Thomas Turner

In the morning my brother came over and breakfasted with us, and after breakfast my wife and I set out for Hartfield where we arrived about 12:20. We dined at my father Slater’s on some bacon and beans and peas (my brother at home dining on the remains of yesterday’s dinner). My wife’s sister Anne Slater was buried about 8:10. She was aged 18 years–a very melancholy funeral, for I think it must affect anyone to see a poor young creature cut off just in the bloom of youth. We stayed at my father Slater’s all night, as did my brother at our house. The confirmation at Lewes today for Pevensey Deanery, to which this parish belongs.

A very wet night and rained great part of the forenoon… As soon as we had dined we came away and got home very safe about 5:20. My brother stayed and drank tea with us and then went home. Spent this journey [for]… shoeing… 0.1.3… After supper I went with [Mr Bulcock] down to Jones’s, where I stayed and smoked a pipe or two and came home about 11:15. And sober. Nothing of moment happened either at home or abroad during this journey…

In the forenoon Charles Diggens took up a pair of breeches for me. We dined on the remains of Tuesday’s dinner with the addition of some peas. Paid Mr Ben Shelley in cash… to a gammon of bacon and carriage 15 lbs 10 oz, 0.6.11… At home all day, but very little to do. What will become of me I cannot think!

At home all day… A very wet afternoon, and I think this is the 16th day which we have had successively whereon it has rained. A most prodigious melancholy time; very little to do, for I think that luxury increases so fast in this part of the nation that people have very little or no money to spare to buy what is really necessary. For the too frequent use of spirituous liquors and the exorbitant practice of tea-drinking have in such a manner corrupted the morals of people of almost all ranks that they have rendered industry a stranger to the people in those parts. Therefore poverty must of consequence be always a concomitant of idleness, as it now too truly manifest… Thomas Davy sat with us a while in the evening.

Just before churchtime my brother Will came to see me, and he and I both went to church in the morning (my wife staying at home)… We dined on some beans, bacon and a butter pudding cake. My wife at church in the afternoon, my brother and self staying at home. My brother stayed and drank tea with us and went away about 7:20. In the evening read part of Sherlock on judgment. This is the 17th day on which it has rained successively.

In the morning wrote out the window tax books for Mr Joseph Burgess and Joseph Fuller… Several very heavy showers of rain in the day, which makes this the 18th wet day we have had successively. In the afternoon my brother came over and brought me from my mother in cash 4.4.0 in part for nails which I have sent for on account of my mother. At home all day. In the evening wrote my London letters.

…After dinner I rode over to Framfield. I called upon my mother, but did not stay. I then went and looked upon Mr Peckham’s wool, where I stayed and drank tea on account of the rain there was in the time I was examining his wool. I offered Mr Peckham 21/- per tod for his wool, which is more by 12d per tod than it is really worth, but he would not take it till he had heard more of the prices, being as I presume afraid he should sell it for 6d per tod less then it was worth. I think Mr Peckham to all outward appearances seems to be a very worldly man. Came home about 5:30. In the afternoon John Watford a-cutting my grapevine. After I came home, Mr Francis Elless played at cricket against Thomas Durrant and myself for one pound of gingerbread; he beat us 7 runs at one innings. This is the 19th day on which it has rained successively. In the day read part of The Peerage of England.

This day about 1:30 we had a very remarkable shower of rain, for I conject for about 6 or 7 minutes I saw it rain extreme hard at about 40 rods distance, though at the same time we had none, and the boys that were at play before the door would often cry out that they played both in fine and wet weather. But at last the shower came over, and a very heavy one it was. We heard one clap of thunder, which I think was a pretty way off, by the interval of time which passed between the flash of lightning and the clap of thunder, but it was very loud… Mrs Coates and Mrs Atkins drank tea at our house in the afternoon. In the evening Mr Elless and I walked down to Mr Sam Gibbs’s when I bought his wool at 7½d per lb. We came home about 9:10, and sober. This is the 20th day on which it has rained successively. In the day read part of The Peerage of England–and in the forenoon; at work in my garden part of it.

After breakfast Mrs Virgoe and I set out for Lewes where we arrived about 11:10. We looked over her house to give orders for repairs. We gave Mr Rice orders to do such repairs as were absolutely necessary and no more. I dined at the White Horse on a piece of beef boiled, a plain and apple pudding, white cabbage and French beans… I drank tea at Mr Bennett’s in company with my brother Moses and their family. I called on Mr Madgwick, Mr Thomas Scrase and Mr Verral. We came home about 8:10. Paid Mr Sam Newell

in full	0.1.0
For pair shoes	0.4.0
	0.5.0

Spent today as under on Mrs Virgoe’s account (as I went on her business):

To my dinner	0.0.6
½ pint wine	0.0.6
3 pints beer	0.0.9
To the shoeing the horse	0.0.6
Horse and ostler	0.0.3
Turnpike etc.	0.0.2½
	0.2.8½

This is the 2lst day on which we have had rain successively.

In the forenoon Mr George Tomlin’s son, a hop-factor in Southwark, called on me. We walked down to Mr French’s, where we stayed about half an hour; he informs me hops in Kent are like to be very indifferent… At home all day. About noon we had a very hard shower of rain, which makes this the 22nd day on which we have had rain successively… In the afternoon read part of Gay’s Fables. Thank God pretty busy all day, but a melancholy time for money, it being almost impossible to get in any debts, and where I owe anything, people press hard for their money. Oh, my easy temper! My wife extremely lame with her leg again.