Thomas Turner

No service at our church in the morning on account that Mr Porter preached at Ripe. Took physic today. We dined on the scrag end of a neck veal boiled and butter and parsley. My whole family at church this afternoon; viz., my wife, self and nephew. We had a sermon preached by the Rev Mr Chalice, curate of Ripe, go from the words of the [7th] verse of the 139th Psalm: “Whither shall I for from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?” Mrs Atkins, Mrs Hicks, Mrs Brook and Sukey Comber drank tea at our house. In the evening Thomas Davy sat with us a while. In the evening and in the day read part of Wake’s Catechism and Sherlock on judgment. A very high wind all day. Notice given of a public vestry tomorrow at Jones’s.

Paid Francis Smith in cash 2/6 in full on account of Mrs Day at Mayfield… In the evening went down to the vestry where there was Mr Porter, Mr Piper, Joseph Durrant, Thomas Fuller, Mr French and myself. We spent 6½d each and came home sober about 10:20 after a great deal of wrangling. This day gave Mr Elless orders for to take Dallaway’s son to school, and I would pay for his schooling. In the day read part of The Peerage of England. A very sharp, windy day.

…Dame Eason of Laughton and Susan Float breakfasted with us. We dined on a piece of a neck of veal roasted. Gave a woman with a pass, on the parish account, 6d. At home all day. Read part of The Peerage of England.

About 9:20 Halland gardener called on me in order to go to our club feast at Mayfield, and, we accordingly both set out together. We arrived about 11:20. I called and stayed a while with Mrs Day and dined at the Star on 2 pieces of roast beef, 1 piece of boiled, a fillet of veal roasted and plum puddings, in company with near 40 or more.

We stayed till about 6:20 when I came home very safe, but very much in liquor about 8:20. Oh, how does the thought of it torment my poor distracted conscience. Sure I am possessed with some demon that I must be so stupid! But what can I do? I cannot undo what I have too often done; no, I cannot, put this I will do: never to be guilty of the like again. In my absence my brother came over and stayed with my wife… My wife in my absence borrowed of Robert Hook in way of change 5/6.

My brother stayed and dined with us on a baked rice pudding and after dinner went away for Lewes. Paid Mrs Weller by her daughter Fanny £4 in full for one year’s interest for £100 on bond due the 5th instant. Paid Mr William Goldsmith in cash and goods 0.13.9 in full for carriage of goods from Lewes from the 26th November to the 21st April, both days inclusive. Joseph Fuller and he stayed and smoked a pipe with me. At home all day. Read part of The Peerage of England. Oh, the torment of a guilty conscience! But how I do hope I shall yet, through the grace of Almighty God, have strength to resist any such temptations for the future…

[40 words omitted].

…We dined on a raisin batter pudding… At home all day. In the evening read part of The Peerage of England. Thomas Davy at our house.

Paid Joseph Fuller by his son Richard 2/7½ in full for 1 shoulder of veal received by him today, weighing 10½ lbs at 3d per pound. Paid Robert Hook the 5/6 my wife had of him the 26th instant. Also gave him 2/- for his brother Jenner, which money I think I owe to Francis Smith. We dined on a part of a shoulder of veal roasted in Marchant’s oven with a batter pudding under it. In the day read part of The Peerage of England. At home all day. In the evening read part of Wake’s Catechism. Remarkable cold weather for the season of the year.

Just before churchtime Mr Stone called and bleeded me, upon which account I did not go to church (it being very cold). My wife and nephew at church in the forenoon. There was a brief read for the parish church of Dwygyfylchy in the County of Carnarvon, which Mr Burgess gathered for me and collected on the same 18d, and two pence I gave made collected in the whole 20d. We dined on the remains of yesterday’s dinner. No churching here this afternoon, Mr Porter preaching at Laughton. I lent James Marchant my horse to ride to Lewes upon. Thomas Durrant drank some coffee with us and stayed and smoked a pipe with me. In the evening and the day read pert of Wake’s Catechism. At home all day, and I think a very cold day, there being a very sharp frost in the morning.

Mary Heath a-washing for us half the day. She dined with us on the remains of Saturday’s dinner. Borrowed of Thomas Fuller Sr 5/- in change. At home all the day and tolerable busy.

In the evening went down to Jones’s to the vestry where there were Mr Porter, Mr French, Joseph and Thomas Fuller, Joseph Burgess, Will Piper, Richard Page, Ed Foord, John Cayley, Joseph Durrant and myself. We stayed till about 10:20, but of all the out-of-the-way, quarrelsome people I ever saw, I think no one ever came up to Mr French. For there is no one in company must in any way the least so ever contradict or thwart what he proposes, though as for himself he seldom if ever fails to oppose that which anyone else shall happen to start, or gave as his opinion. Then he has the greatest skill imaginable in foretelling judging right of things when they are past. For if there is ever anything turns out to the disadvantage of the parish, why then it is always his opinion that it was wrong (though perhaps at the time of its being done, one of the eagerest for it), and on the other hand, if anything turns out to the advantage of the parish, why then he always knew it to be right (though perhaps the only person that should ever have opposed it). And what still renders him the more disagreeable company is that there is almost an impossibility of any person to speak a word beside himself; so the noise of his clamor with the hoarse and grating sound of his huge big oaths almost deafens the ears of any of his audience. But then the best remedy to bring him into a good humor and change his perverseness into obscenity and raillery is to give him 2 or 3 drams of old English gin. But however after all to be serious upon the affair it is a most melancholy thing that a man who professes the Christian religion and is constant at divine worship and is in many respects a good neighbor should behave in the manner he does. For undoubtedly it is very contrary tow that religion which he professes himself a member of.

Paid Thomas Fuller the 5/- I received of him yesterday in change of a guinea. Mary Heath a-washing for us all day. She dined with us on a knuckle of veal boiled, a piece of bacon and some turnip greens. In the evening Thomas Fuller came in and informed me that the late servant of Mr Hutson was come to the house of Will Eldridge big with child, and asked me to go down to Mr Porter’s with him, which I did. We stayed there near an hour and came home about 8:45. Thomas Davy at our house in the evening, to whom and in the day, I read part of The Peerage of England.