Tuesday, March 29 1757

In the morning John Hesman, John Watford and myself drew out my pipe of cider. They both breakfasted with us. Paid Mr French the guinea borrowed of him yesterday. Mr Will Rice came today and bought of me 2 coats and 2 waistcoats and stayed and dined with us…

In the afternoon Dame Martin came to our house and informed me that the man William Tull, whom Sarah Vinal has had a child by, was at their house today, upon which John Watford, Thomas and Joseph Fuller and myself went in pursuit of him; Thomas Fuller went round by Chiddingly and called at both the public houses there and then came to us at Edward Martin’s. We then went and took a view of who there was at both the ale houses at Whitesmith, but found no one that answered to our description of him. We then proceeded to Mr Will Funnell’s (where the man had formerly worked) who informed us that it was likely he might be at Mr Guy’s (a place where he had also worked) and accordingly we found him there in bed, whereupon, telling him our business, he very readily went along with us. In our road home we called at Mr Funnell’s and stayed about 1 hour. Then we proceeded on our journey home where we arrived about 11:15 and supped at our house. Thomas Fuller, John Watford and my own family sat up all night. About 2 o’clock the man made an attempt to get away, but was disappointed. We then called up Thomas Durrant, who sat up with us the remaining part of the night. N.B.: I spent 5d in pursuit of the man.

Friday, August 1 1755

Paid John Fitness 8/9 in full for 6 corn hooks. Paid for bread ½d. Between schooltime carried up to Thomas Fuller’s 6 lbs of 6d sugar. Went to Chiddingly after schooltime to look upon Mr Hicks’s wool. Bid him 6¾d per pound for it. Paid Francis Smith in cash 18/2, which with £12.7.0 sent him by his boy the 29th July is in all £13.5.2, which he paid for me in London, as under (to wit)

To Margesson & Co.                 £13.0.0

To Crowder & Co. in full           £0.5.2

In the evening went down to Halland to look upon Mr Coates’s wool, which was all West-Country, and because I would not give him 7d per pound for it he huffed me prodigiously.