Thomas Turner

In the morning my wife, self and 2 boys walked over to Framfield where we arrived about 7:40. We breakfasted at my mother’s. My sister, the 2 boys and my mother’s servant at church in the morning. In churchtime my cousin Anne Ovendean and their servant came to my mother’s and we all dined at my mother’s on a small fillet of veal roasted, a cold veal pasty, a plain batter pudding and currant pie. Only my mother’s servant at church in the afternoon. We stayed and drank tea at my mother’s and came home about 8:40, where we found Thomas Davy, to whom I read one of Tillotson’s sermons. This day I took physic. Our servant at home today dined on beans and pork.

After breakfast I rode to Honington’s to look upon Mr Smith’s wool of Hempstead. Paid John Jenner, hatter at Hailsham, by cash and goods 12/- in full for 6 hats at 2/- received today. We dined on some beans and pork. In the evening my brother went home to Framfield. In the evenings read part of the Jewish Antiquities.

At home all day. We dined on some beans, a bread pudding and the remains of yesterday’s dinner. In reading in The Universal Magazine for June, I find the following, which I have copied word for word:

“June 25 The word [“] without [“] is properly to be regarded. A Paper intitled Meditations for every Hour in the day is now very Public; and is intitled the true state of a Nation in Europe in the year 1757

Supreme Majesty	Power
Counsellor	Abilities
Bishops	Religion
Nobels	Honour
Senators	Honesty
Manufacturies	Trade
Colonies	Protection
Seamen	Encouragement
Parading Fleets	Fighting
Great Armies	Use
The Common People	Money
The Poor	Bread

N.B.: The Introduction of the word WITHOUT is necessary to the reader’s information.”… Rec’d of Mr Sam Beckett the 5.8.0 I gave him the 12th instant, he not having paid it in London for me…

My brother Sam Slater stayed and dined with us… and stayed until near 5 o’clock. In the evening my brother and I went up and bought Joseph Fuller’s wool at 7½d per lb. This day we had a tempest of thunder, lightning and some rain, which began about 2:20 and continued about an hour, though it was but little all the time. But about 8 o’clock it came up again; though the thunder then seemed at a great distance, the lightning was very much and I understand continued all night. It rained till about 11 o’clock, though I believe the most violent part of the storm was over between 9 and 10 o’clock.

After breakfast my father and I walked down to Mr Medhurst’s and looked at his wool and bid him 7d per lb for it but did not buy it. We came back and dined at my father Slater’s… In the afternoon we drank tea at my uncle Woodgate’s and about 7:40 we set out for home (my brother Sam Slater bringing my wife), where we arrived, thank God, in perfect health about 11:10. My brother Sam Slater stayed all night. Thomas Davy in our absence had made us a present of 2 carps. Spent this journey as under:

Gave my father’s servant maid and apprentice	0.1.0
Spent at Hartfield in company with Mr Kelton	0.0.4
At Maresfield a-coming home	0.0.7½
Turnpike	0.0.2
Gave a Child	0.0.0½
	0.2.2

…Paid Mrs Rebecca Weller in cash £12; viz.,

To 1 year’s interest due 5th April, 1757	4.0.0
To 1 year’s rent due 5th April, 1757	8.0.0

Paid Joseph Fuller (by Elizabeth Fuller) 6d for the lamb’s bell received the 9th instant. We dined on some pork and beans with a plain batter pudding. Just as we had dined, my father Slater came in, who dined at our house on some rashers of bacon and green salad.

My wife and I had this day borrowed Mr John Vine the younger’s horse in order for my wife to ride to Lewes upon, but as my father came, we postponed our journey to Lewes. Upon my father’s telling me that he had bid some money for wool but was quite unacquainted with the goodness of wool, I readily agreed to take a ride over and give him my sentiments about it. Accordingly about 5:50 we set out for Hartfield, my wife behind her father, and I upon my colt. We arrived at Hartfield about 9:20. We spent the evening at my father Slater’s and stayed there all night.

