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At home all day. About ten o’clock Mr Tucker came in, as did my mother and brother about 11:30, which is the first time my mother has been at our house this 17 or 18 months. We dined on a piece of bacon, the remaining part of the neck of veal boiled with cabbage and carrots, and a roasted shoulder of mutton and green salad, with a plum pond pudding. About 3 o’clock my brother went to my uncle Hill’s in order to get a horse to go with me to Cuckfield upon tomorrow. About 3:20 Mr Thomas Scrase and Dr Snelling came in, who all stayed and spent the afternoon with me. My brother came back just before we drank tea, and they all drank tea with us. This day Thomas Scrase brought me a new wig, value 21/-. Mr Tucker, Snelling and Scrase went away about 7 o’clock, as did my mother and brother about 7:30. After my company was gone, I went down to Mrs Atkins’s to inform them of my intended journey tomorrow… Got Mr French to pay the poor.

In the morning Mr French and I went up to talk with Elizabeth Elless, who acknowledged she was with child and not above 2 or 3 weeks more to go of her time. We asked her to inform us of the father, which she seemed very unwilling to do, but she agreed with us to go and swear her parish, though we were almost confident she did belong to our parish, but thinking she might be persuaded to swear the father, we concluded to carry her to Lewes and accordingly came back to prepare for our journey. My brother being come over, I got him to stand the shop for me in my absence, which he agreed to. Then Mr French and I went down to Mr Porter’s to get him to meet us as we were carrying my lady along and to talk to her to inform her of the reasonableness and justice of her either informing us who the father was or swearing it, which he promised to do. I then went home with Mr French to get his horses and dined there on a piece of pork and greens and a beef pudding (my family at home dining on some fried veal and bacon). After dinner we set out for Lewes, Mr French’s servant, J. Shoesmith, carrying her, and he and I rode single. Mr Porter, according to his promise, met with her and talked to her very much but all to no purpose; so we proceeded on our journey. When we came to Lewes, had her examined, and being informed by Mr Verral, the justice’s clerk, she would belong to us, we did not have her sworn. With all the persuasions Mr Verral, Mr French and myself were masters of we could not prevail on her to confess the father, though I think we tried all ways to come to the knowledge of him. We came back again about 9 o’clock. Spent 4/9½ as under:

At Turner’s	0.0.3½
At Martin’s	0.1.1½
At the White Hart	0.1.2
Examination etc.	0.1.0
Do. at Martin’s	0.0.5
Do. at Turner’s	0.0.3½
Turnpike	0.0.6

…Paid Mary Dine for making a gown etc. for my wife 2/-. She and my brother drank tea with my wife. My brother went home immediately after I came home…

At home all day. Dr Stone here in the morning. We dined on the remains of Monday’s dinner with a butter pudding cake. After dinner our maid went over to Framfield. This day I received the horse from Mr Bachelor of Hartfield and lent Master Darby in cash 10/-. My brother here in the evening, but did not stay. Heard also of Elizabeth Elless’s being with child.

At home all day. We dined on the remains of Monday’s dinner with the addition of a bit of mutton for my wife. This day balanced accounts with William Sinden and paid him 10/2½ in full. Paid Heaver, Isfield miller, 6/- in full for a bushel of oatmeal. After dinner my brother came over, and he and Mrs Elizabeth Hicks drank tea with us.

At home all day. We dined on the remains of Monday’s dinner with the addition of a bit of mutton for my wife. Dr Stone here again today; my wife very bad. Paid Joseph Fuller 4d for 1½ lbs of mutton.

At home all day posted my day book. We dined on the remains of yesterday’s dinner with the addition of a piece of veal for my wife. Gave a boy 3d for going to Dr Stone. Dr Stone came to my wife in the evening. She was very bad with the rheumatism and fever. In the evening Thomas Davy at our house. Read the 33th of Tillotson’s sermons.

At home all day. In the morning Master Piper came along with, “I have got a little job I want you to do.” I did it, but the poor old wretch sneaked away without ever offering to pay for paper etc., though all of it together, paper, sealing-wax and thread, amounted to 1d! His business was for me to write a letter to send with his rent and for me to send it by the carrier, which I did. Also wrote a bill and a receipt for land tax to go with it. But for all this, were I only to ask the poor creature to lend me a horse, it would be, “Pho! I’ve ne’er horse. There is Jack Vine has 2 or 3 that do nothing but run the streets.” Not thinking all the time that he had not worked his above a month. Well, God bless him, and so let him go with only this: that he must be very ungrateful or very ignorant.

Paid Jack Streeter 12d for a knife for the gardener at Halland, which I gave him. I also lent John Streeter in cash 0.2.6. My brother came over today and dined with us on a piece of bacon, plum pudding and spinach. I paid my brother the 4.15.2 received of Mr Bachelor on last Saturday. I also sent word to Mr Bachelor that I intended to have his mare at 8.8.0 and he should accordingly send it by Smith on Friday, which mare is to be kept in common between my mother and myself, both to be joint purchasers of the mare. My wife very bad.

In the morning after breakfast I got up on one of Mr Bachelor’s horses and rode with him over to Summerford in order to try him. Stayed and drank one bottle of cider with Mr Mills in company with Mr Jackson, Abraham Spencer, Mr Heyward and Mr Bachelor. Came home again about 11 o’clock. Dined at my father Slater’s on a roasted loin of veal and a plum pudding. After dinner my father Slater, Samuel Slater, Master Paine and myself, with Mr Bachelor, went beyond Buckhurst to see another mare of Mr Bachelor’s, which we caught and brought to Hartfield, calling, as we came along, at Buckhurst and drinking 2 or 3 mugs of beer.

This mare I like very well and am to give 8 guineas for her and to send him word by the carrier whether I will have her or no. We drank tea at my father Slater’s, and about 5:45 my wife and I came away. She gave the maid 12d, and I the man 12d. Samuel Slater brought us on our road about 6 miles. We came home about 9:15, just before there came on a very great tempest, for we had not been at home above ½ an hour before it began to thunder and lighten at a prodigious rate. There also was a very great quantity of hail and rain, and it was also very windy. Our maid at home dined on the remains of yesterday’s dinner. Rec’d of my father Slater 3.16.4 in full. He gave me, in the way of balancing accounts, about 20/-, but unknown to his wife, who I think is the very picture of ill nature, and to whom in a manner I may partly charge some of my misfortunes. For her temper is not unlike that of Xantippe, nor my father’s far distant from that of Socrates.

In the morning received a horse from Francis Smith to go to Hartfield upon. Paid Thomas Cornwell 2/6 for catching my horse the 29th of May last. My brother came over about 12:25. We dined on a cold rabbit pie and rashers of bacon. About 2 o’clock I set out for Hartfield on the mare of Mr Bachelor’s, which my brother rode home upon, and led Francis Smith’s horse. I got to Hartfield about 5 o’clock and found my wife very ill. Rec’d of Mr Bachelor 5.5.0, being the money he sold my mother’s mare for. Out of it I paid him 5/- for selling her, 1/- for money he spent, 4d for a halter and 2/6 for the use of his horse this week; so the money after disbursements received for my mother was 4.15.2. Spent the evening at my father Slater’s.

At home all day and dined on the remains of yesterday’s dinner with the addition of some boiled milk. Read The History of King James II. Paid James Marchant 10d for making a pair of knee cases. In the evening read the 34th, 35th and 36th of Tillotson’s sermons. Sent Joseph Mepham a pickled herring.