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.

Monday, August 30 1756

In the morning sent my maid up to Thomas Fuller’s to borrow his horse to go to Mayfield upon. He accordingly lent me one. About 8:30 Joseph Fuller came and called me by agreement, and we went to Mr Porter’s to ask his opinion whether we should pay Tester’s debt to Savage or not. He gave it as his opinion that it would be best for the parish to pay it and that they were highly to blame not to have paid it before. From Mr Porter’s we went to Mr Coates’s also to ask his advice, which was just the same as Mr Porter’s, with this addition; -viz., to call a vestry on Sunday and to register every person’s name that assents to it or that dissents from it.

About 11:20 Thomas Fuller and I set out in order to see a cricket match at Mayfield; viz., Mayfield against the county (or the pretended county), but there was not time to play it out. The county got the first innings 52, and Mayfield headed them 18. Then with 4 of the county out in the 2nd innings, they got that 18, and 14 ahead of Mayfield when they left off. I won 6d and spent 12d. We came home to Thomas Fuller’s about 10 o’clock, sober. But before I could get home I was a little high, which proceeded from what I drank there. We dined at Mr Porter’s on what came out of the parlor (they having almost dined there before we came in); viz., the remains of a leg of mutton boiled, a shoulder of venison roasted, a fine plum pudding, carrots, turnips etc… My brother Richard came over in the morning and breakfasted with me…

Wednesday, May 26 1756

This morning relieved two women with a pass with 12d. They were passed from Dorchester to Canterbury, having one child each, and one big with child. We dined on the remains of Monday’s and yesterday’s dinners with the addition of a boiled carp, part of which I sent to Joseph Mepham, he being very ill. After dinner sent our maid over to Framfield, and in the afternoon Thomas Fuller and I balanced accounts… I went home with him and stayed and smoked three or four pipes. Came home about 12 o’clock. This day posted my day book.

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.