Thomas Turner (diarist and shopkeeper)
Encyclopedia
Thomas Turner was a shopkeeper in East Hoathly
, Sussex
, England. He is now most widely known for his diary
.
Turner was born at Groombridge
in the parish of Speldhurst
, Kent
. In 1735 Turner's father took a shop in Framfield
, Sussex
. Little is known about Turner's schooling, but his clear handwriting, practical mathematical abilities and wide intellectual interests suggest a reasonable level of education. By the age of 21, in 1750, he had taken his shop in East Hoathly.
Turner married his first wife, Margaret ('Peggy') Slater (1733–1761) on 15 October 1753. They had one child together, Peter, who was born on 19 August 1754. On 16 January 1755 Turner wrote that "This morning about 1 o'clock I had the misfortune to lose my little boy Peter, aged 21 weeks, 3 days."
for eleven years of his life, the first surviving entry of which is 21 February 1754. The diary served a number of purposes, including as an accounting book, a record of legal and property dealings, a place for religious reflection and as a means of describing Turner's everyday life. The failure of his marriage to live up to Turner's expectations is a frequent cause of low mood.
Turner was an important figure in the community of East Hoathly. As well as keeping a shop, he served as an undertaker, schoolmaster, surveyor and overseer of the poor. He helped people write wills, manage accounts and collect taxes. He was a regular participant at vestry
meetings and an occasional visitor to the Duke of Newcastle
's Halland House.
Aside from socialising and playing cricket, Turner was a keen reader. As well as religious texts, he read works by William Shakespeare
, John Locke
, Joseph Addison
and Samuel Richardson
, among many others. Aside from consuming medical treatises, newspapers, periodicals and jestbooks, his interests included farriery, politics and travel. Turner sometimes read alone, but frequently read books aloud with his wife or his friends.
's edition retains about one third of its content. The edition also includes a family tree, short biographies of the diary's major characters and a list of all the reading material mentioned by Turner. The periodical Sussex Archaeological Collections printed some excerpts from the diary in 1859: the text is now in the public domain
, and can be read online. The surviving 111-volume manuscript is held in the Sterling Memorial Library
at Yale University
.
Vaisey's edition of the diary also cites several documents in the East Sussex Record Office, such as account books and bastardy bonds, which were entirely written by Turner.
In the years after his second marriage, Turner was able to live comfortably. He bought his shop, and also purchased both land and East Hoathly's main public house. He fathered seven children - one girl and six boys. Only three of the children lived to be older than twenty.
Turner died on 6 February 1793 and was buried in East Hoathly churchyard on 11 February. His gravestone is on the right hand side of the church near the Clements Room, just in front of the table tomb of Philip Turner his son, and Philip's family. There is also a gravestone for Peter and Frederick, sons of Thomas and Mary Turner at the same place. A commemorative plaque marks his house.
East Hoathly with Halland
East Hoathly with Halland is a civil parish in the Wealden District of East Sussex, England. The parish contains the two villages of East Hoathly and Halland, two miles to the west; it sits astride the A22 road, four miles north-west of Hailsham, although the original sharp bend on that road...
, Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
, England. He is now most widely known for his diary
Diary
A diary is a record with discrete entries arranged by date reporting on what has happened over the course of a day or other period. A personal diary may include a person's experiences, and/or thoughts or feelings, including comment on current events outside the writer's direct experience. Someone...
.
Turner was born at Groombridge
Groombridge
thumb|right|A house in GroombridgeGroombridge is a village of about 1,600 people. It straddles the border between Kent and East Sussex, in England. The nearest large town is Tunbridge Wells, about away by road....
in the parish of Speldhurst
Speldhurst
Speldhurst is a village and civil parish in the borough of Tunbridge Wells in Kent, England. The parish is to the west of Tunbridge Wells: the village is west of the town.-Parish Church:...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
. In 1735 Turner's father took a shop in Framfield
Framfield
Framfield is a village and civil parish in the Wealden District of East Sussex, England. The village is located two miles east of Uckfield; the settlements of Blackboys, Palehouse and Halland form part of the parish area of 6,700 acres .-History:It is likely that Framfield came into existence...
, Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
. Little is known about Turner's schooling, but his clear handwriting, practical mathematical abilities and wide intellectual interests suggest a reasonable level of education. By the age of 21, in 1750, he had taken his shop in East Hoathly.
