Thomas Turner

…I dined on the remains of yesterday’s dinner. At home all day. Mr Long, assisting me in marking some sacks in the afternoon, drank tea with me. In the evening wrote my London letters. Sam Jenner coming in the evening, I persuaded him to stay all night in order to help kill a hog for me tomorrow, which I am to have of Robert Hook.

Paid Mr Gilbert in Waldron 9/- for:

l dozen wooden hand dishes	0.6.6
1 dozen porridge do.	0.1.6
½ dozen flitting do.	1.0.0

received of him today.

Paid Richard Fuller 21d for a shoulder of mutton bought of him today weighing 6 lbs at 3½d. Mr Tipper and myself not at church in the morning. Rec’d of Mr Tipper 23/6 in full to this day. Mr Tipper and Sam Jenner dined with me on a shoulder of mutton rousted.

After dinner I and Mr Tipper set out for Lewes, he on his journey home and I partly to accompany him and partly on business. We parted on horseback without once drinking together. I did my business and came home about 7:10…

I left with my brother Richard in cash £8 for him to pay Messrs Comber and Richards in part on my account. Sam Jenner, going to Framfield for me in the afternoon, sat with me some time in the evening, but neither ate nor drank with me.

Not at church all day, which I must own I think wrong, and I may almost with Shakespeare say it is my necessity and not my will consents to my being absent from church. And I think my present irregular way of living gives me a great deal of uneasiness.
 

…I then paid [Ben Shelley] in cash 7.7.0 in full for carriage as under:

Shelley Dr.
To a bill of goods in full to this day	2.3.11¾
To money paid John Piper for 2 qrs Crab grass seed	1.16.0
In cash today as before	7.17.0
	11.16.11¾
Per Contra Cr.
Rec’d by a bill or carriage from the 7th July, 1762 to the 22nd Dec., 1762, both days inclusive	11.16.10½

I then received of him in cash 26/- in full on account of Edward Foord, and which sum I gave Mr Foord’s account credit for with me.

I dined on the remains of yesterday’s dinner, as did my brother, we came over just before. In the afternoon walked down to the Nursery to talk with Thomas German and to ask him for a small debt. He agreed for Mrs Browne to pay me out of the goods she had seized for rent. His debt was 5/6. Mrs Browne also agreed to pay it.

In my way home I went with my friend Mr Tipper, who was coming to see me, and we came home together. My brother stayed and took up some cloths and then went home. Mr Tipper drank tea with me, and we together with Sam Jenner spent the evening with Thomas Durrant. Mr Tipper took part of my bed…

Pretty busy all day. But oh, the loss I hourly find in that of my ever-to-be-remembered wife… [46 words omitted].

I dined on a sparerib (made me a present of by James Marchant) roasted and apple sauce. About 5 o’clock I went up to Mr Fuller’s in order to pay them a regular and set visit in form. I drank tea there and stayed and played at brag in the evening; I lost 17½d. I supped with Mr Fuller’s family on some broiled sausages and pork bones broiled. Came home sober at 11:20.

But very little to do all day. A very wet afternoon. In the day read part of The Wars of the Jews.

Thomas Durrant dined with me on some boiled salt fish and parsnips. Mr Carman and Mrs Piper drank tea with me. At home all day and pretty busy. In the forenoon wrote out some bills.

I dined on the remains of yesterday’s dinner. At home all day, but not very busy. In the afternoon busy a-writing.

…Dame Akehurst, a-washing for me all day, dined with me on some boiled salt fish. Paid Dame Akehurst 18d for her two days’ work. In the evening went into Mrs Weller’s, being invited to spend the evening there, which I did in company with Molly, Bett and Richard Fuller, Mr Long and Fanny Hicks. We played at brag in the evening and I won 11d. Came home about 12:40. I supped with the company on a piece of cold roast beef, a cold apple pie and bread and cheese.

…Dame Akehurst, a-washing for me all day, dined with me on the remains of yesterday’s dinner. At home all day and pretty busy. Dame Akehurst lodged with my servant. In the evening wrote my London letters.

Myself at church in the morning… Thomas Durrant dined with me on a piece of beef roasted. After dinner I set out for Little Horsted Church, and meeting with Sam Jenner on the road, we walked together.

We had a very fine sermon preached by the Rev Mr Darnford, rector of Little Horsted, from Matthew 5:6: “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” I went to Little Horsted in order to meet my brother and another person whom we had thoughts of putting out our nephew Philip an apprentice to. But he having lately taken a lad, our walk was to no purpose.

After churchtime we walked down to my uncle Hill’s, where we smoked a pipe or two; but I neither ate nor drank. I came home by Master Jenner’s, and Thomas Davy coming almost in at the same instant, we stayed and spent the evening with him and also supped with him. Came home about 11:20, sober.
 

A very severe frost in the night. Paid Mr Ben Shelley in cash 5.6.10 in full for the same sum he paid in London for me this week… I dined on the remains of yesterday’s dinner. At home all day, but very little to do. The wind vastly high and prodigious cold, it being so excessive piercing that people could hardly bear it, and the frost very sharp. Paid a needle-maker from Chichester 9/3 in full for the following needles bought of him today:

12½ hundred Travilors [travellers’?] needles	0.3.9
1 m best do.	0.4.0
100 chapel do.	0.1.0
¼ hundred looping	0.06