Thomas Turner

…Rec’d of Mrs Browne by Lucy Braizer in cash 1.1.2 which I am to send to the sitting at Lewes on Thursday next as money in full for the hop-duty due from her late husband. We dined on the remains of yesterday’s dinner. At home all day. My wife, poor creature, very ill. But very little to do all day.

Rec’d of Mr Bristow by the payment of Joseph Durrant in cash 1.4.0 in full for 1 year’s land tax due at Lady Day last… Posted my day book today. At home all day and very little to do. My wife, poor creature, extreme ill. Oh, how this daily repetition affects me. I am quite, as it were, sunk in trouble. My spirits are quite overwhelmed with grief.

Delivered to Mr Thornton the 1.1.2 received of Mrs Elizabeth Browne yesterday in order to pay her hop-duty.

…In the afternoon down at Mr Porter’s a-copying out an agreement which he had drawn up between himself and Mr Joseph Burgess, wherein Mr Burgess has sold to Mr Porter all his freehold land and a copyhold messuage and some land late Durrant’s [all in all about 60 acres] for £900, the conveyance to be signed and the money to be paid at New Michaelmas day next. Mr Burgess is to clear the said premises of all quit-rents, taxes, annuities etc. to the said time and he is not to cut any timber, trees, tillows, shaws, hedges or under-woods, and is to be allowed 10.10.0 for all the dung, muck, compost, mold etc. which is now made or that he shall hereafter make on the said premises, and all expenses attending the same are to be paid between them, and, as there is an annuity of £12 per annum payable yearly out of the freehold to Sarah the wife of Joseph Burgess deceased, Mr Porter agrees to pay that upon Mr Burgess’s leaving £50 with him, which he thereby engages to do, and if ever Mr Burgess offers his other copyhold to sale (late Jenner’s) Mr Porter is to have the refusal of it at £200 (though Mr Porter declared several times afterwards in mine and Joseph Fuller’s presence that whenever Mr Burgess should pay off the mortgage which he is to have upon it, Mr Burgess should be at liberty to sell it to anyone he thought proper), and if any one of the parties does not comply with every of the aforesaid articles he is bound to pay the other the sum of hundred pounds forfeit. After both parties had signed it, Joseph Fuller and myself, who were both in presence all the time, set our names as witnesses to the same.

We stayed at Mr Porter’s till about 9:50. I am sincerely sorry I was so unfortunate as to be thought a proper person to be a witness to their agreement, for in my opinion Mr Burgess is not equally qualified with Mr Porter to make a bargain and I think the truth is verified in this present bargain and if I were present and witness to a thing my conscience told ne was not right (as mine undoubtedly did) then undoubtedly I am culpable and to blame in acting contrary to my own conscience and of consequence to the Christian religion, of which I am an unworthy member. Whoever may happen to see this when I am no more I beg he would not think I mention this to show myself more righteous or honest than the rest of mankind. No! I have no such thoughts, but am truly sensible I am a poor wicked and polluted creature, and perhaps my best actions may be just matter for repentance. Neither do I mention it to condemn Mr Porter is an overreaching and unjust person. No, I mention it purely to show how frail, how weak our nature is, that when self-interest is the concern we are always as it were partial in our own favor, even so fond are we of our dear selves as to do things which we would blush at and even condemn as blameworthy in another, and yet so blind are we like holy David as not to know we are the very persons we pass sentence on. Therefore how constant and earnest should we be in our prayers to Almighty God, that he would try us and search out the ground of our hearts and direct our ways, for who of us knows how oft he offends?

Rec’d of Mr Laurence Thornton in cash £8 in full for land tax assessed on his salary for the year 1760… My wife, poor creature, most extremely ill. A dull heavy time for trade; never did I know it so dull before. I am quite as it were overwhelmed with trouble.

…At home all day. My wife somewhat easier than yesterday, but really extremely ill. Very little to do all day. Oh, how does my poor wife’s illness and her continual pain afflict me. Could it be described I think it would melt a heart as obdurate as flint into compassion and sympathetic sorrow.

Gave 6d to a brief for fire which was collected from house to house.

We dined on the remains of yesterday’s dinner. At home all day and very busy. My wife, poor creature, extremely ill. Paid Ed Foord 2/6 for a bottle of tincture of valerian root bought in Lewes for me today.

My niece only at church in the morning. Mr Stone came and bleeded myself and my wife during churchtime. We dined on a sparerib roasted and applesauce. Myself and servant at church in the afternoon… After churchtime I walked down to Mrs Browne’s and posted her day book, and set some more of her accounts to rights, and stayed and drank tea with her, in company with Sam Jenner. Came home about 8:20. In the evening and the day read 3 of Archbishop Sharp’s sermons. My wife somewhat easier today.

Mr John Long dined with us on the remains of yesterday’s dinner. In the afternoon wrote my London letters. In the evening went up to Mr Will Piper’s, in order to make his will, but finding it required some person of more knowledge then myself to make it according to form and the testator’s meaning, I declined making it, for fear I should make some mistake that might bring trouble into the family, and [cause] the effects of the testator to be thrown away amongst the lawyers, or the testator’s intentions frustrated; though I believe I was rather over-timorous.

Came home about 12:10 and left Mr Piper very ill. My wife, poor creature, very ill indeed. Mr Porter and myself gave Mr Piper the liberty to put us in as trustees and guardians to his children, as he could not prevail on anyone else.

Delivered to Ben Shelley (by my servant) in cash £10 in order for him to pay in London for me… We dined on a batter pudding and sausages baked in it. In the afternoon walked down to Halland where I received of Mr Coates in cash 12.12.0, which is in full for a bill delivered to the 23rd ult. of 11.16.3½ and sixteen shillings over, which I had not silver (or money enough with me) to give him in change, so that I owe him the said sum of 16/-. Thomas Durrant drank tea at our house. In the evening read part of Sharp’s sermons. My wife somewhat easier today, though still very bad and dangerous. Went up to Master Piper’s in the morning to assist him with my advice about making his will, there being an attorney come to do it.

This morning about 7:30 died Mr Will Piper. We dined on some hog’s chine-bones boiled and turnip greens. In the afternoon walked up to Mrs Piper’s to consult her about the burying her husband. In the afternoon our late servant Mary Martin came over to see us and stayed and drank tea with us and then went home. At home all day except as before. My wife, poor creature, very ill indeed. In the forenoon my brother came over…

…In the afternoon Mr Porter and myself went up to Mrs Piper’s and broke up her late husband’s will, wherein Mr Porter, myself and John Piper are left joint trustees to the same. We sealed up his writings and came home about 6:20. Mrs French drank tea with my wife, who is, poor creature, most extreme ill.

In the evening Sam Jenner brought me Mrs Browne’s books and I put some things in them to rights and kept the books in order to write out some bills for her.