After breakfast went down to Mr Porters to have Mr Poole’s advice again upon the bond. What I wanted to know was now to proceed against Peter Adams in the underwritten affair. He, the said Peter Adams, had a female bastard child by Ann Cain, now the wife of Thomas Ling, and as security to the parish for the said child that it should not become chargeable, he gave the said parish a bond, dated l April 1752, wherein he binds himself, his heirs, executors and administrators to pay the churchwarden and overseer of the parish for the time being the sum of 18d a week and every week from the birth of the child for so long time as the said child shall continue to be chargeable to the parish.
Now during the last months of Joseph Fuller’s being overseer, he [Fuller] paid the said woman the 18d per week for keeping the child, but as yet has not been paid it again, and when I first came into office, I asked Mr Adams about it. He seemed to make use of a great many quibbling expressions concerning paying it. But after 2 months had been elapsed and he often asked about it, he at last told me I should pay it and he would soon pay me again. But now there is almost 2 months more past and mine is not paid. Ling and his wife continually harassing me for the money, I have again mentioned it to Mr Adams and told him I would pay no more and that he must pay it soon, upon which he told me it was my business to pay it.
Mr Poole gave me a summons to oblige Adams to appear before him at the White Hart at Lewes on Saturday next to give his reasons for not paying. Then if he could give no reason for not paying and could not be brought to do it by the justices, we must then immediately execute the bond against him and sue him for the same. I gave Mr Poole’s servant 12d for the summons. We dined on the remaining carp given us yesterday with pork and beans and the remains of yesterday’s dinner.
I this day lent John Streeter in cash 0.10.6, and also Thomas Darby in cash 10/-. Posted my day book. At home all day. Read part of Hervey’s Theron and Aspasio. Edward Wood called on me, but did not stop. In the evening talked to Peter Adams again, who still quibbles on, but will not absolutely deny paying it.