2 ‘ & 5 TB 2 ~ & ~~ = SN ¢+Uhle C7 ee \ he waniarons Oitinary ie DUISVN AGE Q y yet ee yg Grigst Zohn A aale7e* As. i 2GS On WY, ELEVA 7uUn Cog (Strat © © Ears 1% J _ é i.) __ ? \ rel Oh Rr. CG “ ® a y Y - | \) \) \) iw’ :) “\ ig Lubal us rc Le" COUNT tony , Poplar { yy He a Liay Sharps ( my PlumbP \ Larke;,y Hue C. q James (a Oo Blackftones J. wee i j ht > y 7 car ae 7 : - . ’ a- , Pie's 7 - SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 253 WASHINGTON, DC 1968 The Cultural History of Marlborough, Virginia An Archeological and Historical Investigation of the Port Town for Stafford County and the Plantation of John Mercer, Including Data Supplied by Frank M. Setzler and Oscar H. Darter C. MALCOLM WATKINS CuRATOR OF CULTURAL HIsTorRY Museum or History AND TECHNOLOGY’ SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION PRESS SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION «© WASHINGTON, D.C. « Publications of the United States National Museum The scholarly and scientific publications of the United States National Museum include two series, Proceedings of the United States National Museum and United States National Museum Bulletin. In these series, the Museum publishes original articles and monographs dealing with the collections and work of its constituent museums—The Museum of Natural History and the Museum of History and ‘Technology—setting forth newly acquired facts in the fields of anthropology, biology, history, geology, and technology. Copies of each publication are distributed to libraries, to cultural and scientific organizations, and to specialists and others interested in the different subjects. The Proceedings, begun in 1878, are intended for the publication, in separate form, of shorter papers from the Museum of Natural History. These are gathered in volumes, octavo in size, with the publication date of each paper recorded in the table of contents of the volume. In the Bulletin series, the first of which was issued in 1875, appear longer, separate publications consisting of monographs (occasionally in several parts) and volumes in which are collected works on related subjects. Bulletins are either octavo or quarto in size, depending on the needs of the presentation. Since 1902 papers relating to the botanical collections of the Museum of Natural History have been published in the Bulletin series under the heading Contributions from the United States National Herbarium, and since 1959, in Bulletins titled “‘Contributions from the Museum of History and Technology,” have been gathered shorter papers relating to the collections and research of that Museum. This work forms volume 253 of the Bulletin series. Frank A. Taytor Director, United States National Museum For sale by the Superinten t of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, D GC. 20402 - Price $3.75 Contents Preface History. I IT: III. IV. V. VI. Official port towns in Virginia and origins of Rabaoisk John Mercer’s occupation of Marlborough, 1726-1730 . Mercer’s consolidation of Marlborough, 1730-1740 Marlborough at its ascendancy, 1741-1750 . Mercer and Marlborough, from zenith to decline, 1751 1768 - Dissolution of Marlborough ARCHEOLOGY AND ARCHITECTURE . VII. VIII. The site, its problem, and preliminary tests . Archeological techniques . IX. Wall system ak ai X. Mansion foundation iSerceniee B). XI. Kitchen foundation (Structure E) . a XII. Supposed smokehouse foundation (Structure F) , XIIL. Pits and other structures . XIV. Stafford courthouse south of poraase fers ARTIFACTS . XV. Ceramics XVI. Glass . : XVIL. Objects of pieced) th use XVIII. Metalwork . XIX. Conclusion . GENERAL CONCLUSIONS XX. Summary of findings Appendixes A. Inventory of George Andrews, Ordinary Keeper . B. Inventory of Peter Beach . C. Charges to account of Mosley Battaley D. “Domestick Expenses,” 1725. E. John Mercer's reading, 1726-1732 F. Credit side of John Mercer's account with Nathaniel Chapman G. Overwharton Parish account H. Colonists identified by John Mercer according to occupation I. Materials listed in accounts with Hunter and Dick, Fredericksburg J. George Mercer's expenses while attending college K. John Mercer's library. L. Botanical record and prevailing temperatures, 1767 M. Inventory of Marlborough, 1771 . 107 a 115 123 125 145 155 159 173 175 177 181 183 184 185 186 191 193 194 195 195 197 198 209 211 213 Preface A number of people participated in the preparation of this study. The inspiration for the archeological and historical investigations came from Professor Osear H. Darter, who until 1960 was chairman of the Department of Historical and Social Sciences at Mary Washington College, the women’s branch of the University of Virginia. The actual excavations were made under the direction of Frank M. Setzler, formerly the head curator of anthropology at the Smithsonian Institution. None of the investigation would have been possible had not the owners of the property permitted the excavations to be made, sometimes at considerable inconvenience to them- selves. I am indebted to W. Biscoe, Ralph Whitticar, Jr., and Thomas Ashby, all of whom owned the ex- cavated areas at Marlborough; and T. Ben Williams, whose cornfield includes the site of the 18th-century Stafford County courthouse, south of Potomac Creek. For many years Dr. Darter has been a resident of Fredericksburg and, in the summers, of Marlborough Point on the Potomac River. During these years, he has devoted himself to the history of the Stafford County area which lies between these two locations in northeastern Virginia. Marlborough Point has interested Dr. Darter especially since it is the site of one of the Virginia colonial port towns designated by Act of Assembly in 1691. During the town’s brief existence, it was the location of the Stafford County courthouse and the place where the colonial planter and lawyer John Mercer established his home in 1726. Tangible evidence of colonial activities at Marlborough Point—in the form of brickbats and potsherds—still can be seen after each plowing, while John Mercer's “Land Book,” examined anew by Dr, Darter, has revealed the origi- nal survey plats of the port town. In this same period and as carly as 1938, Dr, T. Dale Stewart (then curator of physical anthropology at the Smithsonian Institution) had commenced excavations at the Indian village site of Patawomecke, a few hundred yards west of the Marlborough Town site. The aboriginal backgrounds of the area includ- ing Marlborough Point already had been investigated. As the result of his historical research connected with this project, Dr. Stewart has contributed fundamen- tally to the present undertaking by foreseeing the excavations of Marlborough Town as a logical step beyond his own investigation. Motivated by this combination of interests, circum- stances, and historical clues, Dr. Darter invited the Smithsonian Institution to participate in an archeo- logical investigation of Marlborough. Preliminary tests made in August 1954 were sufficiently rewarding to justify such a project, Consequently, an applica- tion for funds was prepared jointly and was submitted by Dr. Darter through the University of Virginia to the American Philosophical Society. In January 1956 grant number 159, Johnson Fund (1955), for $1500 was assigned to the program. In addition, the Smithsonian Institution contributed the professional services necessary for field research and directed the purchase of microfilms and photostats, the drawing of maps and illustrations, and the preparation and publication of this report. Dr. Darter hospitably provided the use of his Marlborough Point cottage during the period of excavation, and Mary Washing- ton College administered the grant. Frank Setzler directed the excavations during a six-week period in April and May 1956, while interpretation of cultural material and the searches of historical data related to it were carried out by C. Malcolm Watkins. At the commencement of archeological work it was expected that traces of the 17th- and carly (8th- century town would be found, including, perhaps, the foundations of the courthouse, This expectation was not realized, although what was found from the vu Mercer period proved to be of greater importance. After completion, a report was made in the 1956 Year Book of the American Philosophical Society (pp. 304-308). After the 1956 excavations, the question remained whether the principal foundation (Structure B) might not have been that of the courthouse. Therefore, in August 1957 a week-long effort was made to find comparative evidence by digging the site of the succeeding 18th-century Stafford County courthouse at the head of Potomac Creek. This disclosed a foundation sufficiently different from Structure B to rule out any analogy between the two. It should be made clear that—because of the limited size of the grant—the archeological phase of the in- vestigation was necessarily a limited survey. Only the more obvious features could be examined within the means at the project’s disposal. No final conclusions relative to Structure B, for example, are warranted until the section of foundation beneath the highway which crosses it can be excavated. Further excava- tions need to be made south and southeast of Structure B and elsewhere in search of outbuildings and evidence of 17th-century occupancy. Despite such limitations, this study is a detailed examination of a segment of colonial Virginia’s plantation culture. It has been prepared with the hope that it will provide Dr. Darter with essential material for his area studies and, also, with the wider objective of increasing the knowledge of the material culture of colonial America. Appropriate to the function of a museum such as the Smithsonian, this study is concerned principally with what is concrete—objects and artifacts and the meanings that are to be derived from them. It has relied upon the mutually dependent techniques of archeologist and cultural historian and will serve, it is hoped, as a guide to further investigations of this sort by his- torical museums and organizations. Among the many individuals contributing to this study, I am especially indebted to Dr. Darter; to the members of the American Philosophical Society who made the excavations possible; to Dr. Stewart, who reviewed the archeological sections at each step as they were written; to Mrs. Sigrid Hull who drew the line-and-stipple illustrations which embellish the report; Edward G. Schumacher of the Bureau of American Ethnology, who made the archeological maps and drawings; Jack Scott of the Smithsonian photographic laboratory, who photographed the arti- facts; and George Harrison Sanford King of Fred- ericksburg, from whom the necessary documentation for the 18th-century courthouse site was obtained. I am grateful also to Dr. Anthony N. B. Garvan, professor of American civilization at the University of Pennsylvania and former head curator of the Smithsonian Institution’s department of civil history, for invaluable encouragement and advice; and to Worth Bailey formerly with the Historic American Buildings Survey, for many ideas, suggestions, and im- portant identifications of craftsmen listed in Mercer's ledgers. I am equally indebted to Ivor Noél Hume, director of archeology at Colonial Williamsburg and an honorary research associate of the Smithsonian Insti- tution, for his assistance in the identification of artifacts; to Mrs. Mabel Niemeyer, librarian of the Bucks County Historical Society, for her cooperation in making the Mercer ledgers available for this re- port; to Donald E. Roy, librarian of the Darlington Library, University of Pittsburgh, for providing the invaluable clue that directed me to the ledgers; to the staffs of the Virginia State Library and the Alex- andria Library for repeated courtesies and coopera- tion; and to Miss Rodris Roth, associate curator of cultural history at the Smithsonian, for detecting Thomas Oliver’s inventory of Marlborough in a least suspected source. I greatly appreciate receiving generous permissions from the University of Pittsburgh Press to quote ex- tensively from the George Mercer Papers Relating to the Ohio Company of Virginia, and from Russell & Russell Marlborough. to copy Thomas Oliver’s inventory of To all of these people and to the countless others who contributed in one way or another to the completion of this study, I offer my grateful thanks. CG. Martcotm WaTKINS Washington, D.C. 1967 The Cultural History ot Marlborough, Virginia Fils LORY Oficial Port Towns tn Fireinia and Orreims of Marlborough ESTABLISHING THE PORT TOWNS The dependence of 17th-century Virginia upon the single crop—tobacco—was a chronic problem. A bad crop year or a depressed English market could plunge the whole colony into debt, creating a chain reaction of overextended credits and failures to meet obligations. Tobacco exhausted the soil, and_ soil exhaustion led to an ever-widening search for new land. This in turn brought about population dispersal and extreme decentralization. After the Restoration in 1660 the Virginia colonial government was faced not only with these economic hazards but also with the resulting administrative difficulties. population and almost impossible to collect customs It was awkward to govern a scattered duties on imports landed at the planters’ own wharves along hundreds of miles of inland waterways. The royal governors and responsible persons in the Assembly reacted plans to establish towns that would be the sole therefore with a succession of ports of entry for the areas they served, thus making theoretically simple the task of securing customs The towns also would be centers of busi- manufacture, economic supports and lessening its dependence on tobacco, To men of English origin this establishment of port communities must have seemed natural and logical. The first such proposal became law in revenues, ness and diversifying the colony's 1662, establishing a port town for each of the major river stern Shore. But the law’s valleys and for the Ex sponsors were doomed to disappointment, for the towns were not built.'. After a considerable lapse, a new act was passed in 1680, this one better imple- mented and further reaching. It provided for a port town in each county, where ships were to deliver their goods and pick up tobacco and other exports from town warchouses for their return voyages.’ One of its most influential supporters was William Fitzhugh of Stafford County, a wealthy planter and distinguished leader in the colony.’ “We have now resolved a cessation of making Tob® next year,” he wrote to his London agent, Captain Partis, in 1680, can meet with any tradesmen that will come and live “We are also going to make Towns, if you 1Wirttam Waiter Heninc, The Statutes at Large Being a Collection of All the Laws of Virginia (New York, 1823), vol. 2, pp. 172-176 ? Ibid., vol. 2, pp. 471-478 * William Fitzhugh was founder of the renowned Virginia family that bear his name. As chief justice of the Stafford County court, burgess, merchant, and wealthy planter epitomized the landed aristocrat in 1 7th-century Virginia. S “Letters of William Fitzhugh,” Virgie Macece f Biography (Richmond, 1894), vol, 1, p. 17 (hereinafter ug: nated VHM), and William Fitzhugh and Hu | spree i (1676-1701), edit Richard Beale Davis (Chapel tl The University of North Carolina Pres, for the Virgi Socicty, 1963), Historical sono Mor ae are i MAY aul wereny ergy ye rel ret on by ag Ly hae 4 dp Proms ro pry hy wo sdéw bre us ry ecall ys japreey sor 149 2 MATDHOYY POLO rIaysiH> BOLLE vo0r'7y JEDNAs oerl ate banger honey yt oat peyenrcno orb srrnffie perp aaipeip rh ons TT add Ae PCR eer esne oH ire gerd ZB, Po OR SVE7HD CMM A44 e040 byron peg eryie ua per iaw ov a4 HMO UL CWO Phy RS 5 : Tenet esate 8 . rd ~ x > 5 Pace sz ity ‘ is Nie dite os aio & 3 Na d Metre ees nS & ea) ee SMA : hs a at a te ets ee P : eats PER > SESEw Goi. x Bu; x2 = 3 ~ tx alee iN GleFs Sas ES Sr S * a~) > a N 3 = 2 z > ; — op € fo rypooge muohrcrrypy vyy er pene woop fo sdwy so pore oh 1608. 91 ,A 12 1 €' 96 petew retcbo ps 2 79 wary Lunsag 22199 YF WIPED ryFO\UMpES 24 o> wd OG DF, 27 rH4 Crt G6 REF aicag ocak scp mapeeeut goats porn, wrdog, The Had Course S” 6 LIS LK stoop oy ‘ Cesare peteipon een LAO? 244 4 7277 ** Lon, nom eopmys> EL . pT ease © 7 W224 se sesafo Bye ihy payais fae r3 gp emcee np uted gondics so P44 POMOC YELMO egg 10 wp ay Pp wary ome qorbue oP we) Ae a fre IL OLEH. 306729 ITVS, ASTI MD Pry unseen y rep w sof Loqr ewer ybry ayy 10 bus Wyman ys trey poy og erpet tl | 6 1D wep erer>ty at the Town, they may have privileges and im- munitys.”’ * Some of these towns actually were laid out, each on a 50-acre tract of half-acre lots, but only 9 tracts were built upon. The Act soon lagged and collapsed. It was unpopular with the colonists, who were obliged to transport their tobacco to distant warehouses and to pay storage fees; it was ignored by shipmasters, who were in the habit of dealing directly with planters at their wharves and who were not interested in making it any easier for His Majesty’s customs collectors.° Nevertheless, efforts to come up with a third act began in 1688.° William Fitzhugh, especially, was articulate in his alarm over Virginia’s one-crop economy, the effects of which the towns were sup- posed to mitigate. At this time he referred to tobacco as “our most despicable commodity.”’ A year later, he remarked, “it is more uncertain for a Planter to get money by consigned Tob” then to get a prize in a lottery, there being twenty chances for one chance.” ‘ In April 1691 the Act for Ports was passed, the House, significantly, recording only one dissenting vote.* Unlike its predecessor, which encouraged trades and crafts, this Act was justified purely on the basis of overcoming the “great opportunity . . . given to such as attempt to import or export goods and merchandises, without entering or paying the duties and customs due thereupon, much practised by 4 VHM, op. cit., p. 30. * Ropert Bevertey, The History and Present State of Virginia, edit. Louis B. Wright (Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 1947), p. 88; Pritie ALexanper Bruce, Eco- nomic History of Virginia, 2nd ed. (New York: P. Smith, 1935), vol, 2, pp. 553-554. © Journals of the House of Burgesses of Virginia (hereinafter designated JHB) 1659/60-1693, edit. H. R. McIlwaine (Rich- mond, Virginia: Virginia State Library, 1914), pp. 303, 305, 308, 315. 7 “Letters of William Fitzhugh,’ VHM (Richmond, 1895), vol. 2, pp. 374-375. * JHB 1659/60-1693, op. cit. (footnote 6), p. 351. <———_ Figure 2.—Survey plats of Marlborough as copied in John Mercer’s Land Book showing at bottom, John Savage's, 1731; and top, William Buckner’s and Theodorick Bland’s, 1691. (The courthouse prob- ably stood in the vicinity of lot 21.) greedy and covetous persons.’ It provided that all exports and imports should be taken up or set down at the specified ports and nowhere else, under penalty of forfeiting ship, gear, and cargo, and that the law should become effective October |, 1692. The towns again were to be surveyed and laid out in 50-acre tracts. Feoffees, to be appointed, would grant half- acre lots on a pro rata first-cost basis. Grantees “shall within the space of four months next ensucing such grant begin and without delay proceed to build and finish on each half acre one good house, to con- taine twenty foot square at the least, wherein if he fails to performe them such grant to be void in law, and the lands therein granted lyable to the choyce and purchase of any other person.”’ Justices of the county courts were to fill vacancies among the feof- fees and to appoint customs collectors.” THE PORT TOWN FOR STAFFORD COUNTY The difficulties confronting the central and local governing bodies in putting the Acts into effect are illustrated by the attempts to establish a port town for Stafford County. Under the act of 1680 a town was to be built at ‘Peace Point,’’ where the Catholic refugee Giles Brent had settled nearly forty years before, but there is no evidence that even so much as a survey was made there. The 169! Act for Ports located the town at Potomac Neck, where Accokeek Creek and Potomac Creek converge on the Potomac River. Situated about three miles below the previously designated site, it was again on Brent property, lying within a tract leased for life to Captain Malachi Peale, former high sheriff of Stafford. On October 9, 1691, the Stafford Court “ordered that Mr. William Buckner deputy Surveyor of this County shall on Thursday next . . . repair to the Malachy Peale neck being the place allotted by act of assembly for this Town and Port of this County and shall then and there Survey and Lay Out the said Towne or Port . . . to the Interest that all the gentlemen of and all other of the Inhabitants may take up such Lot and Lots as be and they desire...’ On the same day John Withers and Matthew Thompson, both justices of the peace, were appointed “Feoffees in Trust.’ Young Giles Brent, “son and heir of Giles Brent Gent. late of this county dee™” yet 21, selected Francis Hammersicy as his guardian. and not * Hentno, op. cit. (footnote |), vol. 3, pp. 4-69. Hammersley in this capacity became the adminis- trator of Brent’s affairs, and accordingly it was agreed that 13,000 pounds of tobacco should be paid to him in exchange for the 50 acres of town land owned by Brent. Actually, 52 acres were surveyed, “two of the said acres being the Land belonging to and laid out for the Court House according to a former Act of As- sembly and the other fifty acres pursuant to the late Act for Ports.” The ‘former Act of Assembly” which had been passed in 1667 had stipulated the allotment of two-acre tracts for churches and court- houses, which in case the lots “be deserted y* land shall revert to y® Ist proprietor . ee Onetie extra two acres Hammersley was given 800 pounds of tobacco in addition. Of the total of 13,800 pounds, 3450 were set aside to compensate Malachi Peale for the loss of his leasehold. The order for the survey to be made was a formality, since the plat had actually been drawn ahead of time by Buckner on August 16, nearly two months before; clearly the Staffordians were eager to begin their town. Buckner’s plat was copied by his superior, Theodorick Bland, and entered in the now-missing Stafford Survey Book. John Savage, a later sur- veyor, in 1731 provided John Mercer with a duplicate of Bland’s copy, which has survived in John Mercer’s Land Book (fig. 2).'? On February 11, 1692, the feoffees granted 27 lots to 15 applicants. John Mercer’s later review of the town’s history in this period states that “many” of the ‘8 Two ordinaries were licensed, one in 1691 and one in 1693, but no business activity other than the Potomac Creek ferry seems to have been conducted.“ Any future the town might have had was erased by the same adverse reactions that had killed the previous port acts. The lots were “built on and improved.” merchants and shippers used their negative influence and on March 22, y* act for Ports &c till their Maj** pleasure shall be 1693, a “‘bill for suspension of known therein or till y® next assembly” passed the house. In due course the act was reviewed and re- William turned unsigned for further consideration. 0 Stafford County Order Book, 1689-1694 (MS bound with order book for 1664-1688, but paginated separately), pp. 175, 177, 180, 189, 1 “Mills”? VHM (Richmond, 1903), vol. 10, pp. 147-148. 2 John Mercer’s Land Book (MS., Virginia State Library). 8 JHB, 1742-1747; 1748-1749 (Richmond, 1909), pp. 285- Stafford County Order Book, 1689-1694, pp. 184, 357, Fitzhugh, on October 17, 1693, dutifully read the recommendation of the Committee of Grievances and Properties “That the appointment of Ports & in- joyneing the Landing and Shipping of all goods imported or to be exported at & from the same will (considering the present circumstances of the Country) be very injurious & burthensome to the Inhabitants thereof and traders thereunto.” '° Doubtless dictated by the Board of Trade in London, the recommendation was a defeat for those who, like Fitzhugh, sought by the establishment of towns to break tobacco’s strangle- hold on Virginia. THE ACT FOR PORTS OF 1705 AND THE NAMING OF MARLBOROUGH Nevertheless, the town idea was hard to kill. In 1705 Stafford’s port town, along with those in the other counties, was given a new lease on life when still another Act for Ports, introduced by Robert Beverley, was passed. This Act repeated in substance the provisions of its immediate fore- runner, but provided in addition extravagant in- ducements to settlement. Those who inhabited the towns were exempted from three-quarters of the customs duties paid by others; they were freed of poll taxes for 15 years; they were relieved from military mustering outside the towns and from marching outside, excepting the ‘‘exigency” of war (and then only for a distance of no more than 50 miles). Goods and ‘“‘dead provision’ were not to be sold outside within a 5-mile radius, and ordinaries (other than those within the towns) were not permitted closer than 10 miles to the towns’ boundaries, except at courthouses and ferry landings. Each town was to be a free “burgh,” and, when it had grown to 30 families ‘‘besides ordinary keepers,” “eight principal inhabitants” were to be chosen by vote of the “‘free- holders and inhabitants of the town of twenty-one years of age and upwards, not being servants or apprentices,” to be called ‘‘benchers of the guild- hall.” These eight ‘“‘benchers’” would govern the town for life or until removal, selecting a ‘‘director”’ from themselves. When 60 families had settled, “brethren assistants of the guild hall’? were to be elected similarly to serve as a common council. Each town was to have two market days a week and an annual five-day fair. The towns listed under the Act were virtually the same as before, but this among 15 HENING, op. cit. (footnote |), vol. 3, pp. 108-109. time each was given an official name, the hitherto anonymous town for Stafford being called Marl- borough in honor of the hero of the recent victory at Blenheim."® The elaborate vision of the Act’s sponsors never was realized in the newly christened town, but there was in due course a slight resumption of activity in it. George Mason and William Fitzhugh, Jr. (the son of William Fitzhugh of Stafford County) were appointed feoffees in 1707, and a new survey was made by Thomas Gregg. The following year seven more lots were granted, and for an interval of two years Marlborough functioned technically as an official port.'” Inevitably, perhaps, history repeated itself. In 1710 the Act for Ports, like its predecessors, was rescinded. The reasons given in London were brief and straight- forward; the Act, it was explained, was “‘designed to Encourage by great Priviledges the settling in Town- ships.” These settlements would encourage manu- factures, which, in turn, would promote “further Improvement of the said manufactures, And _ take them off from the Planting of Tobacco, which would be of Very Ill consequence,’ thus lessening the colony’s dependence on the Kingdom, affecting the import of tobacco, and prejudicing shipping.'’ Clearly, the Crown did not want the towns to succeed, nor would it tolerate anything which might stimulate colonial self-dependence. The Virginia colonists’ dream of corporate communities was not to be realized. Most of the towns either died entirely or struggled on as crossroads villages. A meager few have sur- vived to the present, notably Norfolk, Hampton, Yorktown, and Tappahannock. Marlborough lasted as a town until about 1720, but in about 1718 the courthouse and several dwellings were destroyed by fire and “A new Court House being built at another Place, all or most of the Houses that had been built in the said Town, were either burnt or suffered to go to ruin,” '° The towns were artificial entities, created by acts 16 Ibid., pp. 404-419. “Petition of John Mercer” (1748), (Ludwell papers, Vir- ginia Historical Society), VHM (Richmond, 1898), vol. 5, pp. 137-138. 18 Calendar of Virginia State Papers and Other Manuscripts, 1652- 1781, edit. William P. Palmer, M.D. (Richmond, 1875), vol. 1, pp. 137-138. JHB, 1742-1747; 1748-1749 (Richmond, 1909), pp. 285- 286. of assembly, not by economic or social necessity. In the few places where they filled a need, notably in the populous areas of the lower James and York Rivers, they flourished without regard to official status. In other places, by contrast, no law or edict sufficed to make them live when conditions did not warrant them, In sparsely settled Stafford especially there was little to nurture a town. It was easier, and perhaps more exciting, to grow tobacco and gamble on a successful crop, to go in debt when things were bad or lend to the less fortunate when things were better. In the latter case land became an acceptable medium for the payment of debts. Land was wealth and power, its enlargement the means of greater production of tobacco—tobacco again the great gamble by which one would always hope to rise and not to fall. When one could own an empire, why should one worry about a town? ESTABLISHING COURTHOUSES The administrative problems that contributed to the establishment of the port towns also called for the erection of courthouses. As early as 1624 lower courts had been authorized for Charles City and Elizabeth City in recognition of the colony’s expansion, and ten years later the colony had been divided into eight counties, with a monthly court established in each. By the Restoration the county courts possessed broadly expanded powers and were the administrative as well as the judicial sources of local government. In prac- tice they were largely self-appointive and were respon- sible for filling most local offices. Since the courts were the vehicles of royal authority, it followed that the physical symbols of this authority should be emphasized by building proper houses of government. At Jamestown orders were given in 1663 to build a statehouse in lieu of the alehouses and ordinaries where laws had been made previously.*” In the same year, four courthouses annually were ordered for the counties, the burgesses having been empowered to “‘make and Signe agreements w"® any that will undertake them to build, who are to give good Caution for the effecting thereof with good sufficient bricks, Lime, and Timber, and that the same be well wrought and after they are finished to bee approved by an able surveyor, before order be given them for their pay.” * Such buildings were to 2° HENING, op, cit. (footnote |), vol. 2, pp. 204-205. | 7HB, 1659/60-1693), op. cit. (footnote 6), p. 28. '2 take the place of private dwellings and ordinaries in the same way as did the statehouse at Jamestown. It was no accident that legislation for houses of government coincided with that for establishing port towns. Each reflected the need for administering the far-flung reaches of the colony and for maintaining order and respect for the crown in remote places. THE COURTHOUSE IN THE PORT TOWN FOR STAFFORD COUNTY Stafford County, which had been set off from Westmoreland in 1664, was provided with a court- Ralph Happel in Stafford and hing George Courthouses and the house within a year of its establishment. Fate of Marlborough, Port of Entry, has given us a detailed chronicle of the Stafford courthouses, show- ing that the first structure was situated south of Potomac Creek until 1690, when it presumably burned.-* The court, in any event, began to meet in a private house on November 12, 1690, while on November 14 one Sampson Darrell was appointed chief undertaker and Ambrose Bayley builder of a new courthouse. A contract was signed between them and the justices of the court to finish the building by June 10, 1692, at a cost of 40,000 pounds of tobacco and cash, half to be paid in 1691 and the remainder upon completion.” With William Fitzhugh the presiding magistrate of the Stafford County court as well as cosponsor of the Act for Ports, it was foreordained that the new courthouse should be tied in with plans for the port The Act for Ports, however, was still in the making, and it was not possible to begin the court- town. house until after its passage in the spring. On June 10, 1691, it was “Ordered by this Court that Capt. George Mason and Mr. Blande the Surveyor shall immediately goe and run over the ground where the Town is to Stand and that they shall then advise and direct M* Samson Darrell the Cheife undertaker of the Court house for this County where he shall Erect and build the same.’ The court’s order was followed by a hectic sequence that reflects, in general, the irresponsibilities, the lack of respect for law and order, and the frontier 22 RatpH Happec, “Stafford and King George Courthouses ind the Fate of Marlborough, Port of Entry,” VHM (Richmond, 3), vol. 66, pp. 183-194. fford County Order Book, 1689-1694. p. 187 199 ] weaknesses which made it necessary to strengthen authority. It begins with Sampson Darrell himself, whose moral shortcomings seem to have been legion (hog-stealing, cheating a widow, and refusing to give indentured servants their freedom after they had earned it, to name a few). Darrell undoubtedly had the fastidious Fitzhugh’s confidence, for certainly without that he would not have been appointed undertaker at all. In his position in the court, Fitzhugh would have been instrumental in selecting both architect and architecture for the courthouse, and Darrell seems to have met his requirements. Fitzhugh, in fact, had sufficient confidence in Darrell to entrust him with personal business in London in 1688." Although several months elapsed before a site was chosen, enough of the new building was erected by October to shelter the court for its monthly assembly. In the course of this session, there occurred a ‘‘most mischievous and dangerous Riot,”*° which rather violently inaugurated the new building. During this disturbance, the pastor of Potomac Parish, Parson John Waugh,” upbraided the court while it was “seated” and took occasion to call Fitzhugh a Papist. The court, taking cognizance of “disorders, misrules and Riots” and ‘the Fatal consequences of such unhappy malignant and Tumultuous proceeding,” thereupon restricted the sale of liquor on court days (thus revealing what was at least accessory to the disturbance).** Fitzhugh’s letter to the court con- cerning this episode mentions the ‘‘Court House”’ and the “Court house yard,’ adding to Happel’s ample 25 William Fitzhugh and His Chesapeake World (1676-1701), op. cit. (footnote 3), p. 241. °° Stafford County Order Book, 1689-1694, p. 194. 7 Tbid., p. 182. *S In Virginia recurrent English fears of Catholic domination were reflected at this time in hysterical rumors that the Roman Catholics of Maryland were plotting to stir up the Indians against Virginia. In Stafford County these suspicions were inflamed by the harangues of Parson John Waugh, minister of Stafford Parish church and Chotank church. Waugh, who seems to have been a rabble rouser, appealed to the same small landholders and malcontents as those who, a generation earlier, had followed Nathaniel Bacon’s leadership. So seri- ously did the authorities at Jamestown regard the disturbance at Stafford courthouse that they sent three councillors to investigate. See “Notes,” William @& Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine (Richmond, 1907), Ist ser., vol. 15, pp. 189-190 (hereinafter designated WMQ [1]; and Richard Beale Davis’ introduction to William Fitzhugh and His Chesa- peake World, op. cit. (footnote 3), pp. 35-39, and p. 251. documentation that the new building was by now in use. During the November session, James Mussen was ordered into custody for having ““dangerously wounded M*. Sampson Darrell.”*’ This suggests that the sequence of disturbances may have been associated with the unfinished state of the courthouse, which, like the town, symbolized the purposes of Fitzhugh and the property-owning aristocracy. Certain it is that Darrell, publicly identified with Fitzhugh, was violently assaulted and that ‘‘a complaint was made to this Court that Sampson Darrell the chief under- taker of the building and Erecting of a Court house for this county had not performed the same according to articles of agreement.*’ He and Bayley accordingly were put under bond to finish the building by June 10, 1692. By February Bayley was complaining that he had not been paid for his work, ‘“‘notwithstanding your pet as is well known to the whole County hath done all the carpenters work thereof and is ready to perform what is yet wanting.” On May 12, less than a month from the deadline for completion, Darrell was ordered to pay Bayley the money owing, and Bayley was instructed to go on with the work. Nearly six months later, on November 10, Darrell again was directed to pay Bayley the full balance of his wages, but only ‘‘after the said Ambrose Bayley shall have finished and Compleatly ended the Court house.”’ *° No description of the courthouse has been found. The Act of 1663 seems to have required a brick building, although its wording is ambiguous. Even if it did stipulate brick, the law was 28 years old in 1691, and its requirements probably were ignored. Although Bayley, the builder, was a carpenter, this would not preclude the possibility that he supervised bricklayers and other artisans. Brick courthouses were not unknown; one was standing in Warwick when the Act for Ports was passed in 1691. Yet, the York courthouse, built in 1692, was a simple building, probably of wood." In any case, the Stafford court- house was a structure large enough to have required more than a year and a half to build, but not so 2” Stafford County Order Book, 1689-1694, p. 167. * Ibid., pp. 1%, 267, 313. " Henina, op. cit. (footnote 1), vol. 3, p. 60; Eowarp M, Ritey, “The Colonial Courthouses of York County, Virginia,” William & Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine (Williams- burg, 1942), 2nd ser., vol. 22, pp, 399-404 (hereinafter desig- nated WAIQ [2)). elaborate as to have cost more than 40,000 pounds of tobacco. LOCATION OF THE STAFFORD COURTHOUSE The location of the building is indicated by a notation on Buckner’s plat of the port town: “The fourth course (runs) down along by the Gutt between Geo: Andrew's & the Court house to Potomack Creek.” A glance at the plat (fig. 2) will disclose that the longitudinal boundaries of all the lots south of a line between George Andrews’ “Gutt" run parallel to this fourth course. Plainly, the courthouse was situated near the head of the gutt, where the westerly boundary course changed, near the end of “The Broad Street Across the Town.” It may be significant that the foundation (Structure B) on which John Mercer’s mansion was later built is located in this vicinity. In or about the year 1718 the courthouse “burnt Down,” ** while it was reported as “being become ruinous” in 1720, with its ‘‘Situation very inconven- ient for the greater part of the Inhabitants.’ It was then agreed to build a new courthouse “‘at the head of Ocqua Creek.” Aquia Creek was probably meant, but this must have been an error and the “head of Potomac Creek” intended instead. Happel shows that it was built on the south side of Potomac Creek. Thus, the burning of the Marlborough courthouse in 1718 merely speeded up the forces that led to the end of the town’s career. MARLBOROUGH PROPERTY OWNERS Not only was Marlborough foredoomed by external decrees and adverse official decisions, but much of its failure was rooted in the local elements by which it was constituted. The great majority of lot holders were the “gentlemen” who were so carefully dis- tinguished from ‘all other of the Inhabitants” in the order to survey the town in 1691. Most were leading personages in Stafford, and we may assume that their purchases of lots were made in the interests of in- vestment gains, not in establishing homes or businesses. Only three or four yeomen and ordinary keepers seem to have settled in the town. Sampson Darrell, for example, held two lots, but he * Petition of John Mercer, loc. cit, (footnote 17 ® Executive Journals of the Council of Colomal Virginia (Rich- mond, 1930), vol, 2, p. 527 lived at Aquia Creck.“* Francis Hammersley was a planter who married Giles Brent’s widow and lived > at “The Retirement,” one of the Brent estates.*° George Brent, nephew of the original Giles Brent, was law partner of William Fitzhugh, and had been appointed Receiver General of the Northern Neck in 1690. His brother Robert also was a lot holder. Both lived at Woodstock, and presumably they did not maintain residences at the port town.®® Other leading citizens were Robert Alexander, Samuel Hay- ward, and Martin Scarlett, but again there is little likelihood that they were ever residents of the town. John Waugh, the uproarious pastor of Potomac Parish, also was a lot holder, but he lived on the south side of Potomac Creek in a house which belonged to Mrs. Anne Meese of London. His failure to pay for that house after 11 years’ occupancy of it, which led to a suit in which Fitzhugh was the prosecutor, does not suggest that he ever arrived at building a house in the port town.” Captain George Mason was a distinguished in- dividual who lived at ‘“‘Accokeek,” about a mile and a half from Marlborough. He certainly built in the town, for in 1691 he petitioned for a license to ““keep an ordinary at the Town or Port for this county.” The petition was granted on condition that he “find a good and Sufficient maintenance and reception Captain Mason was grandfather of Hall, author of the Virginia Bill of Rights, and was, at one both for man and_ horse.” George Mason of Gunston time or another, sheriff, lieutenant colonel and commander in chief of the Stafford Rangers, and a burgess. He participated in putting down the up- rising of Nanticoke Indians in 1692, bringing in captives for trial at the unfinished courthouse in March of that year.* town, however, it is unlikely that he ever lived there. * Despite his interest in the Another lot owner was Captain Malachi Peale, whose lease of the town land from the Brents had been purchased when the site was selected. He also 4 Stafford County Order Book, 1689-1694, p. 251. $5 John Mercer’s Land Book, loc. cit. (footnote 12); William Fitzhugh and His Chesapeake World, op. cit. (footnote 3), p. 209. 36 Tbid., pp. 76, 93, 162, 367. 37 Stafford County Order Book, 1689-1694, p. 203; Wauilliam Fitzhugh and His Chesapeake World, op. cit 209, 211. ' Ibid., pp. 184, 230; John Mercer’s Land Book, op. cit. te 12); William Fitzhugh and His Chesapeake World, op. 20) >), p. O6. >), Pp. (footnote was an important figure, having been sheriff. He may well have lived on one of his three lots, since he was a resident of the Neck to begin with. John Withers, one of the first feoffees and a justice of the peace, was a lot holder also. George Andrews and Peter Beach, somewhat less distinguished, were per- haps the only full-time residents from among the first grantees. After 1708 Thomas Ballard and possibly William Barber were also householders. Thus, few of the ingredients of an active community were to be found at Marlborough, the skilled crafts- men or ship’s chandlers or merchants who might have provided the vitality of commerce and trade not having at any time been present. HOUSING It is likely that most of the houses in the town con- formed to the minimum requirements of 20 by 20 feet. They were probably all of wood, a story and a half high with a chimney built against one end. Forman describes a 20-foot-square house foundation at Jamestown, known as the “‘ House on Isaac Watson’s Land.” This had a brick floor and a fireplace large enough to take an 8-foot log as well as a setting for a brew copper. The ground floor consisted of one room, and there was probably a loft overhead providing extra sleeping and storage space.*® The original portion of the Digges house at Yorktown, built follow- ing the Port Act of 1705 and still standing, is a brick house, also 20 feet square and a story and a half high. Yet, brick houses certainly were not the rule. In remote Stafford County, shortly before the port town was built, the houses of even well-placed individuals were sometimes extremely primitive. William Fitz- hugh wrote in 1687 to his lawyer and merchant friend Nicholas Hayward in London, “‘Your brother Joseph’s building that Shell, of a house without Chimney or partition, & not one tittle of workman- ship about it more than a Tobacco house work, carry’d him into those Arrears with your self & his other Employees, as you found by his Accots. at his death.’ *° Ancient English puncheon-type con- struction, with studs and posts set three feet into the ground, was still in use at Marlborough in 1691, as we know from the contract for building a prison 39 HENRY CHANDLEE ForMAN, Jamestown and St. Mary's (Baltimore, 1938), pp. 135-137. 40 William Fitzhugh and His Chesapeake World, op. cit. (footnote 3), p- 203. quoted by Happel."" No doubt the houses there varied in quality, but we may be sure that most were crude, inexpertly built, of frame or puncheon-type construction, and subject to deterioration by rot and insects. FURNISHINGS OF TWO MARLBOROUGH HOUSES Like George Mason, George Andrews ran an ordi- nary at the port town, having been licensed in 1693, and he also kept the ferry across Potomac Creek.*? He died in 1698, leaving the property to his grandson John Cave. From the inventory of his estate recorded in the Stafford County records (Appendix A) we obtain a picture not only of the furnishings of a house in the port town, but also of what constituted an ordinary.” We are left with no doubt that as a hostelry Andrews’ house left much to be desired. There were no bedsteads, although six small feather beds with bolsters and one old and small flock bed are listed. (Flock consisted of tufted and fragmentary pieces of wool and cotton, while ‘‘Bed”’ referred not to a bedframe or bedstead but to the tick or mattress.) There were two pairs of curtains and valances. In the 17th century a valance was “A border of drapery hanging around the canopy of a bed.” “ Curtains customarily were suspended from within the valance from bone or brass curtain rings on a rod or wire, and were drawn around the bed for privacy or warmth. Where high post bedsteads were used, the curtains and valances were supported on the rectangular frame of the canopy or tester. Since George Andrews did not list any bedsteads, it is possible that his curtains and valances were hung from bracketed frames above low wooden frames that held the bedding. Six of his beds were covered with “rugs,” one of which was “Turkey work.’ There is no indication of sheets or other refinements for sleeping. Andrews’ furniture was old, but apparently of good quality. Four “old” cane chairs, which may have dated back as far as 1660, were probably English, of carved walnut. The “old” table may have had a turned or a joined frame, or possibly may have ‘\ HApPEL, op. cit. (footnote 22), p. 186; Stafford County Order Book, 1689-1694, pp. 210-211. ® Stafford County Order Book, 1689-1694, p, 195. * Stafford County Will Book, Liber Z, pp. 168-169. “A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles (Oxford, 1928), vol. 10, pt. 2, p. 18. been a homemade trestle table. An elegant touch was the “carpet, which undoubtedly covered it. Chests of drawers were rare in the 17th century, so it is surprising to find one described here as ‘“‘old.” “ A “cupboard” was probably a press or court cupboard for the display of plates and dishes and perhaps the pair of “Tankards” listed in the inventory. The latter may have been pewter or German stoneware with pewter mounts. The “couch”? was a combina- tion bed and settee. As in every house there were chests, but of what sort or quality we can only surmise. A “‘great trunk’? provided storage. Andrews’ hospitality as host is symbolized by his lignum vitae punchbowl. Punch itself was something of an innovation and had first made its appearance in England aboard ships arriving from India early in the 1600's. It remained a sailor’s drink throughout most of the century, but had begun to gain in general popularity before 1700 in the colonies. What is more remarkable here, however, is the container. Edward M. Pinto states that such /ignum vitae “wassail’’ bowls were sometimes large enough to hold five gallons of punch and were kept in one place on the table, where all present took part in the mixing. They were lathe- turned and usually stood on pedestals.“© George Andrews’ nutmeg graters, silver spoons, and silver dram cup for tasting the spirits that were poured into the punch were all elegant accessories. Another resident whose estate was inventoried was Peter Beach.“© One of his executors was Daniel Beach, who was paid 300 pounds of tobacco annually from 1700 to 1703 for “sweeping” and “cleaning” the courthouse (Appendix B). Beach's furnishings were scarcely more elaborate than Andrews’. Unlike Andrews, he owned four bedsteads, which with their curtains and fittings (here called ‘“furniture’’) varied in worth from 100 to 1500 pounds of tobacco. Here again was a cupboard, while there were nine chairs with “flag’’ seats and “‘boarded’’ backs (rush-seated chairs, probably of the ‘‘slat-back” or “ladder-back” variety). Eight more chairs and five stools were not described. A “parcel of old tables” was listed, but only one table appears to have been in use. There were pewter and earthenware, but a relatively few cooking utensils. An “old’’ pewter tankard was probably the most elegant drinking vessel, while one “ Enwarp H. Pinto, Treen, or Small Woodware Throughout the Ages (London, 1949), p. 20. Stafford County Will Book, Liber Z, pp. 158-159 candlestick was a grudging concession to the need for artificial light. The only books were two Bibles; the list mentions a single indentured servant. THE GREGG SURVEY In 1707, after the revival of the Port Act, the new county surveyor, Thomas Gregg, made another survey of the town. This was done apparently without regard to Buckner’s original survey. Since Gregg adopted an entirely new system of numbering, and since his survey was lost at an early date, it is impossible to locate by their description the sites of the lots granted in 1708 and after. Forty years later John Mercer wrote: It is certain that Thomas Gregg (being the Surveyor of Stafford County) did Sep 24 1707 make a new Survey of the Town... . it is as certain that Gregg had no regard either to the bounds or numbers of the former Survey since he begins his Numbers the reverse way making his number | in the corner at Buckner’s 19 & as his Survey is not to be found its impossible to tell No scheme I have tried will answer, & the Records differ as much, the how he continued his Numbers. streets according to Buckner’s Survey running thro the House I lived in built by Ballard tho his whole lot was ditched in according to the Bounds made by Gregg.