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Thomas Turner (diarist)

January 01, 1970

For other people named Thomas Turner, see Thomas Turner (disambiguation).

Thomas Turner (9 June 1729 [OS] – 6 February 1793) was a shopkeeper in East Hoathly, Sussex, England. He is now most widely known for his diary.

Thomas Turner
Born(1729-06-09)9 June 1729
Groombridge, Speldhurst, Kent, England
Died6 February 1793(1793-02-06) (aged 63)
East Hoathly, East Sussex
Resting placeEast Hoathly church
50°55′30″N 0°09′43″E / 50.924977°N 0.161812°E / 50.924977; 0.161812
OccupationShopkeeper
Known forDiary
Spouse(s)Margaret 'Peggy' Slater (15 October 1753 – 23 June 1761)
Mary Hicks (19 June 1765 – 6 February 1793)
ChildrenPeter (1754–1755)
Margaret (1766–1791)
Peter (1768–1786)
Philip (1769–1829)
Frederick (1771–1774)
Michael (1773–1810)
Frederick (b. & d. 1775)
Frederick (b. & d. 1776)[1]
Turner's house in East Hoathly

Early life edit

Turner was born at Groombridge in the parish of Speldhurst, Kent.[2] In 1735 Turner's father took a shop in Framfield, Sussex.[2] Little is known about Turner's schooling, but his clear handwriting, practical mathematical abilities and wide intellectual interests suggest a reasonable level of education.[2] By the age of 21, in 1750, he had taken his shop in East Hoathly.[2]

Turner married his first wife, Margaret ('Peggy') Slater (1733–1761) on 15 October 1753.[2] They had one child together, Peter, who was born on 19 August 1754.[2] 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."[3]

The Diary, 1754–1765 edit

Turner kept a diary 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 his low mood in the diary's entries.[2]

Turner was an important figure in the community of East Hoathly.[2] 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.[2] He was a regular participant at vestry meetings and an occasional visitor to the Duke of Newcastle's Halland House.[2]

Aside from socialising and playing cricket, Turner was a keen reader.[2] 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.[4]

Diary manuscript and publication history edit

The diary has never been published in full. David Vaisey's edition retains about one third of its content.[2] The edition also includes a family tree, short biographies of the diary's major characters and a list of Turner's reading material mentioned in Vaisey's extracts.[5] 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.[6] The surviving 111-volume manuscript is held in the Sterling Memorial Library at Yale University.[7]

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.[8][9]

Later life edit

 
Thomas Turner Drive in East Hoathly

Turner ended his diary a few weeks after his second marriage, to Mary Hicks (1735–1807), on 19 June 1765.[2] The final entry, on 31 July, states that 'I begin once more to be a little settled and am happy in my choice.'[10]

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.[2] 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.[2] 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.

References edit

  1. ^ Vaisey, David, ed. (1994). Diary of Thomas Turner, 1754-1765. East Hoathly: CTR Publishing. pp. 324–325. ISBN 0-9524516-0-3.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Vaisey, David (2004). "Turner, Thomas (1729–1793), diarist and shopkeeper". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford: Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/48266. Retrieved 16 January 2010.
  3. ^ Vaisey, David, ed. (1994). Diary of Thomas Turner, 1754-1765. East Hoathly: CTR Publishing. p. 4. ISBN 0-9524516-0-3.
  4. ^ Vaisey, David, ed. (1994). Diary of Thomas Turner, 1754-1765. East Hoathly: CTR Publishing. p. 347. ISBN 0-9524516-0-3.
  5. ^ Vaisey, David, ed. (1994). Diary of Thomas Turner, 1754-1765. East Hoathly: CTR Publishing. pp. 324–53. ISBN 0-9524516-0-3.
  6. ^ Blencowe, R.W.; Lower, M.A. (1859). "Extracts from the diary of a Sussex tradesman, a hundred years ago". Sussex Archaeological Collections. 11: 179–220. doi:10.5284/1085219. OCLC 1608099.
  7. ^ "Thomas Turner Papers". Manuscripts and Archives, Yale University Library. hdl:10079/fa/mssa.ms.0509. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
  8. ^ Vaisey, David, ed. (1994). Diary of Thomas Turner, 1754-1765. East Hoathly: CTR Publishing. p. 11. ISBN 0-9524516-0-3.
  9. ^ "E.S.R.O., Overseers' account book (PAR 378/31/1/1), June 1761 – April 1779". Retrieved 20 January 2010.
  10. ^ Vaisey, David, ed. (1994). Diary of Thomas Turner, 1754-1765. East Hoathly: CTR Publishing. p. 323. ISBN 0-9524516-0-3.