Turner married his first wife, Margaret ('Peggy') Slater (1733–1761) on 15 October 1753. They had one child together, Peter, who was born on 19 August 1754. On 16 January 1755 Turner wrote that "This morning about 1 o'clock I had the misfortune to lose my little boy Peter, aged 21 weeks, 3 days."
The Diary, 1754–1765
Turner kept a diaryDiary
A diary is a record with discrete entries arranged by date reporting on what has happened over the course of a day or other period. A personal diary may include a person's experiences, and/or thoughts or feelings, including comment on current events outside the writer's direct experience. Someone...
for eleven years of his life, the first surviving entry of which is 21 February 1754. The diary served a number of purposes, including as an accounting book, a record of legal and property dealings, a place for religious reflection and as a means of describing Turner's everyday life. The failure of his marriage to live up to Turner's expectations is a frequent cause of low mood.
Turner was an important figure in the community of East Hoathly. As well as keeping a shop, he served as an undertaker, schoolmaster, surveyor and overseer of the poor. He helped people write wills, manage accounts and collect taxes. He was a regular participant at vestry
Vestry
A vestry is a room in or attached to a church or synagogue in which the vestments, vessels, records, etc., are kept , and in which the clergy and choir robe or don their vestments for divine service....
meetings and an occasional visitor to the Duke of Newcastle
Duke of Newcastle
Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne is a title which has been created three times in British history while the title of Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyne has been created once. The title was created for the first time in the Peerage of England in 1664 when William Cavendish, 1st Marquess of Newcastle-upon-Tyne...
's Halland House.
Aside from socialising and playing cricket, Turner was a keen reader. As well as religious texts, he read works by William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
, John Locke
John Locke
John Locke FRS , widely known as the Father of Liberalism, was an English philosopher and physician regarded as one of the most influential of Enlightenment thinkers. Considered one of the first of the British empiricists, following the tradition of Francis Bacon, he is equally important to social...
, Joseph Addison
Joseph Addison
Joseph Addison was an English essayist, poet, playwright and politician. He was a man of letters, eldest son of Lancelot Addison...
and Samuel Richardson
Samuel Richardson
Samuel Richardson was an 18th-century English writer and printer. He is best known for his three epistolary novels: Pamela: Or, Virtue Rewarded , Clarissa: Or the History of a Young Lady and The History of Sir Charles Grandison...
, among many others. Aside from consuming medical treatises, newspapers, periodicals and jestbooks, his interests included farriery, politics and travel. Turner sometimes read alone, but frequently read books aloud with his wife or his friends.
Diary manuscript and publication history
The diary has never been published in full. David VaiseyDavid Vaisey
David George Vaisey CBE is a British librarian who was Bodley's Librarian from 1986 until 1996.-Life:...
's edition retains about one third of its content. The edition also includes a family tree, short biographies of the diary's major characters and a list of all the reading material mentioned by Turner. The periodical Sussex Archaeological Collections printed some excerpts from the diary in 1859: the text is now in the public domain
Public domain
Works are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...
, and can be read online. The surviving 111-volume manuscript is held in the Sterling Memorial Library
Sterling Memorial Library
Sterling Memorial Library is the largest library at Yale University, containing over 4 million volumes. It is an example of Gothic revival architecture, designed by James Gamble Rogers, adorned with thousands of panes of stained glass created by G. Owen Bonawit.The Library has 15 levels, each with...
at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
.
Vaisey's edition of the diary also cites several documents in the East Sussex Record Office, such as account books and bastardy bonds, which were entirely written by Turner.
Later life
Turner ended his diary a few weeks after his second marriage, to Mary Hicks (1735–1807), on 19 June 1765. The final entry, on 31 July, states that 'I begin once more to be a little settled and am happy in my choice.'In the years after his second marriage, Turner was able to live comfortably. He bought his shop, and also purchased both land and East Hoathly's main public house. He fathered seven children - one girl and six boys. Only three of the children lived to be older than twenty.
Turner died on 6 February 1793 and was buried in East Hoathly churchyard on 11 February. His gravestone is on the right hand side of the church near the Clements Room, just in front of the table tomb of Philip Turner his son, and Philip's family. There is also a gravestone for Peter and Frederick, sons of Thomas and Mary Turner at the same place. A commemorative plaque marks his house.