‘ Whatever the intent may have been in laying out formal street and lot plans, Marlborough was essen- tially a rustic village. If Gregg’s plat ran streets through the positions of houses on the Buckner survey, and vice versa, it is clear that not much attention was paid to theoretical property lines or streets. Ballard apparently dug a boundary ditch around his lot, according to Virginia practice in the 17th century, but the fact that this must have en- croached on property assigned to somebedy else on 7 John Mercer’s Land Book, loc. cit. (footnote 12). the basis of the Buckner survey seems not to have been noted at the time. Rude houses placed in- formally and connected by lanes and footpaths, the courthouse attempting to dominate them like a village schoolmaster in a class of country bumpkins, a few outbuildings, a boat landing or two, some cultivated land, and a road leading away from the courthouse to the north with another running in the opposite direction to the creek—this is the way Marlborough must have looked even in its best days in 1708. THE DEATH OF MARLBOROUGH AS A TOWN Could this poor village have survived had the courthouse not burned? It was an unhappy contrast to the vision of a town governed by “benchers of the guild hall,’ bustling with mercantile activity, swarm- ing on busy market days with ordinaries filled with people. This fantasy may have pulsated briefly through the minds of afew. But, after the abrogation of the Port Act in 1710, there was little left to justify the town’s existence other than the courthouse. So long as court kept, there was need for ordinaries and ferries and for independent jacks-of-all-trades like Andrews. But with neither courthouse nor port activity nor manufacture, the town became a paradox in an economy and society of planters. Remote and inaccessible, uninhabited by individuals whose skills could have given it vigor, Marlborough no longer had any reason for being. It lingered on for a short time, but when John Mercer came to transform the abandoned village into a flourishing plantation, “‘Most of the other Buildings were suffered to go to Ruin, so that in the year 1726, when your Petitioner [{i.e., Mercer] went to live there, but one House twenty-feet square was standing.” ** ‘S Petition of John Mercer, loc. cit. (footnote 17). I] John Mercer's Occupation of Marlboroueh, 1726-1730 MERCER'S ARRIVAL IN STAFFORD COUNTY By 1723 Marlborough lay abandoned. George Mason (III), son of the late sheriff and ordinary keeper in the port town, held the now-empty title of feoffee, together with Rice Hooe. In that year Mason and Hooe petitioned the General Court “that Leave may be given to bring in a Bill to enable them to sell the said Land [of the town] the same not being built upon or Inhabited.” The petition was put aside for “consideration,” but within a week—on May 21, 1723—it was “ordered That Rice Hooe & George Mason be at liberty to withdraw their petition and that the Committee to whom it was referred be discharged from proceeding thereon.” *” This curious sequence remains unexplained. Had the committee informally advised the feoffees that their cause would be rejected, suggesting, therefore, that they withdraw their petition? Or had something unexpected occurred to provide an_ alternative solution to the problem of Marlborough? Possibly it was the latter, and the unexpected oc- currence may have been the arrival in Stafford County of young John Mercer. There is no direct evidence that Mercer was in the vicinity as early as 1723; but we know that he appeared before 1725, that he had by then become well acquainted with George Mason, and that he settled in Marlborough in 1726, % JHB, 1712-1726 (Richmond, 1912), pp. 336, 373 Mercer’s remarkable career began with his arrival Born in Dublin in 1704, the son of a Church Street merchant of English in Virginia at the age of 16. descent—also named John Mercer—and of Grace Fenton Mercer, John was educated at Trinity College, and then sailed for the New World in 1720.% How Mercer arrived in Virginia or what means he brought with him are lost to the record. From his own words written toward the end of his life we know that he was not overburdened with wealth: “Except my education I never got a shilling of my fathers or any other relations estate, every penny I ever got has been by my own industry & with as much fatigue as most people have undergone.” From his second ledger (the first, covering the years 1720-1724, having been lost) we learn that he was engaged in miscellaneous trading, sailing up and down the rivers in his sloop and exchanging goods along the way. Where his home was in these carly years we do not know, but it would appear that he had been active in the Stafford County region for some time, judging from the fact that by 1725 he had accumulated £322 4s. 54d. worth of tobacco in a “Journals of the Council of Virginia Execut s 1737-1763," VHM (Richmond, 1907), vol. 14 " George Merveer Papers Relating to the Ohne ( ' comp. and edit. by Lois Mulkearn ( Pittsburs { rrsity of Pittsburgh Press, 1954), p. 204 Rappahannock He intered Mason Mason’s uncles, John, David, and sons of Parson John Waugh, all ehnou { | I the George before 1 \\ , the idle Marlborough properties Mer friendship with the Masons was sufficiently ll established by 1725 that on June 10 of that year he married George’s sister Catherine. This mar- riage, most advantageous to an aspiring young man, was celebrated at Mrs. Ann Fitzhugh’s in King George County with the Reverend Alexander Scott of Overwharton Parish in Stafford County officiating.” Thus, allied to an established family that was ‘‘old” by standards ol the time and sponsored socially by a representative of the Fitzhughs, Mercer was admitted at the age of 21 to Virginia’s growing aristocracy. In this animated and energetic youth, the Masons and Waughs probably saw the means of bringing Marlborough back to life. doubt recognized the advantages that Marlborough Mercer, for his part, no offered, with its sheltered harbor and landing, its fertile, flat fields, and airy situation. That it could be acquired piecemeal at a minimum of investment through the provisions of the Act for Ports was an added inducement. JOHN MERCER AS A TRADER During 1725 Mercer pressed ahead with his trading enterprises. From his ledger we learn that he sold Richard Ambler of Yorktown 710 pounds of ‘“‘raw Deerskins” for £35 10s. and bought £200 worth of “sundry goods” from him. Between October 1725 and February 1726 he sold a variety of furnishings and equipment to Richard Johnson, ranging from a “horsewhip” and a “silk Rugg’ to ‘“% doz. Shoe- In return “4 Gallon of maker’s knives” and an ‘“‘Ivory Comb.”’ he ved two hogsheads of tobacco, CC ound,” and raw and dressed deerskins { Bist pI cipal sour e ot informa- begun in | ind ended in 1732 library of the Bucks County His- photostatic copy } Librar Further footnoted refer- i the ource in each case 1 ( Mercer WMO [1 Mr Ann Fitzhugh II n 1713/14 I 1 at “Eagl Figure 3.—PortTrair oF JOHN MeRrcER, artist un- (Courtesy of Mrs. known. About 175). Thomas B. Payne.) He maintained a similar long account with Mosley Battaley (Battaille) (Appendix C). Rogers of Yorktown™ he bought £12 From William 3s. 6d. worth of earthenware, presumably for resale. The tobacco which he had accumulated at the falls of the Rappa- hannock he sold for cash to the Gloucester firm of Whiting pounds “‘for the extraordinary trouble of y" coming & Montague, paying Peter Kemp two up so far for it.” His sloop was the principal means by which Mercer conducted his business. Occasionally he rented it for hire, once sharing the proceeds of a load of oyster- shells with George Mason and one Edgeley, who had sailed the sloop to obtain the shells. Only one item shows that Mercer extended his mercantile activities to slaves: on February 18, 1726, he sold a mulatto ‘ William Rogers, who died in 1739, made earthenware and stoneware at Yorktown after 1711. See C. MaLtcotm WATKINS ind Ivor Nok. Hume, “The ‘Poor Potter’ of Yorktown”’ paper 54 in Contributions from the Museum of History and Tech- logy, U.S. National Museum Bulletin 249, by various authors; Washington: Smithsonian Institution), 1967. woman named Sarah to Philemon Cavanaugh ‘to be paid in heavy tobacco each hhd to weigh 300 Neat.” That Mercer was turning in the direction of a legal career is revealed in his first account of ‘‘Domestick Expenses” for the fall of 1725 (Appendix D). We find that he was attending court sessions far and wide: “Cash for Exp* at Stafford & Spotsylvania,” ‘Cash for Exp* Urbanna,” the same for “Court Ferrage at Keys.’ He already was reading in the law, and lent ““March’s Actions of Slander,’’ ‘‘Washington’s Abridgm' of y® Statutes,’ and “tan Exposition of the Law Terms” to Mosley Battaley. SETTING UP HOUSEKEEPING Mercer’s domestic-expense account is full of evi- dence that he was preparing to set up housekeeping. He bought “1 China punch bowl,” 10s.; ‘6 glasses,” 3s.; “1 box Iron & heaters,” 2s. 6d.; “1 p" fine blankets,” Is. 13d.; “‘Earthen ware,” 10s.; ‘5 Candle- sticks,” 17s. 6d.; “*1 Bed Cord,” 2s.; ‘‘3 maple knives & forks,’ 2s.; “1 yew haft knife & fork & | pt Stilds {steelyards?],”’ 1s. 10%d.; “1 p* Salisbury Scissors,” 2s. 6d.; and “‘1 speckled knife & fork,’’ 5d. In addition, he accepted as payment for various cloth and materials sold to Mrs. Elizabeth Russell the following furniture and furnishings: Ster. £ s. d. By a writing desk De 5 By a glass & Cover De 7 6 By 18 ! Pewter at \4 Do ] 4 By 6 tea Cups & Sawcers 2/ De 12 By 2 Chocolate Cups 1/ De 2 By 2 Custard Cups 94 De I 6 By | Tea Table painted with fruit De 14 By 6 leather Chairs @ 7/ 2 2 By a small walnut eating table 8 By ‘4 doz. Candlemoulds 10 By a Tea table 18 By a brass Chafing dish 5 By 6 copper tart pans 6 At the time of this purchase, the only house standing at Marlborough was that built by Thomas Ballard in 1708. It was inherited by his godson David Waugh,®*> who now apparently offered to let his niece Catherine and her new husband occupy it. *§ John Mercer’s Land Book, loc. cit. (footnote 12). Mercer later referred to it as “the House I lived in built by Ballard.’’** that he moved to Marlborough in 1726. From his own records we know He did so probably in the summer, since on June 11 he settled with Charles McClelland for “cleaning out y® house.” Unoccupied for years and small in size, it was a humble place in which to set up housekeeping, and indeed must have needed “cleaning out.” It also must have needed extensive repairs, since Mercer purchased 1500 tenpenny nails ‘used about it.” Throughout 1726 Mercer acquired furnishings, made repairs and improvements, and obtained the necessities of a plantation. 1 he acquired “3 Ironbacks” (cast-iron firebacks for fireplaces) for £8 4s. 2d., as well as “2 p' hand Irons” for 15s. 5d., from Edmund Bagge. From George Rust he bought “*3 Cows & Calves” for £7 10s., a featherbed for £3 10s., and an “Iron pot” for 5s. His reckoning with John Dogge opens with a poignant note, “By a Child’s Coffin’: Mercer's first-born child had died. On the same account was “fan Oven,’’ bought for 17 shillings. Dogge also was credited with “bringing over 10 sheep from Sumners” (a plantation at Passapatanzy, south of Potomac Creek). Rawleigh Chinn was paid for “plowing up & fencing in my yard” and for “fetching 3 horses over the Creek.”’ Also credited to Chinn was an item revealing Mercer’s sporting enthusiasm: “went on y® main race . . . 15/,” From Alexander Buncle, Mercer acquired one dozen table knives, three chamber-door locks, two pairs of candle snuffers, and two broad axes. His account with Alexander McFarlane in 1726, the credit side of which is quoted here in part, is a further illustration of the variety of hardware and consumable goods that he required: houschold On February £ s. d 2 p' men’s Shooes 9 1 Razor & penknife 2 6 24 gall Rum 6 9 9 gals. molasses 13 12! brown Sugar 6 64, double refined De 204 10 5 1 felt hat 2 $ 1 qt Limejuice l 2 doz. Claret l 10 2 lanthorns 6 1 funnell * Petition of John Mercer, loc. cit. (footnote 17 £ S: d 1 quart & | pint tin pot ] 10% By 2 doz & 8 bottles Claret 2 8 By a woman’s horsewhip 3 By | °* Gunpowder By 10! Shot By | woms bound felt [hat] Mercer’s comments, added three years later to this record, signify the complexities of credit accounting in the plantation economy: “In July 1729 I settled Accounts w'* M* M°Farlane & paid him off & at the same time having Ed Barry’s note on him for 1412' Tob® (his goods being extravagantly dear) I paid him 1450' Tob°® to M* Thos Smith to ball™* accts.”” Another of Mercer’s accounts was with Edward Simm. in 1726: From Simm, Mercer acquired the following £ s. d. 1 horsewhip Ae ] fine hat 12 9 y4s bedtick 34 l 10 | p® Spurs 8 | Curry Comb & brush 2 9 2 p® mens Shooes 5/ 10 1 pt Chelloes ] 10 2 pt wom! gloves 2/ 4 2 p' De thread hose 9 2 p' mens worsted de 8 2 p* ch¥r yarn 3 4 1 Sifter 2 | frying pan 4 6 7 quire of paper 114 9 8 6 silk Laces 44 2 ACQUIRING LAND AND BUILDING A NEW HOUSE Mercer’s first actual ownership of property came as a result of his marriage. In 1725 he purchased from his wife Catherine 885 acres of land near Potomac 5 tract of 1610 His occupancy Church for £221 5s. and another acres on Potomac Run for £322.% of the Ballard house, meanwhile, was arranged on a most informal basis, three years having been allowed to pass before he paid his first and only rent—a total of 12 shillings—to his uncle-in-law David Waugh. In January 1730 the under following appears Land Book, loc. cit. (footnote 12). “Domestick Expenses”: ““To bringing the frame of my house from Jervers to Marlbro . 40/.” Associated with this are items for 2000 tenpenny nails, 2000 eightpenny nails, and 1000 sixpenny nails, together with ““To Chandler Fowke for plank,” ‘‘To J°° Chambers &c bring board from Landing,” and “To John Chambers & Robt Collins for bringing Bricks & Oyster Shells.” In the same month the account of Anthony Linton and Henry Suddath includes the following: By building a house at Marlborough when finished by agreement £10.0.0 By covering my house & building a Chimney 3.0.0 Clearly, the Mercers had outgrown the temporary shelter which the little Ballard house had given them. Now a new house was under construction, with the steps plainly indicated. To obtain timber of sufficient size to frame the house it was necessary to go where the trees grew. The nearest thickly forested area was north of Potomac Creek and Potomac Run. The appropriate timbers apparently grew on property owned by Mercer but occupied by the widow of James Jervis (or ‘‘Jervers’’). Not only did the trees grow there, but we may be sure that there they were also felled, hewn, and cut, and the finished members fitted together on the ground to form the frame of the new house. It was a time-honored English building practice to prepare the timbers where they were felled, shaping them, drilling holes for “‘trunnels’ (wooden pegs or ‘‘tree nails”), inscribing coded numbers with lumber markers, and then knocking the prefabricated members apart and transporting them to the building Siteszs Oystershells and bricks for the chimney were brought from Cedar Point and Boyd’s Hole, south of Marl- Shells were probably burned at the house site to make lime for Chambers was paid 12 pence a day for 321 days’ work spread over a period from October 1730 to February 1731. Hugh French had been paid for 1000 bricks on August 24, 1730, while James Jones, on October 3, 1730, was recompensed three shillings for “9 days of work your Man plaistering my House & making 2 brick backs.” borough, by Chambers and Collins. mortar. 58 Cuaries F. InNocent, The Development of English Building (Cambridge, Press, 1916), pp. 23-61. Construction England: Cambridge University ayer - ~ = e g : ya Cg Os fe ~r ra < " a “~ i $ 4 ° 2 Prana oy) ~ ats 3% + % wir ~ \ =) BS a 4 : " - wer, towm sy F. Rattmrere Iron Wiebe Za 4 t ) = ee, F 4 s + ~ ~ ~~ ® . = bd * gt xe S $ Dy \ ‘ Rg rth pe ne _ ce ARUNDE Bath G ) _\ SAN ARUNDEL, | % S ~~ Sigg? oN RAP s | x ™ RP RON YG Edy \county SQ" Waar Ordinary Ke % ° ¥ ANNAPOLIS > ; \ ey, eS RiP fs X *. . 2 ~ - aS « = James , + Ds 4 a, Cove 38 Rare eS a : a a ar Ty og Ceda og Mackflones! v 2s - MmsA roa > 3 » Si “] + a ey M y : t tay y ; S'Georgesl at “np *Co. - oTaploe c Toromene hie i “ss oS x; Sedrne Hadl >, ry 2 > Figure 4 [HE NEIGHBORHOOD OF JouN Mercer. Deta I. D of the may Virginia by ] h I | | M The new house was thus brought to completion early in 1731. That it was a plain and simple house is apparent from the small amount of labor and the relatively few quantities of material. It appears to have had two fireplaces only and one chimney. Although the house was wooden, there is no evidence that it had any paint whatsoever, inside or out. FURNISHING THE HOUSE Other than a child’s chair and a bedstead costing 10 shillings, purchased from Enoch Innes in Wi29% little furniture was acquired before 1730. Listed in *“Domestick 1729-1730 are accessories for the new house, such as HL hinges, a pair of brass candlesticks, Expenses” for minor closet locks, a ‘‘scimmer,”’ milk pans, pestle and mortar, “% doz plates,’ a “Cullender,” a and a pepperbox, together with several handtools. candlebox, earthenware, MERCER S VARIED ACTIVITIES AND INTERESTS The agricultural aspects of a plantation were In 1729 Rawleigh Chinn > increasingly in evidence. was paid for “helping to kill the Hogs,’ of my cattle,” and “making a gate.” Edward Floyd was credited with £4 6s. 7'4d. for ‘““Wintering Cattle, taking care of my horse & Sheep to Aug. 1729.” John Chinn seems to have been Mercer’s jockey, for “pasturage as early as 1729 he was entering the races which abounded in Virginia, and “‘went on y® race wt" Colt Wi 29 ie In this early period we find considerable evidence of a typical young Virginian’s fondness for gaming and sport. One finds scattered through Mercer’s account with Robert Spotswood such items as “To won at the Race . . . 8.9” and “To won at Liew at Col® Mason’s ... 7.3.” 18th-century (Loo was an elegant game played with Chinese-carved mother-of-pearl counters.) Mercer participated in several sporting events at Stafford courthouse, for court sessions continued, as in the previous century, to be social as well as legal and political occasions. This is illustrated in a credit to Joseph Waugh: “By won at a horse race at Stafford Court and Attorney's fee... #£1.”; on the debit side of Enoch Innes’s account: ““To won at Quoits & running with you... 1/3”; and in Thomas Hudson’s account, where four shillings were marked up “To won pitching at Stafford Court.” Mercer’s diversions were few enough, nevertheless, and it is apparent that he devoted more time to read- ing than to gaming. In 1726 he borrowed from John Graham (or Graeme) a library of 56 volumes belong- ing to the “‘Hon!® Col? Spotswood” ** (Appendix E). Ranging from the Greek classics to English history, and including Milton, Congreve, Dryden, Cole’s Dictionary, “‘Williams’ Mathematical Works,” and “Present State of Russia,” they were the basis for a solid education. That they included no lawbooks at a time when Mercer was preparing for the law is an indication of his broad taste for literature and learning. Marlborough, we can see, was occupied by a young man of talent, energy, and creativity. He alone, of the many men who had envisioned a center of enterprise on Potomac Neck, was possessed of the drive and the simple directness to make it succeed. For George Mason and the Waughs, Mercer was the ideal solution for their Marlborough difficulties. 5° Col. Alexander Spotswood, Governor of Virginia and a resident of Spotsylvania County, was at this time living in London. He authorized John Graham (or Graeme) of St. James, Clerkenwell, Middlesex, to “take possession of his iron works in Virginia, with plantations, negroes, stocks, and manage the same.” By 1732 Spotswood regretted that he had “committed his affairs to the care of a mathematician, whose thoughts were always among the stars.” In 1737 Graham became professor of natural philosophy and mathematics in the College of William and Mary. See “Historical & Gene- alogical Notes,’ WA1Q [1] (Richmond, 1909), vol. 17, p. 301 (quoting Basser, Writings of Welliam Byrd, p. 378). Ii Mercer's Consolidation of Marlborough, 1730-1740 MERCER THE YOUNG LAWYER The 1730's opened a golden age in the Virginia colony. There was an interval of peace in which trade might flourish; there were new laws which favored the tobacco planter and led to the building of resplendent mansions along Virginia’s shores. John Mercer wasted no time in grasping the oppor- tunities that lay about him. With shrewd foresight he made law his major objective, thus raising him- self above most of his contemporaries. At the same time he began an extensive purchasing of property, so that within a decade he was to become one of the Planting and legal practice each augmented the other in Mercer’s major landed proprietors in the colony. prosperity, which was assured by a classic combina- tion of energy, ability, and outgoing personality. As with many successful men, Mercer had an eye for meticulous detail; the documents he left behind were a treasury of methodically kept records. His Ledger B reveals that as early as 1730 his legal career was becoming firmly established. It records fee accounts, charges for drawing deeds, writing bonds, and representing clients in various courts. In that year he “‘subscribed to Laws of Virginia” through William Parks, the Williamsburg printer and stationer, and began to build up a substantial law library, which was augmented by the purchase of 40 lawbooks from Robert Beverley. DIFFICULTIES IN ACQUIRING MARLBOROUGH On October 13, 1730, Mercer obtained title from David Waugh to the Ballard house and lots on the basis of the ‘Statute for transforming uses into possessions.’ At the same time he acquired the three lots originally granted to John Waugh, while nine months later he was given the release of the three lots inherited by George Mason from his father.” Mercer's foothold in Marlborough was now secure Following these developments, he “employed the County Surveyor to lay off the several Lots he had purchased,”” which led to the discovery of the pre- viously mentioned disparities and conflicts between the Buckner survey of 1691 and the missing Grege survey of 1707. For some reason the town now lacked feoffees, so Mercer “applied to the County Court of Stafford on the tenth day of June one thousand seven hundred and thiry-one and the said Court then appointed Henry Fitzhugh Esquire and James Mere et stated that he “proposed making great Improve- Markham Gent. Feofees of the said Town.” ments. and wanted to take up several other Lots to build on.’ The court thereupon ordered | Savage, the county survevor, to make a new “having regard to the Buildings and Improvements John Mercer's Land Book, loc. cit. (footnote 12 then standine”’—a significant instruction, intended no doubt to permit the reconciling of conflicting titles with respect to what actually was built.” The new survey was laid out July 23, 1731, “in the presence of the said Feoffees,’ and drawn with the same plan and numbering as Buckner’s, except that an additional row of lots was applied along the western border of the town, compressing slightly the former lots as planned by Buckner and pushing them east- ward (fig. 2). This extra row, we have reason to believe, was added with ‘“‘regard to the Buildings and Improvements then standing.” At the time of the survey, the feoffees told Mercer “that he might proceed in his Buildings and Improve- ments on any the said Lots not before granted,” promising that they would at any time make him “any Title they could lawfully pass.” A proposal by Fitzhugh to give title to any lots already purchased or any which Mercer might take up under terms of the Port Act of 1705 was discouraged by Mercer’s lawyer, Mr. Hopkins, who took the view that, since the three surveys conflicted, the deeds would not be good. Accordingly, Fitzhugh and Mercer applied for an “amicable Bill,’ or suit in chancery, in the General Court, in order “to have Savage’s or any particular Survey established.” The request was shelved, however, and still was unanswered in 1748. The extra row of lots and the court’s instructions to Savage to make his survey with ‘“‘Regard to the Buildings and Improvements then Standing” seem to be correlated. Savage made a significant notation on his survey plat: ““The lots marked 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, & 21 joining to the Creek are in possession of Mr. John Mercer who claims them under Robinson, Berryman, Pope & Parry, & under Ballard & under ed John Waugh dec*’, all w°" he says have been built on and saved.” On the Buckner plat the lots bearing these numbers comprise a block of six in the south- west corner of the town, extending up from the creek in two 3-tiered rows (fig. 2). The plat included the lots near the head of the “gutt’ where the courthouse appears to have stood, as well as the land on which Structure B (the foundation of Mercer’s mansion) was excavated. The lots appear in the same relationship on Savage’s survey, except that the new row bounds them on the west. We know that the Robinson-Berryman-Pope-Parry lot was the same lot originally granted to Robert f Tohn Mercer, loc. cit. (footnote 17 Alexander in 1691, numbered 19 on Buckner’s plat. It was granted to its later owners according to the Gregg survey in 1707, and was then described as “being the first Lott known in the Survey Platt by number 1.’ From Mercer we have learned already that Gregg made “his number | in the corner at Buckner’s 19.” The other five lots were claimed under Ballard and John Waugh. Waugh was granted one lot in 1691—Buckner’s number 20—and acquired two more in 1707. All three appear to have been in the corner block of six lots. In any case, these six lots equal the number of lots known to have been granted the above-listed lot holders. Both of Ballard’s lots were granted in 1707. His lot number 19 (Gregg survey), where Mercer first lived, is described as ‘bounding Easterly with a lott surveyed for Mr. John Waugh Westerly with a Narrow street Northerly with a lott not yet surveyed, Southerly with the first main Street which is parallel with Potomac Creek.’ We do not know which of Waugh’s lots is meant, nor do we know Gregg’s street plan, except that it was at odds with Buckner’s. But it is probable that Ballard’s lot (Gregg’s number 19) was the same as Buckner’s number 21, that the crosstown street on Gregg’s plat lay to the south of the lot rather than to the north of it, as on Buckner’s plat, and that one of Waugh’s lots lay to the east of it."* Assuming that the two acres for the courthouse were located near the head of the “‘gutt” and that Ballard’s lot 19 was approximately the same as Buckner’s 21, it is apparent that Ballard’s lot must have overlapped the courthouse lots in the confusion between the two surveys. Since Mercer was living on Ballard’s lot, he probably infringed on the court- house property. Eyen though the courthouse had been burned and abandoned, the two acres assigned to it were required to revert to the original owner, as provided in the Act of 1667, concerning church and courthouse lands. In this case, the courthouse land, having been ‘‘deserted,’ had reverted to the heir of Giles Brent. Mercer’s embarrassment at this state of affairs must have been great. However, the addition by Savage of a whole new row of lots along the westerly border of the town created new acreage, sufficient both to reconcile the conflict and to provide com- pensatory land to satisfy the Brents. Unfortunately, the Savage survey, as we have noted, was not made ® Stafford County Will Book, Liber Z, pp. 407, 431, 497. 2 Civil W: ( ( } { B 5 { official, and Mercer was forced to continue his well ¢ lishe ( N questionable occupancy of properties whos« tles 1 er p e Pot were in doubt mw venti < What is most significant to us this is the He ( ( inference that the courthouse, the Ballare S M vhich Mercer occ pled, and the Structure B u \ tion ert il close prox 0 t LARGE PROPERTY ACQUISITIONS UCCESS AT LAW AND CON} “ ‘ Merce ext pure ‘ Mar ol propert\ 7 \ oO Ju 173 whe r ougt etl e | Hi ranted in HY ft Cree ( Andre \ > : { grandson John ( Me hile he ( ; . ‘ icqu tior ol else r B ) had acquired r te Oo ¢ P Will Counts In additic ‘ Lease for three | r three e tra ‘ / Willi Brent nu M 1 controlled tu ‘ P c Nech Thus, after 1730 we find Mercer's fortune Mer Book read before the Stafford court by Peter Hedgman. The reaction to it in Williamsburg, once it had reached the ears of the Assembly, was immediate and angry. The House of Burgesses Resolvd Yhat the Proposition from Stafford County in relation to the Act past in the last Session of this Assembly for encouraging Adventurers in Iron Works is a scandalous and Seditious Libel Containing false and scandalous Reflections upon the Legislature and the Justices of the General Court and other Courts of this Colony. Resolu'd Vhat John Mercer the Author and Writer of that paper and Peter Hedgman one of the Subscribers who presented the same to the Court of Stafford County to be certified to the General Assembly are guilty of a high Misdemeanour. Order'd That the said John Mercer and Peter Hedgman be sent for in Custody of the Serjeant at Arms attending this House to answer their said Offence at the Bar of this House. Mercer and Hedgman made their apologies to the House, received their reprimands, and paid _ their fines. But this protest, so offensive to the dignity of the lawmakers, had its effect in forcing amendments to the act, particularly in removing the requirement for building public roads leading from the ironworks To those living in Stafford, particularly in the neighborhood to the ore supplies and shipping points. of the proposed Accokeek Ironworks, near Marl- borough, this concession must have elevated Mercer to the level of a hero.*° Mercer’s frank disposition led him into other diffi- culties during the first years of his practice. His insistence on the prompt payment of debts and _ his opposition to stays of execution following suits had won him enemies at Prince William court. Charges of improper legal activities were brought against him; these were investigated at Williamsburg, with the result that on June 13, 1734, he was suspended from practicing law in Virginia for a period of six months.® TEMPORARY RETIREMENT, THE ABRIDGMENT, AND GUARDIANSHIP OF GEORGE MASON Deprived temporarily of his principal livelihood, Mercer set out to write an Abridgment of the Laws of THB, 1727-1734; 1736-1740 (Richmond, 1910), p. 66. ® Tbid., p. xxi. Executive Journals of the Council of Colonial Virginia (Rich- Virginia: D. Bottom, superintendent of public print- , vol. 4, p. 328. Virginia. ‘The task completed, he petitioned the General Court on April 23, 1735, for “leave to Print an Abridgment compil’d by him of all the Laws of this Colony & to have the benefit of the Sale thereof.” On the same day he petitioned for a renewal of his license, which was granted with the exception of the right to practice in Prince William, where he was to remain persona non grata generally thereafter.® Soon after these events his brother-in-law and old acquaintance, George Mason, drowned. Mercer was designated co-guardian of 10-year-old George Mason IV, who came to live at Marlborough. Young George later grew up to be the master of Gunston Hall and, as the author of the Virginia Bill of Rights, to stand among the intellectuals whose ideas influenced the Revolution and the framing of the Constitution. In these formative years, young George Mason surely must have been affected by the strong legal mind and cultivated tastes of his uncle.** On October 14, 1737, the Virginia Gazette carried the following advertisement: This Day is Published An Exact Abridgment of the Laws of VIRGINIA, in Force and Use, to this present time. By John Mercer. At long last, after innumerable delays, the Abridg- ment was in print. From a financial point of view it was a conspicuous failure. Too few Virginians, apparently, were sufficiently interested to buy it. DOMESTIC FURNISHINGS AND SERVANTS During this eventful decade of the 1730’s Mercer acquired the things needed for the proper maintenance of his house and properties. One requisite was Negro From Pat Reyant he bought “a Girl named Margaret” for 43 pounds of tobacco in 1730. In 1731 he bought Deborah, Phillis, Peter, Nan, and Bob. ‘The following year he obtained Lucy, Will, and George, and, in 1733, Nero. His purchases increased as his landholdings increased. In 1736 he bought five slaves, three of whom he aptly named Dublin, Marlborough, and Stafford. To help feed his slaves during this early period, servants. *T Tbid., p. 348. °§ Kate Mason Rowranp, The Life of George Mason (New York and London: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1892), vol. 1, p. 49. Mercer apparently depended in part upon Stafford’s wealth of natural resources. At least we find a record of wild game entered on the same page and under the same heading as his “‘Negroes” account in the ledger. There it is noted that he purchased 42 ducks from Natt Hedgman on November 19, 1730, and 20 ducks from Rawleigh Chinn the same day, paying for them in powder and shot. Two swans and a goose, as well as venison, appear on the list. Pay- ment for these was made in powder, shot, and wool. He continued, meanwhile, to equip his house. From John Foward (or Foard), a London merchant, he bought a “frying pan’ and “2 doz. bottles,” “1 tomahawk,” ‘*2 stocklocks,”’ ‘1 padlock,’’ ‘*2 best padlocks,” “1 drawingknife,”’ “9 p* hinges,” “3 clasp knives,” and “1 gall. Maderas.”” In April 1731, he bought from Captain Foward: eS d. 1 bellmettle skillet 444° at 2/ 1 copper Sausepan 1 Small De 1 hunting whip 1 halfcheck bridle 1 fine hat 1 wig Comb Also in 1731 he bought “6 rush bottom Chairs” for 17 shillings and a spinning wheel for 10 shillings from William Hamitt. The “writing desk’ which he had bought in 1725 apparently needed extensive and expensive repairs, for in March 1731 there appears an item under “Domestick Expenses,’ ““To W"™ Walker for mending Scoutore £1.’’ (Scoutore was one of many corrupt spellings of escritoire, a slant-top desk.) William Walker was a_ Stafford County cabinetmaker and builder, about whom we shall hear much more. One of the most active accounts was that of Na- thaniel Chapman,"’ who directed the newly estab- lished Accokeek Ironworks. In 1731 he sold Mercer several hundred nails of different descriptions, a Annas © # ® Nathaniel Chapman headed the Accokeck Ironworks, referred to by Mercer in Ledger G as “Chapman's Works at Head of Bay.’ Although Mercer had opposed the act, which gave privileges to the ironworks, he was a lifelong friend of Chapman, who testified in his behalf in 1734 and served with him on the Ohio Company Committee in the 1750's and 1760's. Chapman was executor for the estates of Lawrence and Augus- tine Washington. variety of hoes, ploughs, wedges, door latches, and heaters for smoothing irons. ‘ One item is “By putting a leg in an old Iron Pott’’; another is “By Col Mason p* for mending a snuff box. 2.6" (Appendix F). In 1732 he paid Thomas Staines £1 for “a Cradle,” “two Bedsteads,”’ and ‘ta weekes work.’ From John Blane, during the same year, he purchased 2500 ten- penny nails and the same quantity of cightpenny nails. He also bought from Blane 4 “basons,” a porringer, 100 needles, 2 penknives, a gross of “thread buttons,’ and a pair of large “Scissars.”” Again, in 1732 he obtained from William Nisbett a quantity of miscellaneous goods, including 10 parcels of earth- enware and a pewter dish weighing 4 to 5 ounces. He also settled with Samuel Stevens for ‘‘your share in making a Canoe.” TOBACCO WAREHOUSES The Tobacco Act of 1730 provided for the erection of public tobacco warehouses, and Marlborough was selected as one of the sites.”° In 1731 Mercer's account with John Waugh included “Timber for 2500 boards @25/.£3.2.6” and “Posts & Ceils for two Warehouses, 12 shillings.’ In April 1732 he settled accounts with Captain Henry Fitzhugh for “building a Warehouse & Wharf & 6 prizes” at 3000 pounds of tobacco, or £15. The prizes probably were “in- centive awards” for the workmen. Included in Fitz- hugh’s account were “3 days work of Caesar & Will,” ten shillings, and “4319 very bad Clapboards at \* y* board.’’ On March 25 he paid Anthony Linton for 1820 clapboards, allowing him eight shillings for “sawing of Boards.” The warehouses were in opera- tion in 1732, as we learn from Mercer's “Account of Inspectors,” but they suffered the fate of all official enterprises at Marlborough, for in 1734 “the same were put down, as being found very inconvenient.” ™ The actual date of their termination was November 16, 1735, when a new warehouse was scheduled for com- pletion at the mouth of Aquia Creek.”? The expres- sion “put down’ does not seem to mean that the warehouses were torn down, but that they were officially discontinued. He apparently, however, con- tinued to use them for his own purposes. j 70 HENING, op. cit, (footnote 1), vol. 4, p. 268. * Petition of John Mercer, loc. cit. (footnote 17 ™ JHB, 1727-1734; 1736-1740, op. cit. (footnote 6), p. 202. 25 minimum ol ( Mercer recorded a iti Those that he did list are of the society of which he was a part favorite amusement. Fo1 Viak vagers Was a ple, he was owed £7, li6s) by sGoleGeorce Braxton To a Wager you laid me at Capt Rob* Brooke’s house before M‘ James Reid, Will™ Brooke &e Six Guineas to one that Col® Spotswood woul« 1ot during the Reign of K. George that now 1s, procure a Commission as ( hief or Lieut Govt o Virginia.” In 1731 he paid Wiliam Brent “By a about Hedge Dade. £1.1.12.” He also pai pistole won of m¢ nan’s wrestling with £2 10s. to James Markham “By [my] part on the Race on Stotham’s horse.” [here are other scatterec references to wagers on horseraces. Mercer had become a vestryman in Overwharton Parish as early as 1730, and appears to have been made responsible for all legal matters pertaining to that church. His account, shown in detail in Appen- dix G, is of interest in showing that violations of moral law were held accountable to the church and that Mercer, representing the parish, collected a portion of each fines for convictions were paid to the church. fine as his fee Most of his energies now seem to have been divided etwe the law and the substantial responsibilities ng his plantations The increasing extent ol tobacco culti ation yi th ealed In the tobacco rccount with ‘“*M Jonathan Foward, Merchant in ondon” presumably John Foward, mentioned irlier), extending from 1733 to 1743 [This account lists shipments of 129 hogsheads of tobacco, totaling £643 ls. lld if we include a few extraneous items, To an er charge in Lemons” and “To a Several similar accounts I 4 and 1738 ( » Willian t £I0 | ( obacco- ‘SARAKA LAD Peo eeeyeewree COUNTERS, ol MOTHER-OF-PEARI Figure b. “fish,” used in playing 1|8th-century games, including Loo, at which Mercer once won 7s. 3d. from Col. George Mason (III). These examples, collected in Massachusetts, are prob- ably late 18th century. (USNM 61.399.) planting empire is now clearly discernible. In so 1g becoming, it was typical of the consolidation of wealth, property, and power in Virginia as_ the mid-century approached. Land had become both a substitute for tobacco in lean years and the means for paying off debts. The same land in_ better years yielded crops to its new owners, so that a relatively few dynamic men were able to amass ereat wealth and form a ruling aristocracy. The varieties of talents in men like Mercer—who, besides being a planter, was an accomplished lawyer and able administrator—placed them in the ascendancy over their less able fellows. The vigor and ability with which such men were endowed fostered the remarkable class of leaders of the succeeding genera- tion, who had so much to do with founding the nation. IV Marlborough at tts Ascendancy, 1741-1750 TRAVEL On April 12, 1741, Mercer was admitted to practice at the General Court in Williamsburg.” His trip there on that occasion was typical of the journeys which took him at least twice yearly to the capital. On the first day of this Williamsburg trip he rode “To Col® Taliaferro’s,’ a distance of 19 miles. The following day “To Caroline Court’ (18 miles), the next “To M‘ Hubbard’s” (30 miles), then as far as “M* J"° Powers’? (24 miles), and finally “To Furneas & Williamsburg’ (30 miles). The route was usually to West Point, or Brick House on the opposite shore in New Kent County, and thence either directly to Williamsburg, or by way of New Kent courthouse. Stopovers were made cither at ordinaries or at the houses of friends.” Mercer’s travels, summarized in the journal that * John Mercer's journal, kept in the back of Ledger B. ™ Col. John Taliaferro was a justice of Spotsylvania County court and one of the original trustees of Fredericksburg. He lived at the “Manor Plantation,” Snow Creck, Spotsylvania County, and died in 1744 (“Virginia Council Journals, 1726 1753," VHM [Richmond, 1927], vol. 35, p. 415). Benjamin Hubbard lived in Caroline County (“The Lovelace Family and its Connections,” VHM [Richmond, 1921), vol. 29, p. 367); John Powers was apparently a resident of King William County (Ida J. Lee, “Abstracts from King William County Records,” WMQ [2] [Williamsburg, 1926), vol. 6, p. 72); “Furnea’s” seems to have been an ordinary between Williamsburg and New Kent. he kept in the back of Ledger B from 1730 until his death in 1768, were prodigious. In 1735, for ex- ample, he journeyed a total of 4202 miles and was 119 days. This pace had considerably in the period we are now considering, home only slackened but, nevertheless, he was not at home more than 218 days out of any one year of the decade 1741-1750. This energetic and restless moving about was common among the leading planters, but in Mercer’s case it seems to have reached its ultimate. Practicing law, playing politics, acquiring property, and becoming acquainted with people led him all over Virginia A representative sample from the journal covers the period of September and October 1745. It will be noted that the days of the week are indicated alpha- betically, a through g, as in the calendar of the Book of Common Prayer. The mileage traveled cach day is entered at the right. I ek to Potomack Church & home 10 2g at home 3 a to Tylers & Spotsylvania Court 4 4 b to M* Daniels * & home i4 ae to Mr Moncure’s, ® my Survey & home % Peter Danicl was a burgess and leading citizen of St County, who, as vestryman, signed the advertisement ics to build a new Aquia Church in 1751. Virgeme G , June 6, 1751. The Reverend Mr. John Moncure was minister of Over- wharton Parish 27 to King George Court & W™ Walkers’ 7” 24 ote to Mrs. Spoore’s = my Survey & home 20 8 I at home 9 g M+ Moncure’s my Survey & home 20 10 a to Stafford Court & home 20 ll b at home 2c to Mrs Mason’s 7° Survey 18 13 d at Do 10 14 ¢ at De 15 sy 1 to Potomack Church & M+ Moncure’s 18 16 2 home 6 Wi at home 18 b De Ie) to Mrs Spoore & Mrs Taliaferro’s 17 20 d at M® Taliaferro’s 2) 3e To Fredericksburg & M'* Taliaferro’s 2200 F To Doctor Potter’s 8° & Mrs ‘Taliaferro’s. Lost my horses 2 23 g To M* Moncure’s 9 24 a home 10 25 b at home 26 ¢ De 27 d De As} ( to Mr Moncure’s, Vestry & home 16 29 at home 30 ¢ De October leea at home 2 b to Mt Moncure’s & Fredericksburg Fair 15 SmaG at the Fair t d to M+ Moncure’s & home 15 5 e at home 6 F&F to M's Taliaferro’s 17 fp ots to Caroline Court he & George Hoomes’s *! 20 Cuma to Newcastle 50 9 b to M* Anderson’s & M® Gray’s * 14 10 ¢ to New Kent Courth* & M* Gray’s 14 See pp. 25, 35-36, 46-47 and footnote 95 for further refer- ences to William Walker. probably relates to Walker’s tentative appointment to rebuild Mercer’s visit on this occasion Aquia Church. #8 Mrs. Ann Spoore of Stafford County. ’ Probably Mercer’s sister-in-law, Mrs. Ann Mason, mother of George Mason of Gunston Hall. ** Dr. Henry Potter lived in Spotsylvania County. His estate was advertised for sale the following April 17 in the Virginia Gazette. *' George Hoomes was a justice of Caroline County court. He was appointed in 1735, the same year in which John Mer- cer qualified to practice law at the same court. ‘Extracts from the Records of Caroline County,’ VHM (Richmond, 1912), vol. 20, p. 203, Probably Thomas Anderson (see p. 35 and footnote 93); Gray was justice of New Kent County. ied to Furnau’s & Williamsburg 17 2 at Williamsburg {He remained at Williamsburg until November 6. ] Such itineraries were punctuated by periods of stay- ing at Marlborough, but even then there were day- long journeys to Stafford courthouse, to church, or to a survey. The courthouse, which succeeded that at Marlborough, was situated on the south side of Po- tomac Creek, about three miles upstream from the old site. Mercer almost invariably took the 10-mile- long land route through the site of the present village of Brook, along the Fredericksburg road past Potomac Church, then along the headwaters of Potomac Run on a now-disused road leading to Belle Plains. Just before reaching the courthouse, which stood on a rise of land some distance back from the creek, he passed “Salvington,” the mansion of Joseph Selden. Near the water, and in sight of the courthouse, stood the house of John Cave, whose grandfather in 1707 had bought his land from Sampson Darrell, undertaker of the Marlborough courthouse.“* Near it, on a foundation still visible, Cave built the warehouse that bore his name, and through him passed much of the tobacco that Mercer raised locally. Occasionally, when he had business to do at Cave’s, Mercer would return home by water, as he did on August 14, 1746: to Stafford Court & M® Cave’s 1] home by water 3) VEHICLES During the 1740’s Mercer’s travels were often by chaise or chariot. We learn from Ledger G that he bought ‘“‘a fourwheel Chaise” from Charles Carter *° S Joseph Selden’s estate passed to his son Samuel, who married Mercer’s eldest daughter, Sarah Ann Mason Mercer. See John Melville Jennings, ed., “Letters of James Mercer to John Francis Mercer,’ VHM (Richmond, 1951), vol. 59, pp. 89-91. * Fredericksburg district-court papers, file 571, bundle F, nos. 36-43 (through George F. S. King, Fredericksburg); Stafford County Will Book, Liber Z, p. 383 (August 5, 1707). 85 Ledger G (original at Bucks County Historical Society) covers the period 1744-1750, with some entries in 1751 and a few summary accounts covering Mercer’s career. Further footnoted references to this ledger will be omitted. Charles Carter lived at “Cleve” in King George County, near Port Royal, fronting on the Rappahannock. See Farrrax Harri- son, “The Will of Charles Garter of Cleve,’ VHM (Richmond, 1923), vol. 31, pp. 42-43. faves LOM 9. 1367-4454 446 12.1742 1455. 87( (3.1219. 4110 1294 ve 14.1229. 1122 toy Mem 69 Te forwror emis Dsentan 2taaavia*® Caveo ISM 15.1159 1007 182 ahage 16.1037. 980.107 . weet Clog Potion! rene Teh Gerrenat Changes for ttnde C147 Cuvee I 10. 1062 .958 104) 14. 1048, 307 Th bevy wet 69 Ye In epertorw at Caweo fer 2 Wh te Via” laweo Icom Er 650.. Dried F 650, = Wette 15 Cave I ym ” see “} mrad ‘3 1043. 947. 96 Sham 1007- 914.93 14371033 104) Harr s 1179.1074 10 $243.1497. 96 dhuynoed » 971. 864.107 Chomp 1070. 970.100 > 1189.1076 PP ve 1445. 1249-104 ley S hho UU" 1031 933 98) pet 1050 gad 107) . S6.1054. 956 99 rr? $7. 1089. 9BO. OD hawe O41. 4124 ss0g 112 Shore) Nett hog Fo Pratt Meer > 8 anal un* 4 ne 116 Occoquern 1PM" 1. 134042924 2 133A4.52414 3.1264. 1445 4.1175 .1061. . 5. 1324 .1206 6 1288.1472 7. 1155.1036. 123 116 141A 4i8 116 117 #.1336.1224.155 Nest 218 {ae ver* pana * WD 4.1154 1056. 98 Grave Woee CS thovir* Spahr 877.105 sae 4 24 Boonet 38 Sina A a 4. eng 1233. 1132.100 Sess. 1479. i ‘ x 18. (262.1076. 87) . fom 17 Jeveph ikea Fronnh _, One wgenars Troms. pe % ¢om~ Hose 46 a : Abnde vee* 2 Cen TM ee 1113. fooe. ior 308 . 1105 1000-1 303. 1100 tooo. 1000. or v= for cornet gi went theetstd 1” waders Natt is 4538 2027 1864 i700 goso A827 9276 1036 877 A793, 899 in September 1744, a significant step in emulating the manners and ways of Virginia’s established aristocrats. Three years later he purchased “a Sett of Chaisewheels” from Francis Hogans, a Caroline County wheelwright, and in June 1748 he discounted as an overcharge the cost of “‘a Chaise worth nothing” in his account with the English mercantile firm of Sydenham & Hodgson.*® A “chaise” could have been one of several types of vehicles, but it was probably “a carriage for traveling, having a closed body and seated for one to three persons,” according to Murray’s A New Oxford Dictionary. In 1749 Mercer bought a “chariot” from James Mills of £80. Doubtless an elegant piece of equipage, this was, we learn from Tappahannock for Murray, “a light four-wheeled carriage with only back seats, and differing from the post-chaise in having a coach-box.” In November 1750 he paid John Simpson, a Fredericksburg wheelwright, 10 shillings for “wedging & hooping the Chariotwheels” and 9 shillings for “mending 3 fillys & 3 Spokes in DY AOIEL At the same time he bought a “‘p" Cartwheels” for £2 and a “Tumbling Cart” for £1 6s. from Simpson. Murray tells us that a “‘tumble cart” or a ‘“‘tumbril cart’ was a dung cart, designed to dump the load. TOBACCO CASK BRANDS Hogsheads and casks of tobacco were branded with the symbols or initials of the original owners. Many of the brands are recorded explicitly in the ledger. Mercer, at the beginning of his career, used a symbol M. As his plantations multiplied, however, three symbols were adopted, based on his own two initials. Tobacco casks from Bull Run were marked 1°. Those from Sumner’s Quarters bore the brand 1° m, while the “Home Plantation’? at Marlborough had casks marked 1° (fig. 8). The inter pretation of these symbols warrants some *© Sydenham & Hodgson was a London mercantile firm, Mercer identified the firm in Ledger G as “Merchants King George” and noted in his journal on January 20, 1745, that he visited at “Mr. Sydenham’s.” In 1757 the two men were referred to elsewhere as ‘Messrs. Sydenham & Hodgson of London.’ See “Proceedings of the Virginia Committee of Correspondence, 1759-67,” VHM (Richmond, 1905), vol. 12, pp. 2-4. represented in Virginia by Jonathan Sydenham. Extensive research has been conducted by Colonial Wil- ] burg, Inc , on the forms of vehicles used by such Virginians ind his contemporaries. digression. In the 17th century, and indeed in the 18th century also, the triangular cipher to indicate the initials of man and wife was commonly used to mark silver, pewter, china, delftware, linens, and other objects needing owners’ identifications. The common surname initial was placed at the top, the husband’s first-name initial at the lower left, and the wife’s at the lower right. This arrangement was used con- sistently in the 17th century. In the 18th century, however, variations began to appear in the colonies, although not, apparently, in England. Silver made in New York and Philadelphia during the 1700's presents the initials reading from left to right, with the husband’s at the lower left, the wife’s at top center, and the surname initial at the lower right. The large keystone of the Carlyle house in Alexandria, built in 1751, bears a triangular arrangement of John and Sarah Carlyle’s initials: 350.*8 Like Carlyle, Mercer used initials in this fashion, but also, as we have seen, in two other combinations in which ‘“‘J. M.” remains constant, the upper center initial having a subordinate significance. ‘‘S” signi- fies Sumner’s Quarters, and ““B,” Bull Run Quarters. “C” on seals and brands having to do with Marl- borough apparently refers to Catherine, honoring her as Mercer’s wife and mistress of the home plantation. The possibility that *“*C” stands for Cave’s warehouse may be dismissed as being inconsistent with the other two marks, the tobacco from Sumner’s Quarters having also been shipped through Cave’s, and that from Bull Run Quarters having been stored at the Occaquan warehouse.