Tuesday

…After breakfast walked down to Whyly with some goods. Mr William Francis, Messrs Barlow and Wigginton’s rider, called on us and dined with us on some lamb’s liver and rashers of pork fried and some cucumbers. I paid him…£24, which leaves due to balance £10. At home all day and busy. In the afternoon sent my maid to Framfield. Wrote a letter for Joseph Fuller to Tomlin with 1 pocket of hops.

Sunday, September 5 1756

This morning I determined to set out for London on Wednesday morning next if I can get in any money, which I make question I shall not. However, I sent my maid with a letter to Mr Darby for his balance against the time. Myself, wife and nephew at church in the morning; the text in Proverbs 12:26: “The righteous is more excellent than his neighbor.” We dined on a duck pudding and French beans. My whole family at church in the afternoon, the text in Acts 17:31: “Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained.” After churchtime paid the poor; viz.,

To Dame Pilfold0.6.0
To Streeter for doing for do.0.3.0
To Trill0.5.0
0.14.0

Joseph Mepham buried today. At home all day. My brother came over in the evening to go to work at Marchant’s tomorrow. He and James Marchant supped at our house. I this day asked the two Mr Vines for the balance of their accounts against the time I appointed to set out for London, but find I shall not go for there is no money to be had.

Friday, September 3 1756

I was bled in the morning… This day wrote to Mr Beard to inform him my wife and I intended to pay him a visit on the 12th instant. Read part of Hervey’s Theron and Aspasio. Mr Oliver Ormeroid, Messrs Hargrave and Standing’s rider, called on me and drank tea with us, but I neither gave him orders nor money. My brother was over in the evening, but did not stop. Mr Browne of Withyham called at the door, but did not stay.

Wednesday, September 1 1756

In the morning weighed my cheese and papered out a bag of 6d nails. Went over to Chiddingly and looked upon Mr Francis Hicky’s wool and bid him 18/- per tod for it; he did not absolutely agree for me to have it, but is to let me know more. Came home and dined on a piece of pork, apple pudding and French beans. In the evening Mr Sterry and my brother came to my house. I gave Mr Sterry…£34, twelve pounds of which is on account of my mother for her wool, and the remainder, £22, is in full of my account… Mr Sterry lay at my house all night. My brother stayed and spent the evening until near 10:50.

Tuesday, August 31 1756

In the morning got up and wrote my letters and sent Messrs Margesson and Collison an order to sell mine and my mother’s wool, which I sent to them by Smith… The price I ordered it to be sold for was 20/- per tod, besides carriage, and 4 cloths at 4/6 each. I this day hired Mr Burgess’s and Hutson’s cart and 3 horses to go to Lewes for me to bring home I some cheese etc. I accordingly went along with it on foot. I balanced accounts with Mr William Roase’s servants (he being very ill) and gave them a bill on Messrs Margesson and Collison…value, 23.18.0… in full to this day except for the goods I bought today… Came home about 6 o’clock, and a-coming home I met with an old fellow school-boy, whose name is John Virgoe. He came home with me and stayed about 30 minutes. He is now in trade as a peruke-maker at Hellingly… In my absence my wife paid Francis Smith in cash £13…which he is to pay in London for me. My brother Moses came over about 10 o’clock and stayed all day. My family dined on a piece of pork and French beans. I dined nowhere. Spent 4d and paid the turnpike 6d. The cart brought me home about 14½ cwt of goods.

Monday, August 30 1756

In the morning sent my maid up to Thomas Fuller’s to borrow his horse to go to Mayfield upon. He accordingly lent me one. About 8:30 Joseph Fuller came and called me by agreement, and we went to Mr Porter’s to ask his opinion whether we should pay Tester’s debt to Savage or not. He gave it as his opinion that it would be best for the parish to pay it and that they were highly to blame not to have paid it before. From Mr Porter’s we went to Mr Coates’s also to ask his advice, which was just the same as Mr Porter’s, with this addition; -viz., to call a vestry on Sunday and to register every person’s name that assents to it or that dissents from it.

About 11:20 Thomas Fuller and I set out in order to see a cricket match at Mayfield; viz., Mayfield against the county (or the pretended county), but there was not time to play it out. The county got the first innings 52, and Mayfield headed them 18. Then with 4 of the county out in the 2nd innings, they got that 18, and 14 ahead of Mayfield when they left off. I won 6d and spent 12d. We came home to Thomas Fuller’s about 10 o’clock, sober. But before I could get home I was a little high, which proceeded from what I drank there. We dined at Mr Porter’s on what came out of the parlor (they having almost dined there before we came in); viz., the remains of a leg of mutton boiled, a shoulder of venison roasted, a fine plum pudding, carrots, turnips etc… My brother Richard came over in the morning and breakfasted with me…

Sunday, August 29 1756

In the morning our maid went to see her parents, Paid her 12/-. About 9:20 George Richardson came to see us, and he and I went both to church where we had a fine sermon from the 11th, 12th and 13th verses of the 23th chapter of Job: “When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me: Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him. The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.” We dined on a roasted loin of mutton and French beans with a pond currant pudding. George Richardson, my wife, nephew and self at church in the afternoon. The text in Ephesians 5:16: “Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” From which words we had a fine sermon wherein Mr Porter very earnestly begged and entreated all his hearers to reform the vicious courses of their lives and to immediately set about a reformation and repent them of their past bad actions and to become new Christians.

George Richardson stayed and drank tea with us and went away about 6:30. I paid him 2/1 in full for 2 pairs of boot straps he got for me. In the evening read two of Tillotson’s sermons. Gave John Globs 2d for carrying of a letter for me to Thomas Page’s in order to go to Tunbridge Wells2