Tuesday, March 23 1765

Sent to Elizabeth Middleton & Son… 3.10.6… Sent Mr John Crouch… £10… Also sent…Mr George Otway… £10. I dined on the remains of yesterday’s dinner with the addition of a piece of pork boiled, a plain pudding and greens. Rec’d of Elizabeth Smith by the payment of Mrs Browne 8/7 in full. Mrs Browne drank tea with me.

At home all day and thank God pretty busy. Mr Rowles at Framfield called and smoked a pipe with me in the afternoon. Delivered to Benjamin Shelley by my servant in cash £25 in order for him to pay in London for me.

Sunday, March 21 1762

Rec’d of Mr French the 1 shilling I lent him the 18th instant. Myself and servants at church in the morning… I dined on a bullock’s heart pudding. Myself and servants both at church in the afternoon… Sam Jenner drank a dish or two of coffee with me (one of my servants drinking tea at Joseph Fuller’s)… In the evening and the day read 6 of Yorick’s sermons. Mr Long sat with me some time in the evening.

Saturday, March 20 1762

Paid Ben Shelley in cash 12.6.5, which, with sundry other moneys etc. by him received, is in full as under:

Mr Ben Shelley Dr.
To cash the 6th instant8.14.0
To do. today12.6.5
To a bill for shop goods0.9.5
To 9½ lbs dock hair he  sold for me at 10d0.7.11
To 51 lbs short do.1.1.3
To 4½ lbs old metal0.2.3
23.1.3
Per Contra Cr.
To a bill of carriage from the 8th day of July, 1761 to the 23rd of Dec., 1761, both days inclusive11.3.9
To money paid the 17th instant to Mr  Robert Bird & Son in full on my account1.18.8
To do. the 17th instant to Messrs James and Charles  D’Albiac in full on my account5.18.0
To Mr Thomas Neatby & Son the 17th on my account1.7.6
The 18th to Mr Will Haslam in full on my account0.6.9
The 17th to Mr Thomas White in full on my account1.14.4
The 17th to Mr Robert Wale in full on my account0.12.0
Paid for 6 oranges0.0.9
23.1.7

I dined on a bullock’s heart pudding… At home all day. Joseph Fuller smoked a pipe with me in the evening.

Friday, March 19 1762

…I drank tea with Mrs Atkins and received of her in cash 1.3.9 in full… At home all day and but very little to do. In the evening read 3 of Yorick’s sermons. In the evening Mr Long sat with me a little time, I being instructing him in some rules of arithmetic. In the first part of the morning we had a pretty deal of snow fell, but as there was not any frost, it did not remain anytime.

Thursday, March 18 1762

…My brother dined with me on a bullock’s heart pudding and turnips. My brother stayed and drank tea with me and then went away. In the evening went to Jones’s, where we made a poor rate for the relief of the poor. At the rate of 6d to the pound, which was signed by everyone present, who were as follows: Jeremiah French, Joseph Fuller, myself, John Vine Jr, Joseph Durrant, Joseph Burgess, Richard Page, John Watford, Richard Hope and John Cayley. I came home about 9:20 and neither spent anything nor drank a drop of liquor; so in all probability I was thoroughly sober.

Lent Mr French 12d. Delivered to T. Babcock 4/6 for him to pay for 28 lbs gingerbread tomorrow in Lewes for me. Pretty busy all day, though a most dismal melancholy time to get in any money which is owing to me on book or notes. Nay, so difficult is it that I find it impossible.

Wednesday, March 17 1762

…In the forenoon my brother William came to see me and dined with me on the remains of yesterday’s dinner with the addition of a light pudding and a piece of pork boiled. Dame Braizer buying some goods in the shop breakfasted with me. My brother and Bett Mepham drank tea with me. My brother stayed all night. At home all day. In the evening made a poor rate for the parish and made up some of the parish accounts for Mr French. A very cold sharp day.

Sunday, March 14 1762

In the morning myself and servants at church… This day the banns of marriage for the first time were published between Ben Brinkhurst and Ann Dallaway, both of this parish. I dined on the remains of yesterday’s dinner with the addition of a plain suet pudding boiled.

After dinner Joseph Fuller Jr and I rode to Lewes where we went to the parish church of Southover and heard a sermon preached by the Rev Mr George Newton, curate of that parish and Hamsey, and rector of Isfield, from the former part of II Samuel 12:7: “And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man.” We drank tea at John Fuller’s and stayed and smoked a Pipe with him and came home very safe and sober about 8:30… In the evening read one of Tillotson’s sermons.