*® John Withers also used the left-to-right arrange- ment, 1w, although Henry Tyler, a planter whose account is mentioned in Mercer’s Ledger, used the conventional three-letter cipher, H!mM. These marks occurred on casks transmitted to Mercer as payments, and are recorded in Ledger G (fig. 7). TOBACCO EXCHANGE Tobacco, before being transferred to another owner, was examined by official inspectors. Mercer kept a special ‘‘Inspector’s Notes’ account where he kept track of fees due the inspectors. Direct payments of tobacco were made in transactions with William *8 Gay Monracut Moore, Seaport in Virginia (Richmond, 1949), p. 62. 88°C. Matcorm Warkins, “The Three-initial Cipher: Exceptions to the Rule,’ Antiques (June 1958), vol. 73, no. 6, pp. 564-565. Hunter and Charles Dick, the Fred CK chants from whom Mercer bought most of . 0 ind suppiles lo others, however, pa We made 1 i compl X10 ol tobacco notes eval-tec payments, ind plain barter Tobacco sh ( ve seas was usually handled by Sydenha & Hod Also involved with tobacco transactions i I lar who lived at Lamb’s Creek plantation, and Willia Jord . of Richmond County, both of who il ranged for purchases of books. fur ture. and otl English imports for Mercer The following are excerpts from Sydenha & Hodgson’s account in Ledger G CLOTHING Mr. | i By t i M ol a t i DCT to t \1 in his patronizing Williamsburg tailors, beginning in 1745 when he settled with George Charleston for a tailor’s bill of £6 10s. In 1748 he paid Charleston four shillings for “Collar lining a Velvet Waistcoat.” In 1749 he purchased a “full trimm’d velvet Suit” from Charles Jones, the work and materials totaling £7 7s. 4d., while in 1750 he spent £11 2s. 1d. on unitemized purchases from the same _ tailor. In that year he bought also from Robert Crichton, a Williamsburg merchant, ‘‘a flower’'d Velvet Waist- coat, £5.” As the decade advanced, Mercer played with increasing consciousness the role of wealthy gentleman, as his choice of tailors shows. MATERIALS Textile materials, as seen under “General Ex- penses” and in the accounts of Hunter and Dick, ran the gamut of the usual imported fabrics, as well An alphabetical list of the materials mentioned in these accounts, with as rare, expensive elegancies. definitions, is given in Appendix I. From this list we gain an impression of great diversity and refinement in the materials used for clothing and interior decoration, as well as of a tremendous amount of sewing, embroidering, and making of clothes at home, probably typical of most of the great plantations in the middle of the century. WEAVING In addition to fine imported materials, there were needed blankets, work clothes for slaves, and fabrics To these ends Mercer employed several weavers in various parts of Virginia. In 1747 William Threlkeld wove 109 yards of woolen cloth at fourpence a yard. During that year and the next, John Booth of King George County wove an indeterminate amount for a total of £2 4d. In 1748 John Fitzpatrick wove 480 yards of cotton at four- pence a yard, and William Mills wove 30 yards of “cloatht for other practical purposes. Much of the work appears to have been done in payment for legal services. Weaving and spinning evidently were done at Marlborough, as they were at most plantations. In 1744 Mercer recorded under “General Charges” that he had sold a loom to Joseph Foxhall. In 1746 he bought a spinning wheel from Captain Wilson of Whitehaven, England, purchasing three more from him in 1748. Wool cards also appear in the accounts. In January 1748 Mercer charged William Mills with } months Hire of Thuanus the Weaver, £3,” which suggests that Thuanus was an indentured white servant (his name does not occur on the list of slaves) employed at Marlborough and hired out to Mills, a Stafford County weaver. PERSONAL ACCESSORIES In contrast to the elegancies of dress materials and clothing, Mercer left little evidence of jewelry, toilet articles, or other personal objects. In Ledger G we find “2 horn combs” bought for fivepence, an ivory comb for tenpence, two razors, two strops, snuff- boxes, bottles of snuff, ‘‘a smelling bottle,”’ and “‘buck- handled” and silver-handled penknives. From John Hyndman, a Williamsburg merchant, Mercer acquired a set of silver buckles for £1 10s., and from William Woodford he bought ‘“‘a gold watch, Chain & Swivel” for the not-trifling sum of £64 6s. 3d. Like most successful men, Mercer had his portrait painted. During the General Court sessions held in the spring and fall of 1748 in Williamsburg, he lodged with William Dering, the dancing master and portrait painter. Dering lived in the house still standing on the capitol green, now known as the Brush-Everard house. In Dering’s account we find: “by drawing my picture, £9.2.9.” °” FOOD AND DRINK Good food and drink played an important part in Mercer’s life, as it did in the lives of most Virginia planters. In the ledger accounts are found both double-refined and single-refined sugar, bohea tea, coffee, nutmegs, cinnamon, mace, and chocolate. Most meats were provided by the plantation and thus are not mentioned, while fish were caught from the plantation sloop or by fixed nets. However, Thomas Tyler of the Eastern Shore sold Mercer a barrel of drumfish and four and one-half bushels of oysters, while Thomas Jones, also of the Eastern Shore, provided a barrel of pork for 47s. 6d. in 1749. Earlier there appeared a ledger item Charges” for 1775 pounds of pork. Molasses was an important staple, and Mercer bought a 3l-gallon barrel of it from one ‘“‘Captain Fitz of the Eastern Shore of Maryland” in 1746 and 30 gallons the next year, charging both purchases to under ‘‘General "See J. Hatt Preasants, “William Dering, a mid-eight- eenth-century Williamsburg Portrait Painter,’ VHAf (Rich- mond, 1952), vol. 60, pp. 53-63. . 3 Tj kIimnosq fStuvwxv7&, eid. “ABCBEFGHITKLMNO PQRSTUYWXYZ, Se aeciou ; ab cb.ib’ob wi. ba be ac ¢c Ic oc ur ca Ce ad ed id dd nd} da ded Inthe name of rie Farber, & of t 90n,& of the Holy Ghoft, Am p ‘Ke Rainet which art tn Bea. ven, bSihowed be thy Name. Thy Kingdon coiue.. Thy Will ve done tn Rarth, as it isin Hea- Figure 9 FRENCH HORN dated 1729. Mercer pur - as ; , chased a “‘french horn” like this from Charles Dick ; ven. Give us this Gay our daily in 1743. (USNM 95.269 bread. And forgive r= Aur trefpaf. {es,as we forgive thers hat trefpa {§ again ts. And es} us not inte his wife. In 1750 he received 88 gallons of molasses : tem ptition.: Lege gc Aver us froin and 255 pounds of ‘“‘muscovy sugar’ from Robert y : - - Todd. Muscovy sugar was the same as “‘muscavado’ : sugar, the unrefined brown sugar of the West Indies, known in Spanish as mascahado Beverages and the fruits to go with them were bought in astonishing quantities between 1744 and 1750. Major Robert Tucker, a Norfolk merchant, exchanged a **Pipe of Wine” worth £26 and a 107 gallon hogshead of rum valued at £22 in return for Mercer’s legal services. Again as a legal fee, Mercer received 55 gallons of ‘“‘Syder’’ from Janet Holbrook of Stafford and bought |1 limes from John Mitchelson Ronre 10—M of York for 12 shillings. From William Black hx Ge il A purchased ‘*11 dozen and 11 bottles of Ale” at } shillings, and from John Harvey *‘‘5 doze of Mrs. A M Claret’ for £11 6d. ‘““Mark Talbott of the K l of Ireland E™®”’ sold Mercer a pipe of w for £3 3s LIFE OF THE CHILDREN During the 1740°s Mercer's first fou { I children, George, John Fenton, James, and S Ann Mason Mercer,”' were growing up d t accounts are scattered through with it ) I to their care and upbringing lr} Le little hints of Mercer's role as the affect M On May 17, 1743, “By Sundry I Hunter’s account; an item of “1 he Dich account for 1745 was undoubted! t M M M * Born 1733, 1735, 173¢ dancing four children £16,” while in the following year ninepence was paid William Allan ‘“‘for his Fidler.” Fielding Lewis in Fredericksburg for 2s. 44d. From the ledger we also learn much about the In 1747 “Fiddle strings” were bought from children’s clothing: child’s mittens and child’s shoes, boy’s pumps, boy’s shoes, girl’s shoes, boy’s collared lamb gloves, two pairs of “girl’s clock’d Stocking,” “2 p" large boys Shoes 6! 2 p" smaller 5/... 1 p* girls 224, 1 p™ smaller 20°,” boy’s gloves, and ““Making a vest and breeches for George” in October 1745. In 1748 Captain Wilson brought from England “a Wig for George,” George then had reached the age of 15 and young manhood. Hugh MacLane, the Stafford tailor, was employed to make clothes for the three boys—a suit for George, and a suit, vest, coat, and breeches each for James and worth 12 shillings. John. That the children were educated according to time- honored methods is revealed in the “‘General Ex- penses” account for May 1743, where “1 hornbook 3°" is entered. The hornbook was an ancient instruc- tional device consisting of a paddle-shaped piece of wood with the alphabet and the Lord’s Prayer printed or otherwise lettered on paper that was glued to the wood and covered for protection with thin sheets of transparent horn. Elaborate examples sometimes were covered with tooled leather, or were made of ivory, silver, or pewter. The mention of hornbooks in colonial records is a great rarity, although they were commonplace in England until about 1800. The Mercer children were taught by private tutors. One, evidently engaged in England, was the Rev- erend John Phipps, who was paid a salary of £100 annually and, presumably, his board and lodging. Mercer noted in his journal on November 18, 1746, That Mr. Phipps left something to be desired was revealed that “Mr Phipps came to Virginia.” years later in the letter written in 1768 by John to George Mercer, who was then in England, asking him to find a tutor for his younger children: “‘. the person you engage may not pretend, as M* Phipps did that tho’ he undertook to instruct my children he intended boys only, & I or my wife might teach the girls. As I have mentioned M° Phipps, it must remind you that a tutor’s good nature & agreeable temper are absolutely necessary both 2292 for his own ease & that of the whole family. Vlercer Papers, op. cit. (footnote 51), p. 202. In 1750 George entered the College of William and Mary. He had a room at William Dering’s house, and the account of “‘Son’s Maintenance at provides an interesting picture of a well-to-do college-boy’s expenses, chargeable to his father. Such items as “To Cash p" for Lottery Tickets” (£7 10s. 6d.), “To Covington the Dancing Master... 2.3,” “To W™ Thomson for Taylor’s work” (£1 9s. 6d.), ““To p* for Washing” (£1 Is.), and ‘*To Books for sundrys” (£22 4s. 7d.) show a variety of obligations comparable to those sometimes campus. The entire account appears in Appendix J. Williamsburg” encountered on a modern BUILDING THE MANOR HOUSE As early as 1742 the ledger shows that Mercer was building steadily, although the nature of what he built is rarely indicated. Hunter’s account for 1742 lists 2500 tenpenny nails and 1000 twenty- penny nails, while in the following year the same ac- count shows a total of 4200 eightpenny nails, 5000 ten- penny, 2000 fourpenny, and 1000 threepenny nails. The following tools were bought from Hunter in 1744: paring chisel, 1!4-inch auger, %-inch auger, socket gouge, broad axe, adze, drawing knife, mortice “square Rabbit plane,’ and “plough Iron & plains.” In Charles Dick’s account we find purchases in 1745 of 16,000 flooring brads, 4000 twenty-penny nails, 2000 each of fourpenny, sixpenny, chisel, a eightpenny, and tenpenny brads, and 60,000 four- penny nails. Beginning in 1744 Mercer made great purchases of lumber. Thomas Tyler of the Eastern Shore sold him 2463 feet of plank in that year, and in 1745 made several transactions totaling 5598 feet of I-, 14s-, and 2-inch plank, as well as 23,170 shingles. In 1746 Charles Waller of Stafford sold Mercer 5193 feet of 1-, 14-, and 1's-inch plank. In the same year James Waughhop of Maryland provided ‘4000 foot of Plank of different thicknesses for £12,” and in May 1749, “2300 foot of 14% Inch Plank at 7/.°° Mercer made several similar purchases, including 14,700 shingles, from Robert Taylor of the Eastern Shore. Where all these materials were used is a matter for We know that Mercer made ‘‘Improve- ments” to the extent of “‘saving’? 40 lots under the terms of the Act for Ports and Towns, and that a great deal of construction work, therefore, was going on. One building was probably a replacement for a conjecture. warehouse, for a laconic entry in his journal on New Year’s day of 1746 notes that ‘“‘My warehouses burnt.” These were doubtless the buildings erected in 1732 and officially vacated in 1735. That at least one eventually was rebuilt for Mercer’s own use is known from an overseer’s report of 1771 (Appendix M). The windmill, the foundations of which still remain in part near the Potomac shore, was probably built in 1746. Mercer’s cash account for that year includes an item of 2s. 6d. for “Setting up Mill,’ which apparently meant adjusting the millstones for proper operation. In August he paid Nathaniel Chapman £22 19s. 8%d.“‘in full for Smith’s work.’ A windmill, with its bearings, levers, lifts, and shafts, would seem to have been the only structure requiring such a costly amount of ironwork. The most elaborate project of all, however, is clearly discernible in the ledger. In 1746 Thomas Ander- son,“ in consideration of cash and legal services, charged for “‘making & burning 40™ Stock bricks” at 4 pounds 6 pence per 1000. In the same year David Minitree, described by Mercer as a “Bricklayer,” came to Marlborough from Williamsburg. Minitree was more than an ordinary bricklayer, however, for he had worked on the Mattaponi church, and later, between 1750 and 1753, was to build Carter’s Grove for Carter Burwell. The credit side of Minitree’s account in Ledger G is as follows: £ Ss. d. 1746 Decemb’ 5 By making & burning 9 5 7% 41,255 Bricks at 4/6 ® Probably the same Thomas Anderson whose appointment as tobacco inspector at Page’s warehouse, Hanover County, was unsuccessfully protested on the basis that the job required “a person skilled in writing and expert in accounts” (Calendar of Virginia State Papers, op. cit. (footnote 18), vol. 1, pp. 233- 234). A letter to Thomas Anderson of Hanover County was listed as uncalled for at the Williamsburg Post Office in August, 1752 (Virginia Gazette; all references to the Gazettes result from use of Lester J. Capron and Stecra F. Durr, Virginia Gazette Index 1736-1780 (Nilliamsburg, 1950), and microfilm pub- lished by The Institute of Early American History and Culture [Williamsburg, 1950)). 4 See Toomas Titeston WATERMAN, The Mansions of Virginia, 1706-1776 (Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 1946), pp. 183-184, and Marcus Wuurren, The Public Buildings of Williamsburg (Williamsburg, Virginia: Colonial Williamsburg, TInc., 1958), pp. 84, 135, 218. £ 5. d 1747 Septemb’ By stacking & burning 16 9X 11,200 D® at 1/6 By making & burning 14 2 10 62,849 D® at 4/6 By making & burning 4 6 1000 D® at 4/6 By short paid of my 9M Order on Maj' Champe By building part of 10% my House The last item, in particular, is clear indication that an architectural project of importance was underway and that Mercer had set about to make Marlborough the equal of Virginia’s great plantations. Only “‘part of my house” was built by Minitree, yet his bill was more than five times the total cost of Mercer's previous house, completed in 1730! Since it was customary in Virginia to make bricks on the site of a new house, utilizing the underlying clay excavated from the foundation, Minitree, as well as Anderson, made his bricks at Marlborough before using them. Mortar for laying bricks was made of lime from oystershells. In 1747 and 1748, we learn from the ledger, 614 hogsheads of oystershells were bought from Abraham Basnett, an “Oysterman,” payment having been made in cash, meat, and brandy. “Flagstones &c’’ were obtained in 1747 through Major John Champe at a cost of £36 4s. 6d. These may have been the same stones brought up as “a load of stone” by “Boatswain Davis’ of Boyd's Hole in Passapatanzy in October 1747 for £4 5s. 5d. Early in 1748 a new set of developments concerning the house took place. Major William Walker of Stafford, revealed in the journal and the ledgers as an old acquaintance of Mercer's, then became the “undertaker,” or contractor, for the house. Walker was a talented man who had started out as a cabinet- maker, a craft in which his brother Robert. still continued. Whiffen (The Public Buildings of Williams- burg) shows that he both designed and built a glebe house for St. Paul’s Parish, Hanover County, in 1739-1740, and the steeple for St. Peter’s Church in New Kent the latter year. Also in 1740 he built a bridge across the Pamunkey for Hanover County. At the same time that he was engaged on Mercer's mansion, he undertook in March 1749 to rebuild the burned capitol at Williamsburg. He died 11 months 35 later before bringing either of these major projects to completion.” Walker’s carpenter was William Monday. settled with Monday in March 1748 for a total bill of £126 16s. 2%d., but with a protest addressed to himself in the ledger: “By work done about my House which is not near the value as by Maj" Walker’s Estimate below, yet to avoid Disputes & as he is Mercer worth nothing I give him Credit to make a full Ballance.” Meanwhile, William Bromley, a joiner, had gone to work on the interior finish. Like Minitree and Walker, Bromley represented the highest caliber of Eighteen years later hewsaidsy sl believe was the best architect that ever was in artisanship in the colony. Mercer referred to Bromley, ‘‘who,” America.” °° Bromley employed several apprentices, among them an Irishman named Patterson.” For the interval from July 9, 1748, to December 25, 1750, Bromley was paid £140 Ils. 4d., almost entirely for wages. The payment included “3 p" hollows & rounds / 6 plane irons / | gallon Brandy.” For the same period Andrew Beaty, also a joiner, received £113 5s. 14d. On June 19, 1749, Mercer noted in his journal, “Beaty’s apprentice came to specialists in framing woodwork and in making paneling, doors, wainscot- work.” These men were ing, and exterior architectural elements of wood. The opulence of the building’s finish is indicated by a charge on Walker’s account for “‘his Carver’s 69 days at o/, £175 15).5.. 27) Previously, while Minitree was still working on the house, an item had been entered in August 1747, ‘‘To Cash paid for cutting the Chimneypiece ... 6.3.? A chimneypiece was usually the ornamental trim or facing around a fireplace opening, although in this instance the overpanel may have been meant. Jacob Williams, a plasterer, worked 142% days for a total of £22 4s. 4d., while his helper Joseph days for £5 7s. 6d. 11d. for “his Painters work work Burges was employed 43 Walker charged £3 8s. ® WuirreNn, ibid., pp. 134-137, 217; 1748-1749 op. cit. (footnote 6), p: 312; 1756-1758 (Richmond, 1909), p. 28. *6 Purdie & Dixon’s Virginia Gazette, September 26, 1766. Mercer spelled the name Brownley in Ledger G, but in the Gazette article it is printed consistently as Bromley. As published in the George Mercer Papers it is spelled, and perhaps miscopied, Bramley. n the JHB, 1742-1747; JHB, 1752-1755; We have chosen Bromley as the most likely spelling, :bsence of other references to him. Vlercer Papers, op. cit. (footnote 51), p. 204. about my house,’ and a purchase of ‘“42 gallons of Linseed Oyl’ was recorded in the general charges account. Three books of goldleaf, which Mercer had obtained from George Gilmer, the Williamsburg apothecary, were charged, together with paint, to Walker. In May 1750, a charge by George Elliot, ““Turner, Stafford,” was recorded, “By turning 162 Ballusters at 64, £4.1 ....° Another item, for supplying 34114 feet Walnut Plank at 24,” settled in October, may have been for the wood of which the balusters were made. Thomas Barry, “Bricklayer,” carried on the work that Minitree had not completed. His account for 1749 follows: £ S. d. By Building the Addition tomy House 26 22 Arches at 6/ 6 12 900 Coins & Returns at 6/ 2 14 A Frontispiece 3 10 Underpinning & altering the Cellar 2 raising a Chimney l 5 building an Oyen 15 building a Kiln 1 building a Kitchen 9 10 3 Arches at 6/ 18 2 Plain De at 2/6 5 500 Coins & returns at 6/ ] 10 55 19 0 Expensive stone was imported for the house by Captain Roger Lyndon, master of the Marigold, whose account occurs in the ledger: ie s. d. 1749 April By 630 Bricks at 20/ p* 10 m. Dect By Gen’! Charges for hewn Stone from Mr Nicholson 9 65 16 4 By Gen’! Charges for sundrys by the Mari- gold By Do for freight of Stones to my House 5 1750 June It is interesting to note that bricks, probably carried from England as ballast, were brought by Captain Lyndon. Not all the hewn stone was fashioned in England. ®’ Captain Timothy Nicholson was a London merchant and shipmaster engaged in the Virginia trade with whom Mercer arranged several transactions. Figure 11.—FirepLace MANTELS illustrated in William Salmon’s Palladio Londonensis. (Courtesy of the Library of Congress.) William Copein, a Prince William County mason, and Job Wigley were employed together in 1749 to the amount of £2 8s. In 1750 Copein was paid by Mercer for 64 days of work at 3s. Id. per day, totaling £9 17s. 4d. Copein was another accom- plished craftsman, the marks of whose skill still are to be seen in the carved stone doorways of Aquia Church in Stafford County and in the baptismal font at Pohick Church in Fairfax. The design of the house will be considered in more detail later in the light of both archeological and documentary evidence. It is already quite clear, however, that the new mansion was remarkably elaborate, reflecting the workmanship of some of Virginia’s best craftsmen. The most significant clues to its inspiration are found in the titles of four books which Mercer purchased in 1747, These are listed in the inventory of his books in Ledger G as follows; “Hoppne’s Architecture.” This was probably 7he Gentle- mans and Builders Repository on Architecture Displayed. Designs Regulated and Drawn by E. Hoppus, and engraved by B. Cole. Containing useful and requisite problems in geom- etry . . . ede, (1738). Edward Hoppus was “Surveyor to the Corporation of the London Assurance.” He also edited Salmon’s Palladio Londonensis. We find no writes on architecture named Hoppne and assume this was a mistake. *“Salmon’s Palladio Londonensis.” Palladio Londonens: or the London Art of Building, by William Salmon, wt appeared in at least two editions, in 1734 and in had a profound influence on the formal architecture of the colonies during the mid-century. “Palladio’s Architecture.” The Italian Andrea Palladio was the underlying source of English architectural thought from Christopher Wren down to Robert Adam Under 37 Palladio. DP O71 AG Minder Ly Md = = = ail = == == AAI = ee HHI — a= Se = = y een eas a i IM TT. y Ii! tt | | Hdd Y Mr 7: frone © fron Inigo ~ ; A Minden- & yj TAY Y Z Uy % Y Yip Yj Yy Uy Wi 4 4A WA | aa ip YF}; Li Z (the London Londonensis -alladio ks used by William Bromley, the chief joiner who worked USTRATED IN WILLIAM SALMON’s F rtesy of the Library of Congress.) boc f the the patronage of Lord Burlington, this book was brought out in London in an English translation by Giacomo Leoni under the title The Architecture of A. Palladio; in Four Books. It had appeared in three editions prior to this inventory, in 1715, 1721, and 1742, according to Fiske Kimball (Domestic Architecture of the American Colonies and of the Early Republic; New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1924, p. 58). Mercer probably owned one of these. “Langley’s City & Country Builder.’ City and Country Builder's and Workman's Treasury of Design by Battey Langley, 1740, 1745. This was another copybook much used by builders and provincial architects. All four of these books were listed in succession in the ledger and bracketed together. Next to the bracket are the initials “WB,” to indicate that the books had been lent to someone who bore those initials. In this case it is virtually certain that the initials are those of William Bromley, to whom the books would have been of utmost importance in designing the woodwork of the house. Door hardware was purchased from William Jordan in June 1749, according to an item for “Locks & Hinges” that amounted to the large sum of £13 8s. 8d. DOMESTIC FURNISHINGS As the mansion progressed, so did the acquisition of furnishings suitable to its elegance. As early as 1742, doubtless in anticipation of the new house, Mercer had bought from Hunter a “lanthorn,” three por- ringers, two cotton counterpanes at 27s., a plate warmer for 7s. 6d., a half-dozen plates for 3s. 6d., a half-dozen deep plates for 6s., a dozen “Stone Coffee cups” for 18d., a dozen knives and forks for 3s., two tin saucepans at 4d. each, and “4 Dishes, 19% lib.” (obviously large pewter chargers). In 1743 he bought “5 gallon Basons 4/7” and “2 pottle Basons at 2/4” (for toilet use), “1 Soop Spoon 1/,"’ and “1 Copper Chocolate pot 7/6 & mull Stick 6%,” “2 blew & W* Jugs 2/” (probably Westerwald stoneware), and “1! Flanders Bed Bunt, 25° (colored cotton or linen used for bedcovers). In 1744 Mercer acquired from Charles Dick 4 candlesticks for a penny each, 2 pairs of large hinges, a “hair sifter,” “2 kitchen buck hand knives,”’ 12 cups and saucers for 2s., “1 milkmaid 2%’ (probably a shoulder yoke), and “1! bucket 1/2%."" In 1745 a 5-gallon “Stone bottle’ for 3s, 6d,, “1 doz. butcher knives,”’ a hearthbroom, six spoons for a shilling, a pair of scissors, “8 Chamberdoor Locks w'" brass knobs £2," and “| Sett finest China 35/, 2 punch bowls . . . 2.7’ were purchased, The following year Mercer paid a total of £23 for a silver sugar dish, weighing 8 oz., 5 dwt.; one dozen teaspoons and tray, 8 oz., 7 dwt.; a teapot and frame, 26 oz., 8 dwt. This lot of silver probably was bought at second hand, having been referred to as “Pugh’s Plate p* Edw* Wright as by Rec'.” He paid John Coke, a Williamsburg silversmith, £1 6s. for engrav- ing and cleaning it. In the meanwhile, in 1745, he had sold Coke £6 worth of old silver. He also sold a quantity of “old Plate” for £15 17s. 3d. to Richard Langton in England through Sydenham & Hodgson. In 1747 he made an large purchase of silver from the silversmith William King” of Williamsburg: oz. dwt. £ s. d. May 1747 By Bernard Moore for 1 Cup ot 1 30 8 3 By James Power for 1 Waiter 8 7, 4 l4 2} By a pair of Sauceboats 25 8 By a large Waiter ra a 48 Il 3% By a smaller De Px ae By a small De 8 8 148 154 @ 11 84 13 9 In March 1748, Mercer settled with Captain Lyndon for the following: £ s d. 1 superfine large gilt Sconce glass 6 16 1 De 5 5 1 Walnut & gold De 2 10 1 Marble Sideboard 32/6 Bragolo [sic] 3 5 32/6 The following June he bought a marble table from William Jordan and in October “4 looking Glasses,” which Jordan obtained from Sydenham & Hodgson ” Probably William King, who married Elizabeth Edwarcs in Stafford in 1738. He was the son of Alfred King. whose parents were William King (d. 1702) and Judith Brent of Stafford. His account with Mercer seems to indicate that he was a silversmith, “Notes and Queries,” Zhe Ainge Famly, VHM (Richmond, 1916), vol. 24, p, 205. 39 M Valker’s brother Robert made { Yi! which William’s carver spent cost was £30 8s. The quality of u illustrated further by a pur- 10 from Lyonel Lyde.! a London mer- £43 13s. worth of “Cabinet Ware from }elchier Belchier was a leading London furniture ker, whose shop in 1750 was located on the ‘“‘south side of St. Paul’s, right against the cloc Kei Ambrose Heal, in The London Furp ture Makers, illus- trates a superb japanned writing cabinet in ereen and sold chinoiserie made by Belchier in 1730.1" Belchier iso supplied Shalstone Manor. the Buckinghamshire estate of Henn Purefoy, with a table-desk in 1749 he 13 The ledge: notes other occasional purchases ol furniture during this period. In 1746 Mercer paid cash “‘for oysters & a bedsteed,” in the amount of 10s. 6d. In September 1748, he bought “an Escri- toire’ from tutor John Phipps, for which he paid £5 LIGHTING DEVICES Artificial lightine for the manor house receives sparse mention Che four candlesticks bought in 1744 for 1 pe kitchen use each were probably of iron o1 tin for Candlesticks purchased earlie) probably remained in use, sufficing for most illumination. It el r11s¢ onception that colonial houses were 4 , f ught with lamplight and candlelight Candl were expensive to buy and time-consuming ) Ke, while lamps rarely wer used before the ¢ ad oO i century lr) the Ihnore refined areas ol 1ousehold The principal use ol candles Was In guiding one’s way to bed 0; In providing the minimum nec iry light to carry on an e€vening’s conversation. uar d 1738 innounced that 1 t 1 at VW County I t ister of Led er G I I i Lyde died [ ( M Powe | | Lyd ho } } bu fore c id Figure 13 TABLE-DESK made in 1749 for Henry Purefoy of Shalstone Manor in Buc kinghamshire by John Belchier of London. In the following year John Mercer received £43 13s worth of ‘Cabinet Ware” from that noted cabinetmaker. (Reproduced rom Purefoy Letters, 1735 1753, G. Bland, ed.. Sidewick an 1 Fa kson. Lid.. London. 19 31, by courteous lisher.) , During cold weather, fireplaces were a satisfactory supplement. In general, early to bed and early to rise was the rule, as William Byrd has shown us, and artificial light was only a minor necessity. Nevertheless, some illumination was needed in the halls and great rooms of colonial plantation houses, especially when guests were present—as they usually were. The three sconce glasses which Captain Lyn- don delivered to Mercer in 1748 were doubtless elegant answers to this requirement. These glasses were mirrors with one or more candle branches, arranged so that the light would be reflected and multiplied. On special occasions, these, and perhaps some candelabra and a scattering of candlesticks to supplement them, provided concentrations of light; for such affairs the use of ordinary tallow candles, with their drippings and smoke, was out of the question. A pleasant alternative is indicated by the purchase in April 1749 of “11% lib. Myrtle Wax att Od... 14.44%” and ‘4 lib Beeswax 6/” from Thomas Jones of the Eastern Shore. Similar pur- chases also are recorded. Myrtle wax came from what the Virginians called the myrtle bush, better known today as the bayberry bush. Its gray berries yielded a fragrant aromatic wax much favored in the colonies. In making candles it was usually mixed with beeswax, as was evidently the case here. A clean-burning, superior light source, it was nonethe- less an expensive one. Burning in the brackets of the sconce glasses at Marlborough, heightening the shadows of the Palladian woodwork and, when snuffed, emitting its faint but delicious fragrance, it must have been a delight to the eyes and the nostrils alike. NEGROES Negroes played an increasingly important part in the life of Marlborough, particularly after the manor house was built. Between 1731 and 1750 Mercer purchased 89 Negroes. Most of these are listed by name in the ledger accounts. Forty-six died in this period, while 25 were born, leaving a total of 66 Negroes on his staff in 1750. In 1746 he bought 6 men and 14 women at £21 10s. from Harmer & King in Williamsburg. The new house and the expanded needs for service were perhaps the reasons for this largest single purchase of slaves. There is no indication that Mercer treated his slaves other than well, or that they caused him any serious difficulties. On the other hand, his frequent reference to them by name, the recording of their children’s names and birth dates in his ledger, and the mention in his journal of new births among his slave population all attest to an essentially paternalistic attitude that was characteristic of most Virginia planters during the 18th century. Good physical care of the Negroes was motivated perhaps as much by self-interest in protecting an investment as by humane considerations, but, nonetheless, we find such items in the ledger as ““To Cash p* Doctor Lynn for delivering Deborah.” That discipline served for the Negroes as it usually did for all colonials, whether the lawbreaker were slave, bondsman, or free citizen, is indicated by an entry in the Dick account: ‘*2 thongs w™ Silk lashes 1/3.° One must bear in mind that corporal punish- ment was accepted universally in the 18th century. Its application to slaves, however, usually was left to the discretion of the slave owner, so that the restraint with which it was administered depended largely upon the humanity and wisdom of the master. The use of the lash was more often than not delegated to the overseer, who was hired to run, or help run, the plantation. It was the overseer who had a direct interest in eliciting production from the field hands; a sadistic overseer, therefore, might create a hell for the slaves under him, It is clear from Mercer’s records that some of his overseers caused problems for him and that at least one was a brutal man. For October 1747 a chilling entry appears in the account of William Graham, an over- seer at Bull Run Quarters: ““To Negroes for one you made hang himself. £35.” Entered in the “Negroes” account, it reappears, somewhat differently: **To William Graham for Frank (Hanged) £35 Sterling. BOO. 15.7 of Negroes driven to suicide as the only alternative to enduring cruclties.'~ In this case, Graham was fined 50 shillings and 1293 pounds of tobacco, We do not know, of course, whether other Negroes listed as dead in Mercer's account died of natural This is one of several instances on record causes or whether crucl treatment contributed to their deaths. In the case of a homesick Negro named Joe, who ran away for the third time in 1745, Mercer seems reluctantly to have resorted to an offer of reward and an appeal to the law. Even so, he 1% Virginia Gazette, July 10, 1752; Braver, op. cit. (footnote 5), vol. 2, pp. 107-108; Unarct Boxwant Protcirs, American Negro Slavery (New York & London: D. Appicton, 1918), pp. 271, 272, 381 41 all the blame on Joe. Joe had Belfield of Richmond County” and in the reward offer Mercer states that Joe declined to place been “Coachman to Mr. . was for some time after he first ran away lurking about the Widow Belfield’s Plantation . . He is a short, well-set Fellow, about 26 Years of Age, and took with him several cloaths, among the rest a Suit of Blue, lined and faced with Red, with White Metal Buttons, Whoever will secure and bring home the said Negroe, shall receive Two Pistoles Reward, besides what the Law allows: And as I have a great Reason to believe, that he is privately encouraged to run away, and then harboured and concealed, so that the Person or Persons so harbouring him may be thereof convicted, I will pay to such Discoverer Ten Pistoles upon Conviction. ‘This being the third Trip he has made since I bought him in January last, I desire he may receive such Correction in his Way home as the Law directs, when apprehended.!% Whether Joe received the harsh punishment his offense called for is not recorded. However, in 1748 Mercer accounted for cash paid for “Joe’s Lodging & burial £3. 10.,° suggesting that Joe enjoyed death- bed care and a decent burial, even though he may have succumbed to “such correction . . . as the law directs.” As has already been suggested, his overseers seem to have given Mercer more trouble than his slaves. One was Booth Jones of Stafford, about whom Mercer confided in his ledger, “By allowed him as Overseer tho he ran away about 5 weeks before his time was *. T suffered more damage than his whole Meanwhile, in 1746 William overseer at Bull Run Quarters, out by w wages. £3. 11.” Wheeland, an “imbezilled” 40 barrels of corn. James Savage was one of the principal overseers and seems to have been in charge first at Sumner’s Quarters and then at Bull Run Quarters. John Ferguson succeeded him at the former place. William Torbutt was also at Bull Run, while Mark Canton and Nicholas Seward were overseers at Marlborough. The outfitting of slaves with proper clothes, blankets, and coats was an important matter. It called for such purchases as 121 ells of “‘ozenbrigs” from Hunter in 1742. originally in Oznabruck, Germany,’ and was tradi- “Ozenbrigs” was a coarse cloth of a type made 14 Virginia Gazette, September 12, 1745. 10 Grorce Francis Dow, Everyday Life in the Massachusetts Colony (Boston: The Society for the Preservation of New \ntiquities, 1935), p. 78. tionally the Negro field hand’s raiment. Many purchases of indigo point to the dying of “Virginia” cloth, woven either on the plantation or by the weavers mentioned earlier. Presumably, shoes for the Negroes were made at Marlborough, judging from a purchase from Dick of 34 pounds of shoe thread. The domestic servants were liveried, at least after the mansion was occupied. William Thomson, a Fred- ericksburg tailor, made ‘ta Coat & Breeches [for] Bob, 11/.° Bob was apparently Mercer’s personal manservant, who had served him since 1732. Thom- son also was paid £4 16s. 2d. for “Making Liveries.” The listing of such materials as ‘‘scarlet duffel’? and “scarlet buttons’ points to colorful outfitting of slaves, SAILING, FISHING, HUNTING Water transportation was essential to all the planters, most of whom owned sloops. We have seen that Mercer used a sloop for his earliest trading activities before he settled at Marlborough, and it is apparent that in the 1740’s either this same sloop or another which may have replaced it still was operated by him. Hauling tobacco to Cave’s warehouse, picking up a barrel of rum in Norfolk or a load of lumber on the Eastern Shore were vital to the success of the plantation. To equip the sloop, 14 yards of topsail, ship’s twine, and a barrel of tar were pur- chased in 1747. Mercer had two Negroes named “Captain” and ‘Boatswain,’ and we may suppose that they had charge of the vessel. Such an arrange- ment would not have been unique, for many years after this, in 1768, Mercer wrote that “a sloop of M* Ritchie’s that came around from Rapp* for a load of tobacco stopped at my landing; his negro skipper brought me a letter from M* Mills eae That there was considerable hunting at Marl- borough is borne out by repeated references to powder, shot, gunpowder, and gunflints. Fishing may have been carried on from the sloop and also in trap-nets of the same sort still used in Potomac Creek off the Marlborough Point shore. In 1742 purchases were made of a 40-fathom seine and 3 perch lines, and in 1744 of 75 fishhooks and 2 drumlines. BOOKS In Ledger G, Mercer listed all the books of his library before 1746. He then listed additions as they 196 George Mercer Papers, op. cit. (footnote 51), p. 208. - occurred through 1750 (Appendix K). This astonish- ing catalog, disclosing one of the largest libraries in Virginia at that time, reveals the catholicity of Mercer’s tastes and the inquiring mind that lay behind them. Included in the catalog are the titles of perhaps the most important law library in the colony. The names of all sorts of books on husbandry and agriculture are to be found in the list: ‘Practice of farming,” ‘“‘Houghton’s Husbandry,” ‘Monarchy of the Bees,” ‘Flax,’ “Grass,” and Evelyn’s “A Dis- course of Sallets.”’ Mercer's interest in brewing, which later was to launch a full-scale, if abortive, commercial enterprise is reflected in ‘London Brewer,” “Scott’s Distilling and Fermentation,” “Hops,” and the “Hop Gardin,” while ‘The Crafts- man,” “Woollen Manufacture,’ and ““New Improve- ments” indicate his concern with the efficiency of other plantation activities. He displayed an interest in nature and science typical of an 18th-century man: “Bacon’s Natural History,” ‘““Gordon’s Cosmography,”’ ‘“Gordon’s Geog- raphy,” “Atkinson’s Epitome of Navigation,’ “Oza- mun’s Mathematical Recreations,’ *‘Keill’s Astron- omy,’ and “‘Newton’s Opticks.”” Two others were “Baker's Microscope’ and “Description of the Microscope &c.”’ It may be significant that in 1747 Mercer bought three microscopes from one “Doctor Spencer” of Fredericksburg, the books on the subject and the instruments themselves possibly having been intended for the education of the three boys. “150 Prints of Ovid’s Metamorphosis” appears, in addition to “Ovid’s Metamorphosis and 25 Sins,” for which Mercer paid £8 6s. to William Parks in 1746. “Catalog of Plants” and “Merian of Insects’ are other titles related to natural science. Many books on history and biography are listed— for example, “Life of Oliver Cromwell,” “Lives of the Popes,’ “Life of the Duke of Argyle,” “Hughes History of Barbadoes,”’ ““Catholick History,” “History of Virginia,” “Dr. Holde’s History of China,’ ““The English Acquisitions in Guinea,” ‘“Purchas’s Pil- grimage.” There are 25 titles under “Physick & Surgery,” reflecting the planter’s need to know the rudiments of medical care for his slaves and family. Art, architec- ture, and travel interested him also, and we find such titles as “Noblemen’s Seats by Kip,” “Willis’s Survey of the Cathedrals,” “8 Views of Scotland,” “Perrier’s Statues,” “Pozzo’s Perspective,” “100 Views of Brabant & Flanders,’ “History of Amphitheatres.” There was but one tide on music—“The Musical Miscellany,” mentioned previously, “Report about Silver Coins” was probably an English report on the exchange rate of silver coinage in the various British colonies. Mercer kept abreast of English literature of his own and preceding gencrations: “Swift's Sermons,’ the “Spectator” and the ‘Tatler,’ “Pope's Works,” “Turkish Spy,” “Tom Brown's Letters from the Dead to the Living,” “Pamela,” “David Simple,” ” “Joseph Andrews,’ “Shakespeare’s Plays,’ “Ben Jonson’s Works,’ ‘“‘Wycherley’s Plays,’ “Prior's Works,”’ “‘Savage’s Poems,’ “Cowley’s Works,” and ‘Select Plays’? (in 16 volumes), to mention but a few. The classics are well represented—*Lauder- dale’s Virgil,’ ‘““Ovid’s Art of Love,’ “Martial” (in Greek), as well as a Greek grammar and a Greek testament. There were the usual sermons and reli- gious books, along with such diverse subjects as ““Alian’s Tacticks of War,’ “Weston’s Treatise of Shorthand” and “Weston’s Shorthand Copybook,” and “Greave’s Origin of Weights, &c.” He sub- scribed to the London Magazine and the Gentleman's Magazine, and received regularly the Virginia Gazette. While most of Mercer’s books were for intellectual edification or factual reference, a few must have served the purpose of sheer visual pleasure. Such was Merian’s magnificent quarto volume of hand- colored engraved plates of Surinam insects, with descriptive texts in Dutch. The 1 8th-century gentle- man’s taste for the elegant, the “curious,” and the aesthetically delightful were all satisfied in this book, which would appropriately on a table for the pleasure of Mercer's cuests.)" luxurious have been placed THE PETITION Although overseeing the construction of his mansion, buying the furniture for it, and assembling a splendid library would have been sufficient to keep lesser men busy, Mercer was absorbed in other activities as well. On May 10, 1748, for example, he recorded in his journal that he went “to Raceground by James Taylor’s & Wid® Taliaferro’s,” '** traveling 50 miles to do so. On December 13, 1748, he went “to ‘ Maria Stnveta Mrearian, Melamorphors Insectoram Surine- mensium efte Veranderung Surinaamsche Iniccten ( Antwerp, 1705) #* James Taylor lived in Caroline County; the “Wid® Tal- iaferro” was probably Mrs. John Taliaferro of Spotsylvania, 43 Figure 14. EXPLORAMDRY ihn? org | Spe ARCHEOLOGICAL SURVEY PLAN superimposed over detail of 1691 plat, showing outhwest corner of town developed by Mercer. It can be seen that the mansion founda- tion was in the area near the change of course “by the Gutt between Geo. Andrew’s & the Court house Stafford Court of the Peace.”’ home. Swore to the Commission thus becoming a justice of the peace for Stafford County. In the meanwhile, years had gone by, and no action had been taken on the suit in chancery brought in the 1730's to establish Savage’s survey of Marlborough Mercer had other than those the official one. During this time. ued to build on various lots relying on the Lease and Consent of hence in the vicinity of the courthouse site. [the feoffees], at the Expense of above Fifteen Hun- dred Pounds, which Improvements would have saved forty lots.’ Finally, ‘judging the only effectual way to secure his Title would be to procure an Act of oe Mercer applied to the Stafford court to purchase the county’s General Assembly for that purpose, interest in the town, to which the court agreed on August 11, 1747, the price to be 10,000 pounds of 109 Petition of John Mercer, loc. cit. (footnote 17). tobacco. Since this transaction required legislative approval, Mercer filed with the House of Burgesses the petition which has served so often in these pages to tell the history of Marlborough. Mercer argued in the petition that the county had nothing to lose—that it “had received satisfaction” for at least 30 lots, some of which he might be obliged to buy over again; that, considering the history of the town, no one but himself would be likely to take up any other lots, the last having been subscribed to in 1708; and that his purchase of the town would be not to the county’s disadvantage but rather to his own great expense. He was willing to accept an appraisal from “‘any one impartial person of Credit’ who would say the town was worth more, and to pay “any Consideration this worshipful House shall think just.” He pointed out that the two acres set aside for the courthouse were excluded and that they “‘must revert to the Heir of the former Proprietor, (who is now an Infant).”’ He did not indicate in the petition that he himself was the guardian of William Brent, infant heir to the courthouse property. It is most significant, therefore, that in asking for favorable action he added, “except the two acres thereof, which were taken in for a Court-house, as aforesaid and which he is willing to lay of as this worshipful House may think most for the Benefit of Mr. William Brent, the Infant, to whom the same belongs, or to pay him double or treble the worth of the said two acres, if the same is also vested in your Petitioner.’ (Italics supplied.) Plainly, Mercer had much at stake in obtaining title to the courthouse land. This supports the hypothesis that the Gregg survey of 1707 infringed on the courthouse land, that Ballard’s lot 19 on the Gregg survey over- lapped it, and that Mercer’s first two houses, and now his mansion, were partly on land that rightfully belonged to his ward, William Brent. Mercer apparently had so built over all the lower part of Marlborough without regard to title of ownership, and had so committed himself to occupancy of the courthouse site, that he was now in the embarrassing position of having to look after William Brent's interests when they were in conflict with his own. Likely it is that he had depended too much on accept- ance of the still-unauthorized Savage survey to correct the previous discrepancies by means of its extra row of lots. Still further indication that the courthouse land was at issue is found in the proceedings that followed the petition. In these, there are repeated references to Mercer’s having been called upon to testify “as the Guardian of William Brent.” Clearly, the legislators were concerned with the effect the accept- ance of the petition would have on Brent's interests. If Mercer, as seems likely, was building his mansion on the courthouse land, the burgesses had reason to question him. affirmative “That the said Petition be rejected’."” This setback was only temporary, however. The wider problems of Marlborough had at least been brought to light, so that by the time the next fall session was held Mercer’s 18-year-old suit to have Savage’s designated the official survey finally was acted upon: “At a General Court held at the Court House in Williamsburg the 12th October 1749" the John Savage survey of 1731 was “Decreed & Ordered” to be “the only Survey” of Marlborough. The problem of overlapping boundaries occasioned by the conflicts between the first two surveys was solved neatly. Mercer agreed to accept lots | through 9, 22 and 25, and 33, 34, 42, and 43, “instead of the s’ 17 lots so purchased.” The new lots extended up the Potomac River shore, while the ‘‘s* 17 lots” were those which he had originally purchased and had built upon. Since he had “‘saved”’ these 17 lots by building on them, according to the old laws for the town, “‘it is further decreed & ordered that the said Town of Marlborough grant & convey unto the s® In any case, the House resolved in the John Mercer in fee such & so many other Lotts in the said Town as shall include the Houses & Improvm'* made by the said John Mercer according to the Rate of 400 square feet of Housing for each Lot so as the Lots to be granted for any House of greater Dimen- sions be contiguous & are not separated from the said House by any of the Streets of the said Town.” "" Thus, Mercer’s original titles to 17 lots were made secure by substituting new lots for the disputed ones he had occupied. This device enabled the feoffees to sell back the original lots—at £182 per lot—with new deeds drawn on the basis of the Savage survey. The final provision that lots be contiguous when a house larger than the minimum 400 square feet was built on them, and that the house and lots should not be separated by streets from cach other, guaran- teed the integrity of the mansion and its surrounding “8 JHB, 1742-1747; 1748-1749, op. cit. (footote 6), pp 285-286, ! John Mercer's Land Book, loc. cit. (footnote 12) land. No mention was made here, or in subsequent transfers, of the courthouse land. Presumably it was conveniently forgotten, Mercer perhaps having duly recompensed his ward. HEALTH AND MEDICINE Three weeks before his petition was read in the House, Mercer became ill. On October 26, 1748, he noted in his journal, “‘Very ill obliged to keep my bed.’ This was almost his first sickness after years of apparently robust health. Such indispositions as he occasionally suffered had occurred, like this one, at Williamsburg, where conviviality and rich food caused many another colonial worthy to founder. In this case, anxiety over the outcome of his petition may have brought on or aggravated his ailment. In any event, he stayed throughout the court session at the home of Dr. Kenneth McKenzie, who treated him. On November 3 he noted that he was “On Recovery,” and two days later “went out to take the air.” The following appears in his account with Dr. McKenzie: October 1748: By Medicines & Attendance myself & Ice £719.11 By Lodging &c 7 weeks GaGa William Parks, on another occasion, he bought “Rattlesnake root,’ which was promoted From in 18th-century Virginia as a specific against the gout, smallpox, and ‘‘Pleuritick and Peripneumonic Fevers.” "* Twice he bought “British oyl,” a favorite popular nostrum sold in tall, square bottles, and on another occasion “‘2 bottles of Daffy’s Elixir.” 12'Ten years earlier a vogue for rattlesnake root had been established, apparently by those interested in promoting it. On June 16, 1738, Benjamin Waller wrote to the editor of the Virginia Gazette extolling the virtues of rattlesnake root in a testimonial. Ie claimed it cured him quickly of the gout, and, he wrote, “I am also fully convinced this Medicine has saved the Lives of many of my Negroes, and others in that Disease, which rages here, and is by many called a Pleurisy; And that it is a sure Cure in a Quartan Ague.” ‘Two weeks later the Gazette carried “Proposals for Printing by Subscription a Treatise on the DISEASES of Virginia and the Neighbouring Colonies . . . To which is annexed, An Appendix, showing the strongest Reasons, a priori, that the Seneca Rattle-Snake Root must be of more use than any Medicine in the Materia Medica.” 