Thomas Turner

…Gave 12d to a brief for fire in Wiltshire; the loss to the unhappy sufferers amounted to £10000 and upwards. It was collected from house to house. In the evening Mr John Pike at Ashford lodged at my house, he coming to pay a visit to Master Hook. In the afternoon employed myself a-writing. Pretty busy all day.
 

I dined on the remains of yesterday’s dinner. At home all day and thank God very busy. My brother came over in the afternoon, but did not stay. In the evening wrote my London letters.

In the morning about 5:10 my brother called on me, and we set out for Pevensey where we arrived about 7:30 and breakfasted with my friend John Breeden. After breakfast we took a walk by the seaside. We dined with Mr Breeden on a leg of lamb roasted, a piece of bacon boiled, a plain pudding, green salad, greens and a pond currant mudding (my family at home dining on part of a loin of veal boiled). We stayed and drank tea with Mr Breeden and then came away.

We called as we came home both upon Jenner the hatter and Ben Shelley, but did not stay. Came home about 9:30, very sober. Spent today 8d; that is, 2d for the turnpike and 6d we gave Mr Breeden’s son. My brother went home from my house immediately. Not at church all day. In the evening we had a fine refreshing shower, there being a great drought for some time past, so that in many places the grass is almost burnt up.

…James Marchant dined with me off a calf’s heart pie and the remains of yesterday’s dinner. Rec’d of Joseph Fuller part of a loin of veal weighing 4¼ lbs at 3d. At home all day and thank God very busy. In the morning read part of a book entitled A Defence of Plurality of Church Benefices, but I cannot be persuaded by his reasons that it is anyways beneficial to promote our most holy religion.

…Dined on a piece of bacon boiled and a light pudding. At home all day and but very little to do. Oh, melancholy time. At work in my garden part of the day.

I dined on the remains of yesterday’s dinner with the addition of a piece of bacon boiled and a light pudding. In the afternoon Joseph Fuller and myself went to Chiddingly to see a match of cricket played between that parish and Laughton, when Chiddingly won the same, having 5 wickets to go down. Came home about 9:05, having spent nothing during my entertainment. But very little to do all day. In the forenoon took a ride to collect in a debt, but did not receive it.

…At home all day and really very little to do. Delivered to John Gosling the younger:

6 bags of my own rags, weighing	5.1.17
l bag of my brother’s weighing	5.3.22
	11.1.11

which he is to sell for me at Maidstone Fair. Ah, melancholy time–no loving virtuous wife for an agreeable companion to soothe the anxiety of my tumultuous breast… [31 words omitted].

Dame Prall a-washing for me all day and dined with me… In the afternoon rode out to get in a small debt, but was not successful. Came home about 3:30. Indifferently busy today. Paid Dame Prall 9d for her day and ½’s work.

In the forenoon my brother came over and stayed and dined with me… In the afternoon Mrs Atkins, Mrs Hicks and Mrs Fanny Hicks drank tea with me… Dame Prall a-washing for me half the day.

In the evening wrote my London letters. But very little to do all day, and I think trade and money never was so dull before. Oh, what can I do? My hands are as it were tied, having no person whom I can trust with my business when I am from home. And by my being so much confined at home, undoubtedly my affairs abroad must be neglected.

No service at our church in the morning. I went to Sam Jenner’s in the morning, with whom I breakfasted. After breakfast we walked to Ringmer Church where we heard a sermon preached by the Rev Mr Fletcher, curate of Ringmer and Laughton, Ephesians 4:30: “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.”

From Ringmer we walked to my uncle Hill’s, where we dined on a shoulder of veal roasted. In the afternoon walked to Little Horsted Church where we heard a fine sermon preached by the Rev Mr [Philips], curate of that parish and Maresfield, from the 21st, 22nd and 23rd verses of the 15th chapter St Matthew’s Gospel: “Then Jesus went thence and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. But he answered her not a word.”

I came home by Sam Jenner’s, where I stayed and smoked a pipe or two. Came home about 7:30. One of my servants went to Framfield Church in the morning and to Buxted in the afternoon. The other went to Horsted in the afternoon. No service at our church the whole day, Mr Porter being ill at Mayfield.