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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.

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 instant	8.14.0
To do. today	12.6.5
To a bill for shop goods	0.9.5
To 9½ lbs dock hair he  sold for me at 10d	0.7.11
To 51 lbs short do.	1.1.3
To 4½ lbs old metal	0.2.3
	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 inclusive	11.3.9
To money paid the 17th instant to Mr  Robert Bird & Son in full on my account	1.18.8
To do. the 17th instant to Messrs James and Charles  D’Albiac in full on my account	5.18.0
To Mr Thomas Neatby & Son the 17th on my account	1.7.6
The 18th to Mr Will Haslam in full on my account	0.6.9
The 17th to Mr Thomas White in full on my account	1.14.4
The 17th to Mr Robert Wale in full on my account	0.12.0
Paid for 6 oranges	0.0.9
	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.

…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.

…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.

…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.

…Mr John Long dined with me on a piece of beef boiled and a plain bread and pea pudding. In the afternoon, having some business with Mrs Browne, I walked down to her house and drank tea with her… In the evening Joseph Fuller smoked a pipe with me.

…At home all day and thank God pretty busy. In the evening wrote my London letters, being 15 of them.

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.

In the morning after I had breakfast I rode to Lewes where I did some business with Mr John Madgwick and came home about 9:30… Sam Jenner being a-gardening for me today, he dined with me on a shoulder of mutton roasted and onion sauce. Rec’d of Ben Shelley in cash 9.5.6 in full for the same sum he sold 5 cwt 2 qr 25 lbs rags for me in London this week. Pretty busy today.

This being the day appointed by proclamation for a general fast and humiliation before Almighty God to be observed in a most devout and solemn manner by sending up our prayers and supplications to the Divine Majesty for obtaining pardon of our sins and for averting those heavy judgments which our manifold provocations have most justly deserved, and imploring His blessing and assistance for the arms of his Majesty by sea and land, and for restoring and perpetuating peace, safety and prosperity to himself and to his kingdoms, myself and both servants were at church in the morning. “So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.” Myself and both servants et church in the afternoon where we had only prayers.

After churchtime I drank a dish or two of coffee and then rode to Uckfield in company with Mr Thornton in order to meet Shelley’s wagon to take out a parcel… I found my brother Moses at my house, who sat chatting with me till about 9 o’clock. Thomas Davy sat with me the remaining part of the evening, to whom, and in the day, I read 4 of Tillotson’s sermons. In the morning we had a very crowded audience at church, and undoubtedly a very good sermon.