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…Gave Dame Burrage 4½d on the parish account… At home all day. In the evening Joseph Fuller Jr at our house and stayed and smoked 2 pipes with me. I, in the evening, read the 1st Sunday in the New Whole Duty of Man. This week took £15.

In the morning myself and maid at church (my wife stayed at home on account of her continuing very ill)… This day was read a proclamation for a general fast on Friday the 11th of February next. We dined on some chine bones boiled, a pea pudding and turnips. After dinner our servant went over to Framfield Church. My wife and I neither at church in the afternoon. Thomas Davy drank tea with us and spent the evening with us, to whom I read the first of Tillotson’s sermons and Bally’s poem on the wisdom of the Supreme Being.

…This day gave Thomas Tester on the parish account 6d. Thomas Davy spent the evening w1th us. He and I played at cribbage; I won 1d. Very melancholy times.

At home all day but not busy… In the evening Thomas Davy here and supped with us. He and I played at cribbage; I won 12d. If any person should by accident or curiosity peruse my several memorandums he may think it somewhat odd and profuse or extravagant in me to entertain one person so often, which would undoubtedly be so, were there no reason for it, but I think there is. First he is a very sober man and one who has read a great deal, by which I oftentimes learn something. And then he is a man that is always ready and willing to do anything for me or to go anywhere for me and will never take anything for so doing; so that it is not altogether for the sake of company, but for the benefit of improvement and out of gratitude.

This day Mr Francis Elless and I agreed to take a fat hog of Mr Jeremiah French between us. We are to have it the 10th or 11th instant, alive, and to give 2/2 a stone. It is to weigh about 10 stone.

The King of Prussia’s dominions are [described at extraordinary length]… The above was taken from The Gentleman’s Magazine for September, 1744. At home all day but not busy… Rec’d of James Awcock 4/6 in full and paid him 3d for some parsnips. In the evening Thomas Davy here, to whom I read the 2nd of Tillotson’s sermons, I think this to have been as cold a day as I ever knew, and I believe the frost has not been totally out of the ground these 5 weeks.

At home all day. Gave John Dan 12d on the parish account… This day paid Mr Thomas Smith, carrier of Eastbourne, 1.6.7, being for money paid by him in London this week… In the evening I was sent for down to Mr Porter’s to know if I had any black cloth. I stayed there about 1 hour and ½ chatting about indifferent things. Came home and read the 3rd and 4th of Tillotson’s sermons. Took £10 this week. A very melancholy time. This day the frost began to go away after being in the ground about 5 weeks

Myself and maid both at church in the morning… There was a brief read for the parish church of Stoke in the county of Salop to which I gave nothing by reason I had neither silver nor halfpence in my pocket. Mr Francis Elless dined with us on a hog’s cheek boiled, turnips, parsnips, a plain butter pond pudding and pea broth. Myself and maid at church in the afternoon. My wife not at church all day, she being very ill and lame. The text in I Timothy, 2:1: “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men”, from which words we had in my opinion a very good sermon, showing how necessary the duty of public prayer is to our salvation, and, at the same time, that we should not neglect the advantage of prayer also in private, both of which duties were delivered to us in a very plain and moving manner.

After churchtime paid the poor as under:

Today in reading of some of Tillotson’s sermons I find the following citation: He says it is an excellent rule that Phythagoras gave to his scholars, pitch upon the best course of life and custom will soon render it easy. In the evening and in the day read the 5th, 6th and 7th of Tillotson’s sermons.