18 See GEorGE B. GriFFENHAGEN and JAMES HARVEY YOUNG, “Old English Patent Medicines in America,” (paper 10 in Contributions from the Museum of History and Technology: Papers -11, U.S. National Museum Bulletin 218, by various authors; eton: Smithsonian Institution, 1959). In 1749 he settled his account with George Gilmer, apothecary of Williamsburg, for such things as oil of cinnamon, Holloways’ Citrate, ‘““Aqua Linnaean,” spirits of lavender, and gum fragac. ‘The final item in the account was for April 22, 1750, for “ca Vomit.” The induced vomit, usually by a tartar emetic, was an accepted cure for overindulgence and a host of supposed ailments. That inveterate valetudinarian and ama- teur physician, William Byrd, was in the habit of “oiving’? vomits to his sick slaves.'™ In November and December 1749 Mercer sus- tained his first long illness, during which he was attended by “Doctor Amson.” “Taken sick’ at home on November 13, he evidently did not begin to recover until December 11. Whatever improvement he may have made must have received a setback on the last day of the year, when he recorded in his journal: ‘*“Took about 60 grains of Opium & 60 grains of Euphorbium by mistake instead of a cose of rhubarb.” rhubarb, sago, “‘Sal. Volat.,” RELIGION AND CHARITIES Mercer’s religious observances were irregular, although usually when he was home he attended Potomac Church. At the same time he continued as a vestryman in Overwharton Parish (which included Potomac and Aquia churches). On September 28, 1745, the vestry met to decide whether to build a new Aquia church or to repair the old one. They “then proceeded to agree with one William Walker, an Undertaker to build a new brick Church, Sixty Feet Square in the Clear, for One Hundred and Fifty Three Thousand Nine Hundred and Twenty Pounds of Transfer Tobacco.” '? In October Mercer entered in Ledger G, under the Overwharton Parish account, “To drawing articles with Walker.” In December he charged the parish with ‘2 bottles claret” and “To Robert Jackson for mending the Church Plate.” Jackson was a_ Fredericksburg silversmith."”® The following March, the proprietors of the M4 The Secret Diary of William Byrd of Westover, 1709-1712, edit. Louis B. Wright and Marian Tingling. (Richmond, Virginia: The Dietz Press, 1941), p. 188 (for example). 15 Op. cit. (footnote 19), p. 203. 16 Virginia Gazette, October 20, 1752; RALPH BARTON CUTTEN, The Silversmiths of Virginia (Richmond, 1953), pp. 39-40. Accokeek Ironworks petitioned the Co tt Propositions and Grievances with an object to t vestrv's decision to rebuild, cla I that is tl said Iron-Works lie in the Parish aforesaid, and « ploy many Tithables in carrying on the same, they will labour under great Hardships thereby The petition was rejected, but nothing seems to have been done on the new church until three months after Walker’s death in February 1750, when Mourt ing Richards was appointed undertaker Mercer’s charities in this decade form a short list His only outright gift was his “Subscription to Protestant working-Schools in Ireland. To \ annual Subscription for Sterling £5.5." In 1749 he did £12 3s. worth of legal work for the College of William and Mary. which he converted to “Sub- scriptions to x hools”’ of equal value; in other words, he donated his services CATHERINE MERCER’S DEATH AND ANN ROY’S ARRIVAL On April 1, 1750, Mercer went to Williamsburg for the spring session and stopped en route to sit his friend Dr. Mungo Roy at Port Royal in Caroline | P M County. He remained at Williamsbu until the M seventh, except for going on the previous day to R I i “Greenspring” to be entertained by Philip Ludwe in the Jacobeat ansion built a century earlier Governo! 3erkeley \cal stopp ; off it Port Roval. he returned home on May 10. He remainee there until June 15, when he ade the laconic entry ; in his journal: “‘My wife died betwee > & 4at Ut What time this denotes is uncle = Z Following this loss—Catherine M $3—Mercer remained at home f f rotted his aieter a} M \ M "Wu On November 8 he returned to Dr. Roy’s. On the 10th he added a characteristically sparse note to his chronicle, *“Married to Ann Roy.” The period for mourning poor Catherine was short indeed. But the mansion at Marlborough needed a mistress, and Mercer’s children, a mother. A new chapter was about to open as the decade closed. From the meticulous records that Mercer kept, it has been possible to see Mercer as a dynamic cosmopolite, accomplishing an incredible amount in a few short years. His constant physical movement from place to place, his reading of the law and of even a fraction of his hundreds of books in science, literature, and the arts, his managing of four plantations, attending two monthly court sessions a year at Williamsburg, looking after the legal affairs of hundreds of clients, concern- ing himself with the design and construction of a remarkable house and selecting the furnishings for it—all this illustrates a personality of enormous capacity. Marlborough was now a full-fledged plantation. Although the legacy of an earlier age still nagged at Mercer and prevented him from holding title to much of the old town, he had, nevertheless, transformed it, gracing it with the outspread grandeur of a Palladian great house. Mercer and Marlborough, from LCnIth to Decline, 1751-1768 THE OHIO COMPANY The long last period of Mercer’s life and of the plantation he created began at a time of growing concern about the western frontier and the wilder- ness beyond it. In 1747 this concern had been expressed in the founding of the Ohio Company of Virginia by a group of notable colonial leaders: Thomas Cresap, Augustine Washington, George Fairfax, Lawrence Washington, Francis Thornton, and Nathaniel Chapman. George Mason was an early member, and so, not surprisingly, was John Mercer, whose prestige as a lawyer was the primary reason for his introduction to the company. We learn from the minutes of the meeting on December 3, 1750. “fResolved] That it is absolutely necessary to have proper Articles to bind the Company that Mason. . ., Scott & Chapman or any two of them, apply to John Mercer to consider and draw such Articles and desire him attend the next general meeting of the Company at Stafford Courthouse . . . .”? At the meeting in May 1751, Mercer presented the Articles and was “‘admitted as a Partner on advancing his twentieth part of the whole Expence.” '*! From then on he was virtually secretary of the company, as well as its chief driving force. He was made a committee member with Lawrence Nathaniel Chapman, James Scott, and George Mason, Washington, "20 The George Mercer Papers, op. cit. (footnote 51), p. 5 121 Ibid. who was treasurer. The “Committee” was the central or executive board. With the leading members living in Stafford County or nearby, most of the meetings of both the company and the committee were held at Stafford courthouse, and occasionally in private houses of the members. We can imagine with what pride Mercer noted in his journal for February 5-7, 1753, “Ohio Committee met at my house.” The important role played by the Ohio Company in the Mercers’ lives—and by them in the Company—is fully recounted in the George Mercer Papers Relating to the Ohio Company of Virginia. GEORGE, JOHN, AND JAMES Ohio drive and Mercer doubtless threw himself into the affairs We may surmise that there was heady Company's with characteristic enthusiasm. talk at dangerous exploits against the Marlborough about the fronticr and of Indians and the French—cnough, at least, to have stirred youthful cravings for adventure among the Mercer boys Certain it is that George and John Fenton, aged 19 and 18, respectively, joined the frontier regiment of their neighbor Colonel Fry as young officers “‘upo: the first incursions of the French.” '* James, aged 16 and too young for solcdicring, 12 All the foregoing quotations in this section are from & Dixon's Virginia Gasetie, September 26, 1766 exhibited an unusual aptitude for architecture. His talent was noticed by William Bromley, the master joiner on the mansion house, who told Mercer that “had a extraordinary turn to me- On the strength of this, Mercer decided James most chanicks.” that James should become a master carpenter or “architect.” In joiner, then with America in 1753 professional architects, as we know synonymous them, did not exist; gentlemen, some very talented, desiened and drafted, while skilled joiners or car- penters followed general directions, executing, engi- neering, and inventing as they went along. Mercer’s decision was as unconventional as it was prescient, being made at a time when gentlemen were not expected to learn a trade, yet at a moment when the respected place the professional architect was later to could be Indeed, he explained his feeling that those who possessed archi- have envisioned. tectural skills “were more beneficial members of society, and more likely to make a fortune, with credit, than the young Gentlemen of those times, who wore laced jackets attended for improvement at ordinaries, horse races, cock matches, and gaming tables.” Motivated by this honest sense of values, forged in the experience of a self-made man, Mercer proceeded to bind James ‘“‘apprentice to Mr. Waite, a master carpenter and undertaker (of Alexandria), who covenanted to instruct him in all the different branches of that business. At the same time I bound four young Negro fellows (which I had given him) to Mr. Waite, who covenanted to instruct each of them in a particular branch. These, I expected, when they were out of their time, would place him in such a situation as might enable him to provide for himself, if [ should not be able to do any more for him. It is notorious that I received the compliments of the Governour, several of the Council, and many of the best Gentlemen in the country, for having set such an example, which, they said, they hoped would banish that false pride that too many of their countrymen were actuated by.” On June 25, “At home. Bound son James & Peter & Essex to WeeavWalte ton Oiswh Ss effort to banish ‘‘ 1753, Mercer noted in his journal, However commendable this false pride” may have been, it was probably not a realistic solution for James’ career. James, as we shall see, was to make his own choice later and was to follow with great distinction in his footsteps as a lawyer. GROWING BURDENS, RESPONSIBILITIES, AND DEBTS Meanwhile, Mercer had announced his intention to publish a new edition of the Abridgment. In doing so, he adopted a hostile, testy approach that was unusual even in 18th-century advertising. Implying that he was doing a favor to an ungrateful populace, he stated in the Virginia Gazette on August 16, 1751, “I have been prevail’d upon to print it, if I have a prospect of saving myself, though the Treatment I met from the Subscribers to the last had determined me never to be again concerned in an Undertaking of this Kind.” On the following February 20, he announced in the Gazette that if there were 600 subscribers by the last of the next General Court he would send the copy to press. If not, he would return the money to those who had subscribed, ‘“‘which I should not have troubled myself with, if I could have thought of any other Expedient to secure myself against the base Usage I met with from the Subscribers to my former Abridg- ment, who left above 1200 of them on my Hands.” This kind of advertising had its predictable response: publication of the new Abridgment was postponed indefinitely. The first suggestion that all was not well in Mercer's financial affairs was given in an advertisement in the Gazette on April 10, 1752. In this he noted that he had agreed to pay the debts of one Francis Wroughton, a London merchant, out of Wroughton’s effects. However, although Wroughton’s effects had not materialized, he promised to make payment anyway, “notwithstanding a large Ballance due to myself.” He concluded, “Besides Mr. Wroughton’s Debts, I have some of my own (and not inconsiderable) to pay, therefore I hope that such Gentlemen as are indebted to me will, without putting me to the Blush which a Dunn will occasion, discharge their Debts . Perhaps to alleviate these difficulties, he had advertised in the Gazette on the previous March 15 that he would lease “3,000 Acres of extraordinary good fresh Land, in Fairfax and Prince William,” but there is no evidence that he was successful. Siens of irritability became increasingly noticeable. In 1753 he outraged his fellow justices at Stafford court—so much so that they brought charges against him before the Executive Council ‘‘for misbehavior as a Justice.”'* It was decided that, although “his Conduct had been in some Respects blameable, particularly by his Intemperance, opprobrious Lan- guage on the Bench, and indecent Treatment of the other Justices, . . . that in Consideration of his _ having been a principal Instrument in a due Admin- istration of Justice, and expediting the Business of the County, it has been thought proper to continue him Judge of the Court.” '* A growing burden of debt, in contrast to the prosperity of the preceding decade, clearly affected Mercer’s attitude, as we can see in a Gazette ad- vertisement on November 7, 1754: “I will not under- take any new, or finish any old Cause, ’til I receive my Fee, or Security for it to my liking: And I hope such Gentlemen as for above these seven years past have put me off with Promises every succeeding General Court will think it reasonable now to dis- charge their accounts.” Concurrent with indebted- ness was an almost annual increase in the size of his family. In 1752 Grace Fenton Mercer was born, the next year Mungo Roy, and in 1754 Elinor. At the same time, he still pursued the restless activity that characterized his earlier years. On July 24, 1753, Mercer went “to Balthrop’s, Smith’s Ordin® & Vaulx’s,” !*5 a distance of 27 miles, during which he “Overset.”” On the 25th he went on eight miles farther “to Col® Phil Lee’s’!*® for a three-day meeting of the Ohio Company, then went the whole 35 miles home on the 28th. On September 6 he was called eight miles away “to Boyd’s hole on Inquest as Coroner & home by 4 in the morn*,”’ while the next day he was “‘at home. Son Mungo Roy born abt 2 in the morning.” On the 19th Mungo Roy was christened. Four days later he went 15 miles to Fredericksburg for the christening of William Dick’s son Alexander, returning home the next day. The 13 Executive Journals of the Council, op. cit. (footnote 115), vol. 5, p. 410. 14 Thid., p. 434. 1% The Balthrop family lived in King George County ; Smith's ordinary has not been identified; “Vaulx’s” probably refers to the home of Robert Vaulx of Pope’s Creek, Westmoreland County. Vaulx was father-in-law of Lawrence Washington and died in 1755. 1% Philip Ludwell Lee, proprictor of “Stratford,” Westmore- land County, 1751-1775, grandfather of General Robert E. Lee. “Old Stratford and the Lees who Lived There,” Mage- tine of the Society of Lees of Virginia (Richmond, May 1925), vol. 3, no. 1, p. 15. following day Mercer journeyed 14 miles and back to ‘Holdbrook’s Survey”? by way of Mountjoy’s, and repeated the trip the next day, stopping at Major Hedgman’s'* coming and going. On October 5 he made a three-day trip to Williamsburg, covering the distance in stretches of 16, 52, and 42 miles per day, respectively. He went by way of Port Royal, where he “Met M* Wroughton,”’ presumably the London merchant whose creditors he had agreed to pay. The second day took him by way of King William courthouse. On the return on November 4-6, he came via Chiswell’s Ordinary'** and New Kent courthouse (which he noted had “Burnt’’), covering a total of 110 miles. On June 3, 1754, his clerk reported to duty, according to a journal entry: ‘“‘Rogers came here at £50 p* annum.” Rogers remained in Mercer’s em- ploy until 1768. Mercer seems to have been driving himself to the limit, not to achieve success as in the prior decades, but rather to hold secure what he already had. The specter of debt now hung over him, as it did over nearly every planter, under the increasing burdens of the French and Indian War. The 17th-century wisdom of William Fitzhugh and Robert Beverley in seeking to lead the colony away from complete dependence upon tobacco was apparent to those who would remember. Marlborough, although still tech- nically a town, was now in reality a tobacco planta- tion, and Mercer, despite his status as a lawyer, was as irretrievably committed to the success or failure of tobacco as was Fitzhugh 70 years earlier. The hard years were now upon all, and, like his equally hard-pressed debtors, Mercer was suffering from them. LIFE AT MARLBOROUGH DURING THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WARS On March 11, 1755, after nearly 30 years of uncer- tainty about his titles to Marlborough, Mercer at last 1 Peter Hedgman was another Stafford County leader. He was burgess from 1742 to 1755. “Members of the House of Burgesses," V#7M (Richmond, 1901), vol. 8, no. 3, pp. 249 %* George Fisher visited Chiswell’s ordinary: “On Monday May the 12th 1755, at Day Break, about half an hour after Four in the morning, I left Williamsburg to proceed to Philacdel- phia .... About Eight o'clock, by a slow Pace, I arrived at Chiswell’s Ordinary. Two Planters in the Room, I went into, were at Cards (all Fours) but on my arrival, returned into an inner Room." “Narrative of George Fisher,” 1W°fQ (1) (Richmond, 1909), vol. 17, pp. 164-165. 51 was granted the entire 52-acre town in a release from the feoffees, Peter Daniel and Gerard Fowke. This was made with the provision that he should be ““Eased from making improvements on the other twenty-six Lots (those not built upon), to prevent their forfeiture and the County will be wholly reimbursed, which it is not probable it ever will be otherwise as only one Lot has been taken up in forty-seven years last past and there is not one House in the said town which has not been built by the said Mercer.” '** While the day-to-day events of Marlborough went on much as ever, the conflict between the British and the French spread from Canada southward along the western ridge of the Appalachians. This expansion, inevitably, was reflected in the Mercers’ activities in many ways, both great and small. As the struggle approached its climax, Braddock’s troops came to Virginia in March 1755, and were quartered in Alexandria. Among them was John Mercer’s brother, Captain James Mercer, who was a professional soldier. On March 25 John left Marlborough for Alexandria, probably to greet James and to have him billeted at William Waite’s house where young son James already was living as Waite’s apprentice. This bringing together of two farflung members of the Mercer family had unanticipated results. Captain James was a British gentlemen-officer, untouched by the leveling influences of colonial life and therefore untempted to cc banish “false pride’? by any such radical means as Indeed, the sight of his nephew learning a mechanical trade must have been a rude shock, for we learn from John John had employed with young James. Mercer that Captain James “found means to make his nephew uneasy under his choice; and I was from that time incessantly teazed, by those who well knew their interest over me, until I was brought to consent very reluctantly that he should quit the plumb and square” and become a lawyer.!*° Mercer George Mason’s, near the place where a few months later William Buckland was to begin work on “Gunston Hall.” April 1] his journal. The next day he went “‘home through a very great gust. returned to He remained there all day on “at M* Mason’s wind bound,” he wrote in The problems of managing a plantation went on John Mercer’s Land Book, loc. cit. (footnote 12). Purdie & Dixon’s Virginia Gazelte, September 26, 1766. Marlborough by way of through peace and through war. Besides a multi- tude of Negroes, there were also indentured white servants at Marlborough. One of these ran away and was advertised in the Virginia Gazette on May 2, I/D! .a Servant Man named John Clark, he pretends sometimes to be a Ship-Carpenter by Trade, at other Times a Sawyer or a Founder . . . he is about 5 feet 7 inches high, round Shoulders, a dark Complexion, grey eyes, a large Nose and thick Lips, an Englishman by birth; had on when he went away, a blue Duffil Frock with flat white Metal Buttons and round Cuffs, red corded Plush Breeches, old grey Worsted Stockings, old Shoes, and broad Pewter Buckles, brown Linen wide Trousers, some check’d Shirts, and a Muslin Neckcloth; had also an old Beaver Hat bound round with Linen. On October 24, the Gazette carried another ad- vertisement related to Mercer’s problems of personnel: A Miller that understands the Management of a Wind- mill, and can procure a proper Recommendation, may have good Wages, on applying to the Subscriber during the General Court, at J!/7/iiamsburg, or afterwards, at his House in Stafford County, before the last Day of Novem- ber, or if any such Person will enclose his Recommenda- tion, and let me know his Terms by the Post from Williamsburg, he may depend on meeting an Answer at the Post-Office there, without Charge, the first Post after his Letter comes to my Hands. John Mercer In the meanwhile, the war had broken out in full scale, and the disaster at Fort Duquesne had taken place. Mercer apparently learned the bad news at a Stafford court session, for he noted in his journal on July 9, after observing his attendance at court, “General Braddock defeated.” We can imagine his concern, for both George and John Fenton were participants in the campaign. On April 18, 1756, John Fenton was killed in action while fighting under Washington." Curiously, Instead, we learn of the death of John Mercer’s horse on the way to Williamsburg in April and of the fact that, on his return in May, Mercer lost his way and traveled 46 miles in a day. He tells us that he went “to M' Moncure’s by water’ on May 26, a distance of 15 miles, and that he made a round trip from Mr. Moncure’s to Aquia Church for a total of 12 miles. On July 14, he noted that he went “to his death was not mentioned in the journal. 81 John Clement Fitzpatrick, ed., The Writings of George Washington (Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1931), vol. 1, p. 318. g Maj‘ Hedgman’s & returning thrown out of the chaise & very much bruised.” The demands of the war are revealed in journal entries made in June 1757. On the 20th he wrote, “to Court to prick Soldiers & home,” and on the 27th, “to Court to draft Soldiers & home.’ As at other times in the journal, birth and death, in their tragic immediacy and repetitiveness, were juxtaposed in September: on the 24th, “Son John born”; on the 27th, “Brother James died at Albany’; on the 28th, “Son John died.” In 1758 George Mason ran for the office of burgess from both Stafford and Fairfax. On July 11, Mercer went to the Stafford elections, where “Lee & Mason” were chosen. On the 15th, he went “to M®‘ Selden’s & home by water to see M‘ Mason,” who evidently had come to Marlborough for a visit. Four days later, he traveled to Alexandria for the elections there and saw ‘Johnston & Mason” elected. In the fall of 1758 he went, as usual, to Williams- burg. His route this time was long and devious, taking him to both Caroline and King William County courthouses on the way, for a total of 121 miles in five days. We learn of one of the hazards of protracted journeys in the 18th century from a notation repeated daily in his journal for four days following his arrival: ‘‘at Williamsburg Confined to Bed with the Piles.” On November 15, soon after his return to Marl- borough, Mercer was sworn to the new commission of Stafford justices. Five days previously his son Catesby had been buried, but, as usually happened, new life came to take the place of that which had survived so briefly. On May 17, 1759, Mercer recorded, “‘Son John Francis born at 7 in the Evening.’ John Francis evidently was given an auspicious start in life by a christening of more than ordinary formality: “May 28. to Col® Harrison’s with the Gov" Son christened.” During 1759 the second edition of the Abridgment was published in Glasgow, Scotland, this time with neither public notice nor recrimination."* On No- vember 25, Mercer met the growing problem of his indebtedness by deeding equal shares of some of his properties, as well as whole amounts of others, to George and James Mercer, Marlborough and a few 82 “Journals of the Council of Virginia in Executive Sessions, 1737-1763,” VHM (Richmond, 1907), vol. 14, p. 252 (footnote). other small holdings excepted. Fifty Negroes were included in the transaction. This action was followed immediately by the release of the properties under their new titles to Colonel John Tayloe and Colonel Presley Thornton for a year, thus providing cash by which George and James could pay £3000 of John Mercer’s debts. The Ohio Company was experiencing its difficulties also. Mercer’s importance in it was demonstrated by his appointment to “draw up a full State of the Company’s Case setting forth the Hardships We labour under and the Reasons why the Lands have not been settled and the Fort finished according to Royal Instructions ... .”™ This was his most responsible assignment during his activity in the company. Indebtedness throughout these years lurked con- stantly in the background, now and then breaking through acutely. In 1760, for example, William Tooke, a London merchant, brought suit to collect £331 1s. 6d. which Mercer owed him. Two years later Capel Hanbury sued Mercer for £31 10s."* In 1761 George Washington and George Mercer ran for burgesses from Frederick County in the Shenandoah Valley, and both were elected. John Mercer, evidently anxious to be present for the elec- tion, undertook the arduous journey to Winchester, leaving Marlborough on May 15. His itinerary was as follows: May 15 to Fredericksburg 15 16 to Nevill’s Ordinary 37 17 to Ashby’s Combe’s & Winchester 32 18 at Winchester (Frederick Election) (Geo Washington and Geo Mercer elected 19 toM® Dick's Quarter 18 20 to Pike’s M* Wormley’s Quarter 12 21 to Snickers's Litth River Quarters & Nevill’s 0 22 to Fallmouth & home SO In the previous year Anna had been born, and now, on December 14, 1761, Maria arrived. Be- tween the 8th and the 20th of August, 1762, entries were made that suggest that there was an cpidemic of sorts at Marlborough: “Cupid died Tom (Poll’s) died // Daughter Elinor died // Miss B. Roy 3 The George Mercer Papers, op. cit. (footnote 51), p. 190 ™ Ibid., p. 179. 85 “ Proceedings of the Virginia Committee of Correspondence 1759-67," VHA (Richmond, 1905), vol. 12, p. 4 53 died.’ In his long letter to George, written in 1768, he reflected on the fact that, although through the years 98 Negroes had been born at Marlborough, he, at that time, had fewer than the total of all he had ever bought. ‘‘Your sister Selden,” he wrote “attributes it to the unhealthiness of Patomack Neck, which there may be something in.... J thank God, however, that my own family has been generally as healthy as other people’s.” ¥° THE END OF THE WAR AND THE STAMP ACT The year 1763 marked the end of the war. It also signaled a turning point in the colonies’ relations with England. In a royal proclamation the King pro- hibited the colonies from expanding westward past the Appalachian ridge, in effect nullifying the Ohio Company’s claims and objectives. George Mercer was appointed agent of the company and was dis- patched to England to plead its cause. By this time Britain was beginning to apply the other allegedly oppressive measures which preceded the Revolution. Antismuggling laws were enforced, implemented by “‘writs of assistance,” thus increasing colonial burdens which had been avoided previously by widespread smuggling. The South was particular- ly hard hit by parliamentary orders forbidding the colonies the use of paper money as legal tender for payment of debts. In a part of the world where a credit economy and chronic indebtedness made a flexible currency essential, this measure was a disastrous matter. Despite the ominousness of the times, Mercer con- tinued with the daily routine, the minutiae of which He noted on January 9, 1763, that he went to Potomac Church clerk there.” filled his journal. —‘Neither Minister or On February 21 he went a mile— probably up Potomac Creek—to watch “John Waugh’s halling the Saine & home.” On March 1 his merchant friend John Champe was buried. After the funeral Mercer went directly to Selden’s for an Ohio Company meeting. From December 10 until March 1765, Mercer was sick. Of this interval, he wrote George in 1768 that “My together with my slowness in writing, & Rogers, tho business had latterly so much _ encreased, Vercer Papers, op. cit. (footnote 5)), Pp. 2s: a tolerable good clerk, was so incapable of assisting me out of the common road, that when you saw me at Williamsburg, I was reduced by my fatigue, to a very valetudinary state.” Indebtedness, overwork, ad- vancing age, and the reverses of the times had evidently caused a crisis. Passage of the Stamp Act in 1765, to raise revenues to support an army of occupation in the colonies, struck close to John Mercer, for George, while in England, had been designated stamp officer for Virginia. George returned to Williamsburg, little expecting the hostile greeting he was to receive from Quickly disavowing his new office, he returned the stamps the following day. Many made the most of George’s tactical blunder in accepting the stamp-officer appointment. Indeed, the Mercers seem to have been made the scapegoats for the frustrations and turmoil into which the mother country’s actions had plunged the colony. George Mercer was hanged in effigy at Westmoreland courthouse, and James Mercer took to the Gazettes to defend him. There were counterattacks on James while he was absent in Frederick County, and Mercer himself rushed in with a lengthy satirical diatribe entitled “Prophecy from the East.” Oc- cupying all the space normally devoted to foreign news in Purdie & Dixon’s Virginia Gazette for Sep- tember 26, 1766, this struck out at anonymous attackers whom Mercer scathingly nicknamed Gibbet, Scandal, Pillory, and Clysterpipe. He later explained to George that James’ “‘antagonist was backed by so many anonymous scoundrels, that I was drawn in during his abscence at the springs in Frederick to answer I did not know whom tho it since appears D* Arthur Lee was the principal, if not the only assassin under different vizors, & he was so regardless of truth that he invented & published the most infamous lies as indisputable facts: on your brother’s return I got out of the scrape but from a paper war it turned to a challenge, which produced a skirmish, in which your bro. without receiving any dam- age broke the Doctors head, & closed his eyes in such a manner as obliged him to keep his house 22 138 a crowd of angry planters. sometime . Of John Mercer’s own attitude towards the Stamp Act there can be no question. On November 1}, 187 Tbid., p. 187. 88 Tbid. 1765, he noted in his journal, “The damned Stamp Act was to have taken place this day but was proved initially disappointed.” He is said to have written a tract against the Stamp Act, although no copy has survived, THE CLOSING YEARS !"° The elements of tragedy mark Mercer's final years—the tragedy of John Mercer and Marlborough interwoven with the epic failures of the colonial experiment. Prompted by his illness, he quit his legal practice in the courts in 1765, In the same year he “‘gave notice to the members of the Ohio Company, that my health & business would not longer allow me to concern myself in their affairs which they had entirely flung upon my _ hands.” He also “ton account of my deafness, refused to act as a justice, which I should not have done otherwise, as as I have the satisfaction to know that I have done my country some service in this station.” Heavily in debt, disillusioned and embittered by the dwindling results of his struggles, he wrote that “I have attended the bar thirty-six years, through a perpetual hurry and uneasiness, and have been more truly a slave than any one I am, or ever was, master of; yet have not been able, since the first day of last January, to command ten pounds, out of near ten thousand due me.”’ Recoiling from his situation, he desperately sought a way out and a means to recover his losses. With self-deceptive optimism he seized upon the idea of establishing a brewery at Marl- borough, since “our Ordinaries abound & daily increase (for drinking will continue longer than anything but eating). Accordingly, he built a brewhouse and a malthouse, each 100 feet long, of brick and stone, together with ‘Cellars, Cooper's house & all the buildings, copper & utensils what- ever, used about the brewery.’’ He depended at first on his windmill for grinding the malt, but to avoid delays on windless days, “I have now a hand- mill fixed in my brewhouse loft that will grind 50 bushels of malt (my coppers complement) every morning they brew.” To get his project under way, Mercer plunged 49 All quotations and sources not otherwise identified in this section are from John Mercer's letter to George, December 22, 1767-January 28, 1768. The George Mercer Papers, op. cit. (footnote 51), pp. 186-220. further into the depths of debt by buying 40 Negroes “to enable me to make Grain sufficient to carry on my brewery with my own hands.”” These cost £8000, “a large part of which was unpaid, for payment of which I depended on the Brewery itself & the great number of Debts due to me.” But the external fate which was driving him closer and closer to destruction now struck with the death of John Robinson, treasurer of the colony, who, having lent public funds promis- cuously to debtor friends, had left a deficiency of £100,000 in the colonial treasury. A chain reaction of suits developed, threatening James Hunter of Fredericksburg, Mercer’s security for purchase of the slaves. The brewery lumbered and stumbled. Mercer's first brewer, a young Scot named Wales, prevailed upon him to spend £100 to alter the new malthouse. On September 16, 1765, William King, evidently a master brewer, arrived. He immediately found fault with Wales’ changes in the malthouse. Within three weeks, however, King died. King’s nephew, named Bailey, then came unannounced with a high recommendation as a brewer from a man he had served only as a gardener. Mercer was impressed: “You may readily believe I did not hesitate to employ Bailey on such a recommendation, more especially as he agreed with King in blaming the alteration of the malt house & besides found great fault with Wales’s malting.” Faced with rival claims as to which could brew better beer, Mercer allowed each to brew separately. “Yet though Bailey found as much fault with Wales’s brewing as he did with his malting, that brewed by Wales was the only beer I had that Season fit to drink.’ Wales, brewed only £40 worth of beer, barely enough to pay his wages, let alone maintenance for himself and his wife. Although Bailey brewed cnough to send a schooner load of it to Norfolk, it was of such “bad character” that only two casks were sold, the remain- however, der having been stored with charges for two months, then brought back to Marlborough, where an effort to distill it failed. In 1766 there was a similar tale. bushels of malt were produced, but much of the beer In January 1766, Andrew Mon- “Wales con Five hundred fifty and ale was bad. roc ° was employed as overseer. plains 4° Grandfather of President James Monroe. “Tyler-Monroe- Grayson-Botts," Tyler's Quarterly Historical Genceslegwal Mage- cine (Richmond, 1924), vol. 5, p. 252 55 of my Overseer & says that he is obliged to wait for barley, coals & other things that are wanted which, if timely supplied with he could with six men & a boy manufacture 250 bushels a week which would clear £200.... My Overseer is a very good one & [ believe as a planter equal to any in Virginia but you are sensible few planters are good farmers and barley is a farmer’s article,’ Mercer wrote to George. Besides the overhead of slaves and nonproductive brewers, the establishment required the services of two coopers at £20 per year. Purdie & Dixon’s Virginia Gazette for April 10, 1766, carried the advertisement of Mercer’s brewery: To be SOLD, at the MARLBOROUGH BREWERY STRONG BEER AND PORTER at 18d. and ALE at Is. the gallon, Virginia currency, in cask, equal in good- ness to any that can be imported from any part of the world, as nothing but the genuine best MALT and HOPS will be used, without any mixture or substitute whatsoever; which, if the many treaties of brewing published in Great Britain did not mention to be fre- quently used there, the experience of those who have drunk those liquors imported from thence would point out to be the case, from their pernicious effects. The severe treatment we have lately received from our Mother Country, would, I should think, be sufficient to recommend my under-taking (though I should not be able to come up to the English standard, which I do not question constantly to do) yet, as I am satisfied that the goodness of every commodity is its best recommendation, I principally rely upon that for my success; and my own interest, having expended near 8000 1. to bring my brewery to its present state, is the best security I can give the publick to assure them of the best usage, without which such an undertaking cannot be supported with credit. The casks to be paid for at the rate of 4s. for barrels, 5s. for those between 40 and 50 gallons, and a penny the gallon for all above 50 gallons; but if they are returned in good order, and sweet, by having been well scalded as soon as emptied, the price of them shall be returned or discounted. Any person who sends bottles and corks may have them carefully filled and corked with beer or porter at 6s. or with ale at 4s. the dozen. I expect, in a little time, to have constant supply of bottles and corks; and if I meet the encouragement I hope for, propose setting up a glasshouse for making bottles, and to provide proper vessels to deliver to such customers as favour me with orders such liquors as they direct, at the several landings they desire, being determined to give all the satisfaction in the power of ‘Their most humble servant, JOHN MERCER Foolhardy though the brewery was, a glass factory would have been the pinnacle of folly. Yet it was seriously on Mercer’s mind. In his letter to George he wrote: A Glass house to be built here must I am satisfied turn to great profit, they have some in New England & New York or the Jerseys & find by some resolves the New England men are determined to increase their number. Despite his manifest failure, Mercer confidently attempted to persuade George of the possibilities of the brewery and even the glasshouse. Shifting from one proposal to another, he suggested that he could “rent out all my houses and conveniences at a reason- able rate,” or take in a partner, although ‘‘I have so great a dislike for all partnerships, nothing but my inability to carry it on my self could induce me to enter into one.” In spite of these desperate thrashings about in a struggle to survive, Mercer’s empire was collapsing. When Monroe arrived as overseer, he found [according to Mercer] but 8 barrels of corn upon my plantation, not enough at any of my quarters to maintain my people, a great part of my Stock dead (among them some of my English colts & horses in the 2 last years to the amt of £ 375. 10. —) & the rest of them dying, which would have infallibly have been their fate if it had not been for the straw of 1000 bushels of barley & the grains from the brewhouse .... Con- vinced of his [Monroe’s] integrity, I have been forced to submit the entire management of all the plantation to him. The following passage from the letter summarizes Mercer’s financial predicament: +I reced “int 1764) £1548) = 4 5 336. Se in 17/65 £961 ..5 .. 44% but since I quitted my practice I reced in 1766 no more than £108 . . 16. . | of which I borrowed £24.10.—& 7... 1 . . 6 was re’ced for the Governor’s fees. £20... 8 . . 41 got for Opinions &c and from the brewery £28 ..3 .. the remaining £28 . . 16 is all I received out of several thousands due for all my old & new debts. In 1767 I reced SISO Te Ones Of awihicht boro wed ico lemme LO Emel the governor’s fees £10 . . 7 . . 6 reced for opinions &c £49 . . 6 . . — fromthe brewhouse £66 .. 14. . of which £94 . . 14 . . 3 was from the brewery & 9 in 1766 I gave a collector £20 besides his board ferrage & expences & finding him horses & his whole collection during the year turned out to be £27 .. 2... 10. In the two years my taxes levied and quitrents amounted to £199. . 8. . | which would have left a ballance of £1 . 13. 3 in my favour in that time from the brewery & my practice (if it could be so called) & all my debts, in great part of which you and your brother are joindy & equally interested. What then remained to support me & a family consisting of about 26 white people & 122 negroes? Nothing but my crops, after that I had expended above £100, for corn only to sup- port them, besides rice & pork to near that value & the impending charge of £125 for rent, of £140 to overseers yearly, remained, & £94 .. 14... 3 out of those crops, as I have already mentioned, proceeding from the brewery, was swallowed up in taxes (tho the people in England say we pay none, but I can fatally prove that my estate from which I did not receive six- pence has, since the commencement of the war, paid near a thousand pounds in taxes only).”’ On December 25, 1766, Mercer made public his situation in Rind’s Virginia Gazette: The great Number of Debts due to me for the last seven Years of my Practice, and the Backwardness of my Clients (in attending whose Business, I unhappily neglected my own) to make me Satisfaction, would of itself, if I had had no other Reason, have obliged me to quit my Practice. And when I found that by such partial Payments as I chanced to receive I was able to keep up my Credit, I can appeal to the Public, whether any Person, who had so many outstanding Debts, was less importunate, or troublesome, to his Debtors, But when I found, upon my quitting the Bar, all Payments cease, and that [ would not personally wait upon my Clients, I could not approve of the Method of Demand, by the Sheriff, too commonly in Practice, without Necessity. since the first day of January last, has been riding through the Northern Neck, and even as far as Williamsbure, and who to this Time has not been able, out of near ten thousand Pounds, to collect as much as will pay his own Wages, and discharge my public taxes (for Proof of which I will produce my Books to any Gentleman con- I therefore employed a Receiver, who, ever cerned or desirous to sce them). This too, at a Time when my own Debts contracted by the large Expences I have been at for some Years past for establishing a Brewery, has disabled me by any other Means from discharging them, (except when they would take lands, Assignments of Debts, or any thing I can spare, without Detriment to my Plantations or Brewery). Selling Lands avail nothing, I have bonds for some sold four or five Years ago but I can’t get the Money for them, I therefore cannot be thought too unreasonable to give this public Notice (which the Circumstances of the Country make most disagreeable to me) that I shall be The well known Howse RANTER W ‘Lh cover MARES x in Stafferdecunty, Piryona, at gee. é leap, @!. for the feaion, and 8). mia currency. “The mares will have months, if left fo lan fent for at the expirarionm of thar time. phy cccafion to i ; ; Wiiseleddisd, ote ee to no purport to fend money, as none will be received Figure 16.—ADVERTISEMENT of the services of Mercer's Stallion Ranter. Andrew Monroe, grandfather of the President, was Mercer’s overseer. (Purdic’s Virgima Gazette, April 18, 1766.) against my inclination obliged to bring Suits, immeci- ately after next Apr! General Court, against all persons indebted to me who do not before that Time, discharge their Debts to me or my Son James Mercer, who will have my Books during the said Court to settle with every Person applying to him. And as some Persons have since my quitting the Practice, sent to me for Opinions and to settle Accounts without sending my Fees, to prevent any more Applications of that Sort, I give this Public Notice, that tho’ I shall always be ready to do any Thing of that Kind (which can be done at my own House) upon receiving an adequate Satisfaction for it, it will be in vain to expect it be any Messenger they may send without they send the Money There are some Gentlemen who must know that nothing in this Advertisement can relate to them but that any of their Commands will at any Time, be readily complied with by their and the Public’s humble Servant JOHN MERCER Dec. 8, 1766 Andrew Monroe, as manager of the plantat advertised over his own name in Purdie & D Virginia Gazette, of April 18, 1766, the services of “1 well known Horse RANTER,” an English stallion imported by Mercer in 1762 (he. 16). One Monroe, scniscs that without Marlborough would have 57 In spite of his ministrations, Purdie & Dixon’s Gazette carried the following on June 6, 1766: MARLBOROUGH, STAFFORD county, May 26, 1766. collapsed completely. however, there were difficulties with the staff. Run away from the subscriber, some time last February, a Negro man named TEMPLE, about 35 years old, well set, about 5 feet 6 inches high, has a high forehead, and thick bush beard; he took a gun with him, and wore a blue double breasted jacket with horn buttons. I suspect he is harboured about Bull Run, in Fauquier county, where he formerly lived. I bought him, with his mother and sister, from Mr. Barradall’s executors in Williamsburg above 20 years ago, and expected he would have returned home; but as he has been so long gone, I am doubtful he may endeavour to get out of the country by water, of which he may understand something, as he was two years on board the JVolf sloop of war in the West Indies, and carries the marks of the discipline he underwent on board. Likewise run away last Whitsun holydays two indented servants, imported from LONDON last September, viz. JOSEPH WAIN of Bucknell, in the county of Oxford, aged 22 years, about 5 feet 4 inches high, round shoul- dered, stoops pretty much in his walk, has a down look, and understands ploughing. WILLIAM CANTRELL of Warwickshire, aged 19, about the same height, and stoops a little, but not so much as WAIN, has a scar under one of his eyes, but which is uncertain, has some marks of the smallpox, his hair is of a dark brown and short, but Wain’s is cut off, he pretends to understand ploughing and country business, and has drove a waggon since he has been in my service; they both have fresh look. The clothes they left home in were jackets of red plaids, brown linen shirts, Russia drill breeches with white metal buttons, and thread stockings; Cantrell with an old hat and new shoes, and Wain with a new hat and old shoes; But as it is supposed that they were persuaded to elope with four Scotch servants belonging to the widow Strother, on Potowmack run in this county, whom they went to see, and who went off at the same time, it is probable that they may exchange their clothes, or have provided some other. It is supposed that they will make for Carolina, where it is said an uncle of one of Mr. Strother’s servants lives; and as several horses are missing about the same time in these parts, it is very probable they did not choose to make such a journey on foot. Whoever secures my servants and Negro, or any of them shall, besides the reward allowed by law, be paid any reasonable satisfaction, in proportion to the distance and extraordinary trouble they may be put to. JOHN MERCER Mercer seems to have been concerned principally with his brewers and with the wasteful scheme they their Even they seem to haye been beyond his strength, for he became ill in January 1766, and suffered recurrently the rest of the year. From his journal we can detect a once-strong man’s struggle against the first warnings of approaching death: furthered with incompetencies. August 26 Rode 6 m. & home had a fever 12 27 sick 28 Rode 5m. & home 10 29 2m. & De had an Ague 4 30 De 31 De Sept 1 Had an Ague 2 Rode 5m. & home 10 * * * Sept 22 to Mr Selden’s & ret’4 abot a mile but went back 12 23 home by 12 and went to bed 10 24 Confined to my bed (remained so rest of month) Oct | Confined to my bed and very ill 5 De Sat up a little Gabe Better 7 De De 8 Drove out 3 m & home 6 He informed George that after his return from Mr. Selden’s on September 23 he was for “several days under strong delerium and had the rattles.” By the beginning of 1768, however, he was able to boast that “I think I may safely aver that I have not been in a better [state of health] any time these twenty years past, & tho’ I am not so young, my youngest daughter . . . was born the 20th day of last January.” On April 22, 1766, he noted in the journal that the “Kitchen roof catched fire’ and on May 15 that he “Took Possion [sic] of my summer house.’ ‘The latter was probably located in the garden, where, during his convalescence in the spring, he was able to make a meticulous record of the blooming of each plant, flower, tree, and shrub, constituting a most interesting catalog of the wild and cultivated flora of 18th-century Marlborough. The catalog is indicative of Mercer’s ranging interests and his knowledge of botanical terms (see Appendix L). That the garden was perhaps as interesting as the house is borne out by the fact that in 1750, as the house was reaching completion, Mercer had brought from England a gardener named William Blacke, paying Captain Timothy Nicholson for his passage. - Mercer's close attention to the natural phenomena around him began with his illness in 1766. On anuary 4, only a few days after he had become ill, ¢ installed a thermometer in his room, and cight days later moved it to his office. Regularly, from then until the close of his journal, except when he was absent from Marlborough, he recorded the inimum and maximum readings. One has only to at the figures for the winter months to realize that “heated” rooms, as we understand them, were little known in the 18th century. Only on Christmas Eve in 1767 did the temperature range from a low of 41° to as high as 63°, because, as Mercer noted, “A good fire raised the Thermometer so high.” Although Mercer apparently found surcease from his cares in the peaceful surroundings at Marlborough, his responsibilities went on nevertheless. The cost of “keeping slaves remained an enormous and wasteful one: “Every negroes cloaths, bedding, corn, tools, levies & taxes will stand yearly at least in £5,” he wrote to George. In his letter he placed an order through George for clothing, which included 25 welted jackets “for my tradesmen & white servants,” indicating the large number of white workmen on his staff, It also included 20 common jackets, 45 pair of woolen breeches, | dozen greatcoats, 5 dozen stock- ings, 1% dozen for boys and girls, 4 dozen “‘strong felt hats & 600 Ells of ozenbrigs. We shall make Virg* cloth enough to cloath the women and children, but shall want 50 warm blankets & 2 doz of the Russia drab breeches.” Against the advice of his merchant friend Jordan, he declined to order a superior grade of jacket for his Negroes that would last two years, Since “most negroes are so careless of their cloathes & rely so much on a yearly support that I think such jackets as I had are cheapest & last the year very well.” _ He ordered George to buy new sheeting for family use, including “84 yds of such as is fit for comp*,” inasmuch as “my wife is ashamed of her old sheets when any strangers come to the house.’ He also placed an order for windmill sails, which, he observed, were costly in the colony, and could be made only at Norfolk. My millwrights directions were The Drivers 3 foot 6 inches broad 23 feet long. The leaders 3 3 A Suit I had made at Norfolk by those dimensions proved too long, something, they should be of Duck N* 2 In addition, he ordered nails, 50 yards of haircloth, a yard wide, for the malt kiln, a “drill plow with brass seed boxes for wheat, turnips, lucarn pease &c,” and a considerable number of books, partic- ularly for his children. “Bob. Newbery at the Bible & Sun in St Paul’s churchyard can best furnish you at the cheapest rate with books best adapted to the real instruction as well as amusement of children from two to six feet high.” The long letter was finally finished on January 28, 1768, its great length partly dictated by the fact that the river had frozen, immobilizing the posts. He noted in his journal that on February 16 he was in Fredericksburg and “dined at my Sons being my birthday and 63 y"* old.” On the 24th he attended a meeting of the Ohio Company at Stafford court- house and on March 14 returned there for a court session. The next day he went home to Marlborough, perhaps never to leave again. The journal ended at the close of the month. The next that we hear of him appeared in Rind’s Virginia Gazette on October 27: On Friday, the 1I4th instant, died at his house in Stafford County, John Mercer, Esq., who had practiced the law with great success in this colony upwards of forty years. He was a Gentleman of great natural abilities inspired by an extensive knowledge, not only in his profession, but in several other branches of polite literature. He was of a humane, gencrous and chearful disposition, a facetious companion, a warm friend, an affectionate husband, a tender parent, and an indulgent master. w Fe) Figure 17.—PLATE rrom MariA Srpy_tA MERIAN’S Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensitum efte Veranderung Surinaamsche Insecten (Antwerp, 1705), an elegant work in Mercer’s Library. Dissolution of Marlborough JAMES MERCER’S ADMINISTRATION Mercer’s widow, Ann Roy Mercer, died. Reduction OF THE ESTATE of the plantation to simpler terms then began in earnest. Purdie & Dixon’s Virginia Gazette published James Mercer was now “manager” of John Mercer's the following advertisement on October 25, 1770: estate. George, heavily in debt, remained in England never returning to Virginia. The staggering task of rescuing the estate from bankruptcy was left to James. The immediate necessity was to reduce wasteful overhead at Marlborough and to liquidate non- essential capital investment. On December 15, 1768, James advertised in Rind’s Virginia Gazette: A large and well chosen collection of BOOKS, being all the library of the late John Mercer, Esq., deceased, except such as are reserved for the use of his children. Those to be sold consist of more than 1200 volumes now at home, with which it is hoped may be reckoned upwards of 400 volumes which appear to be missing by the said Mercer’s catalogue .... The borrowers are hereby requested to return them before the 19th of December next, the day appointed for the appraising of the estate .... Also to be sold, about 20 mares and colts, and 40 par of cows and calves. The colts are the breed cf the beautiful horse Ranter, who is for sale; his pedigree hes been formerly published in this Gazette, by which it will appear he is as well related as any horse on the continent He cost 330 1. currency at his last sale, about 4 years ago, and is nothing worse except in age, and that can be but little in a horse kept for the sole use of covering . . Except for attempting to dispose of the library and the horses and livestock, no significant changes were undertaken until after September 7, 1770, when John To be SOLD on Monday the /9th of November, if fetr, otherwise next fair day, at Marlborough, the seat of the late John Mercer Esq: deceased. The greatest part of his personal estate (except slaves) consisting of a variety of houschold furniture too tedious to mention; a number of well chosen books, in good con- dition; a very large and choice flock of horses, brood mares, and colts, all blooded, and mostly from that very beautiful and high bred horse Ranter a great number of black cattle, esteemed the best in the colony, equal in size to any beyond the Ridge, but superiour to them, because they will thrive in shorter pastures; also 700 ounces of fashionable plate, and a genteel family coach, not more than seven years old, seldom used, with harness for six horses. Those articles were appraised, in Decem- ber 1768, to 1738 1. The horses and black cattle are since increased, and now are in very good order; so that any person inclinable to purchase may depend on having enough to choose out of. Also will then be sold several articles belonging to a BREWERY, ez. a copper that boils 500 gallons, several iron beund buts that contain a whole brewing cach. coolers, &c. &c. and a quantity of new iron ho« ps and rivets for casks of different forms, lately imperted Purchasers above 6 1. will have credit until the Free- cricksburg September fair, on giving bond with security. with interest from the day of sale; but if the money is paid when due, the interest will be abated Proper vessels will attend at Pueréstemsy, for the convey- ance of such as come from that side of Potemerd Crock ol It is clear that Ranter and his colts, as well as the cattle, had not been disposed of at the former sale. Further, it is obvious that there was an end to brewing at Marlborough, a result which James must have been all too glad to bring about. This sale. however, was also unsuccessful. In the May 9, 1771, issue of Purdie & Dixon’s Virginia Gazette we learn that “The wet Weather last Vovember having stopped the Sale of the personal Estate of the late John Merser, Esquire, the Remainder . . . will be sold at Marlborough, on Monday, the 27th of this Month, if fair... .” We learn that the family beds, apparently alone of the furniture, had been sold, and that the chariot had been added to the sales list. Apparently the library still remained largely intact, as “a great Collection of well chosen Books” was included. Ranter was still for sale, now at a five percent discount “allowed for ready money.” But again—so an advertisement of June 13 reads in the same paper—the sale was “‘prevented by bad Weather.’ June 20 was appointed the day for the postponed sale. This time an additional item con- sisted of 200 copies of Mercer’s ‘fold Abridgment” (doubtless the 1737 edition), to be sold at five shillings each. In the employed one Thomas Oliver, apparently of King George County, as overseer for the four plantations which were in his Accokeek, Belvedere, and Marl- On May 31, 1771, Oliver made a detailed “the true state & Condition of the Oe Estate and its Contents as they appear’d when this return was fil’d up”.'™ meanwhile, James had custody—Aquia, borough. Included in it was an inventory of every tool, outbuilding, vehicle, and servant. The Marlborough portion of this is given in Appendix M. Oliver added an N.B. sum- condition of the physical properties. marizing the animals and the The following of his remarks are applicable to Marlborough: The work of the Mill going on as well as Can be E xpected till M‘ Drains is better. the Schoo and Boat unfit for any Sarvice whatsoever till repair’d. if Capable of it. the foundation of the Malt house wants repairing. the Manor house wants lead lights in some of the win- dows. the East Green House wants repairing. the west ‘1 4 Documentary History of American Industrial Society, edit. John P. ( mons (New York: Russell & Russell, 1958), vol. 1, fac- ) P ) 236. d° wants buttments as a security to the wall on the south side. The barn, tobacco houses at Marlbrough & Acquia must be repaired as soon as possible. . . . five stables at Marlbrough plantation must be repair’d before winter. we have sustai’d no damage from ‘Tempest or Floods. it will Expedient to hyer a Carpinder for the woork wanted can not be accomplish’d in time, seeing the Carpenders must be taken of for harvest which is Like to be heavy. I will advertise the sale at Stafford Court and the two parish Churches to begin on the 20th of June 1771 .... P.S. The Syder presses at Each plantation & Syder Mill at Marlborough totally expended Negro Sampson Marlbro Company Sick of the Gravel Negro Jas Pemberton at Marlb® Sick Worme Fever. The sale as advertised and, presumably, as posted by Oliver was again a failure. Apparently no one attended. The situation must have been regarded then as desperate, for James advertised on August 29, 1771, in Purdie & Dixon’s Virginia Gazette substan- tially the same material as before. This time, how- ever, it was ““To be SOLD, at the Townhouse in Fredericksburg, on the 24th day of September next (being the second Day of the Fair).” Added to the former list were ‘About two Hundred Weight of HOPS of last Crop,” “About four hundred Weight of extraordinary good WOOL with a variety of Woollen and Linen Wheels, Reels, &c.,” as well as “A Number of GARDEN FLOWER POTS of different forms. Some ORANGE, LEMON and other EVER- GREENS, in Boxes and Pots.’ The valuable but unwanted Ranter was again put up. But once more bad luck and an apathetic (and probably impecunious) populace brought failure to the sale. On October 24, 1771, Purdie & Dixon’s Virginia Gazette printed the following advertisement and James Mercer’s final public effort to convert some of his father’s estate into cash: To be SOLD to the highest Bidders, some Time Next Week, before the Raleigh Tavern in Williamsburg, The beautiful Horse RANTER, a genteel FAMILY COACH, with Harness for six Horses, also several Pieces of FASHIONABLE PLATE, yet remaining of the Estate of the late John Mercer, Esquire, deceased. Credit will be allowed until the 25th of April next, the Purchasers giving Bond and Security, with Interest from the Sale; but if the Money is paid when due, the Interest will be abated. Any Person inclinable to purchase RUSHWORTH’S COLLECTION may see them at the Printing Office, and know the Terms. At the same Place are lodged several Copies of the old Abridgment of the VIRGINIA » | LAWS, containing so many Precedents for Magistrates that they are esteemed well worth five Shillings, the Price asked for them. JAMES MERCER Williamsburg, Octaber 24. N.B. The Plate is lodged with Mr. Craig, and may be seen by any inclinable to purchase. James did not attempt to sell the plantation itself or the slaves, but evidently sought to reestablish Marlborough on an efficient and profitable basis. That he failed to do so is brought out in a letter that George Mason wrote to George Washington on December 21, 1773. In it is expressed the whole tragic sequence of debt compounding debt in the plantation economy and the insurmountable burden of inherited obligations: ‘The embarrass’d Situation of my Friend Mr. Jas. Mercer's Affairs gives Me much more Concern than Surprize. I always feared that his Aversion to selling the Lands & Slaves, in Expectation of paying the Debts with the Crops & Profits of the Estate, whilst a heavy Interest was still accumulating, wou’d be attended with bad Consequences, independent of his Brother's Difficulties in England; having never, in a single Instance, seen these sort of Delays answer the Hopes of the Debtor. When Colo. [George] Mercer was first married, & thought in affluent circumstances by his Friends here, considerable purchases of Slaves were made for Him, at high prices (& I believe mostly upon Credit) which must now be sold at much less than the cost: He was originally burthened with a proportionable part of his Father’s Debts: most of which, as well as the old Gentle- man’s other Debts, are not only still unpaid, but must be greatly increased by Interest; so that even if Colo. Mercer had not incurr’d a large Debt in England, He wou’d have found his Affairs here in a disagreeable Situation. I have Bye me Mr. James Mercer's Title- Papers for his Lands on Pohick Run & on Four-mile Run, in this County; which I have hitherto endeavoured to sell for Him in Vain: for as he Left the Price entirely to Me, I cou’d not take less for them than if they had been my own.!” MARLBOROUGH DURING AND AFTER THE REVOLUTION Despite the seeming unwisdom of doing so, James Mercer held on to Marlborough until his death. He was an active patriot in the Revolution, serving 2 Letters to Washington, and Accompanying Papers, edit. S M. Hamilton (Boston and New York: Houghton, Mifflin, 1901), vol. 4, p. 286. as a member of the Virginia Committee of Safety. Marlborough, too, seems to have been a participant in the war, when Lord Dunmore, on a last desperate foray, sailed his ships up the Potomac and attacked several plantations, That Marlborough was a target we learn from the widow of Major George Thornton of the Virginia militia, who “was at the bombardment of Marlborough, the seat of Judge Mercer, on the Potomac... .”' In Purdie’s Virginia Gazette of August 2, 1776, we read: Lord Dunmore, with his motley band of pirates and renegradoes, have burnt the elegant brick house of William Brent, esq,, at the mouth of Acquia Creck, in Stafford county, as also two other houses lower down the Potowmack River, both the property of widow ladies. Marlborough was no longer the property of a “widow lady,” but accurate reporting even today is not universal, and Marlborough may have been meant. In any case, the mansion was not destroyed, although we do not know whether any other buildings at Marlborough were damaged or not. John Francis Mercer, James’ half brother, appears to have lived at Marlborough after his return from the Revolution, Heserved with distinction, becoming aide-de-camp to the eccentric and difficult General Charles Lee in 1778. When Lee was court-martialed after the Battle of Monmouth, John Francis resigned, but reentered the war in 1780." He apparently settled at Marlborough after the surrender at York- town, at which he was present. In 1782 he was elected to both the Virginia House of Delegates and the Continental Congress. General Lee died the same year, stipulating in his will: To my friend John [Francis] Mercer, Esq,, of Mart- borough, in Virginia, I give and bequeath the choice of two brood mares, of all my swords and pistols and ten guineas to buy a ring. I weuld give him more, but, as he has a good estate and a better genius, he has sufficient, if he knows how to make good use of them.'” It is not probable that John Francis’ “genius” was sufficient to make profitable use of Marlborough. He moved to Maryland in 1785, and later became its Governor.'” 18 Grorce Brown Gooor, Virginia Gowns ( Richovond, 1887), p. 213 ™ Ibid 3 “Berkeley County, West Virginia.” Tower's Qwarterly Historical and Genealogical Magazine (Rich-nond, 1921), vol. 3, p. 46. 1 [bid 63 James Mercer died on May 23, 1791. In 1799 the Potomac Neck properties were advertised for sale or rent by John Francis Mercer in The Examiner for September 6. We learn from it that there were overseer’s houses, Negro quarters and cornhouses, and that “‘the fertility of the soil is equal to any in the United States, besides which the fields all lay con- venient to banks (apparently inexhaustible) of the richest marle, which by repeated experiments made there, is found to be superiour to any other manure whatever.’ ‘30 or 40 Virginia families, who are resident on the lands” were made born slaves, in ‘available.’ THE COOKE PERIOD: MARLBOROUGH’S FINAL DECADES The plantation was bought by John Cooke of Stafford County. Cooke insurance policy on the mansion house on June 9, 1806, with 47 took out an the Mutual Assurance Society of Virginia."’ From this important document (fig. 43) we learn that the house had a replacement value of $9000, and, after deducting $3000, was “actually worth six thousand The policy shows a plan with a description: “Brick Dwelling House one Story Dollars in ready money.” high covered with wood, 108 feet 8 Inches long by 28% feet wide, a Cellar under about half the House.” Running the length of the house was a “Portico 108 47 Policy no. 1134. On microfilm, Virginia State Library. 64 feet 8 Inches by 8 feet 4 Inches.” A “Porch 10 by 5 f.’ stood in front of the “‘portico,” and another was located at the northeast corner of the building, “8 by 6 feet.’ The policy informs us that the house was occupied not by Cooke, but by John W. Bronaugh, a tenant or overseer. The records do not reveal how long the mansion survived. That by the beginning of the century it had already lost the dignity with which Mercer had endowed it and was heading toward decay is quite evident. After John Cooke’s death Marlborough was again put up for sale in 1819, but this time nothing was said of any buildings, only that the land was adapted to the growth of red clover, that the winter and spring fisheries produced $2500 per annum, and that ‘“‘Wild Fowl is in abundance.” "* Undoubtedly as the buildings disintegrated, their sites were leveled. There remained only level acres of grass, clover, and grain where once a poor village had been erected and where John Mercer's splendid estate had risen with its Palladian mansion, its gardens, warehouses, and tobacco fields. Even in the early 19th century the tobacco plantation, especially in northern Virginia, had become largely a thing of the past. Within the memory of men still alive, the one structure still standing from Mercer’s time was the windmill. Except for the present-day fringe of modern houses, Marlborough must look today much as it did after its abandonment and disintegration. M48 Virginia Herald, December 15, 1819. ARCHEOLOGY AND ARCHITECTURE AL PHOTOGRAPH OF MariporouGcH. The outlines of the em and Structure B foundation can be seen where Highway 6: ry o the east. VII Lhe Site, tts Problem, and Preliminary Tests The preceding chapters have presented written evidence of Marlborough’s history and of the human elements that gave it life and motivation. Assembled mostly during the years following the excavations, this information was not, for the most part, available in 1956 to guide the archeological survey recounted here. Neither was there immediate evidence on the surface of the planted fields to indicate the importance and splendor of Marlborough as it existed in the 18th century. In 1954, when Dr. Darter proposed that the Smith- sonian Institution participate in making excavations, he presented a general picture of colonial events at Marlborough. He also provided photostats of the two colonial survey plats so frequently mentioned in Part I (fig. 2). From information inscribed on the 1691 plat, it was clear that a town had been laid out in that year, that it had consisted of 52 acres divided into half-acre lots, and that two undesignated acres had been set aside for a courthouse near its western boundary. It was known also that John Mercer had occupied the town in the 18th century, that he had built a mansion there, that a circular ruin of dressed lime-sandstone was the base of his windmill, and that erosion along the Potomac River bank had radically changed the shoreline since the town’s founding 263 years earlier. But nobody in 1954 could point out with any certainty the foundation of Mercer's mansion, nor was anyone aware of the brick and the Stone wall system, the two-room kitchen foundation, or the trash pits and other structures that lay beneath the surface, along with many |8th-century household artifacts. It remained for the archeologist to recover such nonperishable data from the ground. In August 1954 Messrs. Setzler, Darter, and Watkins spent three days at Marlborough examining the site, making tests, and, in general, determining whether there was sufficient evidence to justify extended excavations. The site is located in the southeastern portion of what was known in the 17th century as Potowmack Neck (now Marlborough Point), with the Potomac River on the east and Potomac Creek on the south (map, front endpaper). It is approached from the northeast on Highway 621, which branches from Highway 608 about 2 miles from the site. Highway 608 runs from Aquia Creck westward to the village of Brooke, situated on the Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Potomac Railroad about four miles east of the High- way 621 takes a hilly, winding course through the present Stafford courthouse on U.S. Route | woods until it debouches onto the flat, open peninsula of the point. The river is visible to the cast, as the road travels sli¢htly cast of due south, passing an intersecting secondary road that runs west and south and then west again. The latter road ends at the southwestern extremity of the Neck, where Accokeck Creck, which meanders along the western cdec of the Neck, near the Potomac Creck shore where this road tak feeds into Potomac Creck. At the point its second westerly course lies the site of the I a village of Patawomecke, excavated betwee: 8 and 1940 by T. D. Stewart. Bevond this secondary road, Highway 621 con- tinues southward to a small thicket and clump of trees, Figure 19. Hicuway 621, looking north from the curve in the road, with site of Structure B at right. where it curves sharply to the east, its southerly course stopped by fenced-in lots of generous size (with modern houses built on them) that slope down to Potomac Creek. After the highway makes its turn, several driveways extend from it toward the creek. O of these driveways, obviously more ancient thers, leaves the highway about 200 feet clump of trees, cutting deeply through ig! oping banks, where vestiges of a stone wall crop out from its western boundary (fig. 22), and ending abruptly at the water’s edge. Highway 621 continues to a dead end near the confluence of creek al r1ver Some 200 feet west of the turn in the highway around the clump of trees, is a deep gully (or Soutt” in 17th-century terminology) that extends northward from Potomac Creek almost as far as the intersecting This rrown with trees and brush, and it forms road that passes the site of the Indian village. il barrier that divides the lower portion of the point into two parts. A few well-spaced modern houses fringe the shores of the point, while the flat land behind the houses is given over almost entirely to cultivation. Since the two colonial land surveys were not drawn to scale, some confusion arose in 1954 as to their orientation to the surviving topographic features. However, the perimeter measurements given on the 1691 plat make it clear that the town was laid out in the southeastern section of the point, and that the “outt’ so indicated on the plat is the tree-lined gully west of the turn in the highway. Bordering the clump of trees at this turn could be seen in 1954 a short outcropping of brick masonry. A few yards to the north, on the opposite side of the road, crumbled bits of sandstone, both red and gray, were concentrated in the ditch cut by a highway grader. In the fields at either side of the highway, plow furrows disclosed a considerable quantity of brick chips, 18th-century ceramics, and glass sherds. In the field east of the clump of trees and north of the highway, opposite the steep-banked side road leading down to Potomac Creek, could be seen in a _ row the tops of two or three large pieces of gray stone. These stones were of the characteristic lime-sandstone once obtained from the Aquia quarries some four _ miles north, as well as from a long-abandoned quarry above the head of Potomac Creek. It was decided to start work at this point by investigating these - stones, in preference to exploring the more obvious evidence of a house foundation at the clump of trees. This was done in the hope of finding clues to lot boundaries and the possible orientation of the survey plats. Excavation around these vertically placed stones disclosed that they rested on a foundation layer of thick slabs laid horizontally at the undisturbed soil level. Enough of this wall remained in situ to permit sighting along it toward Potomac Creek. The sight line, jumping the highway, picked up the partly overgrown stone wall that extends along the western edge of the old roadway to the creek, indi- “cating that a continuous wall had existed prior to the present layout of the fields and before the con- struction of the modern highway. The excavation along the stone wall was extended northward. At a distance of 18.5 feet from the high- way the stone wall ended at a junction of two brick wall foundations, one running north in line with the stone wall and the other west at a 90° angle. These walls, each a brick and a half thick, were bonded in oystershell lime mortar. Test trenches were dug to the north and west to determine whether they were enclosure walls or house foundations. Since it was soon evident that they were the former, the next question was whether they were lot boundaries matching those on the plat. If so, it was reasoned, then a street must have run along the east side of the north-south coursing wall. Accordingly, tests were made, but no supporting evidence for this inference was found. Nevertheless, the indications of an claborate wall system, a probable house foundation, and a wealth of artifacts in the soil were enough to support a full-scale archeological project, the results of which would have considerable historical and architectural significance. Determining the meaning of the walls and whether they were related to the town layout or to Mercer's plantation, learning the relationship of the plantation to the town, discovering the sites of the 1691 court- house and Mercer’s mansion, and finding other house foundations and significant artifacts—all these were to be the objectives of the project. The problem, broadly considered, was to investigate in depth a specific locality where a 17th-century town and an 18th-century plantation had successively risen and fallen and to evaluate the evidence in the light of colonial Virginia’s evolving culture and economy. Accordingly, plans were made, a grant was obtained from the American Philosophical Society, as recounted in the introduction, and intensive work on the site was begun in 1956. 69 VIll Archeological Techniques The archeologist must adopt and, if necessary, invent the method of excavation best calculated to produce the results he desires, given the conditions of a particular site. The Marlborough site required other techniques than those conventionally employed, for instance, in excavating prehistoric American Indian sites. Moreover, because the Marlborough excavations constituted a limited exploratory survey, the grid system used customarily in colonial-site archeology was not appropriate here, and a different system had to be substituted. It was decided in 1956 to begin, as in 1954, at obvious points of visible evidence and to follow to their limits the footings of walls and buildings as they were encountered, rather than to remove all of the disturbed soil within a limited area. By itself this was a simple process, but to record accurately what was found by this method and relate the features to each other required the use i Only to a extent were some exploratory trenches dug iinly of an alidade and a stadia rod. ) and careful observations made of the color and density of soil, so as to detect features such as wooden house foundations, postholes, and trash pits. Once located, such evidence had to be approached meticu- lously with a shaving or slicing technique, again taking careful note of soil changes in profile. All this required the establishment of an accurate baseline and a number of control points by means of alidade and stadia-rod measurements. Then eight points for triangulation purposes in the form of iron pipes were established at intervals along the south side of the highway, east of its turn at the clump of trees, on the basis of which the accompanying maps were plotted. The full extent of the excavations is not shown in detail on these maps, particularly in connection with the walls and structures. The walls, for example, were exposed in trenches 5 feet wide. Similar trenches were dug around the house founda- tions as evidence of them was revealed. IX Vial System DESCRIPTIONS OF EXCAVATIONS On April 2, 1956, the junction point of the three _ walls found in the 1954 test was reexcavated. The bottom layer of horizontally placed stones 1.8-1.9 feet wide was found in situ, while most of the vertical stones from the second course had been broken or knocked off by repeated plowing. Construction of the highway had completely removed a section of the wall. The corner of the two brick walls was revealed to have been superimposed on the northern- most foundation block of the stone wall, thus indi- cating that the stone wall preceded the building of the brick ones. The upper stone block that had been removed to make room for this brick corner still lay a few feet to the east where it had been cast aside in the 18th century. This part of the stone wall, together with its continuation beyond the highway to the creek, was designated Wall A (figs. 21 and 24). Exposure of the brick wall running westward from Wall A (designated Wall A-I) disclosed broken gaps in the brickwork, the gaps ranging from 1.8 to 3 feet in length, and the intervening stretches of intact wall, from 7.33 to 8 feet. Eight-foot spacings are normal for the settings of modern wooden fence posts, as such a fence south of the highway illustrated. It is assumed, therefore, that, following the destruc- tion of the exposed part of the brick wall, a wooden fence was built along the same line, requiring the removal of bricks to permit the setting of fence posts (fig. 26). Wall A-I intersected the modern highway at an — acute angle, disappeared thereunder aud reappeared beyond. South of the clump of trees it abutted another wall of different construction which ran continuously in the same direction for 28 feet. Be- cause of their manner of construction, the two walls at their point of juncture were not integrated and, hence, probably were constructed at different times. The 28-foot section later proved to be the south wall of the mansion, designated as B. (This wall will be considered when that structure is described, as will another section that continued for less than 4 fect to the point where a 12-foot modern driveway crossed over it.) To the west of the driveway another wall (B-1I), still in line with Wall A-I, extended toward the “outt.”’ Of this only one brick course remained, a brick and a half thick. About midway in its leneth were slight indications that the wall footings had been expanded for a short distance, as though for a gate; however, the crumbled condition of the brick and mortar fragments made this inference uncertain. Near the edge of the “gutt,”” 146 feet from the southwest corner of the Structure B main foundation, Wall B-I terminated in an oblique-angled corner, the other side of which was designated Wall B-IT. This wall ran 384 feet in a southwesterly direction under beneath a boathouse alone the “gutt,” ending at the back of Potomac Creck. It was constructed of rough blocks of the fossil-imbedded marl that underlics Marlborough and crops out along the Potomac shore. Walls A, A-I, B-l, and B-II, together with the ereck bank, form an enclosure trees and 71 measuring a little over two acres. Returning to the point of beginning excavation, the brick wall which is extended north from stone wall A (designated as Wall A-II) was followed for a distance of 175 feet. Like Wall A-I, it was a brick and a half thick (a row of headers lying beside a row of stretchers), and was represented for a distance of 36 feet by two courses. Beyond this point for another 30 feet, a shift in the contour of the land, allowing deeper plowing in relation to the original height of the wall, had caused the second course of bricks to be knocked off. From there on, only occasional clusters of bricks remained, the evidence of the wall consisting otherwise of a thin layer of mortar and brick. Wall A-II terminated in a corner. The other side of the corner was of the same construction and ran westerly at right angles for a total distance of 264.5 feet, passing beneath the highway (north of the turn) and stopping against the southeast corner of a struc- ture designated E. Extending south from Structure E was an 84-foot wall (Wall E) a brick and a half thick, laid this time in Flemish (header- stretcher-header) in several courses. bond Another east-west wall, of which only remnants were found, joined Wall E and its southern terminus. Six feet west of Wall E this fragmentary wall widened from three to four bricks in thickness in what appeared to be the foundation of a wide gate, with a heavy iron hinge-pintle zm situ; beyond this it disappeared in a jumble of brickbats. Upon completion of the wall excavations, a return was made to Wall A, where a visible feature had although not investigated. This feature was a three-sided, westward projection from been observed, Wall A, similarly built of Aquia-type stone, forming with Wall A a long, narrow enclosure. The southern east-west course of this structure meets Wall A approximately 62 feet north of the creek-side terminus of Wall A and extends 59 feet to the west. The north-south course runs 100 feet to its junction with the northern east-west segment. The latter segment is only 55 feet long, so the enclosure is not quite excavations made here. However, in line with the north cross wall of the enclosure, trenches were dug at four intervals in a futile effort to locate evidence of a boundary wall in the present orchard lying to the east of the road to the creek. symmetrical. No were SIGNIFICANT ARTIFACIS ASSOCIATED WITH WALLS Artifact Wine-bottle base. Diameter, 53s inches. (USNM 59.1717 fig. 29; ill. 35) Wine-bottle base. Diameter, 43; inches. LE (USNM 60.117) Polychrome Chinese-porcelain teacup base. Blue-and-white porcelain sherds. USNM 60.118; 60.121) r 0-1770 1730-1770 Date of Manufacture 1735-1750 Provenience Adjacent to junction of Walls A, A-I, A-II, 13 inches above wall base and undisturbed soil. Surface In disturbed soil between junction of Walls A, A-I, A-—II, and modern Highway 621. Buckley coarse earthenware. (USNM Surface 60.80; 60.108: 60.136: 60.140) Staffordshire white salt-glazed ware. ca. 1760 Surface USNM 60.106) Brass knee buckle. (USNM_ 60.139; fig. ca. 1760 Surface 83e; ill. 49 Hand-forged nails. Scraping tool. (USNM 60.1 33) he. 89b; ill. 76) extractor. (USNM Fragment of bung 60.134: fie. 89d) Surface Surface Surface ~ 9Ic) - (USNM 60.68) earthenware. (USNM dle bit. (USNM 60.67; figs. 29 and Bottle seal, marked with “1°mM” and first three digits of date “173... .” wine bottle, fig. 78; ill. 37) Fragment of iron potlid (USNM 60.69; fig. 87a) Indian celt, with hole drilled for use as ; ( ; pendant. (USNM 60.87) Tron loop from swingletree. (USNM 60.86) Wine-bottle base. Diameter 4! inches (USNM 60.83) "Iron plow colter, (USNM 60.88, ill. 79) In addition to the artifacts listed above numerous others were excavated from the trenches, although few of these have archeological value for purposes of analyzing the structures. Only the finds accompanied by depth and provenience data are significant in evaluating these structures, and in the case of the gateway few are helpful to any degree. The frag- mentary bottle seal found there matches exactly a whole seal that occurs on a wine bottle described in a subsequent section. That seal is dated 1737, and thus this seal must have been similarly dated. Its presence near the lowest level suggests that the wall was in construction at the time the seal wes deposited. (See matching seal dated 1737 on 1735-1750 Date ; Artifact of Manufacture Provenience Sherds of heavy lead-glass decanter and ca. 1720 Trenches beside Wall B-2. . op of large wineglass or pedestal-bowl stem. (USNM 60.149) ald stoneware. (USNM_ 60.104; before 1750 Surface Wall E gateway, 6 inches from west end, south side, 13 inches above undisturbed soil, in bricks in second course. 2 inches west of Wall E gateway, on top of third course of bricks, 7 inches above undisturbed soil. 5 inches west of Wall E gateway, first course, 4 inches above undisturbed soil. Underneath bridle bit (see above). USNM_ 59.1688; Southwest corner of Wall E gateway, 7 inches above undisturbed soil, at lowest brick course. 16 inches east of southwest corner of Wall E gateway, at undisturbed soil, 7 inches below wall base. 30 inches east of southwest corner of Wall E gateway, at undisturbed soil, 7 inches below wall base. Wall E gateway. Top course of bricks, 16 inches north of pinde (see above). Wall E gateway, Top course of bricks, 5.5 feet east of pintle (see above). Bottles were used for a long time, however, so the scal may have reached its final resting place years later than 1737. The Indian celt no doubt fell from the topsoil while the trench in which the wall was built was being excavated. The swingletree gear next to it probably was left there during the construc- tion. The colter, although it appears to be of early 18th-century origin, may have been in use late in the 18th century after the wall had been removed. Since the colter is badly bent, it may have struck the top of the underground wall foundation, and, having ( Text continued on page 82) 73 JOHN MERCER PLANTAT/ON MARLBOROUGH TOWN, YA. SCALE 1°: 50° DQ BENCH MARK KEITH FLETCHER HIGHWAY 62/ Figure 20.—EXxcAVATION PLAN of Marlborough. MERCER PLANTATION STONE ave BRICK WALLS scace-s gs” L\ OtNCH wane POST_HOLES (& —— Figure 21.—ExcavaTION PLAN of wall system. side. @ to the creek rH up the old road leadin 22.—LOOKING NOR Figure side. d road from creek | oO ( along Bm MARLBORO TOWN | sTRUCT A 1956 Figure 25.—LooKING NoRTH in line with Walls A and A-II, Wall A-I joining at right neers neh 92 ah eMC” cat >, Fs. = ( Text nlinued from page /3) been torn off from the plow, perhaps was left on the bricks where it fell. HISTORICAL DATA AND INTERPRETATION OF WALL SYSTEM John Mercer commented with exasperation in his Land Book about the unresolved discrepancies be- tween the Buckner survey of 1691 and the missing Gregg survey of 1707 (p. 14). There are as many disparities between Buckner’s plat and the plat resulting from the Savage survey of 1731. In the latter a new row of lots is added along the western Buckner _ lots Where in the Buckner plat the lots and streets in boundary, pushing the eastward. the lower part of the town west of George Andrews’ lots turn westerly 1° from the indicated main axis of the town, paralleling the 30-pole fourth course of the town bounds which runs to the creek’s edge, the Savage map shows no such change. Yet Savage, in describing the courses of the survey in a written note _on the plat, shows that he followed the original bounds. ‘He does note a 4°, 10-pole error in the course along Potomac Creek, “‘which difference gives several Lots more than was in the old survey making one Row of Lots more than was contained therein each containing two thirds of an Acre.’ This was doubt- te a contrivance designed to reconcile the Gregg and Buckner surveys and also to benefit John Mercer. In any case, it is clear that the plats themselves are both unreliable and inaccurate. What was actual was shown in the archeological survey of 1956 with its record of boundary walls and at least one street. An attempt has been made in figure 14 to give scale to the Buckner survey by superimposing the archeo- logical map over it. There, Wall B-II, if extended north for 111 feet beyond its length of 384 feet to equal the 30 poles (495 feet) of the fourth course, would exactly touch the southwest corner of lot 21 where the fourth course began. But, in spite of this congruence, the other features of the plat are distorted and dis- agree with the slightly northwest-southeast basic orientation of the street and wall system. The simplest explanation might be that the layout was made on the basis of the 1707 Gregg survey. Since it was following the second Act for Ports of 1705 that the town achieved what little growth it made prior to Mercer’s occupancy, it is probable that the town's orientation was made according to this survey. Whether or not this is the case, the road to the creek side was fundamental to the town, and probably was built early in its history and maintained after the town itself was abandoned. We know from archeological evidence that Wall A antedates the brick walls that were connected with it. Further evaluation of the wall system in relation to the entire site will be made later. It may be concluded for now that Wall A and the road beside it represent the main axis of the town as it was laid out before Mercer's arrival, that the stone walls were built before that event, that Wall B-II follows the fourth course somewhat according to Buckner’s plat, and that the brick walls may date as late as 1750, as some of the associated artifacts suggest. 83 BRICKS ‘ SANOSTONE 3) aL WATER TABL =p = — — = — 4 | | | | | | | | | | \ FLAGSTONE TERRACE ap Bo) Cor On, ve Way ? —~—~— BASEMENT SURFACE OF HIGHWAY [++ MO BASEMENT — ¢) = STRUCTURE 8B ? BRICK WALL A-i Figure 32.—EXxcCAvATION PLAN of Structure B. Mansion Foundation Structure LB) DESCRIPTION OF EXCAVATIONS With the exception of Wall A, the protruding bit of brickwork near the clump of trees (where Highway 621 makes its turn to the southeast) was the only evidence remaining above ground in 1956 of Marl- borough’s past grandeur. Designated Structure B, it was plainly the remains of a cellar foundation, which the tangled thicket of vines and trees adjacent to it tended to confirm. Since its location corresponded with the initially estimated position of the courthouse, it seemed possible that the foundation might have survived from that structure. Excavation of Structure B began accidentally when the excavators began following the westward course of Wall A-I, as described in the preceding section on the “Wall System.”” Wall A-I abutted, but did not mesh with, the corner of two foundation walls, one of which ran northward and the other continued on for 28 feet in the same direction as Wall A-I. The brick- work in the 28-foot stretch of Wall A-I was laid in a step-back, buttress-type construction, At the bottom course the wall was 2.65 feet thick, diminishing upward for five successive courses to a minimum of 1.5 feet. A wall running northward—the east founda- tion wall—was exposed for 16 feet from the pointof its junction with Wall A-[ until it disappeared under the highway. It was found to have the same buttress- type construction. There was no evidence of a cellar within the area enclosed by the foundation walls south of the highway. Excavation of the cast foundation wall was resumed north of the highway, but here no buttressing was found, with evidence of a cellar visible instead. This evidence consisted of a curious complex of features, comprising remnants of two parallel cross walls only 4.5 feet apart with a brick pavement between 4.8 feet below the surface. The east wall and the cross walls had flush surfaces. The northerly cross wall was tied into the brickwork of the east wall, showing that it was built integrally with the founda- The northerly cross wall had been knocked down, however, to within five courses on the floor level. The pavement was fitted against it. The southerly cross wall was not tied into the brick- work of the east wall, and the pavement had been tion. torn up next to it. Thus it was evident that this wall had been erected subsequent to the building of the foundation, that it had shortened the cellar by 4.5 feet, and that the cellar extended southward to a point beneath the highway where it was impossible to excavate. Documentary evidence to confirm this alteration will be shown below (p. 91). Extending 12.5 feet north of the original cross wall was another cellarless section, with step-back but- tressing again featuring the foundation wall. Another paved cellar was in evidence north of this, extending for 26 feet, with a final 14.25-foot cellarless portio as far as the north wall of the structure. The interior of the cellar, to the extent that inviolate trees and shrubs made it possible to determine, was filled with brickbats and debris, large portions of which were removed. Evidence, however, of construction of cross walls and of floor treatment remained concealed. The entire length of this extraordinary foundation totaled 108 feet. The northwest corner of Structure B was not ex- cavated because it was hidden beneath a group of trees which could not be disturbed. owever, the section of the west-wall foun Wa xposed to a length of 15.5 feet. This section \\ ituated partly in, and partly north of, the north cellar area [he cross measurement, from outer edge to outer edge, was 28 feet. the same as the length of the south foundation wall. Another short section of the west foundation wall also was exposed from the southwest corner as far as a private driveway which limited the excavation. Abutting the exterior of the north wall of the founda- tion a flagstone pavement was found, extending 8.45 northward and 16 feet westward from the north- corner. Against the foundation, within this South of space, was a U-shaped brick wall, forming a hollow rectangle 5 feet by 3.6 feet (inside). The space was filled with ashes, loose bricks, and other refuse. This brickwork was the foundation for a small porch, the lime-sandstone slabs surrounding it having been an apron or a small terrace. Extending westward from the cedar trees, beyond the projected 28-foot length of the north wall, was a short section of brick wall foundation, the outer surface of which was faced with slabs of red sandstone and dressed on the top with a cyma-reversa molding. The tops of the slabs were rough, but each had slots and channels for receiving iron tie bars (ill. 3) that were still in place. This wall was inset four inches to the south of the alignment of the main north foundation wall. The northwest corner of this additional structure was hidden under the highway. Even now, however, bigure 34.—SoOuUTHWEST CORNER OF S1 r B. Pia red sandstone block at junctior sign, molded red-sandstone trim can be sricks in front of trim appear to have been added later a i dat B of main-foundation footing appears at ri the discerning eye Can pie k up the contour of a wall ul c running parallel with the west foundation wall under Si the blacktop pavement For a brief distance, betwee the sandstone the point where the road swings eastward fro t and 1ru the private driveway covers it again, excavatio ul P exposed this wall. Designated Wall C, it was 22 it inches thick, entirely of brick, with no « remaining of red sandstone on the outsid exterior surface was 9.5 feet beyond the west fou tion wall. \\ BI \ { At the southwest corner of the found matching that at the northwest « Here, again inset 4 inches fre main south foundation wall, were to br of red-sandstone slabs like those foun end (fig. 36), in this case with one place. The driveway obscured the } M Figure 35.—SOUTHWEST CORNER OF STRUCTURE B, showing molded-sandstone trim with added brickwork in front. Bricks also covered red-sandstone block, lower right. (Diagonally placed bricks at left are not part of structure.) SIGNIFICANT ARTIFACTS ASSOCIATED WITH STRUCTURE B Artifact rim sherds from wn-banded; ib toneware SNM Iron car USNM 59 Small crescent-shape chopping knife (USNM 59.1837; fic. 85a Silver teaspoon USNM 59.1827; fig. 36d Date of Manu- facture ca. 1730 Provenience 3eneath flagstone in porch apren north of Structure B. Debris at south end of Structure B. Debris at south end of Structure B In addition, there was the usual variety of 18th- and glazed stoneware, pieces of a Westerwald stoneware century delftware, Nottingham white _ salt- chamber pot, and much miscellaneous iron, of which only a hinge fragment and a supposed shutter fastener probably were associated with the house. None of this material has provenience data, nearly all of it having turned up in the process of trenching. Little of it, therefore, throws much light on the history of the structure. The most important artifacts found in and around Structure B are those of an architectural nature, and these will be considered primarily in the following section. ARCHITECTURAL DATA AND ANALYSIS OF STRUCTURE B That the ““manor house,’ as Thomas Oliver called it in 1771, was an extraordinary building is both re- vealed in the Structure B foundation and confirmed by the insurance-policy sketch of 1806. Long, low, adorned with exact p irallel i vidualistic as b ing a el At ity, il Was apy] isms tha r The eas exca\ is Figure 37. CELLAR OF STRUCTURE B, showing remains of original cross wall at left and added cross wall at right. Mercer probably referred to the latter in 1749 in his account with Thomas Barry: “‘Underpinning and altering the cellar.” \ ove, this cross wall was found to be tied ir k pavement that abutted it on the sout [he bricks in the main foundation walls and in the partly destroyed cross wall and pavement, on the basis of sample measurements, show a usual dimension of about 8% by 2%, by 4 inches An occasional 9-inch brick occurs—about 10 percent of the sample. In contrast, the bricks in the second cross wall are ll 9 inches long, except two that are 845 inches and that is 8% inches. Similar sizes prevail in the exposed in the “portico” foundation (Wall C) at the south end. The significance of these brick sizes will be discussed later. It is clear that Wall G was the foundation of the “portico,” and that by “portico” the writer of the insurance policy meant veranda or loggia. The policy also shows a ‘‘Porch 10 by 5 f.? extending from the middle of the veranda. The highway now covers this spot. In the space between the two parallel cross walls within the main foundation, the debris yielded a large section of a heavy, red-sandstone arch, 14 inches wide, 9 inches thick, and 3 feet 2 inches long. This arch Figure 38.—SECTION OF RED-SANDSTONE ARCH [¢ presumably from an arcade surrounding tl was roughhewn on the flat surfaces and on about of the outer curved surface, or extrados he surface, or intrados, and the rem der of t t are smoothly dressed (fie. 38 At the s the main foundation another curved re¢ pier e was recovered [This piece Cul es later has a helically sloped top surface. It is 25 in 14% inches high at the highest point, and Y thick. Presumably, it was part ol formal outdoor stair or steps (fi 59 \ south end was found a cast-mortar block on the back for metal or wooden fast 7% 99.1823; fig. 40 his was pet lated ashlar doorframe \ bricks occur that are sl Turning to the doc recall that im ite dated s building part of Fieure 40.—Cast-concrETE BLOCK, probably part of a rusticated door en- framement. Found at south end of Structure B. (See ills. | and 2.) Figure 41.—DrerssrED RED-SANDSTONE SLAB (originally in one piece), molded on both edges. Although last used as a doorstep in Structure E, this slab was probably designed as trim for the sides of steps connected with the main house (Structure B). Illustrations | and 2.—Front and back of cast-concrete block, probably part of a rusticated door enframement (fig. 40). One-fourth. (USNM 59.1823.) 93 Figure 42.