Thomas Turner

In the morning hilled up my beans and peas… Dame Dallaway at work for my wife all day… Mary Carpenter drank tea at our house. About 5:4O went up to Mr Vine’s, the audit being there. I received of Mr Vine 2.0.6 for bills as under:

The audit bill	1.12.6
To a bill of nails	0.9.1

I gave Mr Vine’s daughter 12d according to custom. I came home about 9:10, very sober. Very busy all day. Oh, how happy am I, now I am employed constantly in my business! In the evening read part of Wake’s Catechism.

In the morning as soon as we arose, my brother went away. Dame Dallaway at work a-mending a gown for my wife. She dined with us on a calf’s heart pudding, a light pudding and some turnip greens. In the forenoon went up to the house of the late Mr James Hutson, where there was a sale. I did not buy anything, but left 5/6 with Mr Burgess to buy a tea-kettle and a pair of pot-hangers for me. Very busy all day. Joseph Fuller Jr smoked a pipe with me in the evening, and after he was gone, I read part of Wake’s Catechism.

Paid Mr Thomas Awcock in cash £2 in part of rent due from Sam Elphick of Framfield to him. We dined off some calves’ liver and lights boiled and minced. In the evening my brother Moses came over and, it being wet weather, stayed all night. In the evening wrote my London letters. At home all day and very busy. In the day read part of the 1st volume of The Peerage of England. Oh, what an unspeakable pleasure it is to be busied in one’s trade and at a leisure hour to unbend one’s mind by reading!

There being no service at our church in the morning on account of Mr Porter’s preaching at Laughton, I went to Little Horsted where I arrived about 8:50. I stayed and breakfasted at my uncle Hill’s and went with him to their church where we had a very good sermon preached (by their curate, the Rev Mr Fullthorpe) from the 25th and 26th verses of the 73rd Psalm “Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my as portion forever.” I went and dined at my uncle Hill’s (in company with the Rev Mr Fullthorpe) on a piece of beef boiled and some greens and a shoulder of mutton roasted… I stayed till about 3:20 and came home very sober just as the people came from church. In the evening completed reading through the New Whole Duty of Man, and I think it a very good book, fitting to be read by all people, and a very proper book to be in all families… There was a very sharp frost in the morning, and I think the greatest I ever knew at this season of the year.

…Paid Thomas Overing 4/6 in full on account for Mrs Weller for new leading of the windows etc. of this house. We dined on a pike baked in Durrant’s oven, a light pudding, some calves’ liver and lights boiled and minced. After dinner walked up to Mr John Vine’s with some things for the audit. Thomas Durrant at our house in the evening. In the day read part of the 1st volume of The Peerage of England. A great deal of snow fell in the forenoon, but melted chiefly as it fell. A very sharp frost in the morning and most prodigious cold all day.

This day I received a letter from Mr Sterry wherein he informs me that the temporary bridge, lately erected of wood for the benefit of passage while London Bridge was taken down in order to be repaired, took fire on Tuesday night last about 11 o’clock and was entirely consumed and burnt down, even to the water edge. It is supposed to be set on fire by some malicious and evil-disposed person. Now could it be thought that in a Christian land, and more especial, among a people that profess the protestant religion in its primitive purity, that there could be a wretch among us so wicked as to perpetrate so black and horrid a crime? But oh, what a convincing proof is this of the predominancy of vice and wickedness in this irreligious age when any crime is not so much deemed a vice in the perpetrator when the cause of it proceeds from something that was in appearance a nuisance to his private interest!

…We dined on some liver fried. In the afternoon Mrs Vine drank tea at our house. At home all day. Posted my day book. This day a prodigious high wind all day, and also all last night, together with a very hard frost. Read part of The Peerage of England.

…About 10:20 Thomas Fuller and I set out for Lewes where we arrived about 12:20. I paid the collector of the excise Joseph Durrant’s hop-duty, 0.7.6, and also Joseph Fuller’s, 1.17.4, both which sums I had received of them today for the same purpose…

I dined at Mr Friend’s on a hog’s cheek boiled, a chick roasted and some greens… I stayed at Mr Friend’s about 2 hours and came home very sober about 6:30. In the evening Thomas Cornwell made my wife a present of a pike 16 inches long from eye to fork, weighing about 2½ lbs; I gave him 6d. A very high wind all the afternoon, and in the evening as high as almost I ever knew it and extremely cold…

At home all day. We dined on some veal boiled and butter and parsley. Busy all day a-laying my shop in order. This day John Browne came and informed me he intended Joseph Fuller and I should have the wood and faggots on the late Mr Hutson’s land at 8/- per hundred of faggots and 8/- each cord of wood in the place. In the day read part of The Universal Magazine for March. In the evening read part of the 1st volume of The Peerage of England.

…Paid Mrs Rebecca Weller £8 in full for one year’s rent, due the 5th instant. Mr Will Francis, Messrs Barlow and Wigginton’s rider, called on me. I gave him one bill on Messrs Margesson and Collinson dated today, 30 days, No. 348, value £8. Indifferently busy all day. Lent Joseph Durrant my horse to ride to Heathfield upon. In the day read part of The London Magazine for March. In the evening read part of the New Whole Duty of Man.

About 8:20 Mr Porter, Mr French, Thomas Fuller, Mr Elless and myself, together with near 30 boys, set out in order to walk the bounds of this parish against that of Chiddingly. We went down to Whitesmith where, after staying some time, we were met according to appointment by the Rev Mr Herring, vicar of Chiddingly, Mr Thomas Funnel, Will Jenner and Mr Thomas Hicks the butcher.

We began our walk where our parish, Laughton and Chiddingly join. We proceeded on our walk until we came to what is called the Etchingly wood where each parish took a separate way, and neither of them had any further evidence than that of hearsay (there being no person in either parish that ever walked in it till about 4 years since); so of consequence it must remain upon dispute though the whole quantity of land which is disputed for does not appear to me to be above 10 or 12 acres (part of the Moat Farm, by Sinden’s mill). I think the arguments I heard of both parties make it plain that it must belong to this parish and that at this time (and I believe for 30 years past) it is not taxed to Chiddingly, nor to this parish till about 4 years ago. We came home about 12:20…

We dined on the remains of yesterday’s dinner with the addition of some eggs. Mrs Gibbs and her daughter drank tea at our house. Very busy all day. In the evening wrote my London letters. Thomas Davy sat with us a while… Trade I hope is at present somewhat brisker than it has been, but oh, money comes in but dull! I have now I think retrenched my expenses as much as it is possible for me to do; so with the blessing of the Almighty I hope I shall once again get the better of my misfortunes.