March 7th.—To the House of Commons till 3.
10th.—To the House of Commons till 4.
May 15th.—Dined at Lord Onslow’s; to the race. {32d} I paid his servants, 4s.
16th.—With Mr. Powell, curate of Abinger, to the race.
July 30th, Sunday.—Mr. Woods came to tell me that Mr. Sturt {32e} died yesterday. To Dorking to Mr. Budgen, Mr. Talbot, and Mr. Scawen.
Aug. 28th.—Meeting of Mr. Smith’s trustees. I was appointed clerk and treasurer, in the place of Mr. Sturt.
Oct. 16th.—In a chaise with Mr. Jenkins to Reading. {33a}
1770, July 27th.—Mr. Jenkins, Mr. Adderley, and Mr. Pacey dined with me. To the Percy Coffee House for an hour; won 15s. {33b}
Aug. 4th.—We set out at 6 with Mr. Jenkins and Mr. Adderley to Shere; dined at Cobham; saw Claremont and Painshill.
5th, Sunday.—To Church; afterwards by Lonesome {33c} to Leith Hill.
6th.—To Lord Aylesford’s house and garden (Albury Park).
Sept. 6th.—Lord Talbot, at the request of Mr. Gray and Mr. Sacker, gave me the place of Clerk of the Verge. I was sworn in this day.
Nov. 19th.—To New Inn: to Mundy’s Coffee House; {33d} reckoning, 3s.
20th.—At 6 with Ford to the Turk’s Head Coffee House; whist; home at 2; reckoning, 6s.; won 10s.
21st.—Mr. and Mrs. Ford drank tea and supped here; Jenkins and Mersey supped; whist, won 2s. 6d.
23rd.—To the Percy Coffee House; home at 10; reckoning, 1s, 9d.; won, 15s.
30th.—To the Percy Coffee House; reckoning, 2s. won 18s.
1771, Jan. 1st.—At Shere {34a}; drank tea and supped at Mr. Botham’s.
3rd.—Dined at Mr. Godschall’s.
6th.—Walked to Sir Frederick Evelyn’s, and dined.
April 12th.—To Wood Street to see a horse; rode the horse to Islington; paid for it, £25. 4s. {34b}
Nov. 5th.—Dined at the Percy Coffee House, and stayed till 10; whist; lost £1. 3s. 6d.
Dec. 2nd.—To the Percy till 10; won 18s.
1772, Jan. 23rd.—Paid admission fee at the Antiquary Society, £5. 5s.
Feb. 28th.—Dined at Mr. Penneck’s {34c}: Sir Joshua Reynolds, Dr. Stebbing, Mr. Lort, and Mr. Astle. At half-past 5, with Mr. Adderley, to Drury Lane: ‘Much Ado about Nothing,’ Mr. Garrick.
April 6th.—With Jerkins to the meeting of the Laudable Society; dined there; dinner, 5s.
Aug. 24th.—Set out with Mr. Jenkins in a postchaise for Wales.
27th.—Being the races at Hereford, could get no chaise, but got horses, and rode to Monmouth.
Extracts From the Diary of William Bray · The Wunder Library — complete classics, free to read, with narration.