—Fossit-EMBEDDED black sedimentary stone, used t=} @ for hearths and fireplace surrounds in the mansion. openings, with arched facings of rubbed brick both Thus, for the brick- layer, each actual arch would have required two inside and outside the arcade. arches of brick. ‘The intrados, or undersurfaces, of the arches were probably red sandstone, like the frag- ry arch found in the site; the basic element of then faced on each side with bricks also wrranged in 1 arch formation. The arcade at Hano oO seems to have been built in a somewhat similar fashion, except that there the brick facing appears on the exterior of the arch only. The **900 Coins and Returns” probably are gauged bricks, that is, bricks grounc nooth on a grindstone to provide a different texture and richer red color to contrast with the ordinary wall brick They were widely used in Virginia mansions of the 18th century At Marlborough over 10 rubbed bricks would have been required to trim for corner and arch decoration. rs of 1] arches, while the remainder may have Illustration secure dressed each other. 59.1833.) 3.—Iron tie bar red-sandstone One-fourth. used to slabs to (USNM decorated the porch Dhe was the “Fro ItIsp1ec Che item for ol derp 1 probably refers to the Kno¢ and the added p irallel cross wa for the change will alwa been noted, the ivera tion, on the one hand, cellar cross wall and different Probabl t differences between M The detailed se Painters’ work d already been given attent 'Pia t freed fae Kher orice, 7 -—-——-lUl ow YS, Rupe _ ow "4 a Srehes, by O feed y In ches. Mocte One , covereD sph aerd, Tyg feed Stucke 2d fe feet wee a Cellar «ander af peu om j ® oh Ys ’ ae Cre , Ar, red id oe Figure 44, a“; . PLAN OF MANSION HOUSE drawn on a Mutual Assurancy Society of Virginia policy of 1806 after the house was acquired by John Cooke. (Courtesy of Virginia State Library.) was employed. Was there, perhaps, a small gilded Were the 162 ballusters, purchased from George Elliott cupola to break the long expance of roof line? towards the time of completion, made for staircases indoors or for a balustrade along the roof? Or did they border the roof of the veranda? To these ques- here can be no answer. Another question is ouse, described as one story high, was rh basement or near ground level. 1 lence pointing to the latter, since two separate cellars, equalling 1 Cel it half the House.” A high or English ba contrast, would have been continuous. Fur I eranda was at, or near, the ground level hi ound floor thus might have been as much as 3 feet higher, reached by steps from the veranda—but not whole story higher. The depth of the cellars, ranging from about 4 o 5 feet below ground level, implies that the first loor was not more than 3 feet above ground level. Suggestions as to details of trim and finish are made here and there, again in fragmentary hints. Several broken pieces of a dark-gray, fossil-embedded survive from the marble “chimney-pieces” and hearths of fireplaces (fig. 42). They may be the “hewn stone from Mr. Nicholson” paid for in 1749. A piece of plaster cyma-recta cornice molding shows that some rooms, at least, had plaster rather than (USNM_ 59.1829, ill. 4). Thomas Oliver’s statement that ‘‘the Manor house wooden ceiling trim wants lead lights in some of the windows” suggests an “lead light” is an ancient one referring to casement sashes unparalleled anachronism, since the term of leaded glass. But it is inconceivable, in the context of colonial architectural history, that this house should have had leaded-casement windows, and it is very probable, therefore, that the semiliterate Oliver was indulging in a rural archaism to which he had transferred the meaning of “sash lights.” The latter term was used commonly to denote double- | | Illustration 4.—Cross section of plas- ter cornice molding from Structure B. Same size. (USNM 59.1829.) hung, wooden-sash windows, such as Georgian houses still feature. In support of this inference is the complete lack of archeological evidence of leaded- glass windows. The cellarless areas of the foundation may have provided the footings for chimneys. These probably stood several feet from the ends, perhaps serving clusters of four corner fireplaces each, for each floor. One may surmise that there was a hip roof, with a chimney rising through each hip. A porch at the north end had a rectangular brick base 4 by 6 feet, surrounded by a flagstone area 16 feet wide and 8 feet 5 inches in extent from the house, This evi- dence, however, differs from the figures given in the insurance plan which shows a “Porch 8 by 6 feet.” The mansion embodied some characteristics which are traditional in Virginia house design and others which are without parallel. The elongated plan indi- _ cated by the foundation was more frequently encount- ered in Virginia dwellings of the late 17th and early 18th centuries than in the “high Georgian” mansions of the 1740's and 1750's. Turkey Island, for example, built in Henrico County in the 17th century, was 103 feet long, 5 feet less than Marl- borough.” The additions to Governor Berkeley's “) Henry Cuanptre Forman, The Architecture of the Old South (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1948), pp. 74-75. Green Spring Plantation, built during the late 17th century, consisted of an informal series of rooms, one room in depth for the most part. Waterman is of the opinion that Green Spring was “in a sense an over- grown cottage without the real attributes of a man- sion.” '* The excavations conducted in 1954 by Caywood have altered the basis for this opinion some- what, but, with its 150-foot length, Green Spring remains an early example of the elongated plan.’ Aside from being clongated, Marlborough derives from the ubiquitous informal brick cottage of Virginia. So indigenous is this vernacular form that it is often found in houses of considerable pretension, even in the 18th century. Such are the Abingdon glebe house in Gloucester County, Gunston Hall in Fairfax, and the Chiswell Plantation, known as “Scotchtown,”’ in Hanover. Robert Beverley noted the Virginians’ fondness for this style, commenting that they built many rooms on a floor because frequent high winds would “incommode a towering Fabrick” nation as delightful as it is absurd.'™* an expla- That these one-story houses could be completely formal is demonstrated in the unique early 18th- century addition to Fairfield (Carter's Creek Planta- tion) in Gloucester County, which burned in 1897. This dwelling had a full hip roof, with dormers to light the attic rooms, and a high basement. Its classical cornice was bracketed with heavy modillions, while a massive chimney protruded from the slope of the hip.** Gunston Hall, on the other hand, reverted to the gable-end form. Although essentially a Virginia cottage, it is richly adorned with Georgian architec- tural detail. Completed in 1758, only cight years after Marlborough, and owned by Mercer's nephew George Mason, this building may be more closely related to Marlborough than any other existing house.'* Of all the one-story Virginia houses that have come to our attention, only Marlborough has a full-length veranda. To be sure, there are multiple-story houses with full-length verandas, the most notable being ™ Op, cit. (foomote 4), p. 21 4! Lous Cavwoop, Excavetions af Green Spring Plantation (Yorktown, 1955), pp. 11, 12, maps nos. 3 and 4 ™ Ropert Bevertey, op. cit. (footnote 5), p. 280 WATERMAN, op, cit, (footnote 4), pp. 21-2), Kiar, Domestic Architecture of the American Colones cod of the Early Republic (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 19727), p. 42 ™ Rosamonp RanpaLt Bermse and Joun Hexay Sonar, William Buckland, 1734-1774; Architect of Virguwa and Maryland (Baltimore: Maryland Historical Society, 1958), Fueke 97 7 TAAL DY TOLLE OL TEL MLL ALLELE CMLL Figure 45. Tue viii of “the magnificent Lord Leonardo Emo” at “Fanzolo, in the Trevigian;” illustrated in The Architecture of A. Palladio (Giacomo Leoni, ed., 3rd edition, corrected, London, 1742). Palladio’s was one of the works owned by Mercer and probably used by Bromley. The arcaded loggias of the one-story wings of this building may have contributed to the inspiration of Marlborough. (Courtesy of the Library of Congress.) Mount Vernon. Elmwood, built just before the Revolution in Essex County, is another, having a foundation plan similar to Marlborough’s.!*% The \fount Vernon veranda is part of the remodeling of 17 ) that neither house reached its finished state until a quarter of a century after Marlborough’s completion. Marlborough may thus at the outset have been unique among Virginia dwellings in having such a veranda. However, full-length verandas on buildings other than dwellings were not unknown in Virginia prior to the construction of Marlborough, for they occurred in an almost standard design in the arcaded form of loggias in county courthouses. Typical were King William and Hanover County ERMAN, op. cit. (footnote 94), p. 298. courthouses, both built about 1734 (figs. 5 and 61). The arcaded loggia is Italian in origin and is trace- able here to Palladio, whose influence was diffused to England and the colonies in a variety of ways. We know that The Architecture of A. Palladio was one of four architectural works acquired by Mercer in 1748 and apparently lent to his “architect,” joiner William Bromley. The direct influence of this work on the overall plan of Marlborough probably was However, Palladio illustrates the villa of “the magnificent Lord Leonardo Emo” at ‘‘Fanzolo, in the Trevigian” (fig. 45), which may have caught Mercer’s eye. This building had a central, raised negligible. pavilion with two one-story wings, each approxi- Each wing had a full-length, The wings were intended for Palladio commented : mately 100 feet long. arcaded veranda. stables, granaries, and so forth. ple may go under shelter every where about this House, which is one of the most considerable con- veniences that ought to be desir’d in a Country- use,’? 156 Mercer may have been impressed by this argument and by the arcade in the design. He was already familiar with arcades at the capitol at Williamsburg and at the College of William and Mary, as well as 86 Anronto Pattapio, The Architecture of A. Palladio. . . Re- ‘wis'd, Design’d, and Publish’d By Giacomo Leoni. . . The Third Edition, Corrected. . . (London, 1742), p. 61, pl. 40. at outlying courthouses where he practiced, the courthouse at Stafford probably included. In any case, he did not have the veranda built until 1748 or 1749, after the main structure had been completed. It is significant, in this regard, that it was not until March 1748 that he settled accounts with Sydenham & Hodgson for the four architectural books (including Palladio). A formal garden apparently was laid out in the nearly square, walled enclosure behind the mansion. It is perhaps wholly a coincidence that Palladio, writing about the villa at Fanzolo, commented, “On the back of this Building there is a square Garden.” HIGHWAY DITCH CHARRED TIMBERS STICKY CLAY FLOOR RED SANDSTONE CRUMBLED BRICK STRUCTURE E SCALE 1": 5' Figure 46.—EXCAVATION PLAN of Structure E, looking southwest. XI Kitchen Foundation (Structure £) DESCRIPTION OF EXCAVATIONS Structure E was a brick foundation, 17 feet by 32 feet, situated at the northwest corner of the enclosure- wall system. Its south wall was continuous with Wall D, which joined it, and was at right angles to Wall E. The latter abutted it in line with an interior founda- tion wall which bisected the structure into two room areas, designated X and Y. Thus it once stood like a bastion extending outside the enclosure walls, but remaining integral with them and affording a con- trolled entrance to the enclosure (fig. 46). The east end of Structure E extended under a mod- ern boundary fence to the present edge of the high- way. Ditching of the highway had cut into the founda- tion and exposed the debris and slabs of stone in place, which indeed had provided the first clues to the existence of the structure. Clearance of the easterly area, Room X, revealed a pavement of roughly rectangular slabs of mixed Aquia-type lime-sand- stone and red sandstone. These slabs were flaked, eroded, and discolored, as though they had been ex- posed to great heat. The pavement was not complete, some stones having apparently been The scattered locations of the stones remaining i situ implied that the entire room was originally paved. Between the northwest corner of Room X and a removed, brick abutment 5 feet to the south was a rectangular area where the clay underlying the room had been baked to a hard, red, bricklike mass (fig. 49). Wood ash was admixed with the clay. This was clearly the site of a large fireplace, where constant heat from a now-removed hearth had penetrated the clay. Ex- tending north 3.8 feet beyond the bounds of the room at this point was a U-shaped brick foundation 4.75 feet wide. Near the southeast corner of the room, just outside of the foundation, which it abutted, was a well-worn red-sandstone doorstep, which located the site of the door communicating between Structure E and the interior of the enclosure—and, of course, between Structure E and Structure B, the distance between which was 100 feet. Room Y, extending west beyond the corner of the enclosure walls was perhaps an addition to the original structure. The disturbed condition of the bricks where this area joined Room X, however, obscured any evidence in this respect. In the northeast corner, against the opposite side of the fireplace wall in Room X, was another area of red-burned clay. Lying across this was a long, narrow slab of wrought iron, 34.5 by 6 inches (fig. 50), which may have served in some fashion as part of a stove or fire frame. In any case, a small fireplace seems to have been located here. Approximately midway in the west wall of Room Y, against the exterior, lay a broken slab of red sand- stone, Which obviously also served as a doorstonc That it had been designed originally for a more sophisticated purpose is evident in the architectural treatment of the stone, which is smoothly dressed with a torus molding along cach edge and a diagonal cut No evidence of floor re- across one end (fig. 41). mained in this room, except for a smooth surface of ycllow clay which became sticky when exposed to rain 101 Figure 47.—FounbaTIon of Structure E (kitchen). The north half of Room Y was filled with broken bricks, mortar, plaster, nails, and—significantly small bits of charred wood and burned hornets’ nests. The concentration of debris here could be explained by the collapse of the chimney as well as the interior wall into the room. The crumbly condition of the southwest portion of the exterior-wall foundation also may indicate a wall collapse. Few artifacts were recovered in this area. North of Room X lay a large amount of rubble and artifacts, suggesting that the north wall had fallen away from the building, perhaps carrying with it shelves of dishes and utensils. Both rooms contained ample evidence in the form of ash, charcoal, burned hornets’ nests, and scorched flagstones to demonstrate that a fire of great heat had destroyed the building. ARCHITECTURAL DATA AND INTERPRETATION John Mercer’s account with Thomas Barry (Ledger G) itemizes for 1749, ‘‘building a Kitchen/ raising a Chimney/ building an oven.” It is clear from the features of Structure E, its relation to Structure B, and the custom prevalent in colonial Virginia of building separate dependencies for the preparation of food, that Structure E was the kitchen referred to in Barry’s account. Like this building, kitchens elsewhere were almost invariably two rooms in plan—a cooking room and a pantry or storage room. One of the earliest at Green Spring—had a large fireplace for the kitchen proper, and in the second room a smaller fireplace, both served by a central chimney. An oven stood in- side the building between the larger fireplace and the At Stratford (ca. 1725) the kitchen is simi- larly planned, as it is at Mannsfield (Spotsylvania County).!°° wall.!? Mount Vernon has an end chimney in its The floor of the kitchen proper is paved with square bricks, while the kitchen, and only one fireplace. 157 Caywoop, loc. cit. (footnote 151). 158 WATERMAN, loc. cit. (footnote 94). second room has a clay floor is paved with ordinary bricks multiplied several times The physic al re lationship of tl house in Virginia plantatio1 convenience and in part by tl governed the architect Structure E’s relationship t sentative of that existing betw their main building Mo Blandfield. Nomini Hall, Ro plantations have, or had, } diagonal to the hous nd them Usually each placed in a similar relat of the house Somet es CO the pairs of depend ci ( Figure 49.—NortH WaALt of Structure E, looking east. Sign stands on partition wall between Rooms X and Y and in front of rectangular section of burnt red clay, upon which fireplace hearth stood. Projecting foundation at left may have supported an oven. Iron slab (see fig. 50) lies in setu with trowel on top. different bricklayers having worked on the building simultaneously. Since oddly assorted courses would have been below ground level, care for their appear- ance was minimal. Finished exterior brickwork was required only above the lowest point visible to the eye. Brick sizes ran from 9 to 915 inches long, 4 to 4% inches wide, and 2% to 2% inches thick. These meas- urements are similar to those of bricks in the veranda foundation and the added cellar cross wall of Structure B. It is apparent from Ledger G that the elements Structure B, as well as the kitchen, were all built by Thomas Barry. Barry probably used bricks that he himself made, according to the custom of Virginia bricklayers, so that the archeological and documen- tary evidences of the extent of his work in the two buildings reinforce each other. The protruding rectangle of bricks at the north end of Structure E resembles the foundation for steps in Structure B. However, its position directly adjacent to what must be assumed to have been the fireplace precludes the possibility of its having been the location for a step. Moreover, the pavement and doorstones at the west and south demonstrate that the floor of Figure 50.—WRouUGHT-IRON sLAR, fi firepla Cc. Purpo e unkno the kitchen was at ground level, so that a raised step at the north side would have been not only unneces- sary, but impossible. We know from the ledger that Barry built an oven and raised a chimney. That the latter was a central chimney may be assumed on the basis of the evidence of the two fireplaces placed back to back. There is, however, no archeological evidence that there was an oven within the structure, and every negative indication that there was not. The rectangular pro- trusion, exactly in line with the end of the fireplace thus was apparently the foundation for a brick oven, the domed top of which extended outside the building, with its opening made into the north end of the fireplace. Protruding ovens are known in New York and New England, but none in Virginia has come to the writer’s attention. On the other hand, protruding foundations like the one here are also i R ‘fee Sj k \ round tM ecessal It i ) clude PDlantauio KItcl ul had two roo a cookt large hrepl ice, and fireplace), that an ove the building I Kite t Ve ad tt t St t was b oom with : cond t built age opened into the no inst rth | a of place, and that the first. and probably the onl Was at grou to final dest: indicated that fire entry in his journal for “kitchen roof catch’d fire id level iction ol Arc he olowi« al e' the buildin April 22, irtifacts. it also shows that the st: in the early artifacts date 19th century, since from abo it 1800 had threatened it ire idence fire was at latest cet BRICKS wo, * 5g. % os POSTHOLES BRICK RUBBLE STRUCTURES D,F and G SCALE /'=5' A BENCH MARK Figure 51.—ExcAvaATION PLAN of structures north of Wall D. XII Supposed Smokchousce Houndation (Structure F) DESCRIPTION OF EXCAVATIONS A nearly square foundation, measuring 18.3 feet by 18.6 feet, with a narrow extended brick structure pro- truding from it, was situated some 45 feet north of Wall D, about midway in the wall’s length. It was oriented on a north—northwest—south-—southeast axis, quite without reference to the wall system. The foun- dation walls and the narrow extension were exposed by excavation, but the interior area within the walls was not excavated, except for 2-foot-wide trenches along the edges of the walls. The foundation itself, about 2 feet thick, consisted of brick rubble—tumbled and broken bricks, not laid in mortar and for the most part matching bricks found elsewhere in Marlborough structures. Scat- tered among the typical Virginia bricks and brickbats were several distinctively smaller and harder dark-red bricks measuring 7% inches by 3'4 inches (fig. 53). The most interesting feature of the structure was its narrow extension. This had survived in the form of two parallel walls laid in three brick courses without mortar, the whole projecting from the southeasterly wall. The interior measurement between the walls was 1.75 feet and the exterior overall width was 4 fect. Its southern extremity had an opening narrowed to 1 foot in width by bricks placed at right angles to the walls. Approximately 5 feet to the north the passage formed by the walls was narrowed to | foot by three tiers of one brick, each tier laid parallel to the passage on each side. At 8.7 feet from its south- ern terminus the extension foundation. Just north of this intersection, br icks intersected the main laid within the passage were stepped up to form a platform two courses high and one course lower than the top of the foundation. A fluelike opening was formed by two rows of brick laid on top of the plat- form, narrowing the passage to a width of 5 inches. North of the southeast foundation wall there remained a strip of four bricks in two courses at the level of the opening, forming a thin continuation of the platform for 3.25 fect. SIGNIFICANT ARTIFACTS IN STRUCTURE F The narrow extension contained several bushels of unburned oystershells and some coals, There was limited evidence of burning, although the shells were not affected by fire. A small variety of artifacts was found, few of which dated later than the mid-! 8th century. The flue or fire chamber yielded the follow- ing artifacts: 59.1717 Wine-bottle basal fragments, 5-5 inches, mid- 18th-century form 59.1721 Stem of a taper-stem, teardrop wincglass, mis- shapen from having been melted, ca. 1730 1740 59.1723 Green window glass, one sherd with rolled edec of crown shect 59.1724 Bluc-and-white Chinese porcelain 1725 “Ycllowware”™ 1750 sherd, probably mad " 59.1727 Westerwald grav-and-bluc salt-clarcd ware 59 1728 Buckley black-glazed ware 59 1730 Misecllancous late [7th tury delfoware fragments and carly l8th-cen- 107 Figure 52.—Srrucrure F (supposed smokehouse foundation). Firing chamber in foreground. 59.1731 Staffordshire salt-glazed white stoneware, some with molded rims, ca. 1760 19.1734 Half of sheep shears (ill. 85) 59 5 Convex copper escutcheon plate (fig. 83g) 59.1736 Brass-hinged handle or pull for strap (fig. 83), ill. 89) Elsewhere, in the trenches next to the foundation walls, artifacts typical of those occurring in other parts of the site were found. Worth mentioning are pieces of yellow-streaked, red earthen “‘agate’’ ware, some- times attributed to Astbury or Whieldon, and sherds of cord-impressed Indian pottery. ARCHITECTURAL ANALYSIS Since the interior of this structure was not excavated, 1y uncertainties remain as to its identity. The peculiar fluelike structure passing through its foun- dation, the rubble of bricks used to form the founda- tion, the huge quantities of oystershells in the flue, with partly burnt coals underneath, give rise to various speculations. So does the orientation of the structure, which is off both the true and polar axes and is also unrelated to the mansion or the wall system. The most likely explanation seems to be that Struc- ture F was the foundation of a smokehouse. A recently excavated foundation in what was known as Bruns- wick Town, North Carolina, is almost identical (except for the use of ballast stone in the fire chamber and the building foundation). This also is believed to be a smokehouse foundation, since similar structures Figure 53.—Vircinia prick from Stru Right, small brick from Structure F, inches. Perhaps one of the 630 bricks bi Roger Lyndon and purchased by Joh are still remembered from the days of their use The position of the Marlborough structure, outside of the enclosure wall but not far from the kitche the relative crudeness of its construction, and its off- axis orientation, support the likelihood of its being a 189 STANLEY Soutu, “An Unusual Smokchouse ts Di at Brunswick Town,” Vex ter, Brunswick ( Socicty (Charlotte, N.C., August 1962), vol. 2, no probably Mer But t suggest ho S Figure 54.—Srrucrure D, an unidentified structure with debris-filled refuse pit at left. exploratory trench was dug northward several s from a point on Wall D, on axis with Structure 3. An irregularly shaped remnant of unmortared- ‘structure, varying between two and three bricks and one course high was discovered at the un- ‘bed level. This measured 8.5 feet by 6 feet. Adjacent to it, extending 5.8 feet and having a width animal bones. The artifact remains were the st in the entire site. Some of the most significant these are the following: 59.1656 Key (fig. 88) 59.1942 Iron bolt (ill. 69) 59.1663 3 st wos forks (ill. 55-57) 59.1939 59.1664 Jeweler’s hammer (ill. 78) 59.1665 Fragments of a penknife (fig. 85c) 59.1668 Knife blade and Sheffield handle (fig. 86b) — 59.1669 59.1670 59.1672 Pewter “wavy-end” spoon (fig. 86e, ill, 59) 59.1675 Fragments of reeded-edge pewter plate (fig, 86a) 59.1676 Pewter teapot lid (fig. 86c, ill, 60) 59.1678 Brass rings (fig. 831) 59.1680 Steel scissors (ill. 61) 59.1681 Large fishhook (ill. 88) 59.1682 Chalk bullet mold (fig. 84b, ill. 5!) 59.1685 Slate pencil (fig. 85d, ill, 54) |Pewtertrfid-handlespoons (fig. 86f and g, ill. 58) XIII Pits and Other Structures 59.1687 Octagonal spirits bottle (fig. 80) 59.1688 Wine bottle: seal “I©s 1737” (fig. 78, ill. 37) 59.1679 Handle sherd of North Devon gravel-tempered earthenware (ill. 15) 59.1698 Buckley high-fired, black-glazed carthenware (fig. 65) 59.1699 Buckley high-fired, amber-glazed carthenware pan sherds (fig. 65, ills, 17 and 18) 59.1700 Brown-decorated yellowware cup or posset-pot sherds (fig. 64c, ill. 16) 59.1701 Nottingham-type brown-glazed fine stoneware sherds (fig. 67a) 59 1762 Sherd of Westerwald bluc-and-gray stoneware, with part of “GR” medallion showing (fig. 66d) 59.1704 Large sherds of brown-glazed Tidewater-type earthenware pan (fig, 63a, ill. 11) 59.1706 Blue-and-white delft plate, Lambeth, ca, 1720 (fig. 69) 59.1707 Bluc-and-white delft plate, [?]Bristol, ca, 1750 (fig, 70) 59.1714 Kaolin tobacco-pipe bowls, and one wholly reconstructed pipe (fig. 84f, ill. 53) 59.1715 Steel springtrap for small animals (ill. 86) (Also numerous sherds of Staffordshire white salt- glazed ware and creamware. id « : = ‘ oa - is 3 ase ete: € oc fhe ff Be S72 “Beg er Lo ho fooager 1 } a Figure 58.—DRawInG MADE IN 1743, showing lox ation of Stafford courthouse south of Potomac Creek (orientation to south). Fredericksburg Suit Papers.) Figure 60.—ExcAVvATION PLAN of Stafford courthouse foundation. courthouse had again burned. ‘There seems to have been a delay of about five years in rebuilding it this time. Pressures to relocate it were exerted in the meanwhile and hearings were held by the Governor’s Council on a petition to “remove the Court House 3 The Council listened, then “Or- dered, that the new Court House be built where the lower down.” old one stood.” '™ This settled, Nathaniel Harrison and Hugh Adie contracted in 1749 with the justices of Stafford court to build a “‘Brick Courthouse, for the Consideration of 44500 |b. of Tobacco, to be furnished by the last of 1/5 Oa oe member of the colony who, as a widower, had moved October, Harrison was a distinguished to Stafford County the previous year and had married Lucy, the daughter of Robert (‘“‘King’’) Carter of “Corotoman” and widow of Henry Fitzhugh of le’s Nest.” lo rh elf Harrison, who later built ‘““Bran- in King George County, probably provided the capital and the materials, and perhaps the design, of the courthouse. Adie, of whom nothing is known, was doubtless the carpenter or bricklayer who actually did the work 163 Tbid. 14 Executive Journals of the Council of Colonial Virginia {|Novem- ber 1, 1739—May 7, 1754], (Richmond, 1945), p. 282. 105 FAB, 1752-1755; 1756-1758 (Richmond, 1939), p. 55. VHM 166 ““Ffarrison of James River,” Richmond, 1924), vol. 32, p. 200. 61.—HANOVER COURTHOUSE, whose plan Figure dimensions correspond closely to the Stafford foundation. The construction was delayed by ‘“‘many Disap- pointments, and the Badness of the Weather.” Finally, in the spring of 1751, it was about to be brought to completion, “when it was feloniously burnt to the Ground.”!* In April 1752 a special act was passed in order to permit a levy to be made which would allow the Stafford court to reimburse Harrison and Adie for the amount of work which they had accomplished on the courthouse and the value of the materials they had provided.'"* No record exists of the contract for the next—and last—courthouse building on the Potomac Creek site. Quite possibly Harrison and Adie again did the work. This building was used until removal of the court to a new building completed between 1780 and 1783 on a site near the present Stafford courthouse. It remained standing throughout most of the 19th century, according to local memory. In surveys of 1804 and 1805 the structure was identified as the “old court house.” DESCRIPTION OF EXCAVATIONS Excavations were conducted in the simplest manner possible, in order to arrive at the objective of deter- mining the dimensions of the courthouse without An exploratory trench This exceeding available funds. soon exposed a line of rubble and disturbed soil. 187 See footnote 165. 108 HTENING, op. cit. (footnote 1), vol. 6, pp. 280-281. Illustration 5.—Above, left, reconstructed wine bottle from Potomac Creek courthouse site. One-fourth. Illustration 6.—Top, right, fragment of molded white salt-glazed-ware platter from Potomac Creck courthouse site. One-half. Illustration 7.—Lower, right, iron bolt from Potomac Creek courthouse site, One-half. line was followed until the entire outline of the building was revealed. At several points bricks in mortar still remained in situ, especially at the south end. Two brick piers extended 4 feet 5 inches into the structure, midway along the south wall at a distance of 5 feet 9 inches apart. The emerging evidence indicated that the structure was rectangular, approximately 52 feet long and 26 feet wide, with a T-shaped projection 25 feet wide extending out a distance of 14 feet 5 inches from the center of the east wall of the building. SIGNIFICANT ARTIFACTS ASSOCIATED WITH POTOMAC CREEK COURTHOUSE Few artifacts occurred in the small area excavated at the courthouse site. Those which did, significantly, related either to the structure itself or to the eating and drinking that probably occurred cither alfresco or within the courthouse building. We know that the Ohio Company Committee met there for many years, beginning in 1750, and doubtless lunches and re- freshments were served to the members during the day, before they returned to the tavern or to neigh- boring plantations to dine and spend the night. Portions of wine bottles (of the same dimensions as the Mercer “1737” bottle from Marlborough) were Illustration 8.—Above, left, stone scraping tool. One-half, Illustration 9.—Above, right, Indian celt. Found near gate in Wall E. One-half. found (ill. 5), along with small fragments of late 18th- century types. BONO SMDONG SNCLEPWIG 2-58 9 NDISIG CNY SHY1d 40 HONVUS SNOILVAH3S3Y ONY SONIGTING SWHWd TYNOLLYM 40 BDLAsO HOIMZLNI HL 40 IAIMLeva30 “SN LO6S-S92 ON L>arOSd TVIDiadO NOLIWALSININGY SS3aDO8d SHIOM ad or TNSAaW am * .G-Ox%6-Z @ Ha [x *4Z-Le €-2 Cm000 40 WINGAHIS (zz7 (12a Gam 0oCON SWIAaLYWW 40 BINGO 120 of hand-forged nails, in quantities of window glass _ melted and distorted, and in pieces of plaster. The last is the typical hard, coarse oyster-shell plaster of the area, having a smooth surface coat, except for fine lines left by the trowel. There is no evidence of paint. A small slide bolt of wrought iron probably fitted on a cupboard door, or possibly the gate in the bar (ill. 87). Another iron fixture is not identified. Two kinds of window glass occurred. One, the earliest type, is a thin, yellowish glass which is coated with irridescent scale caused by the breakdown of the glass surface. None of this glass shows signs of fire or, at least, of melting. The remainder is a grayish-blue aquamarine, much of it melted and distorted, and some of it accumulated in thick masses where tremendous heat caused the panes literally to fold up. A fragment of yellowish-green glass pane, related to the early type and again coated with scale, varies in thickness and was apparently from a bulls- eye. No evidence exists of diamond-shaped panes, but, as should be expected, there is indication of square-cornered panes in both types of glass. ARCHITECTURAL ANALYSIS The plan of the footings (fig. 60) shows a T-shaped foundation. This was an immediate clue to the nature of the structure, for the T-shaped courthouse was virtually a standard 18th-century form in Vir- ginia. This foundation, in fact, is almost a replica of the plans of both King William and Hanover County courthouses, each built about 1734 '* (figs. 5, 61, and 62). The King William courthouse measures 50 feet 44, inches long and 26 feet 4 inches wide in the main structure. Its T section extends 14 feet 9 inches to the original end (to which an extension has been added) and has a width of 23 feet 10% inches. The Stafford foundation is 52 feet long and 26 feet wide in the main structure. The T-section is 14 feet 5 inches long and 25 feet wide. A closer comparison could scarcely be expected. Hanover’s length is 52 feet 44 inches, the width of the main section 27 feet 10 inches, while the T-section is 15 feet 2% inches long (in its original part) and 26 feet 7 inches wide. 1° Marcus Wutrren, “The Early County Courthouses of Virginia,” Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians (Amherst, Mass., 1959), vol, 18, no. 1, pp. 2-10, A third example, completed in 1736, is the Charles City County courthouse.” The measurements of this building are not available to us, but close exami- nation of photographs discloses a building of about the same size. The earliest of these T-shaped buildings thus far recorded was the York County courthouse, completed in 1733. Destroyed in 1814, its site has been excavated by the National Park Service. Its foundation, measur- ing 59 feet 10 inches in length and 52 feet in full depth, including the T, was somewhat larger than the others known to us. The records show that it was rather elaborate, with imported-stone floors and compass- head windows." All these buildings had arcaded verandas. Marcus Whiffen raises the question as to which of them, if any, was the prototype, then concludes by speculating that none was, and that all four may have derived from the 1715 courthouse at Williamsburg, the di- mensions of which, however, remain unknown. The introduction of the loggia first at the College of William and Mary and then at the capitol led him to postulate that its use in a courthouse also would have originated in Williamsburg.’? The Stafford founda- tion showed no trace of stone paving where an arcade might have been, but, since virtually all the bricks had been taken away, it is likely that such a valuable commodity as flagstones also would have been re- moved as soon as the building was destroyed or dis- mantled. Two brick piers at the west end of the structure (fig. 36) remain a mystery. They are equi- distant from the longitudinal walls, and may have been the foundations for a chimney. However, their positions do not relate to the floor or chimney plans at Hanover or King William courthouses, the other features of which are so nearly comparable. would suppose every basic characteristic of the Staf- ford building would have been the same as in these buildings. The piers were perhaps late additions or modifications. The roof was apparently of wood; there were no evidences of slate shingles. The bricks were approxi- mately 84 inches by 4 inches by 24 inches, and were probably laid in a patterned Flemish bond, as at One Hanover or King William, since some of the bricks were glazed. No lead or other signs of “calmes”’ ™ [bid, Mm Ritey, op. cit. (footnote 31), pp. 402 ff. 7? Wir ren, op. cit. (footnote 169), p. 4 121 used in leaded sash were found, so we must assume that the 1665 courthouse was built elsewhere. CONCLUSION It may be assumed that the Potomac Creek court- house, which was built of brick, resembled the courthouses of Hanover, King William, and Charles City, and that its architecture, symbolizing the authority of Virginia’s government, reflected the official style expressed in the government buildings at Williamsburg. All the successive Stafford courthouses from 1722 on probably were built on the old founda- tions; if so, the Stafford building was the earliest T- form courthouse yet known in Virginia. Its similarity nO nN to the three structures built in the 1730’s shows that an accepted form had developed, possibly, as Whiffen suggests, deriving from a prototype in Williamsburg. The courthouse bears no resemblance, either in its shape or the absence of a basement, to the Structure B foundation at Marlborough. The site, reached more easily than Marlborough from any direction, dictated the removal to it of the courthouse in 1722, thus contributing to the demise of Marlborough as a town. The last structure, especially, was historically im- portant because of the meetings of the Ohio Com- pany held in it. It is of particular interest to the story of Marlborough because John Mercer was, for most of its existence, the senior justice of the Stafford court. ARTIFAGIS Figure 63.—TIDEWATER-TYPE POTTERY: a, milk plan (ill. 11); b base of bowl (ill. 14); ? c, pan-rim sherds; d, base of ale mug (ill. 12). Most of the ceramic artifacts found at Marlborough can be dated within John Mercer's period of occu- pancy (1726-1768). A meager scattering of late 18th- and early 19th-century whitewares and stone- wares reflects the John Francis Mercer and Cooke ownerships (1768-1819). COARSE EARTHENWARE TmEWATER TYPE.—Mercer’s purchase in 1725 of £12 3s. 6d. worth of earthenware from William Rogers (p. 16, footnote 54) probably was made for trading purposes, judging from the sizable cost. Rogers oper- ated a stoneware and earthenware pottery in York- town, which evidently was continued for a considerable time after his death in 1739." An abundance of waster sherds (unglazed, underfired, overfired, or misshapen fragments cast aside by the potter), sup- posedly from Rogers’ output, has been found as street ballast and fill in Yorktown and its environs. Micro- scopic and stylistic comparison with these sherds relates numerous Marlborough sherds to them in varying degrees. For purposes of tentative identifica- tion, the ware will be designated “Tidewater type.” Some of the ware may have been preduced in Rogers’ shop, while other articles resembling the Yorktown products may have been made of similar clay and fired under conditions comparable to those at Yorktown. A Marlborough milk pan (USNM 59.1961, ill. TI, and USNM 59.1580) has a salmon-colored body and a lustrous mahogany glaze with fine manganese streaking. Another milk pan (USNM 59.2039, ill, 2, 3 Watkins and Noit Hume, op. cit. (footnote 54). XV Ceramics fig. 63a) has a buff body and a glaze of uneven thick- ness that ranges in color from thin brown with black flecking to a glutinous dark brown approaching black. The most typical glaze color, influenced by the un- derlying predominant pinkish-buff body, is a light mahogany with black specks or blotches. It occurs at Marlborough on a small sherd (USNM 60.201). A variant glaze occurring on pottery found in Yorktown appears here in a yellowish-buff sherd flecked with black (USNM 60.154). The flecking is only in part applied with manganese; it is also the effect of ocherous and ferruginous particles which protrude through the surface of the body, assuming a dark color, Occasionally the manganese is spread liberally, so that the natural body color shows through only as flecks in a reverse effect (USNM 59.1855); now and then the vessel is uniformly black (USNM 60.141). Tidewater-type forms found at Marlborough in- clude milk pans 15 inches in diameter and about 4% inches deep (in 1729 Mercer bought “2 milk pans” for 5d. and 5 “gallon basons” for 4s. 7d.), a black- glazed jar cover with indicated diameter of 6% inches (USNM 59.2013), and fragments of other pans and bowls of indeterminate sizes. A portion of an ale mug has a tooled base and black glaze (USNM 59.2043, fig. 63d, ill. 12). Motpep-riM TYPE.—This is a type of redware with a light-red body and transparent, ginger-brown lead Its diameter is 34, inches glaze. It is characterized by a rolled rim and @ tooled platform or channel above the junction of rim and side. A small number of pan and bow! mms was found at Marlborough. The ware is usually associated with early [8th-century materials from such sites 125 as Jamestown, Kecoughtan, Williamsburg, and Rose- well. It may have originated in England. NortH DEvON GRAVEL-TEMPERED WARE.—The coarse kitchenware made in Bideford and Barnstaple and in the surrounding English villages of North Devon is represented by only two sherds. This ware is char- acterized by a dull, reddish-pink body, usually dark- gray at the core, and by a gross waterworn gravel temper. It occurs in contexts as early as 1650 at Jamestown and as late as 1740-1760 at Williamsburg. One of the Marlborough sherds is part of a large pan. It is glazed with a characteristic amber lead glaze (USNM 60.202). The other sherd is a portion of an unglazed handle, probably from a potlid (USNM 59:1679, ill. 15).2%4 SLIP-LINED REDWARE.—Numerous 18th-century sites from Philadelphia to Williamsburg have yielded a series of bowls and porringers characterized by in- terior linings of slip that is streaked and mottled with manganese. These are glazed on both surfaces, the outer surface and a border above the slip on the mner Comparative examples are a bowl from the Russell site at Lewes, Delaware, dating from the first half of the 18th century, and several pieces from pre-Revolutionary surface usually ginger-brown in color. contexts at Williamsburg. A deposit excavated by H. Geiger Omwake near the south end of the Lewes and Rehoboth Canal in Delaware included sherds from a context dated late 17th- to mid-18th cen- turies.' Several fragments of bowls occur in the Marlborough (USNM_ 59.1613, 59.1856, fig. 64g). ENGLISH YELLOWWARE.—The few sherds of so-called combed ware occurring at Marlborough, although material only the base fragments connect, all seem to have come from a single cup or posset pot having a buff body and characteristically decorated with spiraled bands of dark-brown slip that were created by comb- ing through an outer coating of white slip, revealing an wnderlayer of red slip. The vessel was glazed with aclear lead glaze (USNM 59.1700, fig. 64c, ill. 16). 4 C. Marcotm Watkins, “North Devon Pottery and Its Export to America in the 17th Century,” (paper 13 in Con- tributions from the Museum of History and Technology: Papers 12-18, U.S. National Museum Bulletin 225, by various authors; Washington: Smithsonian Institution, 1963), 1960. 75 "The Russell site was excavated by members of the Sussex Archeological Society of Lewes, Delaware. Artifacts from the site are now in the Smithsonian Institution, as are those found by H. Geiger Omwake at the end of the Lewes and Rehoboth Canal. Comparative dated examples of this ware include a posset pot dated 1735.%° A chamber pot bearing the same kind of striping was excavated by the Na- tional Park Service at Fort Frederica, Georgia (1736— ca. 1750). A piece similar to that from Marlborough was found in the Rosewell deposit, and another in the Lewis Morris house site, Morrisania, New York.’ Although this type of ware was introduced in England about 1680, its principal use in America seems to have occurred 1725 and 1775. Archeological evidence is corroborated by newspaper advertisements. In 1733 the Boston Gazette advertised “vellow ware Hollow and Flat by the Crate” and again in 1737 “yellow and Brown Earthenware.” In 1763 the Gazette mentioned “Crates of Yellow Liverpool Ware,” Liverpool being the chief place of export for pottery made in Staffordshire, the principal 178 largely between source for the combed wares. BuckLEy WARE.—TI. Noél Hume has identified a class of high-fired, black-glazed earthenware found in many 18th-century sites in Virginia. He has done so by reference to The Buckley Potteries, by K. J. Barton," and to waster sherds in his possession from the Buckley kiln sites in Flintshire, North Wales. The ware probably was made in other potteries of the region also. This durable pottery, more like stoneware than earthenware, is represented by a large number of jar and pan fragments. Two body types occur, each characterized by a mixture of red and buff clay. clay dominates, with laminations and striations of In the more usual type the red buff clay running through it in the manner of a coarse sort of agateware. The other is usually grayish buff with red streaks, although sometimes the body is almost entirely buff, still showing signs of lamination. The glaze is treacly black, often applied unevenly and sometimes pitted with air bubbles. The body surfaces have conspicuous turning ridges. Rims are usually heavy and flat, sometimes as wide as 1 inches. A variant of the ware is represented in a milk pan with a 16 Joun Exvror Hopcxins, F.S.A., and Epira Hopckins, Examples of Early English Pottery, Named, Dated, and Inscribed (London, 1897), p. 57, fig. 128. Ww J. E. Messuam, B. A., and K. J. Barton, “The Buckley Potteries,’ Flintshire Historical Society Publications, vol. 16, pp. 31-87. 178 GrorGE FrANcIs Dow, The Arts and Crafts in New England, 1764-1775 (Topsfield, Mass., 1927), pp. 84, 85, 92. 179 MrssHam and Barton, loc. cit. (footnote 177). fe 4 < ‘ sae Wt edt Seki sue = r Illustration 10.—Milk pan. Salmon-red earthenware. Lustrous black lead glaze. Tidewater type. One-fourth. (USNM 59.1961.) , \ 4 . ES I Hand N h D \ ; One} LSNM } Illustration 11.—Milk pan. Salmon-red earthe ire. Dull- brown glaze. Tidewater type. See |! re 63a. One-fourth (USNM._ 59.2039 oo) [}lust 10 I B f Sa n-red , ¥ : ce. B ) black i I { i Lic at » i ie) S USNM ’ LUSNM ; Illustration 12.—Ale mug. Sal- mon-red earthenware. Lustrou black lead glaze. Tidewater type See figure 63d One-half (USNM 59.2043 a. - Be 2 aka : " = RT cise LNT nt Rasa | h ie ? Illustration 14.—Base of lx Salmon-red carthenwart reddish-brown glaze with black. Virginia type. O half. See figure 63b USNM 59.2025 Figure 64. MisCELLANEOUS COMMON EARTHENWARE TYPES, probably all imported from England: a, ‘“‘molded-rim’’ types of redware; b, handle of large redware storage jar, probably English; c, base of brown-striped Staffordshire yellowware cup; d, sherd of black-glazed ware; e and f, two slip-decorated sherds; g, redware crimped-edge baking oated with slip; and h, slip-lined manganese-streaked sherds. dominantly red body which has than black, glaz 19 and fig. 65). MIscELLANEOUS. a clear-amber, rather USNM. 59.1887, ills. 17, 18, and Several unique specimens and groups of sherds are represent 1. A large, outstanding, horizontal, loop handle survives from a storage jar wit rich red body. Two thumb-impressed reinforcements, splayed at each end, secure the handle to the body wall. The top of the handle has four finger impressions for gripping; the lead glaze appears in a finely speckled ginger color (USNM 59.2049, fig. 64b). 2. A single fragment remains from a slip-decorated bowl or open vessel. The body is hard and dark red, the glaze dark olive-brown. The fragment is glazed and slipped on both sides (USNM_ 59.1614, fig. 64e). Other small sherds of a similar ware are redder in color and without slip. Another, with Illustration 19.—Rim and base profiles of high- fired-earthenware jars. Buff paste, laminated with red. Black glaze. Buckley type, Flint- shire, North Wales. One-half. 59.2032, 59.1611, and 59.1782.) (USNM lighter red body and olive-amber glaze, is slip deco- rated (USNM 60.161, fig. 64f). 3. A unique sherd has a gray-buff body and shiny black glaze on both surfaces (USNM 59.1815). 4. A group of pale-red unglazed fragments is from the bottom of a water cooler. A sherd which preserves parts of the base and lower body wall has a hole in which a spigot could be inserted (USNM_ 59.2061, ill. 20). 5. Fragments of a flowerpot have a body similar to the foregoing, but are lined with slip under a lead glaze. A rim fragment has an ear handle with thumb- impressed indentations attached to it (USNM 60.203, ill. 21). 6. Two sherds of a redware pie plate, notched on the edge and lined with overglazed slip decorated with brown manganese dots, imitate Staffordshire yellowware, but are probably of American origin (USNM 59.1612, fig. 64g). Illustration 18.—High-fired-carthenware jar rim. Red paste, laminated with buff. Black One-half glaze. Buckley type. (USNM 59.2067.) Illustration 20.—Base sherd from unglazed red-carthenware water cooler, with spigot hole. One-half. (USNM 59.2061.) eS & Illustration 21.—Rim of an _ carthenware flowerpot, handle with thumb impressions attached. Slip-decorated, olive-amber lead glaze. One-fourth. (USNM 60.203.) STONEWARE RHENISH STONEWARES.— The stoneware potters who worked in the vicinity of Grenzhausen in the Wester- wald in a tributary of the Rhine Valley held a far- flung market until the mid-18th century. It was not until the Staffordshire potters brought out their own salt-glazed whitewares that the colorful bluc-and-gray German products suffered a decline. Before that, Rhenish stonewares were widely used in England and the colonies; those for the British market frequently were decorated with medallions in which the reigning English monarch’s initial appeared. Elaborate in cising and blue-cobalt coloring gave a highly decora- tive character to the ware, while salt thrown into the kiln during the firing combined with the clay to pro- vide a hard, clean surface matched only by porcelain John Mercer, like so many of his fellow colonials, owned Westerwald stoneware. From Ledger G, we 129 ao” Fe eee F _ 5 CM. = 2 IN. Figure 65.—Buck ey i ‘A-PIRED WARE with laminated body. Four pieces at top have treaked with buff. All have | predominantly I lack glaze, except two at lower right, which have amber Illustration 22.—Base of gray-brown, salt-glazed-stone- ware ale mug. Rust-brown slip inside. (USNM 59.1780.) Illustration 23.—Stoneware jug fragment. Dull red with black dots. Same size. (USNM 59.1840.) know that in 1743 he bought “2 blew & W* Jugs 2/.” From the artifacts it is clear that he not only had large globose jugs, but also numerous cylindrical mugs and chamber pots. A small group of sherds has a gray- buff paste, more intricately incised than Internally the paste surface is a light-pinkish buff. These sherds are probably of the late 17th century, or at least earlier than the predominantly gray wares of the 18th century, which have hastily most. executed designs.'*° Only two “GR” emblems (Guglielmus or Georgius Rex), both from mugs, were recovered (fig. 66d). MISCELLANEOUS GRAY-AND-BROWN = SALT-GLAZED STONEWARE.—The shop of William Rogers appar- ently made stoneware of fine quality in the style of 1 See BERNARD RACKHAM, Catalogue of the Glaisher Collection of Pottery & Porcelain in the Fitzwilliam Musewm, [England] Cambridge, England: (Cambridge University Press, 1935), vol. 2, pl. 150 B no, 2053; and vol. I, p. 264 Cambridge Same size. Illustration 24.