Thomas Turner

…0ne of my servants at church in the morning. I dined on a bullock’s heart pudding and turnips. No service at our church in the afternoon, Mr Porter being ill. In the evening went down to Halland where I supped and stayed all night in order to assist Mr Coates in distributing of a gift left by some of the ancestors of the Pelham family forever to be given yearly on St Thomas’s day to every man and woman 4d each and every child 2d each, together with a draught of beer and a piece of bread.

Rec’d of Joseph Fuller Jr 1 bill…value £20, drawn on Mr Gale Swinbolt at the East India House. I gave Joseph Fuller £12 in part of the said bill and my note of hand…for the remaining £8. Sent Mr Robert Plumer enclosed in a letter by John Inman the above bill.

About 3:10 we began our work and distributed upwards of £7 and I conjecture to between 5 and 6 hundred people, as also a sack of wheat made into bread and at the least a hogshead of good fresh beer. I stayed and breakfasted with Mrs Coates and after receiving my groat came home about 11:10. I dined on part of a bullock’s heart fried… Relieved the following poor people today with 1d and a draught of beer each:

1. John Elless	16. Dame Burrage
2. Will Eldridge	17. John Streeter
3. John Dan	18. Thomas Roase
4. Widow Day	19. Robert Baker
5. Will Slarks	20. Roger Vallow
6. Francis Turner	21. Will Slinden
7. Sam Jenner	22. Thomas Heath
8. Richard Heath	23. Widow Trill
9. Thomas Tester	24. Richard Braizer
10. Ann Wood	25. James Emery
11. Ed Babcock	26. Will Henly
12. Thomas Dallaway	27 Richard Vinal
13. Widow Cornwell	28. Thomas Ling
14. Susan Swift	29. Widow Cain
15. Richard Prall

At home all day, except as before. Dame Durrant drank tea with me. In the evening Joseph Fuller smoked a pipe with me.

…I dined on some bullock’s heart fried. At home all day. Paid Mr Laurence Thornton in cash 1.1.0 in part of the £8 borrowed of him about the 22nd day of October last. But very little to do all day. In the evening made part of a poor rate.

I dined on the remains of yesterday’s dinner. At home all day and very little to do. My brother came over in the afternoon, but did not stay. Rec’d of Joseph Fuller 1 buttock of beef and suet, 2 stone 2 lbs. A prodigious wet day. Paid Tulley a patten-maker at Buxted 6/- in full for pattens etc. bought of him today. A thoroughly melancholy time; trade dull and money scarce, taxes being extremely high, and the farmers having neither money to lay out or to employ the poor.

…At home all day and not very busy. How melancholy a time I have, not that I would be thought anyways to murmur at the wise distributions of providence; no, far from it…[15 words omitted]…I doubt not if I were to look around me upon the rest of mankind, I might see many more wretched than myself, and that I enjoy many blessings denied to a great number of my fellow creatures, and if not, I can with propriety say I enjoy more than I deserve; but still, as I am fearful my trade does not answer, and am at a loss to get into any other branch (nor do I think my capacity equal to carry on a great trade), how can I help being uneasy, and more particularly as I have not a friend to whom I can entrust the management of my affairs to, so that when I am from home my affairs suffer at home, and when I am at home my affairs are neglected abroad, for wanting seeing after; so that I have as it were a curb put upon any industry I might exert myself with.

This being Christmas day, myself and one servant were at church in the morning, the text in the 3lst verse, 10^th chapter, 1st Epistle Corinthians: “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” We both stayed the communion; I gave 6d. The widow Marchant, James Marchant, Bett Mepham and Philip dined with me on a buttock of beef roasted, a raisin suet pudding and turnips. They together with Joseph Fuller Jr drank tea with me. Paid Richard Page 4/- in full for my highway tax… as I have this day received the blessed sacrament of our Lord and savior, may I be a worthy partaker of the benefits thereby derived upon all sincere Christians… [58 words omitted]… In the evening read one of Tillotson’s sermons. In the evening Joseph fuller Jr, Thomas Durrant and James Marchant smoked a pipe with me.

In the morning Mr Long walked with me to many places to collect in some land tax, but I found myself unsuccessful in the attempt, not getting one farthing… In the afternoon went down to a public vestry at Jones’s, and made up the accounts between the heirs of the last surveyors and the parish and it evidently appeared there was 4/- due to the ensuing surveyors. There was also a poor rate made after the rate of three shillings to the pound. The surveyors for the year ensuing are Edward Foord and Thomas Fuller; electioners: John Vine and Edward Hope. I came home about 8:20 and then went in and smoked a pipe or 2 with Thomas Durrant. Came home about 10:20, and I can (with raptures) say sober, having drunk nothing stronger than mild beer all the evening. But very little to do all day. Gave the following box money:

To Jenner the hatter’s son	0.0.3
J. Durrant’s apprentice	0.0.6

Myself and both servants at church in the morning… Sam Jenner and Mr Long dined with me on the remains of yesterday’s dinner. No service at our church in the afternoon, Mr Porter being ill. My servant went to Chiddingly Church. Sam Jenner stayed and spent the afternoon and drank tea with me and to whom I read one of Tillotson’s sermons. In the evening went down to Joseph Fuller’s, where I stayed and supped ad came home about 9:10.

…Rec’d of Thomas Roase by the payment of his wife 4/- in full for half a year’s land tax due at St Michael lest. Thomas Durrant dined with me on the remains of yesterday’s dinner. Gave the following box money:

T. Fuller’s boy	0.0.6
Isaac Turner	0.0.3
Joseph Durrant’s boy	0.0.6

In the evening wrote my London letters. Joseph Fuller and Thomas Durrant smoked a pipe with me in the evening. At home all day.

In the forenoon carried in Mr Coates’s bill. Collected…of Mr Richard Bristed 5.2.0…of Edward Hope 1.8.0…of Edward Scribbens…0.12.0 in full for half a year’s land tax due at St Michael last. Sam Jenner and I played a few games of cribbage in the evening; I lost 3 ½ d. It being a very wet evening, Sam Jenner supped with me and stayed all night.