Thomas Turner

After breakfast went down to Halland with a pattern of cloth for his livery… After dinner walked over to Framfield where I drank tea. Came home about 7:10. In the evening Thomas Davy at our house.

…At home all day and very busy marking up goods. In the evening our late servant Mary Martin came in, we having sent for her by Thomas Davy, to assist my wife tomorrow in my absence. Thomas Davy and she supped with us. In the evening read part of Steele’s Christian Hero.

…In the morning took up a livery coat for Mr Coates’s servant and a fustian frock for Mr Porter’s son and servant. About 10:20 I walked over to Framfield and dined at my brother’s… in company with my brother and sister, brothers Dicky and John and William, my uncle Hill and cousin Molly, my aunt Moon, uncle Will Ovendean and his wife and my cousin Thomas Ovendean. About 8:30 we buried my mother. Ah, melancholy scene (she was in the 62^nd year of her age); we are now left as it were without any head, quite mother and fatherless, and it seems just as if we were now a-going to turn out in a wild world without any friends. Oh, may the God of all mercy pour His holy spirit into our hearts that he may grow in grace and unite together with brotherly love and kindness and always think of our high calling through our blessed Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ. I stayed at Framfield all night.

I breakfasted at Framfield and also dined there… with my brother and sister, my brothers John and Richard, my aunt Moon and cousin Thomas Ovendean… I came home about 4:10. A very wet day. In the evening read part of some old magazines. Joseph Fuller Jr smoked a pipe with me in the evening.

…In the forenoon our late servant went home and we made her a present of a handkerchief, value 13½d, for her trouble of coming over. We dined on the remains of Sunday’s dinner with the addition of a pearl barley pudding. Mr John Hammond and his wife and son and Sarah Inkpin drank tea at our house. At home all day. Thomas Davy at our house in the evening. Thank God very busy all day. In the evening read part of the London and Universal Magazines for March. A remarkable shower of hail today between 12 and 1 o’clock, which I imagine continued 40 minutes. The hail was very large and came so fast that it lodged on the ground as it were like snow.

After breakfast my wife and I went over to Framfield on a horse of Thomas Fuller’s. My wife and self at church at Framfield in the morning where we had a sermon preached by the Rev Mr Thomas Wharton, vicar of Framfield, from part of Hebrews 4:7: “Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.” We dined with my brother and sister on a leg of mutton boiled and a pond currant pudding (our servant at home dining on the remains of yesterday’s dinner with a butter pudding cake}. Neither my wife nor self at church in the afternoon.

We drank tea with my brother and sister and came away about 5:20 and got as far as Mr Bannister’s at High Cross when I could get my horse no farther double, but was obliged to hire Mr Bannister’s horse and son to bring my wife home. We got home about 7:40, but well drenched with the rain. I gave Mr Bannister’s son 18d. James Marchant went home with Mr Fuller’s horse and came back and smoked a pipe with me.

Mary Heath a-washing for us half the day and dined with us… At home all day and very busy. In the evening wrote my London letters.

Mary Heath a-washing for us all day. We dined on part of a neck of veal boiled, a piece of bacon, a plain pudding, potatoes and turnip greens. In the afternoon posted part of my day book and wrote out the parish bill. Lucy Mott drank tea at our house… Very busy all day. Paid Mary Heath in goods 13½d for 1½ days’ washing. In the evening read one of Tillotson’s sermons.

…At home all day except walking up to Thomas Fuller’s in the morning with a letter to go to Framfield. Indifferently busy today. A most prodigious wet afternoon. In the evening read part of Steele’s Christian Hero. Somewhat indisposed with a cold.

…About 10:50 I set out for Lewes on a horse I borrowed of Mr French… Paid Mr James Lambert in cash 15d for a fan bought of him today, but it not being mounted, I could not have it today. Paid Mr Madgwick 5d for 1 dozen buttons bought of him for my brother… [Gave] to Turner’s boy for bringing up the horse 0.0.2… [We] came home about 4:20 without dining anywhere… Mrs Vine the younger and Sarah Stevens drank tea at our house. In the evening Mr Joseph Burgess at our house when I wrote out his bill on the parish as his being churchwarden, which amounted to 5.8.0. I also received of him in cash 1.9.0 in full; viz.,

To bread and wine for the communion four times	1.6.8
To ¾ hundred tiles	0.1.8
To parchment for to extract the register upon	0.0.8