—Gray, salt-glazed-stoneware jar profile. Probably first quarter, 19th cen- tury. Same size. (USNM 59.1615.) the Lonsion stoneware produced in the Thames-side potteries."“ Wasters from Yorktown streets and foundations indicate many varieties of colors and some of which are matched in the Admittedly, to distinguish with certainty the fragments of York- glaze textures, Marlborough sherds. it is not possible town stoneware from their English counterparts. Sherds of a pint mug, externally gray in the lower half and mottled-brown in the upper, may be a Yorktown product (USNM 59.1780, ill, 22). The interior is a rusty brown. Fragments of the shoulder mottled-brown externally and of a very large jug, “1. Nok. Huw, “Excavations at Rosewell, Glowceste County, Virginia, 1957-1959," (paper IB in ¢ the Museum of History end Tevhnology: Pape 77a US National Museum Bulletin 225, by various authors; Wash ington: Smithsonian Institution, 1963), 1962 I. Pact. Hem sox, “Earliest Yorktown Pottery,” Antiques (New York, May 1958), vol. 73, ne. 5, pp 472-473; Watkins and Nott. Huw, loc. cit. (footmote 17 131 Figure 66.—WesTERWALD STONEWARE: a, chamber-pot sherds and handle fragments; b, sherds having yellowish body, probably late 17th or early 18th century; c, sherds of curve-sided flagon; d, sherds of cylindrical mugs including one with “GR” seal. lined in a dull red like that often found on Yorktown wasters, also have body resemblances. (Mercer bought a five-gallon “stone bottle’? from Charles Dick in 1745.) There are numerous other types of coarse stoneware of unknown origins, including one sherd with a dull- red glaze and black decorative spots (USNM 59.1840, rie 23) NOTTINGHAM-TYPE STONEWARE.—Several sherds of toneware of the type usually ascribed to Nottingham appeared at Marlborough. This ware is character- ized by a smooth, lustrous, metallic-brown glaze. The fragments are apparently from different vessels. One is a foot rim of a posset pot or jug. Several body sherds have fluting or paneling formed by molding, with turning lines on the interior showing that the molding was executed after the forms were shaped. One sherd is decorated with shredded clay applied before firing when the clay was wet. It appears to come from the globose portion of a small drinking Pint Figure 67 ENGLISH S her rt white slip—brown borde | of mansion-house porch, a c, “degenerate scratch-blue bottom is hand-thrown; uf jug with a vertical collar. A handle se¢ from a pitcher or posset pot Interior color from a brownish mustard to a reddish | tingham stoneware was made throughout century,'*? but these sherds correspond t the-century forms (fig. 67a DRAB STONEWARE.—The domi: 193 RACKHAM, op. cit. (footnote 180), 5CM 21N Figure 68.—ENGLIsH DELFTWARE: a, 17th- and early 18th-century sherds; b, blue-and-white sherd of the first half of the 18th century; c, polychrome fragments, third quarter of the 18th century; d, ointment pots with pink body, 18th century. were making “dipped white stoneware” by 1710,!* 1 to have occurred generally until about was applied in the same manner as on the ear] and coarser stonewares. Mugs in this ware were banded with an iron-oxide slip, presumably to cover up defects around the rims. Several sherds of this drab stoneware were found at the base of a jug with curving Marlborough, including 99.1893, fig. 67b, ill. 25). The body is characteris- tically gray, while the slip, although sometimes dull 183 W. B. HONEY, “English Salt Glazed Stoneware.” English Ceramic Circle Transactions (London, 1933), no. 1, p. 14. abstract] white, is usually a pleasant cream tone. Two sherds were found beneath the flagstones around the north porch of Structure B, where they probably fell before 1746 (USNM 59.1754). One of the Burslem stoneware potters between 1710 and 1715 made what he called ‘‘freckled ware.” Possibly this describes a sherd of a thin-walled mug from Marlborough (USNM 59.1636) which is coated with white slip inside and is finely speckled, or “freckled,” in brown on the outside. Its body is the gray of the drab stoneware, but with a high content of 14 Tbid. uP Be kee a: = em sha: ‘ EMA Et oa ae SON : wea’ Illustration 25.—Drab-stone- ware mug fragment, rim coated with iron oxide. Staf- fordshire, 1720-30. Same size. (USNM 59.1893.) fordshire. Same 59.1622.) micaceous and siliceous sand. Simeon Shaw, the early 19th-century historian of the Staffordshire pot- teries, asserted that what he called ‘“‘Crouch” ware was first made of brick clay and fine sand in 1690, and by 1702 of dark-gray clay and sand.'** Although his dates are questioned by modern authorities, his order of the progressive degrees of refinement in the paste are acceptable as he suggests them. In respect to the Marlborough sherd, although it is coarser than the white-coated fragments described above, it answers very well Shaw’s description of sandy-gray “Crouch” ware. WHITE SALT-GLAZED WARE.—About 1720 flints were added to the body of the Staffordshire stoneware, thus making possible a homogenous white body that did not require a coating of slip between the body and the glazed surface.'* With this ware the Staffordshire potters came closer to their goal ol emulating porcelain. At Marlborough the earliest examples of this im- proved ware are found in two sherds with incised decorations that were scratched into the wet clay (USNM 59.1819, Fig. 67b); the incised lines next calcined WS Tbid.; Bernarp Racknam, Early Staffordshire Pottery (London, n.d.), p. 20. 1 Bernarp RackHam and Hernert Reap, & (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1924), p. 88 Illustration 26.—Wheel-turned cover of white, salt-glazed teapot. Staf- (USNM Illustration 27.—Body sherds of molded, white salt-glazed- ware pitcher or milk jug. Staffordshire. Same (USNM 59.1894.) size. size. were filled with powdered cobalt before firing. This technique is known as “scratch blue,” dated examples of which, existing elsewhere, range from 1724 to 1767. The body in the Marlborough specimens is still rather drab, the whiteness of the later ware not yet having been achieved. No slip was used, however, so that the surface color is a pleasant pale gray. One sherd is from a cup with a slightly flaring rim. The ex- terior decoration is in the form of floral sprigs, while the inside has a row of double-scalloped lines below the rim. The Possibly the cup is part of Mercer's purchase in 1742 of a dozen “Stone Coffee cups,” for which he paid 18d. In Boston “White stone Tea-Cups and Saucers” were Stone other fragment is from a saucer. advertised in 1745, and “blue and white . Ware” in 1751.'" A later variant on the “scratch bluc”’ is a class of salt- glazed ware that resembles Westerwald stoneware, Here loops, sworls, and horizontal grooves are sex atched into the paste. The cobalt is smeared more or less at random, some of it lving on the surface, some run- ning into the incised channels. This style of decora , tion was applicd mostly to chamber pots but also to small bowls and cups, Fragments of all these forms occurred at Marlborough (fie. 67c) After 1740 the body was greatly improved, resulting = Dow, op. cit. (footnote 178 Figure 69.—DeLrr pLare. Lambeth, about 1720. (See ill. 29.) in an attractive whiteware. Many wheel-turned forms were produced, and these were liberally repre- sented at Marlborough in fragments of pitchers, mugs, teapots, teacups, bowls, posset pots, and casters (fig. 67d). In the middle of the 18th century a process was developed for making multiple plaster-of-paris molds from brass or alabaster matrices '*’ and then casting plates and other vessels in them by pouring in the stoneware clay, diluted in the form of slip. The slip was allowed to dry, and the formed utensil was removed for firing. This molded salt-glazed ware occurs in quantity in the Marlborough finds, suggest- that there were large sets of it. One design pre- dominates in plates, platters, and soup dishes: wavy edges, bot consisting of panels of diagonal lat- tices—with stars or dots within the lattices framed in rococo scrolls, and areas of basket-weave designs between the panels. Ona large platter rim the lattice- work is plain, somewhat reminiscent of so-called Chinese Chippendale design. ‘The pattern is pre- sumably the design referred to in the Boston News Letter for May 29, 1764: Two or three Crates of white Stone Ware, consisting ‘To be sold very cheap. 185 RACKHAM, op. cit. (footnote 185), p. 92. Figure 70.—DeE.r? pLate. Probably Lambeth, about 1730 to 1740. (See ill. 30.) chiefly of the new fashioned basket Plates and Oblong Wishess ie! with this border design and a heavily decorated center (fig. 67e). Other molded patterns include gadrooning com- bined with scalloping on a plate-rim sherd. A rim section with molded rococo-scrolled edge is from a Considerably earlier are One fragment comes from a cake plate “basket weave” sauceboat. pieces of a pitcher or milk jug with a shell design (USNM. 59.1894, ill. 27). One rare sherd appears to come from a rectangular teapot or tray. All the white salt-glazed ware from Marlborough represents the serviceable but decorative tableware of everyday use. It must have been purchased during the last 10 years of Mercer’s life. TIN-ENAMELED EARTHENWARE.—The art of glazing earthenware with opaque tin oxide and decorating it with colorful designs was an Islamic innovation which spread throughout the Mediterranean and northward to Holland and England. Practiced in England before the close of the 16th century, it became in the 17th and the first half of the 18th centuries a significant source of English tableware, both at home and in America. Because of its close 189 Dow, op. cit. (footnote 178), p. 92. Illustration Illustration Illustration 28.—English-delftware washbow! sherd. Blue-dash deco- ration inside. See figure 68b. Same size. (USNM 60.75.) similarity to the Dutch majolica of Delft, the English version was popularly called ‘“‘delftware,” even though made in London, Bristol, or Liverpool. Surprisingly, a minimum of tin-enameled wares was found at Marlborough, with several sherds re- flecting the Port Town period. One of the latte shows the lower portion of a heavy, dark-blue floral spray, growing up, apparently, from a flowerpot. A section of foot rim and the contour of the sherd show that this was a 17th-century charger, probably dating from about 1680 (USNM 60.177, fig. 68a) The leaves are painted in the same manner as on a Lambeth fuddling cup.’ 31.—Delftware ointment pot. Bluish-white Illustration tin-enamel glaze. One- half. (USNM_ 59.1842.) 32;—Sherds of basaltes ware. Same size. (USNM 59.2021.) Illustration black pottle Basons” bought by Mercer in 1744 (fig. 68b, Another reconstructed plate, probably a Lambeth piece, has blue decoration in the Chinese manner. It dates from about 1730 to 1740 (USNM_ 59.1706, fig. 70). Several small bowl sherds seem to range from the early to the middle 18th century. Polychrome delft is represented by only three sherds, all apparently from bowls, and none well enough defined to permit identification. There are several fragments of ointment pots, all Three sherds of tin-enameled Two of these have counterparts from early 17th-century 18th-century in shape. redware are probably continental European. contexts at Jamestown. Seymour B. Wytien, Tae Book of Shetield Plate (New York: Crown Publishers, 149), pp, 4-5 159 Figure 86. } 4 2 1N MerTALWORK: a, rim of pewter dish; b, table knife with Shefheld-plated handle; c, lid of pewter teapot (ill. 60); d, silver teaspoon; e, wavy-end pewter spoon, early 18th- century shape; f and g, two trifid-end pewter spoons, late 17th-century shape (holes in g were probably drilled to hold cord for suspension from neck). PEWTER Chre Cc, whol ments of spoons, pewter spoons, as well as several frag- ere salvaged from the large trash pit (Structure D [wo whole specimens and a frag- ment of a third are trifid-handle spoons cast in a mold that was probably made about 1690 (USNM 59.1669, fig. 86g, ill bored at the top of the handle, probably to enable the One of these 3) has had two holes user to secure it by a cord to his person or to hang it from a loop. This circumstance, plus the presence of such an early type of spoon in an 18th-century context, suggests that the spoons were made during the Mercer period for kitchen or slave use from a mold dating back to the Port Town period. The spoons them- selves may, of course, have survived from the Port Town time and have been relegated to humble use on the plantation. A somewhat later spoon, with “‘wavy-end” handle, comes from a mold of about 1710. It has the initial Illustration 59.—Wavy-end pewter spoon (hg. Boe One-half. (USNM 59.1672 Illustration 58.—Trifid-handle pewter spoon (fig 86g). One-half. (USNM 59.1669 N scratched on the handle (USNM_ 59.1672, fig. 86e, ill. 59). Another fragmentary example has a late type of wavy-end handle, dating perhaps ten years later (USNM 59.1672). A pewter teapot lid with tooled rim and the remains of a finial may be as early as 1740 (USNM 59.1676, fig. 86c, ill. 60). Two rim fragments of a pewter plate size. (USNM 59.1676 Illustration 60 Pewter teapot lid (fig i Sarr also were found (USNM 59.1675, fig. 86a). Jos \ KITCHEN AND OTHER HOUSEHOLD UTENSILS i i Ye ‘ CuTLer’s workK.—In 1725 Mercer bought a pair of V4 j “Salisbury Scissors’; there is no clue as to what is al meant by the adjectival place name. He purchased : (> & another pair of scissors in 1744 In any case, a pau gl —- ~ of embroidery scissors, with turned decoration that i to 4 — one would expect to find on early |8th-century * 'y i sors, was found in the site (USNM 59.1680, ul. 6 Vrs ; IRONWARE.—Pieces of two types of iron pot wer found. One type is a large-capacity vers hold ’ — ; S ws One-half L'SNM possibly five gallons. It has horizontal rib ‘ 1.1600 oe 421N Figure 87.—IRONWARE: a, lid for iron pot; b, cooking-pot fragments; c, andiron leg; d, iron ladle; and e, two heaters for box-irons. vertical mold seams (USNM_ 59.1645, 59.1845, 59.60.147, fig. 87). Such, perhaps, was the “gr[ea]t pot’ weighing 36 pounds which Mercer bought from Nathaniel Chapman of the Accokeek Iron Works in 1 lwo other fragments are from a smaller pot. in 1771 (Appendix M) lists five Negroes,” that were probably smaller | tory taken [ Pot than those used in the plantation kitchen. Two heaters for box irons were found in the kitchen debris. A heavy layer of mortar adhered to one, suggesting that it may have been built into the brickwork whether by accident or design there is no way of telling. In that case, however, the specimen would antedate 1749 (USNM 59.2024, 59.2026, fig. 87). Box irons were hollow flatirons into which pre- heated cast-iron slugs or “heaters”? were inserted. [wo or more heaters were rotated in the fire. one yays being ready to replace the other as it cooled. In 1725 Mercer bought a ‘box Iron & heaters,” and in 1731, from Chapman, ‘2 heaters.” Other kitchen iron includes the fragmentary bowl and stem of a long-handled iron stirring spoon (USNM 59.1812), an iron kettle cover (USNM 60.69), and the leg of a large, heavy pair of andirons (USNM_ 59.1826, fig. 87). A small, semicircular chopping knife has a thin steel blade and an iron shank that originally was inserted in a wooden handle. Lettering, now almost obliterated, was im- pressed in the metal of the blade: “SHEFFIELD WORKS 6 ENGLISH... .’ (USNM 59.1834, fis. 85a). FURNITURE HARDWARE.—A few metal furniture fit- tings were recovered. Six curtain rings, cut from sheet brass and trimmed with a file, vary from 7 On tubular ring (USNM 60.53, fig. 83) may have been used as a curtain ring, although inches to 144 inches. 5 i Illustration 66.—Wrought-iron hasp. One-half. (USNM 59.1655.) Illustration 63.—Iron butt hinge of type used on escri- toire lids and other similar ‘ome, Gamma SHS Illustration 67.—Brass drop handle. Same size. (USNM 59.1944.) Illustration 68—Wrought-iron catch or striker from door latch. One-half. (USNM 59.1768.) Illustration 64.—End of strap hinge. One-half. USNM 60.146.) Illustration 65.—Catch for door latch. Same size Illustration 69.—Iron slide bolt. One-half. (USNM 59.1801 (USNM 59.1942.) Illustration 70.—Series of wrought-iron nails. One-half. probably on a trunk or chest (USNM 60.130, fig. 88e). A small strap hinge (USNM 59.1657, fig. 88) ‘is like those found on the lids of 18th-century wooden chests, while a butt hinge may have served on the lid of the escritoire which Mercer owned in 1731 (ill. 63). ARCHITECTURAL AND STRUCTURAL HARDWARE Iron was a fundamental material in the construction of any 18th-century building. Mercer's ledgers make repeated references to the purchase of hinges, locks, latches, and other related iron equipment. Most of this material was obtained from local merchants and was probably English in origin, records numerous purchases from Nathaniel Chapman of iron that was undoubtedly made at his ironworks. | However, the ledger It is probable also that many simple appliances were made at Marlborough by slaves or indentured servants trained as blacksmiths. Hinces.—Hand-forged strap hinges were employed throughout the colonies from the first period of settle- ment to the middle of the 19th century. to the many fragments that probably came from such hinges, one artifact is a typical spearhead strap-hinge terminal with a square hole for nailing (USNM 60.146, ill. 64). Three pintles In addition L-shaped pivots on which Strap hinges swung—were recovered. One was found at the site of a gate or door in the wall south of the kitchen (USNM 60.59, fig. 881). Fragments from at least four different H and H! hinges occur. Several entries in the Iedeers refer to { Illustration 71.—Series of wrought-iron flooring nails and brads. One-half. Illustration 72.—Fragment of clouting nail. Same size. Hand-forged (USNM Illustration 73 spike. One-half. 59.1811.) the purchase of such hinges. A nearly complete H hinge, probably used on « large door, recalls an iter in the account with Charles Dick for June 14, 1744 (USNM 59.1945, fig. 88 \ hinge ts af the pe used “2 p* large hinges 9” piece of a smaller H or HI USNM still smaller section of an H hinge was perhaps used on interior doors 59.1767, fig. 88), while a on 4 cupboard door H hinges were more properly known as “side hinecs,”’ and we find Mercer using that 165 Figure 89.—Toots: a, block-plane blade; b, scraping tool (ill. 76); c, gouge chisel (ill. 77); d, part of bung extractor; e, fragment of ax; f, three dogs or hooks; g, pothook; and h, shim or pin. term in 1729 when he bought a pair of “Sidehinges” for 9d. tapering, spear-headed strap section is pivoted by a “Cross-garnet’” hinges, where a_ sharply pin inserted in a stationary, rectangular butt section, re represented by three imperfect specimens (USNM foxe) 22 ( d 59.1881, fig. 88). Both these types are ed, and illustrated by Moxon.?"% Locks, LATCH! Keys.—Only one remnant of the ubiquito 18th-century “Suffolk” thumb-press door latch was found at Marlborough. This frag- ment comprises the handle but not the cusps at the ends, by which the age might be determined (USNM 60.137, fig. 88). an “Iron door Mercer pl rchased latch” from Nathaniel Chapman for ninepence in ALBERT H. Sonn, Early American Wrought Iron (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1928), vol. 2, p. 9. 5d 1731. a thumb press lifts a latch bar on the reverse side In a complete assemblage for these latches, of the door, disengaging it from a catch driven into the edge of the jamb. One large latch bar was recovered (USNM_ 59.1972, fig. 88f), as well as two catches (USNM_. 59.1644, fig. 88i, and 59.1801, ill. 65). Sliding bolts were the usual locking devices when simple thumb latches were used. A survival of one of these is seen in a short iron rod with a shorter segment of rod attached to it at right angles (USNM 59.1942, ill. 69). Purchases of padlocks are recorded, but there is no archeological evidence for them. However, a well- made hasp (USNM_ 59.1655, ill. 65) has survived, and also three staples (USNM 59.1644, 59.1659, 59.2027, fic. 88j). Mercer bought six staples in 1742 at a penny each. Apparently the principal doors of both the 1730 (USNM 59.2081.) Illustration 75.—Center, iron wrench. One-half. (USNM 60.91.) Illustration 76.—Right, iron scraping tool (fig. 89b). One-half. (USNM 60.133.) house and the mansion were fitted with box locks, or “stock-locks,” in which wood and iron were usually combined. A heavy iron plate comes from such a lock (USNM 59.1943, fig. 88). Two stock-locks were bought from John Foward in 1731. Another was purchased from William Hunter in 1741. In the same year Mercer acquired from Charles Dick “8 _ Chamberdoor Locks w'" brass knobs.’’ If by knob was meant a drop handle, then a fine brass specimen may be one of these (USNM 59.1944, fig. 83h, ill. 67). Fragments of three iron keys have survived, the smallest of which may have been used with a furniture lock (USNM 59.1644 and 59.1656, fig. 88h). Natts Anp Spikes.—The ledgers point to a constant purchasing of nails which is reflected in the great quantity recovered from the excavations. A 1731 purchase from Chapman comprised 2-, 3-, 4-, 6-, 8-, 10-, 12-, and 20-penny nails, while in the 1740s not only nails but 4-, 6-, 8-, and 10-penny brads were purchased, as well as 20-penny flooring brads. Excepting the last, nearly all these sizes occur in the artifacts, There is also a varicty of heavy spikes, ranging from 3 inches to 7 inches in length (see ills 70-73). Illustration 74.—Left, blacksmith’s hammer. One-half. Illustration 77.—Left, bit or gouge chisel (see fig. 89c). One-half. (USNM 59.1644.) Illustration 78.—Right, jeweler’s ham- mer. Same size, (USNM 59.1664.) HANDCRAFT TOOLS Marlborough, like most |8th-century plantations, was to a large extent self-sufficient, and therefore it is not surprising to find handtools of several kinds. A blacksmith’s hammer (USNM 59.2081, ill. 74), for example, strengthens the view that there may have been blacksmiths at Marlborough. Other tools in- clude a smoothing-plane blade of iron with a |-inch steel tip (USNM 59.1897, fig. 89a); a set wrench for a ¥-inch square nut or bolt (possibly for bed bolts), equipped originally with a wooden handle (USNM 60.91, ill. 75); a steel scraping tool or chisel with handle set at an angle (USNM 60,133, fiz, 89b, ill. 76): a small half-round bit or gouge chisel (USNM 59.1644, fig. 89c, ill, 77). Three crude lengths of iron with stubby L-shaped ends appear to be work bench dows (fig. B9F). One fine tool is from the equipment of a jeweler or a clockmaker (USNM_ 59.1664, ill. 78). small hammer with a turned, bell-shaped striking Ie is @ very head. Originally balanced by a sharp wing-shaped peen, which was, however, badly rusted and which disintegrated soon after being found, the tool has a 167 Pigure 90.—ScyTHe found against outside of east wall, Structure H. tubular, tinned, sheet-iron shaft handle which is secured by a brass ferrule to the head and brazed together with brass. The lower end is plugged with brass, where a longer handle perhaps was attached. In 1748 Sydenham & Hodgson, through William Jor- dan, imported for Mercer ‘A Sett Clockmakers tools.” [his entry is annotated, ‘“‘Return’d to M*™ Jordan.” \lthough the hammer cannot be related to this par- ilar set of tools, the ledger item suggests that fine > clockmaking may have been conducted at oug [his tool may have been used in the FARMING, HORSI AND VEHICLE GEAR The 1771 inventory is in some Ways a more signifi- cant summary of 16th-century plantation equipment than are the artifacts found at Marlborough, since its list of tools is longer than the list of tool artifacts and is pin-pointed in time However, artifacts define themselves concretely and imply far more of such atters as workmanship, suitability to purpose, Illustration 79.—Wrought-iron colter from plow. One-fourth. (USNM 60.88.) Illustration 80.—Hook used with wagon or oxcart gear. One-half. (USNM 60.9.) Illustration 81.—Left, bolt with wingnut. One-half. (USNM 60.145.) Illustration 82.—Right, lashing hook from cart or agricultural equipment. One-half. (USNM 59.2030.) source of origin, or design and form, than do mere names. The Marlborough tools and equipment, moreover, correspond, as far as they go, very closely with the items in the inventory, thus becoming actualities experienced by us tactually and visually. For instance, the inventory lists 22 plows at Marl- borough. Among the finds is an iron colter from a Figure 9] FARM GEAI from whiffletree; c, part of bridle | d f, base of handle of a two horseshoe colonial plow in which the colter was sus ed from the beam and locked into the top of the USNM 60.88, ill. 79) Che coltet exhaustive use (Chapman, Iron” for Merce: Fro about the size of the plow the shallow depth of the fur Four chain traces were represented by a length triangular loop to which ¢ traces was fastened (USNM M \M Illustration 83.—Hilling hoe. One-fourth. (USNM 59.1848.) Illustration 84.—Iron reinforcement stip from back of shovel handle. One-half. (USNM_ 59.1847.) wagon listed in the inventory is confined to nuts and bolts that might have been used on such vehicles. A long axle bolt (USNM 59.1802) measures 23 inches. A small bolt or staple, split at one end and threaded at the other, has a wingnut (USNM 60.145, ill. 81). A hook with a heavy, diamond-shaped backplate and a bolt hole was perhaps used on a wagon to secure lashing (USNM_ 59.2030, ill. 82). A heavy, curved piece of iron with a large hole, probably for a clevice pin, appears to be from the end of a wagon tongue, while a carefully made bolt with hand-hammered head (USNM 59.1821) and a short rivet with washer (USNM 59.1881, fig. 91g) in place seem also to be ehicle parts. lhe inventory listed four complete harnesses, the 1ins of which are probably to be found in four square iron buckles (USNM 59.1644, 59.1901, 60.131, fig. 91h), a br ing (USNM 59.1678, fig. 83), and an ornamental brass boss (USNM 59.1878, fig. 83)). (whippletree, whiffletree, The artifacts straps designed to be secured to the swingletrees. One (USNM 59.2042, fiz. 91b) still has two large round links attached. Twelve ‘‘Swingle trees” singletree) are listed in the inventory. include three iron loops or (In 1731 Chapman fitted ironwork to a swingletree.) and 8 In the long Chapman Ten ‘‘Hillinghows,’ 17 ‘‘Weeding hows,” ‘Grubbing hows” are listed. Illustration 85.—Half of sheep shears. One-half. (USNM 59.1734.) account for 1731 we see that Mercer then purchased The only archeological evidence of hoes is a fragmentary broad hoe (probably a hilling hoe) (USNM 59.1848, ill. 83) and the collar of another. Thirteen axes are listed in the inventory. Again “5 narrow hoes” and ‘2 grubbing hoes.” we find Nathaniel Chapman providing a “new axe” in 1731 for five shillings, while William Hunter sold Mercer ‘‘2 narrow axes” and ‘‘4 Axes” in 1743. One broken ax head occurs among the artifacts, worn back from repeated grinding and split at the eye (USNM 59.1740, fig. 89e). ‘There were four spades and an iron shoyel at Marl- borough in 1771. An iron reinforcement from a shovel handle occurred in the site (USNM 59.1847, ill. 84), while a slightly less curved strip of iron may have been attached toa spade handle (USNM 59.1662). Once more in Chapman’s account we find evidence of Wouycs en Seared 777 A Illustration 86.—Animal trap One-third. (USNM_ 59.1715.) a local workmanship in an item for “1 Spade.” - Thirteen scythes were listed in 1771; perhaps the on excavated from the foundation of Structure H o1 tad Potomac Creek may have been among these (USNM \q 59.2400, fig. 90). There were cight sheep shears; \ half of a sheep shears was found in Structure G AN ip TRA A. = B = ’ eS —_ (USNM._ 59.1734, ill. 85). Of the other items on the — list, a few, such as stock locks and hammers, have Niuetentl already been mentioned, while the remainder of the USNM list is not matched by artifacts. An item for a chalk line is supported by a piece of chalk (USNM. 59. 1t fig. 84). A few specimens are not matched One is a springtrap of hand-forged, hand-riveted | (USNM_ 59.1715, ill. 86) for cat Another is a fishhook (USNM sibly one of 95 bought in 1744. A the framework of a saddle is fitt Illustration 87 SN\M securing the leather and upholstery (USNM 59.1847, fig. 91d). brass fitting for a leather curtain or strap (USNM 59.1736, fig. 83), ill. 89). rivet at the stationary end for securing leather or The third artifact is an elegantly designed It is fitted with a copper cloth; just below the rivet is a recessed groove and shelf, perhaps to receive a reinforced edge; to the lower part of this is hinged a long handle cut in a leaf design. An iron hinge bar is part of the equipment for folding back the top of a chaise (USNM 60.178, fig. 9la). There are several horseshoes, two whole shoes and numerous fragments (fig. 9li and j). Finally, the handle shaft and decorative attachment of an iron currycomb (USNM_ 59.2077, fig. 9I1f) recalls Mercer’s purchase of “‘] curry comb and brush” in 1726. Almost no exclusively 17th century artifacts were found at Marlborough; at least, there were very few ‘sherds or objects that could not have originated equally well in the 18th century. The exceptions are the following: Westerwald blue-and-white stoneware with gray-buff paste; several sherds of delft and other tin-enameled ware, late 17th century in type, and an early |7th-century terra cotta pipestem. Otherwise, we find a scattering of things belonging to types that occurred in both centuries: North Devon ; pewter trifid- handle spoons, the form of which dates from about 1690 but which may have been cast at a later date in an old mold (a wavy-end spoon in the style of 1710 may also have been cast later). Fragments of an onion-shaped wine bottle may date from the first ric | in the Rosewell trash pit shows that bottles, being too precious to throw away, were kept around until they were broken—in the case of Rosewell for 60 or 70 years. Thus the Marlborough sherds cannot be excluded from the Mercer period. The same may be said of a late |7th-century type of i fc rk. Thus, there i is aay no ev idence. of the Port ‘The ceramics and glass are the most readily datable XIX Conclusions artifacts, and these coincide almost altogether with the period of John Mercer's lifetime. Common earthenwares are predominantly Tidewater and Buckley types, with a scattering of others, most of which are recurrent among other Virginia and Maryland historic-site artifacts. No distinct type emerges to suggest that there may have been a local Stafford potter. Common stonewares occur in such a variety of types that no source or date can be attributed, although there is some evidence of the work of William Rogers’ shop in Yorktown. Wester- wald stonewares are predominantly of the blue-and- gray varieties commonest in the second quarter of the 18th century. There is only a small quantity of delftware, but a great deal of Chinese porcelain. Evidences are that the first kinds of English refined wares, such as drab stoneware, Nottingham stoneware, and agateware, were used at Marlborough, thus pointing to an awareness of Current tastes and innovations. The large quantity of white salt-glazed ware suggests that, although it was a cheap commercial product, it was regarded as handsome and congenial to the cnviron- ment of a plantation house that was maintained in formal style. Except for the white salt-glazed ware, which was probably acquired in the 1760's, most of the table ceramics date from about 1740 to 1760, Bottles and table-glass fragments are also pri- Creamwares and late the few datable marily from this period. 18th- and carly 19th-century whitewares diminish sharply in numbers, reflecting a more austere life at 173 Marlborough in its descent to an overseer’s quarters. Later 19th-century wares are insignificant in quantity or in their relation to the history of Marlborough. Tool and hardware forms are less diagnostic. Most of them correspond to ledger entries and to the 1771 inventory, so, without contradictory evidence, they may be assumed to date from John Mercer’s period. In general, the artifacts illustrate the best of house- hold equipment available in 18th-century Virginia, and the tools and hardware indicate the extensive- ness of the plantation’s activities and its heavy reli- ance on blacksmith work. GENERAL CONCLUSIONS | 7 = — he | | = >, ~ i_ae Se 1.3 © Oty 7 : = os a ated j=. i . U 6. ars | ~ a | a - - 7 y eo i . 7 . oe | 7 7 tA Asli “ we : ” we 7 : | | ? a ‘ . : - a . | 7 a _ - = 7 : ae i 7 : 7 - ; - . _ m 7 7 : | i 7 i - 7 ; ; a - : _ Marlborough’s beginnings as a town in 1691 cast the shape that has endured in a few vestiges even until today. The original survey of Bland and Buckner remains as evidence, and by it we are led to believe that the courthouse was located near the “‘Gutt” to the west of the town, near a change of course that affected the western boundary and all the north-south streets west of George Andrews’ lots. Archeological excavation in the area disclosed Structure B, which “subsequent evidence proved to be the foundation of -Mercer’s mansion, built at the pinnacle of his career between 1746 and 1750. No evidence exists that this foundation was associated earlier with the courthouse. Two years after the second Act for Ports was passed in 1705, the second survey was made and was lost soon thereafter. There is evidence that the house ~ built by William Ballard in 1708, on a lot “ditched in” according to this plat, was also in the vicinity of the courthouse. After Mercer moved into this house in 1726, it became clear that the two surveys were at odds, and a new survey was ordered and made in 1731. The maneuvers which followed make it fairly clear that Mercer's residence was encroaching upon the two acres that had been set aside for the court- house, which by Act of Assembly had reverted to the heirs of Giles Brent after the courthouse had burned and been abandoned about 1718. The 173! plat pro- vided a whole new row of lots along the western ‘boundary of the town, while pushing the original lots slightly to the east. This device would have assured the integrity of the courthouse land, while relieving Mercer of the uncertainty of his tide. When Mercer's XX Summary Of Findings petition to acquire Marlborough was submitted in 1747 (the 1731 plat still remained unaccepted), he offered to buy the courthouse land for three times its worth. Since Mercer was guardian of the heir, “Mr. William Brent, the Infant,” he was called upon to testify in this capacity at the hearings on his petition. Thus the courthouse, Ballard’s house, and Mercer's mansion all appear to have been involved in a bound- ary difficulty, and we may assume, therefore, that the courthouse during its brief career stood close to the spot where Mercer later built his mansion. This difficulty, in particular, was influential in determining the shape of the town, the manner in which Mercer developed the property and the peculi- arities that made Marlborough unique. until 1755 that he was permitted to acquire all the town and by that me Marlborough’s character had already been fixed. We have seen that its outstanding feature, the mansion, was architecturally sophisticated, that leading craftsmen worked on it, and that it was It was lavishly It was not as highly individualistic as its master, furnished not only with material clegancies but with a library embracing more than a thousand volumes Aside from the mansion, the area most actively developed by Mercer lay between it and Potomac Creck, with some construction to the north and the east, In 1731, Mercer built two warehouses which probably stood near the waterside at Potomac Oreck where his sloop and schooner and visiting vessels found sheltered anchorage, These burned in 1746, but nvust subsequently have been rebuilt, since Thomas Oliver in his 1771 report to James Mercer commented that 177 the “‘tobacco houses” must be repaired as soon as possible. They were probably among the buildings that Mercer had constructed up to 1747, when he reported that he had “saved’’ 17 of the town’s lots by building on them. These lots comprised 8}5 acres in the southwest portion of the town. The windmill was built on land near the river shore, east of the mansion. It was probably located a con- siderable distance from the shore, although erosion in recent times has eaten back the cliff. In the fall of 1958, half of the stone foundations collapsed, leaving a well-defined profile of the stone construction. Fragments of mid-century-type wine bottles found in the lower course of the stones support other evidence that the mill was built in 1746. Mercer mentioned his ‘‘office”’ in 1766. have been a detached building used for a law office. Oliver in 1771 listed a barn, a cider mill, two “‘grain- three cornhouses, five stables, and tobacco He mentioned also that “the East Green the west d° wants buttments This may erys,”” houses. House wants repairing. as a security to the wall on the south side.” Besides the malthouse and brewhouse built in 1765 (which may have been situated at Structure H and the 100-foot-long stone-wall enclosure attached to Wall A), John Mercer in his 1768 letter mentioned “Cellars, Cooper’s house and all the buildings, copper & utensil as well as the When the property was advertised in 1791, ‘Overseers houses,”’ whatever used about the brewery,” “neat warm’ house built for the brewer. “Negroe quarters,” and “Corn houses’ also were mentioned. The development of the area in the southwest portion of the plantation probably sustained—or established for the first time—the character originally intended for Marlborough Town. The situation of the mansion was undoubtedly affected by this, as indeed must have been the whole plantation plan. Phe archeological evidence alone shows that the plan was abnormal in terms of the typical 18th-century Virginia plantation. The formed by the brick walls east of the mansion doubt- rectangular enclosure less framed the formal garden over which the im- ported English gardener, William Black, presided. It connected at the northwest with the kitchen in such a way that the kitchen formed a corner of the en- closure, becoming in effect a gatehouse, protecting the mansion’s privacy at the northwest from the utilitarian slave quarter and agricultural precincts beyond. Walls A-I and A-—II, however, related the mansion directly to this plantation-business area and caused it to serve also as a gate to the enclosure. The position of the kitchen dependency northwest of the house is the only suggestion of Palladian layout, The southern aspect of the house and the rigid boundary to domestic acitvity imposed by Walls A-I and A-II probably prevented construction of a balancing unit to the southwest. Slave quarters, stables, and perhaps the barn appar- rently were located to the north. other than the garden. Since it was not until 1755 that Mercer came into full title to the town, the town plan and its legal restrictions were influential in determining the way in which the plantation was to grow. The house and the surrounding layout were, therefore, wholly pecu- liar to the special circumstances of Marlborough and probably also to the individuality of its owner. The approach to the house from the waterside was to the south end of the building, leading up to it by the still-existing road from the creek and along the old “Broad Street across the Town,” which probably bordered Walls A-I and B-I. The mansion thus had a little of the character of a feudal manor house, as well as some of the appearance of an English townhouse that abuts the street, with the seclusion of its yards and gardens defended by walls. In many respects it only slightly resembled, in its relationship to surrounding structures, the more representative plantations of its period. The house was well oriented to view, ventilation, The veranda, which afforded communication from one part to another out-of-doors, and dominant location. as well as a place to sit, was exposed to the prevailing southwesterly summer winds. In the winter it was equally well placed so as to be in the lee of northeast storms sweeping down the Potomac. The view, hidden today by trees, included Accokeek Creek and a lengthy vista up Potomac Creek. Presumably, a road or driveway skirted the kitchen at the west and perhaps ended in a driveway in front of the house. The gate in Wall E south of the kitchen would have been a normal entrance for horses and vehicles. Within the garden was the summerhouse built by Mercer in 1765. From the east windows and steps of the house and from the garden could be seen the Potomac, curving towards the bay, and the flailing “drivers” of the windmill near the Potomac shore. The excavated and written records of Marlborough are a microcosm of Virginia colonial history. They depict the emergence of central authority in the 17th in the establishment of the port town as a to diversify the economy and control the col- of duties. In the failure of the town, they nstrate also the failure of colonial government to ercome the tyranny of tobacco and the restrictive cies of the mother country. They go on to show at detail the emergence in the 18th century of iliar American theme—the self-directed rise of al rank, social leadership, personal wealth, and Itural influence. They demonstrate in Mercer's reer the inherent defects of the tobacco economy as btedness mounted and economic strains stiffened. able land and areas in which to invest and escape fi = economic auoitatians. They show eat the war income and manpower, while Poflowing this came enforcement of trade laws and the immediate tants which led to rebellion. So Marlborough gives a sharp reflection of Virginia’s history prior to the Revolution. It was touched by most of what was typical and significant in the period, yet in its own details it was unique and individual. In this seeming anomaly Marlborough is a true illustration of its age, ‘when men like Mercer were strong individuals but at the same time typifying and expressing the milieu in which they lived, Mercer's rise to wealth and leadership occurred at a time when favorable laws held out the promise of prosperity, while boundless lands offered unparalleled opportunities for investment. It remained for those best able to take advantage of the situation; Mercer's self-training in the law, his driving energy, and his ability to organize placed him among these. The importance of his position is signified by the justice- ship that he held for so many years in Stafford County court; the brick courthouse on the hill overlooking the upper reaches of Potomac Creek was the archi- tectural symbol of this position. Although most of his income was derived from legal practice, it was his plantation that was the principal expression of his interests and his energies. Mercer was in this respect typical of his peers, whose intellectual and professional leadership, on the one hand, and agricultural and business enterprise, on the other, formed a partnership within the individual. The great plantation house with its sophisticated elegancies, its outward formal- ities, and its rich resort for the intellect in the form of a varied library, was the center and spirit of the society of which men like Mercer were leaders. With the death of the system came the death of the great house, and the rise and fall of Marlborough symbolizes, as well as anything can, the life cycle of Virginia’s colonial plantation order. —— — = > aA Penal ae ia sen reat? Sa Zieavgy = o> wi i a > = a - : _ a = - er, ae _ = ) - =f —_ = 2 ‘J = eo ak : —b -— = i _ a _ a — > = x a _ a on = _ J f _ fi a ‘ Sey ae re oa =. we Fe: ‘i Qui Ge ay | Geet Mel oy 2) Ghana ae _ x? wy Ss) re 60 sR=eree pes Cie nknabigm (ere eee f wh Vise pelle fa Mhesencce A: equt? 5 Oivlidy ies tee e ail devel ¢ i we PO tee a..4 Ad OT iS >) Sie 7 MP Hiss (et Soe ———>. eee Sal pee oe = £40 = |\e> gull G20. (healers ae — ee |) a °) re ve Appendixes APPENDIx A Inventory of George Andrews, Ordinary Keeper (Stafford County Will Book—Liber Z—1699-1709—p, 168 {f.] An Inventory of the Estate of George Andrews taken the (six) October 1698. 6 small feather beads with Bolsters 5 Ruggs | Turkey Work | Carpet | old small Flock Bed boulster Rugg 4 pair Canvis Shooks 2 pair Curtains and valleins 4+ Chests 1 old Table 1 Couch | Great Trunk 1 small ditto 1 Cupboard 2 Brass Kettles 1 piecis Dowlas 2 spits 1 Driping pan & fender 6 Iron Pots 5 pair Pot- hooks 6 dishes | bason 2 dozen of plates 4 old chairs made of kain 9 head horses + mares 3 Colts of | year old each 4 head Oxen 2 Chaine Staples 8 Yoaks 7 Cows + calves 1 Bull 2 barron cows 2 five year old stears 6 Beasts of a year old cach 30 head of sheep being yews and lambs 4 Silver spoons | Silver dram cup | Lignum vitae punch Bow! 1| Chaffing Dish 1 Brass Mortar & Iron Pestle 2 ditto & | great iron pestle | broad ax 2 narrow De | Tennant Saw | Whipsaw | drawing knife 2 augurs | Frow | pair Stilliards & too with Canhooks | Saddle & Curb bridle 3 servants 2 Men | Woman 3 years + 6 months to serve | Welshman 4 years to serve the other servant named Garrard Moore 13 months to serve | old Chest drawers | old plow | old pair Cart wheels w" a Cart 2 old Course Table Cloths & & Napkins 4 Towels | Gall® Pott 1 Paile Pott 2 Chamber Potts 2 tankards a parsil of old Bottles | old Looking Glass | Grid Iron | Flesh fork & Skimmer | pair Spit hooks Iron square 3 pair Iron tongs 2 Nutmeg graters 3 Candlesticks 1 old Great Boat old Sails Hawsers Grap- lin 1 Box Iron 1 Warming pan 2 pair Pot racks Jurat in Curia Returned by John Waugh Jun’ 184 AppeNbDi1x B Inventory of Peter Beach {Stafford County Will Book—Liber Z—1699-1709—p. 158-159. | Estate of Peter Beach. Inventory taken by William Downham, Edward Mountjoy, W™ Allen “having mett together at the house of Mr. Peter Beach.” “Dan’l Beach Alex and Mary Waugh executors — Noy. 20, 1702” To 4 three year old heifers. at 350) Tobep.... .. - 1400 To | stear 6 years old at 600 To 5 De 4 year old at 2000 _ 2600 To the 2 yr old at 2800 To2Bullsat600...... 3400 To 8 Cows & Calves at 4000 To 2 Barron Cows 900 . . 4900 To | Mare & Mare Filly at 1200 To 1 two year old horse 400 1600 To 1 De 5 years old at 1000 TolveryoldDoat150... . 1150 To 1 Feather bedd + Bedstead + furniture 1500 ‘To | do at 1200 . 2700 To 2 De at 2000 Yo 1 Old Flock Bed + Feather pillow at 300 . . 2300 To one servant Bot 9 years to serve 3000 to 4 stoolth 8 Chairs @ 160— . 3160 To 9 old flagg & boarded Chairs 130 To 1 small old table & stool 100 230 To 1 old Standing Cupboard 150 To Looking Glassat30 ... . . 100 To | pair small Stilliards at 60 to 1 Iron Spit + Dripping pan at 80. . : 140 To | pair old Tongs and fire shovel at 30 ‘To 2 Ladles + Chafing Dish 50 80 To | old Narrow Ax + frow at 30 To 1 Box Iron & Heaters at 25. 25) To a passel of Glass Bottles at40 To a Parcel of old Iron at 50 . 90 To 8 old Pewter Dishes and three Basons Dittoat. . ..... . 2 228 To 1 small Table Cloth + 6 Napkins at 50 to 4 Tinpanns 1 Copper Sawspan at 150 . 100 Rojy2)2iquanhottss slebewteneltan karl @ | clei ey meeecen-tcen eta e-tew e008 20 To 1 old Warming Pan 20 ‘To | Brass candlestick ieSkimmer@ld tS ee 35 To pasl of Earthen Ware 50 To 3 Iron Potts 2 p* potthooks 250 To | Brass Kettleat\ 300). 92) Sintra AS ceuiees ons) Get ee Fos, cr armen tat en ccm meme iether ts 600 To | Brass kettle at 60 ‘To 23 pewter plates old 110 To4old Chests250.... 420 To | Frying Pan 1 Meal Sifter 15 Toa parcel of old Tables and Cyder Cask 350. 365 To | Pewter Sheaf* 50 TololdGun100 ‘To2Biblesat40.... . ‘ 190 To | Pewter Chamber Pott 10 To 3 Pewter Salts 1 Dram Cup 15 25 Yo 1 pair Iron Spansils** at CS re : 5 Sane ; 50 Total [sic] 26010 Daniel Beach was janitor of the Court House, being paid 200 pounds tobacco an- nually 1700-1703: 1700 and 1701—*To Daniel Beach for cleaning the Court House” 1702 and 1703—*To Daniel Beach for Sweeping the Courthouse.” *A cluster or bundle of things tied up together; a quantity of things set thick together. [New Oxford Dictionary| **SPANCEL: A rope or fetter for hobbling cattle, horses, etc.; especially, a short, round rope used for fettering the hind legs of a cow during milking. [New Oxford Dictionary] APPENDIX C Charges to Account of Mosley Battaley for Goods Sold by Mercer [From Ledger B, p. 1] £ s d, £ . d : 21 Tol finehatNe7 .,.. 13 6 DEK cs To Wy# Persian . . . ~ 1 3 12% To Balle’. y* Acco'! Book To 2 y%* silk Ferritting PiterigO)e din os) ibs ov -« 3 10 3 at 54 F 10 To a Sword & Belt. 4 22. To Cash won on the een DLS RSV ea 8 against Cobler 5 To | best worsted Cap | . 5 299 Tokvéb dcl h 2 To | pt Neats Leather bea ane, ih rez Cr Siitane. . .. 2 «9 poldess Megan > Ree kanal handker- To a Sword & Belt a 4 3 chies @3/..... ~~ 6 To Club in Punch 2 nn jf Tol p*Seersuckers ©. .1 13 To 1* sugar & 1 q* Rum 2 TolfineHatNe7... 13 6 30 = To Club with Quarles 9 To Cornelius eens | in fol. 7 Novbt 20 To | quire best paper 1 6 3%» To | pt mens white topt Dect 13 To | narrow axe . 2 3 CGWEIE bac eo = a | 6 16 ‘To 1200 104 Nails 5 a To 50 4> Nails. ..... 2 30 To | p* Shooebuckles 7% a y** Broadcloath at 5 : : To 100 64 Nails 9 To 7 y4* Shalloone at 2). : 14 Me Mil gre pre 1 ; To 8 Sticks Mohair at 3° 2 Feb § To Cash «Tho To 7 doz Coatbuttons at SFC CR ae a PG hl as cx fu 4 414 Harwood ” To 4 doz. breast d° at 3% 1 e | a - we To 3 hanks Silk at9¢... . 2 3 Mar 5 To D* 18 6 11M To 1% y4* Wadding at 10", 1 3 a To | p* Stone buttons set 21 Tolq'Rum & I“ Sugar . 2 3 CS CT 5 Ap! 3 To2q*D°&ly# 15' To 1 pr large Scissars . . 7% Muslin 6 Tol p coll’binding. — . 1 7's 26 Tol qt D« to Tho Tolp hollandtape . . I 6 tienen 1 6 To 6 ells broad Garlix N° : Sept 16 To y* Drugectt 1 104 10 27 ey a 17 6 ge Bene ; To | p® womens wash weal Bepias ac 3 3 fie, ee. - 1 6 To p* for rolling down 1g ne i 54 biackribband. 10 Thomson's hhd. toby. . 10 : To | horn & Ivory knife 7 Re torkwea 020.4 : | £19 10 : 1725 Septr 9% To Cash for Exp® at Stafford & Spotsylvania . To 7% y4s Grown Linnen Sarah & Pitts To 11 fowls & 1 quarter beef 3 To 100* Soran to this asi expended sae smear ie: To Cash for Exps Guba To Horsehire &c . To p4 John Marnix for bring- ing my Sloop 24 To p¢ his ferrage . : To Cash for Exp® Poplar Spring. yi A To Exps at Bow eats : ; To Exp* at Mrs. Powers’s . . | To a man to cart down Cook & barber 5. 46 To Exp at Gibbons’s . To Exps at Dalton’s. To given Serv ** at Cole Page’s . : To 1% doz. red Pat at 29/6 el To 1% doz. mountain at 30/ fINotedll] 47a. eee eee: ‘To Exp: poplar Spring To | bar! tar & pitch for the Sloopyevcc, hoes aig 2, aie Se eat 5.6 SS eA a ee a meee 2. ek: + Hudibras ZO «+ Sia raat weer ee : He | Cali paedintge 4s ema! We Sas gs og. = sat, S Gy be rn a 2. IDO 2 Ghee a ee on i es Cre ae eee aren ie pA ude , 6. erGennes, VOYaAGes S scde ais coisa ts ois wo 5b 1 Ms en ope ee eee 3. BanqueuOreKenGpHOM), jo kseh aie ps ke 5 ix se be A ee ot Ree eee a. EOORTEWE SI EIAYS 6. hoch oon edie bo oo ine a ys 8 oe eS a ee 4. REP RASSAVS! Sea) iis). ep sueBie ce. h a) -«, ihe (a® wan, se) ee sey et ot ee 12, Revenyni Ss) GaAvOenIn gy? 6s. 4) Gwe (ies. sO ae + oe we Tes oe ee 1. tLittleton’s Dictionary tPresent State of Russia tSedley’s Works i tNew Voyages ee se me ee ee et oF? Bee et eek, ee em we ee 8 eee eee ee . tNew Travels tCole’s Dictionary [All except those marked by f are listed as returned on the debit side] *ee : Law Books Bought of Mat Stotham fay 1732 Salkeld’s Reports . . : 1.18. Ventris’s Reports . . 1.15. Jacob’s Law Dictionary. 1. 8. Maxims of Equity... . 