such (what shall I say?) spongers–no, only old Piper—that they must stay and smoke one pipe, they stayed smoking and drinking until they two were very drunk. At last, poor fools, they must quarrel, and for no other reason that I can judge but because Thomas Fuller told that which in my opinion was really true; viz., Master Piper, being lavish of his professions of kindness, and how much he loved his dear neighbor, which at last occasioned Thomas Fuller to tell him that he could never recollect any favor or kindness he ever showed him. But he did remember that once, on some emergent occasion, he wanted to borrow about £4 of him for a few days, but the poor old man would not let him have it, though he [Fuller] was well assured he and the money by him and could have spared it. He told him of many such-like mean actions, which made the poor old man at last so angry that he cried and bellowed about like a great calf. But, however, they all went away about 2 o’clock.

Now let me shift the scene and meditate on the vice of drinking to see how despicable it makes [“me” scratched out] a person look in the eyes of one that is sober. How often does it set the best friends at variance, and even incapacitates a man from acting in any respect like an human being because it totally deprives him of reason. As he is not capable of acting with reason, it is much to be doubted he will be guilty of that which is most vile and sinful. Oh, may the God of all mercy give me his grace always to detest and abhor this vice, and that the obnoxiousness of it may thoroughly work such an impression on my mind that I may never more be guilty of it, and that the many dangers which I have so often been exposed to when I have, as it were, rushed impetuous and headlong into destruction (by drunkenness), from which I have sometimes almost miraculously escaped by the undoubted providence of a all-wise Being! I say, that this may more thoroughly have its due effect upon my mind, let me never forget the goodness of God to his sinful creature, but may I meditate on it day and night that by so doing I may confirm my intentions of never living myself the least liberty of doing anything that small any ways tend to that heinous and ever-to-de-abhorred vice…

Bought a cheese of Mr Piper and gave Dame Burrage 3/5 on the parish account. Paid Dame Trill 3/- in full for keeping Ann Braizer, due today.

Gave the following boys money to their box:

Sam Hammond	0.0.3
T. Smith	0.0.3
John Barnard	0.0.3
	0.0.9

Just as we were a-going to dinner, my brother Will came in. He dined with us on the remains of Saturday’s dinner. My brother Will stayed all night. In the evening went down to Mr Porter’s to ask his opinion about the mistake made in the poor tax of the year 1753 by Mr French, in the Duke’s land. He assured [me] he would speak to Mr Coates about it and see it should be settled. Stayed there until near 10 o’clock.