Thomas Turner

…In the afternoon my wife went down to Halland to pay Mrs Coates a visit. In the evening Mr Mason and Mr Elless at our house a-plotting what land we have measured. My wife stayed and supped with Mrs Coates and came home about 10:30. In the evening read part of the examination of Francis Delep Esq, late Provost Marshal of the Island of Jamaica. Mr Mason supped at our house.

This day I took some glauber-salt, my side being very much out of order. Bett Reeve breakfasted with us. Paid John Cayley in cash 0.5.10; viz.,

To 3¾ lbs butter, it being 32 lbs received yesterday instead of 28¼ lbs	0.1.10½
To 1 year’s rent for the stable I use, due about the middle July	0.4.0

Sent by John Streeter in cash 0.3.9 for my club arrears, this being a quarterly night. In the evening read part of Wiseman’s Chyrurgery.

In the morning as soon as I had breakfasted Mr Elless and I walked to Mr Joseph Bonwick’s where Mr Mason and we surveyed 2 pieces of land. We came home about 6:30… Joseph Fuller sat a while with us in the evening.

After breakfast Mr Elless and I walked to Mr Joseph Bonwick’s at Waldron in order to meet Mr Mason to survey a farm called Summersbrook, but he not being come there, we went and took a view of the Furnace and came home about 2:10… Mr Elless drank tee with us. In the evening read part of The Universal Magazine for October.

Sent the widow Mott in the Cliffe near Lewes, by John Streeter the post in cash 20.16.0…which sum is in full for principal and interest due on a bond some time about the present. My brother came over in the morning, but did not stay any time.

About 1:45 I went down to Mr Porter’s, where I dined on a buttock of beef and another piece boiled, a sirloin roasted and three raisin suet puddings, in company with Mr Porter, Mr Piper, Joseph Burgess, William Jenner, Joseph Durrant, John Cayley, Ed Hope, Richard Hope, John Mugridge, John French, Mr Morris, John Martin, Thomas Rice and Edward Foord. I paid Mr Porter 8/- in full for one year’s tithes and came home about 5:50.

Rec’d by the post from Mrs Sarah Mott a bond in which my father and I were bound to her and her husband Ben Mott (since deceased) in the sum of £20 with interest at £4 percent per annum, which bond was dated November 28, 1750. In the evening Thomas Davy at our house, to whom I read one of Tillotson’s sermon.

In the morning my wife and self at church… We dined on [a raisin?] suet pudding, some boiled veal and turnips. My wife, self and servant at church in the afternoon… I went from church down to Mr French’s, where I wrote out some more quit-rent receipts. I drank tea at Mr French’s and came home about 7:10. We had several claps of thunder between 4 and 5, and as I came home I observed several very violent flashes of lightning. I believe I might say I saw 5 or 6. In the evening read one of Tillotson’s sermons.

After breakfast Mr Elless and myself went to Springham where we met Mr Mason and measured a very large coppice. We came home about 6:50 quite tired, having neither eaten nor drunk in the time of our absence from home, unless it was about 2 oz gingerbread…

My cousin Bett Ovendean and my brother Moses dined with my wife on the remains of yesterday’s dinner with the addition of some fried veal. And my cousin Thomas Ovendean came in the afternoon and they stayed till about 5:20. After I came home, I read part of The London Magazine for October, as also a poor empty piece of tautology Called A Serious Advice to the Public to Avoid the Danger of Inoculation, in which he says a physician can only know and be the proper person to perform the operation, and that a surgeon can know nothing about it.

After breakfast Sarah Taylor and I walked over to Framfield where I stayed and dined… I received of my mother in cash 5.4.0 in full for one year’s interest on a bond of £130, due the 14th ult. Came away about 2:10. Called at Mr French’s and drank tea and stayed and wrote out more quit-rent receipts. Came home about 7:25. I received of my mother in cash 3/9 for my half-part of a debt due from John Relfe to my late father. I paid her 4/10½ for ¾ of a yard of fine rug.

Sarah Taylor breakfasted with us, and she together with Mr Mason of Eastbourne and Mr Piper dined with us on the remains of yesterday’s dinner…

Balanced accounts with Mr Will Piper and received of him 1.12.11 in full. In the evening Mr Francis Elless and myself went down to John Jones’s, where we spent the evening with Mr Mason. Came home about 7:30. I spent 3d. Thomas Davy sat with us some time after I came home. Sarah Taylor lodged at our house all night. This day there was a sale of the household goods of the late Mr Samuel Virgoe at his late dwelling-house in the Street. At home all day and very busy.

Sarah Taylor, late servant to Mr Porter, breakfasted with us and also dined with us on a leg of mutton boiled, a sheep’s heart pudding, turnips and potatoes. Mrs Atkins, Mrs Hicks and Mrs Brook drank tea with us. In the evening I went down to Mr Jeremiah French’s to assist his son in writing some quit-rent receipts. I supped at Mr French’s and came home about 8:50… Sarah Taylor supped and lodged at our house.