Took physic today… At home all day. My brother came over in the evening in order to have 2 blisters laid on behind his ears… read part of The Universal Magazine for June wherein I find the following receipt recommended (in an extract from Dr Lind’s essay on the most effectual means of preserving the health of the seamen in the Royal Navy) as a specific against all epidemical and bilious fevers and also against endemic disorders: He first recommends a regular course of life and to abstain as much as possible from animal food, and to confine as much as possible to a vegetable diet. Then he orders about 2 ounces of the following tincture to be taken every day upon an empty stomach (and better if taken at twice):

Rx	8 onces of bark
	4 ounces dried orange peel, which infuse in a gallon of spirits.

But in my opinion it might be rendered a more grateful bitter if instead of the 4 ounces of dried orange peel there were put 1½ ounces of it and 3 ounces of undried lemon peel cleared from the white. I also found an account of the following powder, called the Duke of Portland’s gout powder:

	For the gout or rheumatism:
Rx	Aristolochia Rotunda, or
	Birthwort Root
	Gentian Root
	Germander
	Ground Pine    tops and leaves
	Centaury

Take of all these well dried, powdered and sifted as fine as you can, equal weight; mix them well together and take one drachm of this mixed powder every morning, fasting, in a cup of wine and water, broth, tea or any other vehicle you like best; keep fasting an hour and half after it; continue this for three months without interruption. Then diminish the dose to a drachm for 3 months longer; then to a drachm for 6 months more, taking it regularly every morning if possible. After the first year it will be sufficient to take ½ a drachm every other day. As this medicine operates insensibly, it will take perhaps two years before you receive any great benefit; so you much not discouraged though you do not perceive at first any great amendment. It works slow but sure. It does not confine the patient to any particular diet, so one lives soberly and abstains for those meats and liquors that have been always accounted pernicious in the gout, as; champagne, drams, high sauces etc. N.B.: In the rheumatism that is only accidental and not habitual, a few of the drachm rosemary do, but if in an habitual, or that has been of long duration, then you must take it as for the gout. The remedy requires patience as it operates but slow in both distempers.

After breakfast my brother Will came in to see me, and together with my whole family was at church in the forenoon. The text was the same as that of the 5th of June… The Rt Hon George Cholmondely [3rd] Earl Cholmondely, Viscount Malpas, Joint Vice Treasurer [receiver-general and paymaster general] of Ireland, Lord Lieutenant, Custos Rotulorum and Vice-Admiral of Cheshire, Governor of Chester Castle, Lord Lieutenant of Anglesey, Carnaervon, Flint, Merioneth and Montgomery, steward of the royal manor of Sheen in Surrey, and knight of the Bath [etc.], being a-visiting at Mr Coates’s, was at church this morning.

We dined on a lamb’s heart pudding, a piece of bacon, a lamb’s head and the remains (which the cat left us) of a lamb’s lights and the lamb’s tongue and brains, carrots, green salad, gooseberry pie and custard. My brother and my whole family at church this afternoon… My brother and Ann Martin (our maid’s sister) drank tea with us. My brother stayed till 6:20. I received of my brother in cash 2.2.0 in part of money for a watch which I am to buy for him…

Took physic today. We dined on some lamb’s liver fried and some rashers of pork with a baked rice pudding for my brother… In the evening my brother went home to Framfield. At home all day. Read part of The Universal Magazine for June. Looked over part of my haberdashery to see what I want against Mr Collison’s coming round.

After breakfast my brother, self and nephew walked over to Framfield. We called at Mr Peckham’s as we went to Framfield and bought his wool for my mother at 21/- per tod. We got to my mother’s about 11:10 and dined with her on some green peas, a piece of pork, some cold mutton and cold plain butter pond pudding. After dinner my brother and I walked down to Mr Smith’s at Hempstead to look upon his wool, but it was not come home. We stayed and drank a bottle of cider with him. We came back and drank tea at my mother’s…

Thomas Davy at our house in the evening, to whom I read part of the London Magazine for June, wherein I find the charge of the gold boxes and writing and ornamenting the freedom of the City of London, which was by them presented to Mr Fitt and Mr [P]egge, cost 251.13.0. The freedom was written by Mr Joseph Champion and ornamented by Mr Charles Gardiner.