Category: Uncategorised

…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.

We dined on the remains of yesterday’s dinner with the addition of a few rashers of pork and some carrots… Paid Dame Trill 3/- in full for keeping Ann Braizer, due today. This day Mrs Hutson was buried. My wife was at the funeral, but I was not; Mr Read of Lewes served the funeral. At home all day and busy.

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 Pilfold	0.6.0
To Streeter for doing for do.	0.3.0
To Trill	0.5.0
	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.

My brother being at work at Marchant’s, he breakfasted with us… Paid Ann Wood 8/-, being for hers and Master Babcock’s monthly pay, due tomorrow. Mr Rushton called on me in the afternoon; I paid him in cash £6, and by bill… £4. At home all day. My brother at work at Marchant’s all day.

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.

Mr Sterry stayed and breakfasted with us… This morning about 4:45 died Joseph Mepham after near, or quite, 6 months’ illness. So did Mrs Hutson, wife of James Hutson, about 1 o’clock at noon. We dined on a bullock’s cheek and turnips. At home all day and posted my day book.

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.

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.

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 13^th 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