Thomas Turner

Took physic today. We dined on a plain suet pudding and Savoy greens. At home all day. In the afternoon posted some London accounts.

We dined on a light pudding, part of the root of a bullock’s tongue and potatoes boiled. At home all day. Very little to do. A most melancholy time.

…At home all day; it very sharp windy day. In the evening Thomas Davy at our house, to whom I read the sentence of the Court of Judicature at Lisbon in Portugal on the Duke Aveiro and Marquis Tavors with several more, who conspired and made an attempt against the life of his Most Faithful Majesty on the night of the 3rd of Sept last.

Myself and servant at church in the morning… We had a brief read for the parish church of Edgar in the county of Middlesex, the expense of rebuilding which amounted to the sun of £1220 and upwards, exclusive of the old materials, to which brief I gave one penny. We dined on a plain suet pudding and turnips and potatoes. Myself and servant at church in the afternoon… In the first part of the evening in at Master Durrant’s. Came home about 7:10. In the evening and the day read 4 of Tillotson’s sermons.

Took physic today… In the afternoon my wife went down to Mrs Atkins’s. Thomas Davy at our house in the evening.

We dined on part of the root of a bullock’s tongue boiled, a rice pudding and potatoes. In the afternoon Mr Thomas Clarke, Mr Robert Nixon’s rider, called on me, and I paid him by one bill on Messrs Margesson and Collison, dated today, 30 days’ date, No. 368, payable to Mr Robert Nixon or order, value 3.11.0, which bill is in full on account of Messrs Bancroft and Nixon to this day. At home all day. Thomas Fuller called at our house in the evening and stayed some time, be being in liquor.

…Dame Durrant and her niece Gift Durrant drank tea at our house. In the evening I went down to Joseph Fuller’s, where I stayed till about 7:20. This day that shadow of a man Mr Will Piper come to inform me that his boy was to be made a Christian of [i.e., christened] tomorrow and that he expected I should stand godfather for it, I having in some measure before promised him; that is, so far as if he could get nobody else. But however the poor old wretch told my wife that he would [not] have she should come up tomorrow night, for he did not invite any to dinner with him but them only that stand sponsors. For if he were to invite his neighbors to dinner with him (as in gratitude he ought), they would not come half. And he could not or would not have the plague and trouble of getting a dinner for so many people, though I believe had not niggardliness been the only motive to prevent his asking his neighbors, there would have been no fear of their coming.

…About 12:20 Mr Piper came along with his son, and Mrs Fuller, Mrs Burgess, John Piper and myself went and stood for it and gave it the name of William, it being its father’s name. We then came back to our house when John Piper earnestly begged of my wife to go up to dinner with them, protesting he thought his brother to be a strange man, and accordingly she went to Mr Piper’s, where we, together with Mr and Mrs Burgess and Mrs Fuller, dined on a knuckle of pork boiled and greens, a pond currant pudding and a cold duck pie designed as a pasty. We played at brag in the evening. My wife and I lost 3/10. We stayed and supped with the poor old wretch on a loin of veal which was 4 hours in roasting and then in part roasted, a ham of bacon boiled and greens, the cold duck pasty, a hot buttered apple pie and a hot baked rice pudding, in company with Mr and Mrs Porter, Thomas Fuller and his wife, Joseph Fuller and his wife, Mr Burgess and his wife, John Vine and his wife, Joseph Durrant and his wife, Mr French and his wife, Mr Calverley and Miss Tealing and Thomas Diplock. We came home about 2:40, and all sober.

My wife and I gave the nurse and maid 3/-, a very dear night’s entertainment, and I am sure a very bad one. For I never spent an evening with less pleasure in my life; there was not any liquor I suppose worth drinking (though I tasted only some small beer), and that came like drops of blood. To see the niggardly behavior of the poor old man and the railery of the company that was continually a-playing upon the old wretch made it quite irksome, and to me disagreeable. Undoubtedly he deserves very justly to be ridiculed, considering how handsomely he has been entertained at all his neighbors this year, and then the many ungenerous expressions the old man has been known to use concerning the expense of the christening and the too great quantity of liquor the women drank when his wife was brought abed, which confirms me in the opinion I have long since maintained that a thoroughly covetous man is at all time a most unsociable creature and even a pest to society. Not but I would have every man be frugal, but not to the degree of niggerd when he can so well afford it as Mr Piper can. But, however, let him be pitied and go on in his own way, which is to fix all his happiness in accumulating together a heap of sordid drops, and for no other use but only to say or think he is worth so much. Oh, the pernicious consequence of money! What will it not make poor frail mankind do when he has once made it his only aim!

Paid Mr Burgese in cash 3/-, which with the £3 I gave my brother the 17th ult. is in full for the money I received of him the 15th ult. My brother stayed at our house all night.

My brother stayed and breakfasted with us and then went home. We dined on the remains of yesterday’s dinner. Paid 3d for 1½ lbs tripe. At home all day.

…We dined on the remains of Thursday’s dinner with the addition of some boiled tripe, boiled veal and turnip greens. Mrs Gibbs and her little girl drank tea with my wife, and Mr Gibbs, coming in the evening to call, his wife stayed till near 7:30, as did Joseph Fuller Jr, who happened in accidentally. At home all day and took physic, and thank God indifferently busy.