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At home all days William Burrage Jr here all day a-helping me garden. Dame Vinal all day a-washing. Both dined with us on bacon and beans. In the evening Mr Collison and my brother came. Both stayed all night… Paid Dame Vinal 9d for 1½ days’ washing. This day drew out a barrel of beer containing 8 doz.

At home all the morning. Wrote my London letters. Drew on Messrs Margesson and Collison for £10 payable to Mr John Crouch or order… Also advised Dawson of my drawing on him. Dame Vinal a-washing, ½ the day for us. She dined with us on a piece of bacon and beans. After dinner went over to Framfield in order to meet Mr John Collison. Called as I went at Mr Peckham’s and bought his wool at 7½d per lb for my mother. Drank tea at my mother’s in company with cousin Elizabeth Langridge (that was) and the wife of cousin Samuel Langridge. About 8 o’clock Mr Collison came along, but wet to the skin; so he did not get off his horse, but appointed to lie at my house tomorrow night. My brother came home behind me, stayed supper and rode my horse back. Rec’d of my mother the 12/- paid Lambert on Saturday.

In the morning sent Roger Vallow over to Framfield with my mother’s flax etc. James Marchant breakfasted with us. My wife, self and nephew at church in the morning; the text in 1 Corinthians 10:12: “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” We dined on a piece of bacon, cauliflower and pond plum pudding. After dinner my maid went to Laughton to inquire after a dozen of scythes sent me from Mr Roase’s the 22nd of June and which I never heard of until that day. Mr Roase called at my house. Just before churchtime in the afternoon Mr John Collison came in, and he, my wife, self and nephew went to church. The text in Romans 8:13: “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.” After church I called a vestry concerning allowing of Trill’s people more than a crown. The majority of the vestry agreed that 5/- was a sufficient allowance; so I paid them it this month and am to continue it. I payed the poor as under;

To Trill	0.5.0
To Wood	0.4.0
To Dame Pilfold	0.6.0
To John Streeter for doing for do.	0.3.0
To Babcock	0.4.0
	1.2.0

I balanced the cash account with Mr John Collison and paid him 7.1.3 in full of that account. I also balanced the goods account and paid him in cash 31.7.9, which…leaves due to balance £16 besides that of Samuel Virgoe’s. Mr Collison stayed and drank tea with us. I went and brought him going on his road to Chiddingly. My servant found the scythes at Wickerson’s at Laughton where they had lain ever since they were sent, they having no directions. Gave Mr Collison my draft on Mr Robert Dawson for 2.19.10 …payable to Messrs Margesson and Collison or order, which, if he gets, is to be placed to the new cash account.

Mr French and I in the morning, hearing that Richard Hope’s servant was with child, went up and talked to her about it, and also to her master and mistress concerning her being a parishioner by living in their service. To the first the poor ignorant creature answered she hoped she was not with child, though ’twas true, she said, she had deserved for it more than once or twice. But however I am very doubtful there is reason to suspect she is with child.

We then talked to her mistress (her master not being at home) about her settlement, who says they agreed with her from about July the first, 1755 to new Lady Day, 1756 after the rate of 35/- per year. At the expiration of this time they agreed with her from Lady Day, 1756 to Lady Day, 1757 after the rate of 30/- per year. As we came home, we met with Richard Hope, who confirmed all his wife had told us before.

About 12 o’clock Mr French and I went to Lewes in order to meet Peter Adams according to his summons, but he never came, and the justices John Bridger and William Poole told us the order was made invalid by accepting of his bond and we must sue him on the bond at common law. Mr Verral, Mr Plumer and Mr Aldersey told us the same, the last of whom wrote us a letter to Peter Adams. We also asked of their worships (as Mr French called them) concerning where the poor girl belonged; they all assured us to our parish.

Mr French and I dined at the White Hart on a piece of boiled beef and greens, a breast of veal roasted and a butter pudding cake. I balanced accounts with Mr T. Scrase as under and paid him 2/3 in full:

Myself Dr.
2 wigs	2.2.0
To a wager lost	0.3.0
To 2 lbs ran thread, paid for but never had	0.2.0
	2.7.0
Per Contra Cr.
To sundry goods at several times	1.14.9
To 1 old wig	0.10.0
Today in cash	0.2.3
	2.7.0

I drank tea at Mr Davy’s and came home about 9 o’clock, but not quite sober. Spent 3/6, all on the parish account… Paid Mr Aldersey for writing the letter, Paid Mr Davy 18d for pills for my wife. Paid John Lambert 12/- for flax and hemp bought for my mother.

In the morning Mr Jeremiah French came to call me in order to go and execute our summons and went to call Joseph Fuller in order to get him to go as a witness for us that we actually did serve him with the summons. As we were a-going to Peter Adams, we were so fortunate as to meet him not far from Master Potter’s, where after some talk and persuasions for him to consider and not give us trouble and put himself to an unnecessary expense, I served the summons on him. He seemed a little surprised at the sight of it and actually did behave better than I expected and promised to see us again tonight or tomorrow morning.