Further reading edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Thomas Turner.
  • Blencowe, R.W.; Lower, M.A. (1859). "Extracts from the diary of a Sussex tradesman, a hundred years ago". Sussex Archaeological Collections. 11: 179–220. doi:10.5284/1085219. OCLC 1608099.
  • Davey, Roger (2000). "The origins of Thomas Turner". Sussex Archaeological Collections. 138: 191–219. doi:10.5284/1086593.
  • Davey, Roger (2004). "The birth date of Thomas Turner". Sussex Archaeological Collections. 142: 150.  
  • Dickens, Charles (1861). "Thomas Turner's Back Parlour". All the Year Round. 5: 45–48.
  • Tadmor, N. (1996). "The concept of the household-family in eighteenth-century England". Past & Present. 151 (1): 111–140. doi:10.1093/past/151.1.111.
  • Tadmor, Naomi (1996). "Chapter 9: 'In the even my wife read to me': women, reading and household life in the eighteenth century". In Raven, James; Small, Helen; Tadmor, Naomi (eds.). The Practice and representation of reading in England. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 162–174. ISBN 978-0-521-48093-2.
  • Tadmor, Naomi (2001). Family and friends in eighteenth-century England: household, kinship, and patronage. Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-77147-1.
  • Worcester, Dean K. (1948). The life and times of Thomas Turner of East Hoathly. Yale University Press.

External links edit

  • Thomas Turner papers (MS 509). Manuscripts and Archives, Yale University Library. [1]
  • The 1859 diary extract on Google Books
  • Turner's house on Open Plaques
  • The World of Thomas Turner on the Caught by the River website

