Author: Thomas Turner

Paid for 16 brooms 13d. At home all day. My wife at Mrs Atkins’s in the afternoon. About 2:45 Samuel Slater came in from Lewes. He and Thomas Durrant spent the evening with us. Paid a carter for bringing 4 cheeses from Lewes for me 6d. He did not go to bed until 12:25, but all very sober.

…Mr Porter came and informed me that he had received advice from his tenant in [Essex] that there was 30.13.0 paid to Messrs Margesson and Collison on my account. After dinner Master Durrant and I went to Mr Miller’s… We came home about 8:25; overtook Master Dapp near Edward Russell’s, very much in liquor, but he came home with us. Master Durrant stayed and smoked one pipe with me after he came home. Paid Elizabeth Mepham 6d for making a round frock… Rec’d of William Sinden ½ bushel of wheat.

Dr Snelling went away after breakfast. I paid him half a crown for cutting my seton and likewise am to pay John Jones for his [Dr Snelling’s] horse’s hay, oats etc. 18d, which together makes 4/-. Oh, could it have been imagined that he could have taken anything of me, considering that I paid him £39 for curing my wife, great part of which I paid him before he had it due, and all of it within 5 months after he had performed the cure! I always do and ever did use him after the best manner I was capable of when he was at our house. He was that man that never gave my servants anything, no, not even the meanest trifle that could be. Notwithstanding they always waited on him like as if they were his own servants. Oh, thou blackest of fiends, ingratitude, what an odious color and appearance dost thou make! Oh, may the most ever to be adored Supreme Excellency that sees and views all our most private and secret actions and even knows our most secret thoughts before we bring them into action guide me with his grace that I may never be guilty of that hateful crime, not even so much as to indulge an ungrateful thought!

George Richardson called on us in his way from Dallington to Lewes. I gave him a bill (on account of his master Mr John Madgwick) which I this day drew on Messrs Margesson and Collison… value 10.10.0. In the afternoon my wife went to Mrs Day’s. I went to her about 6:15. We stayed and supped there and played at cards; to wit, at whist, Mrs Day and my wife against Miss Day and myself, so of consequence we lost nothing. Came home about 2:05; we each of us gave the maid 6d. I gave Samuel Hammond 3d for his box.

About 9:15 George Richardson called on us in his way to Dallington. Stayed about 30 minutes. My wife and I both at church in the morning… Gave 2d to a church brief. My wife and I both at church in the afternoon… While we were at church my brother Moses came and came to church and after churchtime drank tea with us. Just as we were drinking tea, Dr Snelling came in, as did two Halland men. Dr Snelling cut me a seton and stayed all night. My brother and Halland two men went away about 7:50.

At home all day. Delivered in Mrs Coates’s bill (by her boy) to the 25th December… Gave away to boys for their Christmas box 21d as under:

To James Fuller              0.1.0

to Ben Mott                  0.0.6

to John Barnard              0.0.3

Paid Joseph Durrant 2d for 1 peck turnips. My brother William went away after breakfast for Framfield. Our maid went to her friends’. In the evening I wrote out several bills.

Being Christmas day my wife and I both at church in the morning, the text Hebrews 9:26: “but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” My wife and I stayed the communion; gave, each of us, 6d. At home all day. On reading Derham’s notes on Boyle’s lectures I find he says that Mr Boyle demonstrates that so slender a wire may be drawn from gold that from one ounce of gold a wire may be drawn 777,600 feet in length or 155 miles and a half [!]. In the evening Thomas Davy here and supped with us and stayed till 11 o’clock but drank nothing, only 1 pint of mild beer. We read Smart’s poems on immensity, conscience and power.

At home all day. Rec’d of Joseph Fuller 1 leg mutton, 6½ lbs at 3d, 0.1.7½. Rec’d of butcher Bonwick 1 lot of beef; the weight I do not know. Paid Will Harvey 18d for making 3 cotton waistcoats… Paid John Jenner of Hailsham… 21/- in full for hats rec’d of him today as under:

3 hats at 3/6                 0.10.6

3 ditto at 2/-                0.6.0

1 ditto at                   0.4.6

Dr Snelling called on us in his journey to Ticehurst, but did not get off his horse. In the evening wrote out Peter Adams’s bill amounting to 8.16.1½, Mr Thomas Reeve’s bill amounting to l.17.10¼. Gave a carter 2 oz tobacco for bringing 2 cheeses from Lewes for me. Gave Jenner’s boy 6d for his box.