I came home and found Mr Roase at our house, who stayed and breakfasted with us, put went away directly afterward. I then rode over to Framfield to borrow some more sugar of my mother and also carried her walnuts. I received for them 2d and ½ gallon of black currants. Came home and dined on a piece of bacon and beans. At home all the afternoon. In reading Hervey’s Theron and Aspasio I find the following most fine and delightful passage quoted from out of one of our homilies:

The true understanding of this doctrine, we be justified freely by faith without works, is not, that this our act to believe, or this our faith in Christ, doth justify us: for that were to count ourselves to be justified by some act or virtue, that is within ourselves. But the true meaning thereof, is, that although we hear God’s word, and believe it; although we have hope and faith, charity and repentance, and do never so many good works: yet we must renounce the merit of all our virtues and good deeds, as things that be far too weak and insufficient, to deserve remission of sin, and our justification. We must trust only in God’s mercy, and that sacrifice which our High Priest and Saviour Jesus Christ, the Son of God, offered for us upon the cross.

In the morning paid the gardener at Halland 8d for 1 gallon of currants for myself and 1 hundred of walnuts for my mother. We dined on a piece of pork and beans.

Yesterday I saw Peter Adams and asked him again for the money which is due from him to me and Ann Cain for her keeping the child which she had by him, but could not get it. In the evening I went down to Mr Porter’s to consult him about it. He is altogether for my serving the summons upon him, but I must think that is a wrong way of proceeding. For as he gave the parish a bond, we can have nothing to do with a justice in the affair because the bond must I think make their order (if we really had a whole one) invalid. So proceeding in this manner will subject us to his ridicule and be expending the parish’s money to no purpose. Now I think the only way to act would be to empower an attorney to give him a letter, and if he did not pay it on receiving that, for him then to execute the bond against him and to sue him until such time as he should either pay it, or we could carry him to gaol, unless he could give bail…

In the evening about 7 o’clock went down to Mr French’s as agreed, from whence we went to Halland in order to have Mr Coates’s opinion on this affair. He says our best way will be to serve the summons, and then the justices will oblige him either to pay it or, he thinks, commit him to the house of correction. But, oh, those are all vain and chimerical notions formed in the brain by ignorance! For by an act of the 6th of George II it says if a bond is made subsequent to an order, it invalidates the same, and we must sue him at common law for the same. But however Mr French and I agreed at their request to serve the summons upon him tomorrow.

Came home about 9 o’clock. Mr Coates informed us that Admiral Byng was arrived at Spithead where he was under an arrest for cowardice and misbehavior in the Mediterranean relating to the losing of the Isle of Minorca.

In the morning my brother came over and went down to Peter Adams’s to try on his clothes. Came back and breakfasted with us. After breakfast I went over to Framfield with my brother to borrow some 6d sugar. Came back again about 11:10 and brought my brother John’s little boy home with me. We dined on pork and peas. After dinner I and the little boy went down to Mr French’s. I agreed to take his wool at last year’s price, though I am certain I must lost money by it. But as I did in a manner bid that money for it at the first part of the year, I would not be defective of my word. This day paid Halland gardener 2½ in full for cucumbers sold for him. Also paid him 8d for 1 hundred walnuts and 1 gallon currants. Carried the currants to Framfield and received of my mother 4d for them. Rec’d of Master Piper the 30 bottles lent him the 3rd of Sept. last. Rec’d also 6 fleeces wool, 16½ lbs. See tomorrow something relating to this day.

At home all the morning. Dined on beans and pork… After dinner sent Joseph Mepham 1 quart of sago with wine in it. Sold Mr John Vine Jr a dimity frock. In the evening read part of Theron and Aspasio.

Paid Joseph Fuller for 1 loin of lamb…8½d. My brother came over in the forenoon. I also went down to Mr French’s to take the measure of Samuel for a hat. Paid Dame Trill 3/- in full for keeping Ann Braizer, due this day. We dined on a roasted loin of lamb and cauliflower… My Dame Trill complained that the 4/- a month allowed them was not enough; so I made her an offer to give her 5/- for this month, and for it to be continued. But she would not accept of it and said she would have more or none.

In the afternoon wrote out Mr John Vine’s bills. This day received of Mr Francis Elless 12/- for the dictionary I bought for him at the Wells the 11th instant. Also received of him 15/9½ in full on account except the forms, tables etc. This night our servant sat up with Joseph Mepham. Read part of Hervey’s Theron and Aspasio. This day gave Dame Dan a pair of stock and hand cards on the parish account.

Sunday, July 25: In the morning my wife and I got up and took a walk as far as Halland and back again. My wife, self and maid at church in the forenoon; the text in Luke 16:25: “And Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.” We dined on a piece of pork and peas. After dinner we had a very heavy shower of rain. My wife, self and maid at church in the afternoon; the text in Luke l4:l4: “For thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.”

After churchtime my wife and I walked up to Joseph Fuller’s and drank tea there. Came home about 8 o’clock. This day I had a sailor at the door who asked charity (whom I relieved), who could speak 7 tongues. In the morning Mr Porter sent me by his servant 2 fine cauliflowers. Read part of the first volume of Hervey’s Theron and Aspasio.