Thomas Turner

…Very busy at work in my garden all day. We dined on the remains of Sunday’s dinner. At home all day. In the evening read part of Wake’s Catechism… A very hot day. In the evening it lightened very much. Thomas Davy at our house in the evening. Mr Elless drank tea with us.

About 4 o’clock in the morning Thomas Fuller called me and we walked down to John Browne’s in order to have him to Lewes to swear his parish. We called him up, and as he appeared very willing to go, I left Master Fuller and him to walk to Lewes together and came away home about 5:20. In the forenoon I was sent for down to Laughton pound. We dined on the remains of yesterday’s dinner, and as soon as I had dined, I walked down to Laughton pound where I drew up a general release from Thomas Cornwell and Elizabeth his wife, and Will and Sarah Goldsmith of the parish of Waldron, William Gurrs and Anne his wife of the parish of Laughton and Will Butler Jr of the parish of Chalvington, to John Goldsmith of the parish of Laughton The same was witnessed by Joseph Fuller and myself. They gave me 2/6 for my trouble. I came home about 6:50 in company with Joseph Fuller and Will Goldsmith, but I must not say sober. In the forenoon busy a-gardening.

About 8:15 George Richardson and Richard Elphick came to see me and breakfasted with us. Soon after breakfast my brother Will came in also. No service at our church this morning, Mr Porter preaching at Laughton. They all dined with us on a breast of veal roasted and two boiled carp. We all were at church in the afternoon; viz., my wife, self, nephew, brother, George Richardson and Richard Elphick. The text in Exodus 20:7: “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.” From which words we had an excellent sermon.

My visitors stayed and drank tea with us, and about 6:40 George Richardson and Richard Elphick went away, my wife and I walking with them so far as the park. My brother Will stayed with us till near 9 o’clock. Paid George Richardson the 0.17.6 I borrowed of him yesterday. Paid Thomas Fuller the 1.16.0 I borrowed of him yesterday. In the evening read part of Wake’s Catechism. This day my brother Will brought me in order for me to keep for him one silver spoon and several pieces of silver, such as: 1d, 2d, 3d etc. and one Dutch crown–all together perhaps worth 10/-.

…About 9:20 Thomas Fuller and I set out for Lewes where we got of Mr Rideout a summons for John Browne to swear his parish once more, and also examined the register of the spiritual court for the administration of Thomas Sicklemore, the father of the wife of Will Slarkes, in order to see if we could recover anything for her of her share in the movables, but found there was no probability of recovering anything by reason the person who divided the same and who also took her share (she being an infant at her father’s decease) was in very necessitous circumstances.

We dined at Will Rice’s in company [with] several more on a piece of cold roast beef, a cold ham, cold tongue, a cold baked suet pudding and gooseberry tart (my family at home dining on a piece of boiled veal). Borrowed today of Mr Thomas Fuller in cash 1.16.0, also of George Richardson in cash 0.17.6. Paid Mr Faulkner Bristow 2.2.0 in full. Paid Messrs Richards and Comber 0.8.2 in full. Came home about 8:20 in company with Joseph and Thomas Fuller and Master Bridgman, and very sober. Spent for going on parish business–Master Fuller paid all that was spent.

…Thomas Cornwell made my wife a present of 2 carp, for which I gave him 6d. At home all day. In the evening read part of Wake’s Catechism. In the forenoon posted my day book, and in the afternoon hilled up my beans and peas. Tolerable busy all day. In the evening we heard several claps of thunder, but it seemed at a great distance.

We dined on some pear pie and fried herrings. At home all day, and I think it has been as cold a day as I ever knew for this season of the year, the wind being very high. Read today part of The Peerage of England.

In the morning I went up to Thomas Fuller’s, and from thence he and I went to Will Eldridge’s, where we talked with Mary Evenden, who owned her being with child, but declared she would not swear the father of it as yet (though I think according to all circumstances nobody need think of any other person for the father but Mr Hutson). I came home about 9:20. We dined on a light pudding and some turnip greens, Paid 3d for 12 herrings bought today. At home all day. Read part of The Peerage of England.

Paid Thomas Fuller the 5/- I received of him yesterday in change of a guinea. Mary Heath a-washing for us all day. She dined with us on a knuckle of veal boiled, a piece of bacon and some turnip greens. In the evening Thomas Fuller came in and informed me that the late servant of Mr Hutson was come to the house of Will Eldridge big with child, and asked me to go down to Mr Porter’s with him, which I did. We stayed there near an hour and came home about 8:45. Thomas Davy at our house in the evening, to whom and in the day, I read part of The Peerage of England.

Mary Heath a-washing for us half the day. She dined with us on the remains of Saturday’s dinner. Borrowed of Thomas Fuller Sr 5/- in change. At home all the day and tolerable busy.

In the evening went down to Jones’s to the vestry where there were Mr Porter, Mr French, Joseph and Thomas Fuller, Joseph Burgess, Will Piper, Richard Page, Ed Foord, John Cayley, Joseph Durrant and myself. We stayed till about 10:20, but of all the out-of-the-way, quarrelsome people I ever saw, I think no one ever came up to Mr French. For there is no one in company must in any way the least so ever contradict or thwart what he proposes, though as for himself he seldom if ever fails to oppose that which anyone else shall happen to start, or gave as his opinion. Then he has the greatest skill imaginable in foretelling judging right of things when they are past. For if there is ever anything turns out to the disadvantage of the parish, why then it is always his opinion that it was wrong (though perhaps at the time of its being done, one of the eagerest for it), and on the other hand, if anything turns out to the advantage of the parish, why then he always knew it to be right (though perhaps the only person that should ever have opposed it). And what still renders him the more disagreeable company is that there is almost an impossibility of any person to speak a word beside himself; so the noise of his clamor with the hoarse and grating sound of his huge big oaths almost deafens the ears of any of his audience. But then the best remedy to bring him into a good humor and change his perverseness into obscenity and raillery is to give him 2 or 3 drams of old English gin. But however after all to be serious upon the affair it is a most melancholy thing that a man who professes the Christian religion and is constant at divine worship and is in many respects a good neighbor should behave in the manner he does. For undoubtedly it is very contrary tow that religion which he professes himself a member of.

Just before churchtime Mr Stone called and bleeded me, upon which account I did not go to church (it being very cold). My wife and nephew at church in the forenoon. There was a brief read for the parish church of Dwygyfylchy in the County of Carnarvon, which Mr Burgess gathered for me and collected on the same 18d, and two pence I gave made collected in the whole 20d. We dined on the remains of yesterday’s dinner. No churching here this afternoon, Mr Porter preaching at Laughton. I lent James Marchant my horse to ride to Lewes upon. Thomas Durrant drank some coffee with us and stayed and smoked a pipe with me. In the evening and the day read pert of Wake’s Catechism. At home all day, and I think a very cold day, there being a very sharp frost in the morning.