January 01, 1970
thomas, turner, diarist, other, people, named, thomas, turner, thomas, turner, disambiguation, thomas, turner, june, 1729, february, 1793, shopkeeper, east, hoathly, sussex, england, most, widely, known, diary, thomas, turnerborn, 1729, june, 1729groombridge, . For other people named Thomas Turner see Thomas Turner disambiguation Thomas Turner 9 June 1729 OS 6 February 1793 was a shopkeeper in East Hoathly Sussex England He is now most widely known for his diary Thomas TurnerBorn 1729 06 09 9 June 1729Groombridge Speldhurst Kent EnglandDied6 February 1793 1793 02 06 aged 63 East Hoathly East SussexResting placeEast Hoathly church50 55 30 N 0 09 43 E 50 924977 N 0 161812 E 50 924977 0 161812OccupationShopkeeperKnown forDiarySpouse s Margaret Peggy Slater 15 October 1753 23 June 1761 Mary Hicks 19 June 1765 6 February 1793 ChildrenPeter 1754 1755 Margaret 1766 1791 Peter 1768 1786 Philip 1769 1829 Frederick 1771 1774 Michael 1773 1810 Frederick b amp d 1775 Frederick b amp d 1776 1 Turner s house in East Hoathly Contents 1 Early life 2 The Diary 1754 1765 2 1 Diary manuscript and publication history 3 Later life 4 References 5 Further reading 6 External linksEarly life editTurner was born at Groombridge in the parish of Speldhurst Kent 2 In 1735 Turner s father took a shop in Framfield Sussex 2 Little is known about Turner s schooling but his clear handwriting practical mathematical abilities and wide intellectual interests suggest a reasonable level of education 2 By the age of 21 in 1750 he had taken his shop in East Hoathly 2 Turner married his first wife Margaret Peggy Slater 1733 1761 on 15 October 1753 2 They had one child together Peter who was born on 19 August 1754 2 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 3 The Diary 1754 1765 editTurner kept a diary 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 his low mood in the diary s entries 2 Turner was an important figure in the community of East Hoathly 2 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 2 He was a regular participant at vestry meetings and an occasional visitor to the Duke of Newcastle s Halland House 2 Aside from socialising and playing cricket Turner was a keen reader 2 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 4 Diary manuscript and publication history edit The diary has never been published in full David Vaisey s edition retains about one third of its content 2 The edition also includes a family tree short biographies of the diary s major characters and a list of Turner s reading material mentioned in Vaisey s extracts 5 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 6 The surviving 111 volume manuscript is held in the Sterling Memorial Library at Yale University 7 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 8 9 Later life edit nbsp Thomas Turner Drive in East Hoathly Turner ended his diary a few weeks after his second marriage to Mary Hicks 1735 1807 on 19 June 1765 2 The final entry on 31 July states that I begin once more to be a little settled and am happy in my choice 10 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 2 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 2 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 References edit Vaisey David ed 1994 Diary of Thomas Turner 1754 1765 East Hoathly CTR Publishing pp 324 325 ISBN 0 9524516 0 3 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Vaisey David 2004 Turner Thomas 1729 1793 diarist and shopkeeper Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Oxford Oxford University Press doi 10 1093 ref odnb 48266 Retrieved 16 January 2010 Vaisey David ed 1994 Diary of Thomas Turner 1754 1765 East Hoathly CTR Publishing p 4 ISBN 0 9524516 0 3 Vaisey David ed 1994 Diary of Thomas Turner 1754 1765 East Hoathly CTR Publishing p 347 ISBN 0 9524516 0 3 Vaisey David ed 1994 Diary of Thomas Turner 1754 1765 East Hoathly CTR Publishing pp 324 53 ISBN 0 9524516 0 3 Blencowe R W Lower M A 1859 Extracts from the diary of a Sussex tradesman a hundred years ago Sussex Archaeological Collections 11 179 220 doi 10 5284 1085219 OCLC 1608099 Thomas Turner Papers Manuscripts and Archives Yale University Library hdl 10079 fa mssa ms 0509 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a Missing or empty url help Vaisey David ed 1994 Diary of Thomas Turner 1754 1765 East Hoathly CTR Publishing p 11 ISBN 0 9524516 0 3 E S R O Overseers account book PAR 378 31 1 1 June 1761 April 1779 Retrieved 20 January 2010 Vaisey David ed 1994 Diary of Thomas Turner 1754 1765 East Hoathly CTR Publishing p 323 ISBN 0 9524516 0 3 Further reading edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Thomas Turner Blencowe R W Lower M A 1859 Extracts from the diary of a Sussex tradesman a hundred years ago Sussex Archaeological Collections 11 179 220 doi 10 5284 1085219 OCLC 1608099 Davey Roger 2000 The origins of Thomas Turner Sussex Archaeological Collections 138 191 219 doi 10 5284 1086593 Davey Roger 2004 The birth date of Thomas Turner Sussex Archaeological Collections 142 150 nbsp Dickens Charles 1861 Thomas Turner s Back Parlour All the Year Round 5 45 48 Tadmor N 1996 The concept of the household family in eighteenth century England Past amp Present 151 1 111 140 doi 10 1093 past 151 1 111 Tadmor Naomi 1996 Chapter 9 In the even my wife read to me women reading and household life in the eighteenth century In Raven James Small Helen Tadmor Naomi eds The Practice and representation of reading in England Cambridge Cambridge University Press pp 162 174 ISBN 978 0 521 48093 2 Tadmor Naomi 2001 Family and friends in eighteenth century England household kinship and patronage Cambridge U K Cambridge University Press ISBN 0 521 77147 1 Worcester Dean K 1948 The life and times of Thomas Turner of East Hoathly Yale University Press External links editThomas Turner papers MS 509 Manuscripts and Archives Yale University Library 1 The 1859 diary extract on Google Books Turner s house on Open Plaques The World of Thomas Turner on the Caught by the River website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Thomas Turner diarist amp oldid 1199582533, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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