10 Cursus Cancellaris 6. Hearn’s Pleader 1.5 Lilly’s Practical Register 2 vol I . Treatise of ‘Trespasses : 6 Laws of Evidence . . . Laws of Ejectments . The 5 last extraordinary scarce 191 Account of Books lent & History of the Netherlands... . . Coles’s Dictionary History of the Royal Society . . Rochesters Works . Evelyn’s Sylva 7 a ee Woods Institutes 1*' Vol. . . Mathesis Juvenilia | Ozenam’s Mathem. Recreations} © © ~~ Cockers Arithmetick eG 30 Mariners Compass rectified M‘* Savane Travels thro’ Italy &c Cap‘ Hedgman Daltons Justice D°® July 13 A Catalogue of the Books bought March 1730 of M’ Rob‘ Beverley Coke’s Reports temp Eliz* Reg 1.10 Dalton’s Officium Vicecomitum Ie Coke upon Littleton . Ie Cokes 2%, 37 & 4*" Institutes 2.4 Cooks Reports 4 LF Laws of Virginia fol? ayeistecd two : la Compleat Clerk . ee ays U2 Swinburne [18th-century author] . . . . 2. Laws of the Sea. . . BP erent: 14. Godolphin’s Orphans Laaey : 3 ac oF Symboleography .. . EGE eS 14, Sheppards Grand Abudement Aa Soe LEO: Three Sets of ie Abr eet of Statutes & ous aye Instructor Cler fects 2 in 7 aes eee iW). Woods Institutes 2 vol 8vo 2s Placita Generalia De Tryals per pair OF Practical Register . . . er 6. Law of Obligations & Gonnicore : ee 3.6 Reads Declarations ... . ; a 4. Glexks iRutors ieee eee ee 6. Prasca Cancellaria . . pe Sea ees 6. Fitzherberts new Naturabrevium .. . . 6. Brownlows Declarations ........ 6. Clerks Guide Se OS 3.6 (1730) 3 to whom Jn° Savage . Col® Fitzhugh . Andrew Forbes . Ralph Falkner Parson Rose . Edmund Bagge . Robert Jones Melloy de Jure maritime . 6. Grounds of the Law Sr Compleat Attorney Ne Terms of the Law Sy, Finch’s Law 3% Doctor & Student. Sn Greenwood of Courts 3.6 Law of Conveyances . Se Practice of Chancery . OF English Liberties : ae Reports in Chancery . Bp crinkle taste ce Be Mienitonten ea iy ee ae eer Se Exact Constable niatiet sas hh cake Pee cts It, Wittletonsilken nes arene 2. Written Laws of Virginia. ....... 25% £46. 7.6 Woodbridge of Agriculture The Compleat Angler Salmons Dispensatory ‘The accomplished Cook History of the Royal Society March y°® 4th 1730, I promise to deliver the above mentioned books being fifty two in number to M* John Mercer or his Order on demand. Witness my hand the day & year abovewritten. Rob‘. Beverley Test John Chew Copy By Ball* bro! from fol 36 By 500 24 Nails ad m. By 500 34 De 3/ oe By 1 44 De 4/ By 6" 64 De bikes By 4" 84 De Ci i a By 4™ 104 De Sea | By 8" 124 De | 7) on ee By 2™ 204 De ic) pe By | handsaw file 5 By | pt mens wood heel shooes (3), ae eee By 1 half Curb bridle Cy eee ean By | halter DIAS a oy ol By | boys hat 2/ 25 By lcoll¢thread = 3/ Oct 29 By 16 114 204 Nailes By 27 1% 244 De 13/ By 2 84 Doe AO eis By 4™ 104 De 9/6 . By 5™ 124 De 12/ . By | p* girls Shooes By4y**Cotton 2/4... . By | double Girth 2/ By 1 Garden hoe By 234 y4* Kersey By 1% y4* Shal- 1/9. loone APPENDIX F Feb. 7 Mar Credit side of Mercer's account with Nathaniel Chapman By my Ord? in favour of We Holdbrook. . . . . . . By 2 hanks sowing Sik9# 9. By Cash overpaid. . . . . By 1% y4 Garlix Ne 24 By | Iron pot g* 3614 at 44 By | bushel Salt By I new Axe .... - By | pr’ pothooks & wedges 16's PG: nen gre Sea) By | plough & Swingle tree fitted of w'® Tron By 5 narrow hoes . . By 2 grubbing hoes 108 3 at ge By | Ironwedge 4'!4 at 84 By 2 new horse Collars . . By 2 p" Hames & Ironwork By 2 p* Iron traces g* 19 at Be | By Iron door Latch . By | Ironrake By 2 Heaters . By putting a leg in an old Iron pott. . By 17% double refin’'d Sugar @ 164. By 100! Sugar 35/& 3 gall’ Rum y/ ee a er [From Ledger B. Nathaniel Chapman was Superintendent of the Accokeek Iron Works.] 2. 2.6 £28. 15.8% 1730 March 1732 April APPENDIX G Overwhatton Parish Account [From Ledger B] Overwharton Parish IDYe. | Contra 1730 To a Book to keep the Parish Register. £1.11. | March 15 By W Holdbrook’s fine for Adul- To drawing Bonds between Blackburn Len? Use. 2h uo ene eee Ore & the Churchwardens ab‘ building By Ebenezer Moss’s for swearing & the Church . Il. Sabbath breaking ....... ISIS}, To fee v Moss 11.8 By Edward Franklyn’s for swearing Ballenger | Wining 4 2 5 ch gu ee Be Cabnet | = £38), 31S). To 1/3 W™ Holdbrooks’s fine . elise a| To 1/3 Eliz® Bear’s De . Bienes Wolfeew Branklyne cee ee es. lle To paid Burr Harrison by Ords Wes tnyaienncnne Eee ete. 2a). £8.11 | Balls ee lea | ORL) 1732 To fee v Coulter. ae cee ee el Oe March 25 By Balle .. . ay Preaeres Aeon Ya Hogs By Eliz* Ballengers fine for a bas- tard By Alice Jefferies’ De By Ann Holt’s De AppeNpDiIx H Colonists Identified by Mercer According to Occupation [From Ledger G] William Hunter Merchant Fredericksburg Robert Duncanson Merchant Fredericksburg _ Jonathan Foward Merchant London John Fox Smith Fredericksburg William Stevenson = Merchant London Robert Gilchrist Merchant Port Royal Robert Rae Merchant Falmouth Robert Jones Attorney-at- Surrey Robert Tucker Merchant Norfolk Law David Minitree Bricklayer [Williamsburg] [Jonathan] Syden- Thomas Ross Merchant Alexandria ham & Hodgson = Merchants King George William Monday Carpenter Watson & Cairnes Merchants Nansemond Abraham Basnett Oysterman William Prentis Merchant Williamsburg John Booth Weaver William Mills Weaver Stafford John Pagan Merchant Fairfax Thomas Barry Bricklayer John Grigsby Smith Stafford Edward Powers Shoemaker Caroline Francis Hogans Wheelwright Caroline Clement Rice Shoemaker King George Doctor Spencer [Physician] Fredericksburg William Ramsay Merchant Fairfax William Threlkeld = Weaver Andrew Sproul Merchant Norfolk Elliott Benger Loftmaster Richard Savage Merchant Falmouth Gen'l. Charles Dick Merchant Fredericksburg - William Brownley Joiner William Miller Horse Jockey Augusta {Bromley} Charles Jones Tailor Williamsburg Andrew Beaty Joiner Peter Scott Joiner Williamsburg George Wythe Attorney-at- Williamsburg William Copen Mason Prince William Law [Copein] William Jackson Wheelwright Stafford John Blacke Gardener Marlborough James Griffin Carpenter Richard Gamble Barber Williamsburg - William Thomson Tailor Fredericksburg Launcelot Walker Merchant Jacob Williams Plasterer John Rider Waterman Maryland Joseph Burges Plasterer John Proby Pilot Hampton Henry Threlkeld Merchant Quantico John Hyndman Merchant Williamsburg Cavan Dulany Attorney-at- [Prince William?} James Craig Jeweler Williameburg Law Robert Crichton Merchant Willianebure Peter Murphy Sawyer John Simpson Wheelwright Fredericksburg John Fitzpatrick Weaver George Charicton Tailor Williamebure Cuthbert Sandys Merchant Fredericksburg Hugh MacLane Tailor Stafford _ Henry Mitchell Merchant Occaquan William Kelly Attorney Prince William John Harnett Ship Carpenter Nanjemoy Walter Darcy Harnessmaker John Graham Merchant Essex John Carlyle Merchant Fairfax Fielding Lewis Merchant Fredericksburg Kirby Ma King George 195 APPENDIX I Materials Listed in Accounts with Hunter and Dick, Fredericksburg Materials listed in Ledger G in Mercer’s accounts with William Hunter Dick, Definitions are based on information in A New Oxford Dictionary, Webster's New International Dic- tionary (second edition, unabridged), Every Day Life in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, by George F. Dow (Boston, 1935), and a series of articles by Hazel E. Cummin in Antiques: vol. 38, pp. 23-25, 111-112; vol. 39, pp. 182-184; vol. 40, pp. 153-154, 309-312. Summary of Alphabetical and Charles merchants of Fredericksburg. ALLAPINE: A mixed stuff of wool and silk, or mohair and cotton. Bompays: Raw Cotton. Bompazine: A twilled or corded dress material of silk and worsted, sometimes also of cotton and worsted, or of worsted alone. In black, used for mourning. BroapcLorH: A fine, smooth woolen cloth of double width. Buckram: A kind of coarse linen or cotton fabric, stiffened with gum or paste. Murray quotes Berkeley, Alicphr . . . (1832), “One of our ladies . . whalebone and buckram.” . stiffened with hoops and CaLamanco: A light-weight material of wool or mohair and wool, sometimes figured or striped, sometimes dyed in clear, bright colors, and calendered to a silky gloss to resemble satin. Carico; Murray defers to Chambers’ Cyclopaedia definition (1753): “An Indian stuff made of cotton, sometimes . . Calicoes are of divers kinds, plain, printed, painted, stain’d, dyed, chints, muslins, and the like.” stained with gay and beautiful colours . . It is not to be confused with the modern material of the same name. Campric: A fine white linen or cotton fabric, much used for handkerchiefs and shirts, originally made at Cambray in Flanders. Camiet: A class of fine-grained material of worsted or mohair and silk, sometimes figured, sometimes ‘‘watered.”’ Moreen is one of its subtypes. Cueck: Any checked, woven or printed, material. DurreL: A woven cloth with a thick nap, synonymous with shag. Made originally at Duffel, near Antwerp. In a passage quoted by Murray, Defoe (A Tour of Great Britain) mentions its manufacture at Witney, ‘fa Yard and three quarters wide, which are carried to New England and Virginia.” Frieze: A coarse woolen cloth with a nap on one side. Garuix: Linen made in Gorlitz, Silesia, in several shades of blue-white and brown. Ho.ianp: A linen material, sometimes glazed, first made in Holland. Kersey (often spelled “Cresoy”’ by Mercer): A coarse, long-fiber woolen cloth, usually ribbed, used for stockings, caps, etc. SHALLOON: A closely woven woolen material used for linings. PRUNELLA: A stout, smooth material, used for clergymen’s gowns, and later for the uppers of women’s shoes. Tammy: A plain-woven worsted with open weave. Used plain, it served for flour bolts, soup and milk strainers, and sieves. Dyed and glazed, and some- times quilted, it was used for curtains, petticoat linings, and coverlets. Tarran: Woolen cloth woven in Scotch plaids. material, In addition to these fabrics, there are listed “China Taffety,” “Silv' Vellum,” ‘‘worsted,’’ ‘‘Pomerania Linnen,” “Russia Bedtick,” ‘‘Irish linnen,”’ ‘‘] yd. *” “worsted Damask,” ‘‘Mechlin lace” India Persian, (a costly Belgian pillow lace, of which Mercer pur- chased nine yards of “‘No. 3” at five shillings, and eight yards of ‘‘N° 4”’ at six shillings), “sprig Linnen,” and ‘‘6 silk laces at 44.” For trimming and finishing, one finds white thread, black thread, nun’s thread, brown thread, blue thread, red thread, colored thread (all bought by the pound), gingham and hair buttons, “gold gimp ribband,” ‘“‘pair Womens buckles,” fringe, coat buttons, vest buttons, scarlet buttons, silver coat buttons, shirt buttons, “‘mettle’’ vest buttons, “fine” shirt buttons, “course”? shirt buttons, “Card sleeve , buttons,” silver sleeve buttons, and cording. There were several purchases of haircloth, used principally in stiffening lapels and other parts of men’s clothing, but used also for towels, tents, and for drying malt and hops. APPENDIX J _ Account of George Mercer's Expenses while Attending the College of William and Mary ‘ {From Ledger G] Son’s Maintenance at Williamsburg, Dr. 1750 origi WoiGdehwenr at salah” Ay... 4 » pels Eee To De p4 M+. Robinson for Entrance £4,12, M:.Graeme De. 4.12, M*. Preston Do — 4.6.8 M«. Davenport De 1.12. 6 Housekeeper 3.10. for Candles . . 15.10 for Pocket money . 3; one 22.15.4 To Cash p# for Lottery Tickets . . 7 10.6 To De p‘ for washing... . . . al To M* Dering for Board... . . Me To Peter Scott for mending a Table ......... on 2.6 To Housekeeping at Williamsburg for ‘tees Viz A Featherbed & furniture . . £8. LDY | See ree Ve 1.6 An oval Table . Lun hy 3 Chairs 7/ ee iy 3.6 July To General Charges for sundrys Viz To Cash p4 Mr’ Preston as advanced for George £2. 3 toGeorge 2): . 2.3 tothe Usher... aT hil, Ss 5.37.3 August To Cash p* the Nurse attending J°" & Ja* £2. 3, to John & James , Li heeS 3.4.6 To W® Thomson for Taylors work 3.106 Septembt To Cash to George . . 1. 1.6 October To De to De to John James & Nurse 6.9 To John Holt for sundrys 4. 5.7% To James Cocke for De 1.15.9 To Covington the dancing master Ye | To James Power for Cash to George 2.3 To William Prentis for sundrys . 18. 1.3% To Rich4 Gamble for two wigs & shaving 5. 23 To Books for sundrys 22. 4.7% 1. 9.6 To W® Thomson for Taylors work £126.13. 1% - 197 APPENDIX K John Mercer’s Library [From Ledger G] “The prices are the first Cost in Sterling money exclusive of Commission, Shipping or other Charges.” Sterling Sterling LAW BOOKS Ri students! baw Dictionary... see cunOr Abridgments AR_ ‘Term’s de la Loy 2). Cases in Equity abridged . £ 18. Entries Danvers’s Abridgment 3 vol. SeOR Aston’s : 3. Viner’s Abridgment 6 vol whe _ & TA Brown Lows’ iDaderendione We Davenport’s Abridgmt of Coke on AR Bohun’s Declarations oe 6. Littleton . 2. Brown’s modus intrandi, 2 vol 3 12% Hughes's Norra ® 2 el 10. GIMIES, S gc bp 6 Go 4 0 ¢ po aslo Ireland’s Abridgm * of Dyer’s Renora! QF Cokes oe eri oe re eee Rolle’s Abridgm' interleaved 2 vol 5} Lillys. . . . gH so pio | Ho Oe Salmon’s Abridgm ¢ of the State trials. iL, US) Mallory’s Quarer Impedit V7. Statutes abridged by Cay 2 vol 2.10. Placila generalia & specialia : 3. State trials abridged 1 vol 5.6 Rastallow yi) Chics fy fer een eee emelicrles Virginia Laws Abridged 8. Robinson's . 10. Conveyancing Read’s Declarations - 3). Ars Clericalis 1 vol 4.6 Vidiano 10. Compleat Conveyancer 5. Thompsons) 4e 28k oe een 1 Clerk’s Guide ; 5p Justices of Peace Clerk & Scriveners Guide 8. Justicio vade mecum Ze Herne’s Law of Conveyances 2. Keble’s Assistant to Justices DE Lawyer’s Library . . . 3.6 Manual for Justices 1641 . 2 West’s Symboleography De Wino aG Courts G Courtkeeping beh Doctor @ Shinn. 36 Attorneys Practise in C B 6. dort « Attorney’s Practise in B R 2 vol . 12. Sa : . Cokes Instinates 4°" Pare 15. Francis’s Maxims of Equity : 8. RK Crown Circuit Companion . 3. Hale’s History & Analysis of the awe : 6. History of the Chancery 96 Hale’s Hereditary Descants . : 16 AR. Practise in Chancery 2 vol GI. Hawks’s Grounds of the Laws cement Be Practick Part of the Law . 6. Perkins’s Laws 2.6 GI Rules of Practise commonplaced 4. Treatise of Equity . Scns 8.6 Practise of Chancery 1672 1.6 Woods Institutes of the Laws of Eng- AR Harrison’s Chancery Practiser 6. land . aie Ae AEs eee Ne tay Crown Miscellanies Coke’s Institutes 3rd Part . IL), REO te RealeNctions 8. nee ciel of the Pleas of the Grane n sel Gi Baron & femme 6. 2 vo 3 Hawkins Pleas of the Cr rown see Ve sia) ELGAR U OUEQI SUNS me Hale’s Continuation of the Crown Britton we # 2. leas : ONG Brown of fines & Recoveries : 3) Sutton de Pace Rene 5. Coke’s Institutes, Comments on Little- Dictionaries ton PartiZae ee eee Hai. SO Pee 3h Consell’s Interpreter . 10. GI Cane’s English Liberties 72 Jacobus’s Law Dictionary or GI Curson’s Laws of Estates tail ale 4.6 Law French Dictionary 6. Momatys| Civil sleaw, 2)v.Olue eee enema LOs GI GI GL GI GI GI GI GI GI GI Dugdale’s Origine’s Judiciales Duncomb’s Trials perpais Ejectments, Law of . WRROMS AWOL 6 Fk gk kk Everyman hisown Lawyer... . . Evidence, Laws of Jacoba’s Lex Mercatoria. .. ... . Jus or Law of Masters & Servants. . . Landlord’s Laws Law Quibbles Laws of Liberty & Property .... . March’s Actions for Slander & Arbitra- tions Molloy de jura maritimi & navali. . . Obligations Lawsof. .. . | . Sea Laws Treatise of Trover & Conversion Trespasses (Law of) Vi & armis. . . . Virginia Laws Purvis’s. . . . . .. . Virginia Laws by Parks 2 Vol Uses & Trials (Law of) ass Wsorri(awiol)s 2c: se Freeholders Companion Turnbull’s System of the Civil Law 2 il MPM Sa ft et. eis sy am Jacobs’s Collection of Steads for com- monplaces Chronica [uridicialia abridged Naval Trade 2 vol Law & Lawyers laid open Freeholders Companion Law of Devises & Revocations Piffendorf’s Law of Nature & Nations Views of Civil & Ecclesiastical Law Study & Body of the Law Treatise of Bills of Exchange Parliament Casesin Parliament... .. . Hunt's Postscript . Readings Barnardiston’s Bentses & Dalison’s Bridgman’s Bulstrode’s . . . . Brownlow’s & Galdexiborougk’ s Oo a ee Carthero’s ... . Cases in Chancery 3 pis : Cases in B R & BC from 24 We 12 Mod Cases in Law & Equity by ML. acclesfield 10 Mod Sterling £2. wna nw — rm Noenrawunoc = ~~ NON KRU Coke's 11 Parts . 12 & 13 Parts Comberbach's Croke’s 3 vol Cary’s . Clayton's Davis's Dyer’s . Farraday’'s FitzGibbons’s . Gilbert’s Rep“ in Equity & Exchea’ Godbolt’s Hardres’s Hetley’s Hobart’s Holts . Hutton’s. — . Jenkins’s Centuries Jones's (D". We.) Jones's (Tho*.) . Keble’s 3 vol . Keilway’s Keylings Lane's , Latch's Leonard's Loving’s 3 Parts 2 vol Ley’s Lilly’s . Littleton’s . Lutneyche’s 2 vol Modern Cases in Law & sepsis 8& 9 Mod Modern Reports 6 vol Moore's Marsh's Noy’s . Owens Palmer's Plowden's Pollersten’s Popham's Precedents in Chancery Raymond's (D+, Tho*,) Reports in Chancery in Finch’s time . Rolles’ Reports Reports in Chancery 4 vol Salkeld’s 3 vol Savile's 7 Mod Saunders’* . . . . Sherver's 2 vol Sclect Cases in Can S. in Ld, King’s timc Siderfin’s . po te te 199 Skinner’s , Style as”S Talbot’s Cses in Equity Tothill’s Transactions in C femeat: Vaughan’s . Ventris’s . Vernon’s 2 vol Wynch’s . William’s 2 vol . Year Books 9 vol Yelverton’s . Zouch’s Cases in he Givil Tha Cases in Chan & B R in Ld Hardw ick’ s time . Special & Select te aw Weare: 1641 Sheriffs Treatise of Replevins. . Statutes Keble’s Statutes . Statutes concerning Banks ne Tables Index to the Reports Repertorium Turidicum Tithes S Laws of the Clergy Hughes’s Parson’s Law . Wills Ex™* @c Godolphin’s Orphan’s Legacy . Meriton’s Touchstone of Wills. AR. Nelson’s Lex Testimentaria . GI Swinburne of last Wills Wentworth’s Office of Executors . Writs AR Bohun’s English Lawyer Fitzherbert with Hale’s Notes . Fitzherbert’s Natura Brevium Registrum Brevium Omitted Laws of Maryland . Statutes of Excise . OTHER BOOKS Arts G Sciences Alian’s Tacticks of War Smith’s Distilling & Fermentation . Weston’s Treatise of Shorthand . Weston’s Shorthand Copybook Classicks Greek Grammar GIN oe ee Greek Testament Martial Dictionaries Colgraye’s French Dictionary . Salmon’s Family Dict. . Sterling edi ie nN Nh — 10. 10. ILS) 1.6 elOR ml): o IS 7a (Sy NS Oo NO 6 GM Divinity AS History Bailey’s English Dict. Schrevelii Lexicon Echard’s Gazetteer’s feteeereres Te Cole’s English Dictionary ‘Tillotson’s Sermons 3 vol . Bibles trua . : Leigh of Religion & hence Sullingfleck’s Origines Sacra Life of King David Newton on Daniel ‘The Sum of Christian Relinon Weeks Preparation Whole Duty of Man . The Sacrament explained ‘The Country Parson’s Advice . Addy’s Shorthand Bible Atterbury Lewis’s Sermons 2 vol Atterbury Francis’s Sermons 4 Fat South’s Sermons 6 vol . Warburton’s divine Legation of Mezes 2 vol f Revelation examin Bal “thy Gandour 9 50) eee ee en eae Scott’s Christian Life Universal History 4 vol Rushworth’s Collections 8 vol . Rapin’s History of England 2 vol Keating’s History of Ireland : Burnet’s History of his own Times 2 vol Purchas’s ipleaneees Cop’s History of Ireland 2 “ai History of Europe 13 vol at 5/ Historical Register 26 vol at 3/ Antiquitatum variarum Auctores History of the Turks 4‘" vol Jeffery of Monmouth Burnet’s History 3 vol . Bladen’s Caesar’s Commentaries History of the Fifth General Council . Machiavel’s History of Florence . Roman History Echard’s 5** vol Lehontan’s Voyages 24 vol . Description of the 17 Provinces The English Acquisitions in &e Burnet’s Travels ; Heylyn’s Help to English Hiiowy Guinea History of Spain Catholick History . History of Virginia DuStalde’s History of China 4 pee elOz Nooo aD _— DOSS NOMA CO Nae ES OO = ND: a 6 Sterling Husbandry & Gardening Quintinye’sGardener . . sa Woodbridge of Agriculture. 8. Evelyn’s Sylvia . . . . >. Sane 12, Houghton’s Husbandry 4 ‘val -—e lees Bradley’s Husbandry 3 vol . . | 15. Gardening 2 vol .. 6. new Improvements . me 6 ancient husbandry .. . _ . 4. practical Discourses . 8. Farmer's Director ae 6 Ladies Director. _ er 2.6 Hop Garden. . . 1.6 Dictionarium Rusticum rar raes 6. CD Monarchy of the Bees... 1.6 A Discourse of Sallets ] Pocket Farrier . .. . . 1 Miscellanies of the Dublin See. 2 Spectator 8 vol... . pe eee. 10, Addison’s Works 4 vol. —_ : 10. Giardian 2vol’ {0 7... np Pope’s Letters2 vol... . . up Present State of Great Britain . 6. Persian Letters 2 vol Sy Sedley’s Works | vol ae Carson’s Lucubrations . cd Acct of Society for Refanniation® of VM AMNEKS (oe vine is, sd 9 2.6 Aristarchus Anti Bentlianus 2. Dissertation on the Thebaan Lexion/. 2.6 Secret History of Whitehall . as ‘The Western Martyrology 2.6 GM Memoria Technica 2.6 Erasmus’s Praise of Folly . 2.6 Turkish Spy 5 & 6 vol . ; 4. Tom Brown's Letters from the Dead to LIN AU See i as oe ee oe 2.6 The Intelligencer . 2.6 Rone’s Lives . . . oe ae 4. The Dublin Aitankek ; l Maxims & Reflections on Plays . 2 Report about Silver Coins . . . . 16 Essay for Amendment of them . . 2 Feltham’s Resolves sa 4 The Minister of State . . . 6 Treatise of Honour... . 5 Lyropadia ...,.... 6 Hutchinson on Virtue . . 4 T. Scott on the Passions : Lansdowne’s Works 3 vol 76 Works of the Learned 13 vol 4.11 Boyle’s Adventures 3 Leisure Hours Amusement 4 Naws © Politicks London Magazine I! vol Gentlemen's Magazine 4 vol The Britton Common Sense 2 vol The Freeholder The Craftsman 6 vol Pues Occurrences . The True Britton 2 vol Philosophy & Mathematicks Rarities of Gresham Colledge Bacon's natural History Physiologia GF Derham's Physico T heology Astro Theology Sturmy’s Mariners Magazine Gordon's Cosmography Geography Ozanam’s Mathematical Recreations Atkinson's Epitome of Navigation General Steads for natural History Seaman's Calendar RI Newton's Opticks Keill’s Astronomy Baker's Microscope Mathew’s Invenitis 3 vol Physick & Surgery JM_ Salmon’s Herbal 2 vol Dispensatory Synopsis Medicina Ars Chirurgica Medicina Practica JM JM JM.) Sydehamii Opuscula JM. = Wiseman’s Surgery 2 vol JM_ Sanctorius’s Aphorisms Quincy’s Dispensatory JM_ Strother on Sickness & Health JM on Causes & Cures JIM Criticon Febrium Shaw's Practises of Physick 2 vol Arbuthnot of Aliment IM. London Dispensatory AS. Andrey on Worms JM. Friends Emmencologia JM Pitcarn’s Dissertavones IM. Friend AS Short's Di JM Robinson Consumptions Praciectioned Chymica wertation an Coffee & Tea IM Drake's Anatomy 2 vol IM History of Physic 2 vol JM Mead on Povsorn Beerhaaye's Method of the dying Physic . nw Plays & Poetry GM GM. Sterling Killigrew’s Plays. Z car eee cee Ignoramus Latin & Bae keh 3.6 Shakespears Plays 8 vol ls Be Ben Johnsons Works 10. Wycherley’s Plays . Di: Blackmore’s Elize 8. DuBartas’s Works . NPA. Prior’s Works he Pope’s Works 9 vol [=O Homers Iliad 6 vol L5e Homers Odyssey 5 vol . 12.6 Savage’s Poems . 2.6 ‘Thomsons Seasons ; 2.6 Rochesters Poems 24 vol . 3h Caroley’s Works 3 vol OF Lauderdale’s Virgil 2 vol . De Theocritus . 16 Broome’s Poems 37-6) Ovid’s Art of Love 3} Creech’s Lucretius 2 vol 8. Barbers Poems 5), Wallace . Seas Tot eo 25 Sandys’ Paraphrase on the divine Poems . 6. Trade Omitted GB Roberts's Map of Commerce . ¢ Davenant on ‘Trade & Plantanions 2. vol Annesley’s Trial a Speeches at Atterbury’s Trial . Ladies Physical Directory Calvins Sermons Nunnery Tales Wingate’s Arithmetick . Lloyd’s Consent of time Memoirs of secret Service. Views of France : Account of the Treaty of Uxbr dye. May’s Cookery ‘The Triumphs of Peace : S*. Walter Raleigh of a War with Spain : The Romish Horseleech Conjectura Cabbalistica Miscellanies by Swift & Pope 4 vole The Syren . The Musical Miscellany, 6 ly Sterling onl — mp oo CHRON NNK WONNN ss SSL aD [The following are evidently subsequent additions to the library, which seems thus far to have been cataloged before 1746. The following books listed are referred to the accounts on which they were purchased.] 1746 April To Majr. John Champe for sundrys viz. GI Viner’s Abridgment 4 vol Ld. Raymond’s Reports 2 vol Freeman’s Reports Lilly’s Conveyancer Comyn’s Reports . Ratna Dalton’s Officium Vicicomitum . Swinburne [18th-century author] of W ills Herne’s Pleader ; Petyt’s lus Parliamentarium Tremaine’s Pleas of the Crown Wood’s Institutes of the Civil Law Trott’s Plantation Laws : Reports B R 4, 5, 6, 7, & 8 Asa, Duke’s Law of Charitable Uses Abridg' State Tryals 9 vol Practising Attorney 2 vol Naval Trade 2 vol Attorney & Pleaders’ Compleat Sheriff . Orders of the Court of Ghancesy Treasury 2 vol . cee) nD i GI Law of Testaments & Last Wills Exrs. & Adm'* » > “ev. © © «© ee 8s eee hUh hlUcrhlUmrhlU lh hUlcr hlUh hlUhr hUcrhlU le oie wtb we Oe 2 oe Bie aoe eee GI Awards. ..... Ejectments ... . GI Actions upon the Cse _ BLENULCSS Nd oat Al as ..08 Ss. a ey foie a. 80 e 5b & ly wo History & Practise of Common Pleas Doctmna placitandi ....-.+-.:+-+- rere AR Wentworth’s Office of Ext®*. . 1... .-- ; Notes of Cses in C B in points of Practise... . . . TreasuresofIreland. ......--.+++5 Fe ke Emplish\ Liberties . 2. 2). ee tt ee piers. x Treatise of Frauds ..-.. . panier Tene ; DOM OL OAUME I, Ska. gp ee se wy a ; Blunt's Fragments Antiquitatis — ets ee ee ek Woman’s Lawyer . . . . . Judgments in CB & BR Essay for regulating the Laws. . Philips’s Grandeur of the Laws . Special Law Cases. Bellew’s Cases from Statham Lawyer's Light Ius Tratrum . . Critica Turis Genissa Bibliotheca Legum - Chambers’s Dictionary 2 2 vol Milton’s Works 2 vol. Universal History 5". 39/ 6'" 44/ 7° 57/ y Arbuthnot’s Tables . . : 16 History of Europe 5 vol Grays Hudibras 2 vol a a oR g UR RRR RK RK KR ERR RRR RR EEE REE RK KK REE EEE EEE EEE EES ESE UEY a tp tn a te ee on anew oaaann te -) on = o Sterling History of Peter the Great 3 vol. aie £132 Nature displayed 4 vol ... . ee ‘Treatise of Money & Exchanges. : ; 10 English Compendium 2 vol . . : : : 10. Irish & Scotch each 7.6 .... . : 1i5e London Magazine for 1743 & 1744 ki: ‘ ; V3 Present State of Great Britain 6 GF Dycke’s Dictionary 5.6 Blandy’s ‘Tables 4.6 Geography reformed 3.6 Hewit’s Tables . : Bee ; os ie Trunk Matt & Cord : ; i : as 5313 Sterling Curr' Entry 2/ Cartage 1/ Searchers 1/ Shipping & Warfage 2/6 Waterage 2/6 Gill Lad 64. iS). (6) Commission at 2 pr Cent... . ate * Pathe We We il® Freight & Primage 2% pr Cent. me coe os ph mea lat Wee WA Insurance Policy & 14 pt Cent Commission to pay 98 in Gasecionleossie ene a epee oe : ee 11. 6. 6% 67.18. November To M* William Jordan for Sundrys Viz Broughton’s Dictionary 2 vol fol . . es aa Ml, Ds WW_ Grey’s Hudibras Ph ee eee i ee IEG Modern Husbandman 3 . . . : Se GM_ Rollins Belles Lettres 2sets4_ . ye Pamela Coe eae 8. 8 David Simple 1 a 2 P Joseph Andrews 4 : Pan PA REEieys Virgil ERO aN 2. 8% GM | ‘Terence : wee 2. 8% Horace . : : 4 2, 8% Epistle on drinking . 5M Pleasures of Imagination Ne Oe 1] Swifts\Sermons ..... - ; a 5% Bulingbroke’s Remarks . . . = ere 2. 4 GM_ Rollins Ancient History 13 vol . Ph: Be De (8) Irish Estoricall ibrary .. . 5: - - - 2 3 Yo Gin Syp Seale 1747 SS April To Cash pd for 2 of Stith’s Histories of Virg* opie ACL ly We Debates in Parliament 2] vol . . . an & Smlge A Common prayer book . . 2 or ; 10. a On 8 GM_ ‘To William Parks for Ainsworth’s Dictionary Sia re 2.10. IWileraotoyeeD ahi JEfoy KS MS Og nt Bo ee 1256 hg Ae, 10) To Doctor McKenzie for the History of London... . . 3.14. 3 CD Lives of the Admirals 4 vol eit toe ane The Pd, 8) DmlGs 6 IP To M® Jordan for 20 vol Universal History ...... . tf Miss October IS To Doctor McKenzie for Costlogon’s 2 vol De . . 5 io MA Ge emi te Cash paid for Bustorf’s Herbron Lexicon . : : pls Heereboord’s Burgersdicius . . . . ; : 4. Sterli Curr" To Mrs. Grace Mercer for sundrys Viz ng rr Clark’s Romer 2vol . 2. | £6.18 Murphy’s Leucian, Lucian 3. 6 Robertson’s Lexicon . |. : ] Passons Lexicon. . . . . 3. 6 GM }Trapp’s Virgil 3 vol . . . 9. Kennet’s Antiquities . _ oF Potter’s Antiquities 2 vol. 10.10 Salust Minellii . 0. | 2.6 Rowe’s Salust. . 2... 2.2 Brown’s Roman History ier yA? Ainsworth’s Dictionary . si : bE ir Geographia Classica 4. 6 Button’s Introduction |. . 2. 8% GM _ (\Erhard’s Terence. . . . . 2.6 Plutarch’s Lives8 vol... . | 2. Francis’s Horace 4 vol 2 2 0 oF 13 Gays;Cabley ? 5, snes Se Pes GB Tom Brown’s Works 4 vol . | a 13. PS Delaney’s Sermons . . . ‘in $..3 Subscription to Shakessean- Te Sean ae 10.10 9.10, 7% To De for Residue of Subscription to Shakespear. 10.10 To Sydenham & Hdgson for sundrys Viz AM_ Conduct of the Dutchess of Marlborough 4 The other side of the Question . . . . . 5 Practise of the Ecclesiastical Courts . . . 3.6 IR Motts Geography 2 vol. fol. maps bound 4.14 Continuation of Rapin 3 vol fol 5.10 Salmon’s modern History 3 vol 4°. Be Hoppnes Architecture 4°. | |. 10 WB Salmon’s Palladio Londonensis Ao, 7 Palladio’s Architecture 4°. : 4 Langley’s City & Country Builder . 4 London Magazine 1745,6,7. . . 19 6 Winer’s Abridgment 3 vol fol 4.10 Milton’s Political Works 2 vol fol. 7 2.6 A Box 2.6 £23.11. 6 Commission Insurance &c 26 pet 6.2.7 Exchange at40 pet. . . . WW? 7% 41.11. By To William Jordan for sundrys Viz ar London Magazine 1745, 6, 7, 8 1.12. 6 Salmon’s Gazetteer . $6 a Chronology 10 A large Map of the World 2. 6 1749 Oct. To Nath Walthoe for the Harlcian Miscellany 8 vol To De» for Guthrie's History of England in Sheet To Cash for Popple’s Maps 1750 Aug 1746 Feb. 1749 May 1750 May June 1750 April Aug May ‘To W™ Parks for sundrys . ‘To Lyonel Lyde for sundrys £49. 8 sterl™ 26 pc : 25 pCt By Gabriel Jones for sundrys marked GJ By W Walker for Grey’s Hudibras By John Sutherland for Coeltagon’s Dictionary By George Mason for Rollins belles Letters To W™ Parks for sundrys Viz Noblemens Seats by Kip (38) Johnson’s Lives of Highwaymen &c . Willis’s Survey of the Cathedrals 3 vol . Select Plays 16 vol 8 Views of Scotland ; ‘To Lyonel Lyde for sundrys bot of @sbom he Universal History 20 vol gilt . Merian of Insects . Gallia et Helvatia Urbes Theatrum Urbium Germanis 2 vol Noblemen’s Seats by Kip (80) Churches Palaces & Gardens in France Pozzo’s Perspective . Perrier’s Statues F 100 Views of Brabant & Handlers : 150 Prints of Ovid’s Metamorphosis . Cases in Parliament 8 vol Father Paul’s History . To De for sundrys bot of George Strahan AR Ld Raymond’s Reports 2 vol . Barnardiston’s Reports in BA 2 vol IP Freeman’s Reports AR Comyns’s Reports Viners Abridgment 14 *® al 5 AR Barnardiston’s Reports in Canc* Fortescues Reports AR_ Talbot’s Reports . : AR Shoner’s Cases in Patliame nt. Goldesborough’s Reports Catalogue of Law Books . Sterling 49. 8 Curr’ A397. 109.16. 9 11% 91.13.11} 549. 4. 8} 4 / 4 [Currency | Ie} sII). 16. 8 640.18. 734 23 neel OUI nranwmnwoaw fF wo on £617. 6. 6% OWE tsa. He). Ve 110 c To M** Grace Mercer for sundrys Viz a TORE LECEICIMeS OMe Fala 4.) & yaa ee Re wo b 218 Gonntyiaf Waterford 2). . 2. ; 7.15% «4. 8. 3 SOU OMOCVONreer ls cls a > Sues WG 5 4a Y Pe Lifeof King David... 2... 2... 7 Lives of the Popes I**vol ..... . 5.8 Delany’s Sermons . . .. . . . oat 3 oe 4.9 Practise of Farming... . . . i. 3.9 Practical farmer 2 parts... ........ rites 2 Dublin:Societies Letters! DL. a ec 3.3 Pati itervey.s NACCAUOUS ors, a lis ass dis) a oy yl a “els a Ee wg s.18 TOU UAB Le Wen neme teeth) Sh <, uiia oe, wie lw sum een kd 1.8 Eee ar eS emtode. Boo ams na) psm-cyra cr hd act oe ee caus 8 een mee ee Mien tt tA katy 5) tk fun 8 ota he Poa OD 8 (ORS NTs ol oe ania rl ea Pe Ps a Pe 8 IES co ong Gel Rae i ri as ert aie Seen ger 5 UCU rene ns Mees dL wis uit. thc cea 4 Woollen Manufacture. . 2.2... .. + aed To Cash as paid for sundrys Viz Letra OENCOMEIANS way whee eigtns Pero eat Feed UM alta le £ 10. 6 PPOUUICHIMMICN Vast a MRe Me cmet acheter +g Usa ic a 2.6 Pate of, Oliver Cromwell. = 2. 3s + os pha Ss: SCRNOU later. canter t Aue tetie. W ee oe, Vem ve. aNd OA Rae hy Oa 6 ULNS (CHEE ee ye ee Re ee er eae eg eee 2 Greaves’s Origin of Weights Ke . 2... 2... 2. 6 Steele’s Romish History... ......... aes | Dethtenry Wooten’s Pieces. sia. 9 ks = als soe 2s Account of Naval Victories ........... 1.3 Tennent’s Physical Enquiries. . . . . . . . Yee J De Ratchne sie... 2b asus se a at. 6 Extract of Cheyney’s Life & Writings . . . ; LA History of Nadir Cha... ...-.-...- ise IOUMEIREDISIED ¢ ui) wel e pd we eel ws 1 6 Description of the microscopeEc . . . . . 6 Richmond Rarities... . .. - ; is 2. 8 To John Mitchelson for sundrys Viz Life of the Duke of Argyle . . . 7 Parnell’s Poems... . - +. 6 Young’s Night Thoughts 5.3 Farquhar’s Works 2 vol . 10. 6 Fenton’s Poems... . . 4. 6 Devil on Crutches 2 vol . . 7. 6 History of the Royal Family 4. 6 GM 2 Fer’s Geography . - an Hughes’s History of Barbadocs 207 1750 By By By By By Sons for the following Books Thomson’s ‘Travels 4 vol Thomson’s Seasons Pope’s Homer 6 vol Rollins Ancient History 13 vol ‘Trap’s Virgil 3 vol Echard’s Terence . Ainsworth’s Dictionary Spectator 8 Tatler 4 Addison’s Works 4. Guardian 2 Rollins Belles Lettres 4 Hankey’s Virgil ‘Terence Horace . Buxtorp’s Hebrew Dexicon Heerebord’s Burgersdicius Clark’s Homer 2 vol Murphy’s Lucian . Robertson’s Lexicon Passor’s Lexicon Kennet’s Antiquities ae Potter’s Antiquities 2 vol Salust Minellii Rowe’s Salust Brown’s Roman History Geographica Classica Button’s Introduction : Plutarch’s Lives 8 vol Francis’s Horace Cn Greek Grammar Greek Testament . Schrevelii Lexicon Memoria ‘Technica Gerard Fowke for Dycke’s Dictionary Sons for the Preceptor 2 vol Fer’s Geography . Profit & Loss for Freeman’s Reports . Universal History 20 vol Robert Roseby by his Bro. Alexander Ld. Raymond’s Reports 2 vol Comyns Reports . : Barnardiston’s Reports in C anc ‘Talbot's Reports . 2 Shower’s Cases in Pavliame nt CONTRA Curr’ 15. 3. 1% 18. 9 Dei il, 3 3. 1% 2.10. 1G Dr 12. 6 12a O, 2 13 1% 3. 4 3. 4 3. 4 3}. 4. 1653 te AS 1 sana . 4. 4% 3, 2 Ne 6 3. 16 2. 8% 2. 8% 5. 7% 3. 4 2mlOr 16. 3 3, 126 4. 4% 9. 4% 3. 1% 21. 8. 1% Hil. Siento 3F 16. 6 B2e eee 7.14. KO, Ge, £4.10 D2 Ae elise a P45 9) 19. 6 10.10 662. 9. 214 £706. .11% Appenpix L Botanical Record and Prevailing Temperatures Dates when flowers, trees, and plants bloomed in 1767, with temperatures, extracted from John Mercer’s journal, in back of Ledger B Temp. April 46-63 Daffodil 22. 46-51 Jonquil Hyacinths 6 24 46-62 Formantil Violet 26 70-78 Syringa Narcissous » Persian Lilac 60-69 Almond Honeysuckle Virg* Apricot Hyacinth dw . . purp. 37-47. Plum sm! 28 60-65 Iris lat blue 45-48 May Cherry Narcissus w. Cucumber hotbed 30, 64-70 Parrot Tulip 44-52 Beans May Pease l 54-60 ~~ Rose 3 53-57 Mourn bride rain in the 47-48 = Dwart Iris night 41-52 Peach Peony w* Hyacinth sd10 Hyacinth dou. bl. Ded 5 4 55-63 Purple Stocks De in the Cowslips night & 44-50 rain all night morn, & morn 5 59-66 White De 446 De all night 6 54-67 Agerolis & day Peony red 44-50 Cherry y&b De all night 7 60-72 Honeysuckle Plum Comm. 8 59-72 Spiderwort Wild curran Horsechestnut 48-32 Peach d bl Snow drop Asparagus 9 59-65 Yellow Lilly Radishes Borage Crown Imperial 10-59-65 Fraxinella 44-54 = Tulip early 1} 66-68 = Yellow « Rose 54-62 Pear Fringe tree Wall flower 12 64-68 Grass pinks 48-53 Frittillary rain all night 13 63-70 Annual stock 46-60 Green Sagia i4 65-72 Madeira leis 48-55 — Prickson Sweet we 48-60 Columbine 15 (0-76 Corn Hay fine cain in the Tulips night Strawberry 6 o.70 Spiraca frets 34-60 Lilac > epee Veaths Fiveciath Catchfly Julia Mf it er Temp. 67-80 70-82 72-83 75-80 Corn Hay White rose Poppy Bladder Senna Foxglove Swamp Laurel Sm! bl. Iris Scorzancea Monthly Rose Orange Lemon Citron Indian Pink Larkspur Queen’s july fl. Wing’d pea Monks hood Catch fly Apscynum Sago Sparrow Wistle L. Weymouth’s world Sp Broom Dorch. yell Rose Great Poppy a fine rain A fine rain Pinks Gumbogia W* Lilly Apscinum vine Whitsunday June aS SID oO Temp. 74-76 70-64 60-71 63-73 Prickly pear Jessamine Holyock Crysanthemum Virg* Spike Sweet Sultan Orange Lilly Cat Spa Flos Adonis Pleurisy root A fine rain Yucca African Marigold Southern wood Elacampana Rock Rose Oriental Asmart Afr marigold y. Althaea frutea Coxcomb Amaranth ordes Virg® Saffron Partridge berr* rain all day Passion flow? Marvel of Peru Swamp Sweet Martagon Virg. Cardinal fl. Sunflower APPENDIX M Inventory of Marlborough, 1771 {John Mercer’s widow, Ann Roy Mercer, died at Marlborough September 2, 1770. By the next spring, James Mercer was operating Marlborough as one of four plantations owned by him. The overseer was Thomas Oliver. At the end of May 1771 Oliver drew up a statement of the conditions of the plantations and made a detailed inventory. This document has been reproduced in facsimile in A Documentary History of American Industrial Society.* The following excerpts consist of the inventory, as it applied to Marlborough only, and of Oliver's statement at the end. The “return,” as he called it, covered the period from May | to May 31, 1771. The reference to advertising the “‘sale”’ is apparently concerned with one of the unsuccessful public sales of John Mercer’s personal property.] 56 ~=Horn Cattle 28 ~=Cavallrey Sheap Swine Plowes Clevices Clevispins leading lines Chaine traces Roap traces Bridle Bitts Back bands Haimes Ox Yoaks Ox Chains Ox Carts Waggons Compleat Horse Harness d° = o nm PK NWHROODOOPRPR—-MON: *Edit. John P, Commons (New York: Russell & Russell, 1958), vol. 1, facsimile opp. p. 236. Quoted through kind per mission of Russell & Russell, publishers. —— Os O— — —— ND m- oO — & oO Horse Collers Swingle trees Threshing Instruments Fanns Sieves Riddles Halfe bushel Measure Halfe Barre! Measure Harrows Hillinghows Weeding hows srubbing hows Syder press Syder Mill Axes Wedges Iron Shovels Spades Hay forks Hay Rakes Dung forks Scythes Cradles Sickles Sheap Shears Barns Grainerys Corn Houses Stables Stock locks Padlocks Mealbags Boats Schoos Cannow Scares Croes cull Saws Whip Saws Hand Saws \decs Chisel Han | 211 Drawing knives Broad Axes Gouges — — <3 1 Compasses Augers 2 Yard Rules Chalk lines Sawfiles Curriers knives ‘Tanners knives Tobacco Cask Branding Irons CO — — — 6 = > 0 Iron Potts for Negroes Grinding Stoans 6 Scyth stoans 1 Sarvants 29 Negroes in Crop 25 Negroes out of Crop 9 Hyerd out 63 ‘Total amount of Negroes N.B. the Casuality in sheap are 11 sold to M* Lowery. 1 to Doct’ Clemense. 1 held for the house. dy’d a little time after being Castrated 5 (18) as in 1 Calfe dy’d five days after the remainder of the stock in good the work of the Mill going on as well as Can be Expected till M‘ the Schoo and Boat unfit for Any Sarvice whatsoever till repair’d. the Collem of decress. Being Cutt. Condition. two mares excepted. Drains is better. if Capable of it. the foundation of the Malt house wants repairing. the Manor house wants lead lights in some of the windows. the East Green House wants repairing. the west d° wants buttments as a security to the wall on the south side. the Barn, tobacco houses at Marlborough & Acquia must be repaired as soon as possible. The two tobacco houses at Belvaderra are five stables on Marlborough planta- tion must also be repair’d before winter. we have susta’'d no damage from Tempests or Floods. it will Expedient to hyer a Carpinder for the woork in good order. wanted can not be accomplish’d in time, seeing the Carpenders must be taken of for harvest which is Like to be heavy. I will advertise the sale at Stafford Court and the two parish Churches to begin on the 20th of June 1771. this is all the intelligence this month requiers. P.S. The Syder presses at each plantation & Syder Mill at Marlbrough to tally Expended . . . . Negro Sampson Marlbro Company Sick of the Gravel. Negress Deborah Sick of a Complication of dis? Negro Tarter acqui Company Sick plurisy. Negress Phillis sick Accokeeck Company Kings Evil Negro Jas Pemberton at Marlb" Sick Worme fever. ThS. Oliver For Ja? Mercer Esq? Index ent of the Laws of Virginia, 24, 62-63; second edition, apothecary, 36 (See also medicine) 20, 53 Aquia (plantation), 62 Accokeek: plantation, 12, 62; ironworks, 23, 24, 25, 47, Aquia Church (See under church) 162, 193 Aquia Creek, 11, 12 Act for Encouraging Adventurers in Ironworks, Mercer's | archeological techniques, 70 ; protest against, 23 arches, 36, 91, 94 Acts for Towns (1662), 5; (1680), 5, 7 architect, 36 (See also joiner; carpenter) Act for Ports (1691), 7, 10, 34; suspension of, 8 architecture, books on, 37, 38, 43, 98 Act for Ports (1705), 8, 12, 22, 45, 83, 177; suspension Architecture of A. Palladio, 98 (llustr. from) of, 9 art, books on, 43, 200 Adie, Hugh, 118 Ashby, . 53 agricultural implements: Ashby, Thomas, vii hoe, 25, 170 (illustr.) Astbury, Thomas (Staffordshire potter), 108, 138, 139 plow, 25; drill plow, 59; iron for, 34; colter for, 73, Astbury, Thomas, Jr. (Staffordshire potter), 139 168-169 — (illustr.) scythe, iron, 113, 114, 168 (illustr.), 171 Bacon, Nathaniel, 10 ; spade, 170-171 Bagge, Edmund, 17, 192 Alexander, Robert, 12, 22 Bailey, (brewer), 55 Alexandria, 50, 52, 53 Bailey, Worth, viii Alexandria Library, viii ball, musket, 155, 157 (illustr.) Allan, William, 34 Ballard, Thomas, !2, 14, 17, 22 Allen, William, 184 Ballard, William, 177 Ambler, Richard, 16 Balthrop, —, 51 American Philosophical Socicty, vii, vill, 69; Year Book of, Barber, William, 12 viii Barradall, Mr, 58 Amson, Doctor, 46 Barry, Ed, 18 amusements: Barry, Thomas (bricklayer), 36, 91, 95, 102, 104, 105 cards, 51 basaltes ware (See under stoneware) dancing, 33, 34 basins, 25, 39; earthenware, 125; pottie, 39, 138 game counters, 26 (illustr.) Basnett, Abraham (‘‘oysterman’), 35 horse racing, 20, 26, 43 Battaley (Battaille), Mosley, 16, 17; Mercer's account for, loo, 20, 26 185 lottery, 34 Bayley, Ambrose, 10, 11 music, 33, 34; books on, 43 | Beach, Danicl, 14 pitching, 20 | Beach, Peter, 12, 13; inventory of, 104 quoits, 20 Beaty, Andrew (joiner), 36 racing (unspecified), 17 | bed (See wader furniture) wagers, 26 | bed cord, 17 wrestling, 26 Belchier, John (cabinetmaker), 40 Anderson, Thomas (brickmaker,) 28, 35 Belfield, Mr., 42 irons, 17, 162 (illustr.) Belle Plains, 28 Andrew, George (ordinary keeper), 11, 12, 19,25, 4, 82, Belvedere (plantation 2 Lis inventory of, 183 Bensen, Thotmas, 18 ‘Antigua Ship,” 47 Berkeley, Governor, 47 “> Berryman, Se beverages: ale, 33, 55, 56; arrack, 145; Barbadoes spirits, 145; beer, 55, 145, 146 (Bristol); bottles for, 145-152; brandy, 36, 145; chocolate, 32; cider, 16, 33, 62, 145, 146, 149; citron water, 146; claret, 17, 18, 33, 46, 145; coffee, 32; corn, 145; gin, 150-151; lime juice, 17; Lisbon, 145; Madeira, 25, 145; ‘Mint [water],”’ 146; “Orange flower [water],”’ 146; porter, 56; punch, 13 145; rum, 17, 33, 42, 145; sherry, 145; “TDansey,’ 146; tea, 32; wine, 33, 145, 145 (Fyall) (See also bottle; cup; glass; chocolate pot; teapot) Beverley, Robert, 8, 21, 51, 97, 192 biography, books of, 43 birds, singing, 33; birdcage, 33 Biscoe, W., vil Black, William, 33, 178 Blacke, William (gardener), 58 blacksmith, 35, 167, 174 (See also ironworks) Bland, Theodorick, 7, 8, 10, 177 Blane, John, 25 boat, 62; canoe, 25; ““Schoo” (schooner), 62, 177; sloop, Nay NUS BPA CS 7/7 bones, animal, 111 bookplate, John Mercer’s, iv (illustr.) books, 14, 17, 20, 33, 34, 36, 42; Mercer’s reading, 191; purchase of, 191-192, 198-208; sale of, 61-62 Booth, John (weaver), 32 botanical record, 209-210 (See also garden) bottles, 25, 56, 145-152; canary, 145; cider, 149; closure for, 145; gin, 112, 150-151 (illustr.); medicine, 152, 153 (illustr.); methods of making, 146-149; octag- onal, 149 (illustr.); scent, 152; smelling, 32; snuff, 32, 151 (illustr.), 152; spirits, 111, 150 (illustr.); stoneware, 39; wine, 72, 107, 111, 112, 119 (illustr.), 145-149 (illustr.), 173, 178; wine, seal for, 31 (illustr.), 73, 111, 146-149 (illustr.) bowl: creamware, 141; delftware, 137 (illustr.); earthen- ware, 124 (illustr.), 127 (illustr.); porcelain, 144; redware, 125, 126, 128; stoneware, 136; whiteware, 143 box iron, heaters for, 17, 162 (illustr.) (See also smoothing iron) Boyd’s Hole, 18, 35, 51 Braddock, General, 52 Braintree (Mass.), 151 brands, on tobacco casks, 29-30 brass, 17, 39, 59, 72, 73, 108, 155 (See also specific forms) Braxton, Colonel, 26 Brent, George, 12 Brent, Giles, 7, 12 Brent, Giles, Jr., 7 Brent, Robert, 12 Brent, William, 23, 26 3rent, William (infant), 45, 177; house burned, 63 , 22; widow of, 12; heirs of, 177 brewer, 55, 58; house for, 178 14 brewery, 55, 56-57, 61, 178; sale at, 56; sale of, 61; still, 26, 61 (See also Marlborough, buildings) brewing, books on, 43 Brick House (village in New Kent County), 27 bricklayers, 35, 36, 103-104, 118 bricklaying, 94-95; 103-104, 11], 112; Flemish bond, 72, 12] brickmaking, 35 (See also building materials) bridge, 35 bridle, 25; bit for, 73, 169 (illustr.), 171 (illustr.) Bromley, William (turner), 36, 38, 39, 50, 98 Bronough, John W., 64 Brook (village), 28, 67 Brooke, William, 26 Brooks (ship), 26 broom, hearth, 39 Brunswick ‘Town (North Carolina), 108 brush, curry, 18, 172 bucket, 39 Buckland, William, 52 buckle: brass, 72, 155 (illustr.), 156 (illustr.); iron, 170; pewter, 52; silver, 32 Buckley ware (See under earthenware) Bucknell (Oxford County), 58 Buckner, William, 7, 8, 21, 22, 177 (See also Marlborough, survey 1691) Bucks County Historical Society, viii, 28 building materials: ballusters, 36, 96 bricks; 95 Ul; 185.355 36; 6751685 715 72, Iota LO2S Oz 109 (illustr.), 112; sizes of, 90, 95, 104, 121 clapboards, 25 concrete, 92 (illustr.), 93 (illustr.) flagstones, 35, 86, 97, 101, 102, 121 gold leaf, 36, 95 lime, 9, 35, 69 linseed oil, 36 lumber, 9, 18, 25, 34, 36 marble, 96 mortar, 35, 69, 102, 162 oystershells, 16, 18, 35, 69, 107, 108, 111 paint, 36 plaster, 96, 97 (illustr.), 102, 121 shingles, 34 stone, 35, 36, 68, 71, 72, 86, 87, 89, 91 (illustr.), 92 (illustr.), 94 (illustr.), 101 Bull Run Quarters, 29, 30, 42; slaves at, 41, 58 bullet (See ball) Buncle, Alexander, 17 Burges, Joseph (house painter), 36 Burwell, Carter, 35 buttons, 25, 42, 47, 52, 155; brass, 155; copper, 155, 156 (illustr.); horn, 58; Sheffield-plated, 155; shell, 155; silver, 155; white metal, 42, 58, 156 (illustr.) Byrd, William, 46 cabinetmakers, 25, 35, 40 candle, 40; beeswax for, 41; myrtle wax for, 41; tallow, 41 candle box, 20 candlemolds, 17 candlestick, 14, 17, 20 (brass), 39, 40, 41, 153 (glass, illustr.) (See also sconce) canoe, 25 Canton, Mark, 42 Cantrell, William (servant), 58 Carlyle, John, 30 Carlyle, Sarah, 30 Caroline Courthouse, 27, 28 carpenter, 36, 50, 62, 91, 118; apprentices, 50 carpet, 13 cart (See under vehicle) Carter, Charles, 28 Carter, Lucy, 118; marriage to Nathaniel Harrison, 118 Carter, Robert (“King”), 118 carver, 36, 40 casks, 29, 30, 55, 56, 61, 145, 146; hogsheads, 26, 30, 31, 33, 145; “pipes,” 33, 145 Cavanaugh, Philemon, 17 Cave, John, 13, 23, 28, 42 Caywood, Louis, 97 Cedar Point, 18 celt, Indian, 73, 119 (illustr.) ceramics, 68, 105, 125-144; Indian, 108; methods of manu- facture, 135-136 (See also specific forms and types) chair (See under furniture) chaise (See under vehicle) chalk, 155, 171 chamber pots: stoneware, 88, 132 (illustr.); yellowware, 126 Chambers, John, 18 Champe, Major John (merchant), 31, 35, 54 Chapman, Nathaniel, 25, 35, 49, 162, 166, 169, 170-171; Mercer’s account with, 193 charger, delftware, 137; pewter, 39 chariot (See under vehicle) charities, John Mercer's, 47 Charles City Courthouse, 9 Charleston, George (tailor), 32 chelloes, 18 chest (See under furniture) Chew, John, 192 chimney, 12, 20, 36, 97, 102, 105 (See also mantel; fireplace) china, 39, 144 (See also porcelain) Chinn, John, 20 Chinn, Rawleigh, 17, 20, 25 chinoiserie, 136, 137, 140 (illustr.), 142 Chiswell’s Ordinary, 51 Chiswell Plantation, 97 _ chocolate pot, copper, 39 Chotank Church, 10 church: Aquia, 27, 37, 46-47, 52, 145; undertaker for, 46, 47; church plate, 46 (See also Overwharton Parish) Chotank, 10 Hanover, 35 Mattaponi, 35 New Kent, 35 Pohick (Fairfax), 37 Potomac, 27, 28, 46, 54 (See also Overwharton Parish) Stafford Parish, 10 church, brick, 46 cider press, 62 (See also beverages) Clark, John (servant), 52 Cleve (plantation), 28 clothing, 31-32; breeches, 34, 42, 52, 58, 59; “Russia,”’ 59 children’s, 34 coat, 42; greatcoat, 31, 59 gloves, 18, 31, 34; mittens, 34 handkerchief, 31 hat, 17, 18, 25, 31, 52, 58, 59; “Castor,” 31; hood, 31 hose, 18 indentured servant apparel, 52, 59 jacket, 58, 59 liveries, 42 mourning, 47 neckcloth, 52 petticoat, 31 shirts, 52, 58 shoes, 17, 18, 31, 34, 42, 52, 58 slave apparel, 42, 58, 59 stockings, 31, 34, 52, 58, 59 suit, 31, 32 trousers, 52 vest, 34 waistcoat, 32 (See also textiles) coach (See under vehicle) coachman, 42 coal, 56, 107, 108 coffin, child’s, 17 coins, 119, 155-156 (illustr.) Coke, John (silversmith), 39 colander, 20 College of William and Mary, 20, 44, 47, 99, 121; account of George Mercer's expenses while attending, 197 Collings, Jn®, 149 Collins, Robert, 18 Colonial Williamsburg, Inc., viii, 30, 149 comb: curry, 18, 169, 172 (and brush); horn, 32; iwory, 16, 12; wig, 25 Combe, La combed ware (Se wader carthenware) Cooke, John, (4, 96, 125 Cooper, 56: house for, 55 Cooper, Macartney, Powel & Lyde, 40 Copein, William (mason), 37, 91 copper, 17, 55, 108, 119, 178 (See also specific items) corks, 56, 145 court: Spotsylvania, 27; Williamsburg, 27 courthouse: Caroline, 27, 28, 53 Charles City, 9, 121, 122 Elizabeth City, 9 Hanover, 98, 118 (illustr.), 121, 122 King William, 23 (illustr.), 51, 53, 98, 120 (illustr. floor plan), 121, 122 Marlborough, vii, 8, 11, 45; (1691), 28; cleaning, 13, 184; construction of, 11; contract to build, 10; destruction of, 9, 11; location of, 11, 44, 67; trial in, 12; New Kent, 27, 28, 51 Potomac Creek, vii, viii, 7, 10, 11, 20, 28, 49, 99, 177; architectural analysis of, 121; artifacts from, 119-121; burning of, 118; excavations, 115-122; excavation plan of, 118; historical background, 115-118; map showing location of, 116, 117; surveys, 115 Stafford (See Potomac Creek) Warwick, 11 Westmoreland, 54 Williamsburg, 121 York (1692), 11, 121 courthouses, brick, 11, 118 Covington, ——-— (dancing master), 34 cows, 17, 20, 61 Craig, James (jeweler), 47 creamware (See under earthenware) Cresap, Thomas, 49 Crichton, Rokert (merchant), 32 crops: barley, 56; corn, 42, 56, 57; hops, 56, 62; malt, 55, 56; peas, 59; rice, 57; turnips, 59; wheat, 59 (See also food; tobacco) Cumberland (ship), 31 cup, 39; chocolate, 17, 144; coffee, 39, 144; custard, 17, 144; dram, 13; fuddling, 137; handle, 137; tea, 17, 72, 136, 144; delftware, 137; earthenware, 127 (illustr.), porcelain, 72, 144; silver, 13, 39; stoneware, 39, 144; yellowware, 128 (illustr.) curry comb, 18, 169 (illustr.), 172 (and brush) curtains, 13; bed, 13; fittings, 172; rings for, 13, 156 (illustr.), 162-163 Custis, Daniel Parke, 31 Custis, John, 31 Dade, Francis, 26 dancing master, 32, 33, 34 Daniel, Peter, 27, 52 Darlington Library, viii Darrell, Sampson, 10, 11, 28 Darter, Oscar H., vii, viii, 67 Davis, Boatswain, 35 Zi'0 Dekeyser, (dancing master), 33 delftware, 88, 107, 114, 136-137, 173; English, 111, 134 (illustr.), 136, 138 (See also specific forms) Dering, William (dancing master), 32, 34 Dick: “Mr. Dick’s Quarter,” 53 Dick, Alexander, 51 Dick, Charles (merchant), 31, 34, 39, 132, 144, 165, 167; textiles listed in Mercer’s accounts with, 196 Dick, William, 51 dish, 39; chafing, 17; oblong, 136; sugar, 39; brass, 17; pewter, 25, 39, 160 (illustr.); silver, 39; stoneware, 136 doctor, 41, 46 (See also medicine) Dogge, John, 17 Donaldson, Captain, 31 door knobs, 39; brass, 167 doors, 37, 38 (illustr.) Downham, William, 184 Drains, Mr., 62 ducks, 25 Dulaney, Daniel, 31 Dunmore, Lord, 63 earthenware, 13, 16, 17, 20, 25, 129 “agate,” 108, 173 black-glazed, 119, 139 Buckley, 72, 107, 111, 113, 114, 126-128, 130 (illustr.), 173 combed ware, 126, 173 creamware, 111, 141, 173 marbled, 138-139 molded-rim type, 125-126 North Devon gravel-tempered, 111, 126, 173 pearlware, 140 (illustr.), 141 polychrome, 140, 143 queensware, 139 (illustr.), 140 redware, 114, 125-126, 128 shell-edged, 140, 141-142 Tidewater type, 73, 111, 124-125 (illustr.), 173 tortoiseshell ware, 128 (illustr.), 139 transfer-printed, 143-144 whiteware, 112, 140 (illustr.), 173 yellowware, 107, 111, 126, 128 (illustr.) (See also specific forms) Edgeley, LG education, 34; hornbook, 33, 34; slate, 156, 158; slate pencil, 111, 156, 158; tutor, 34 (See also College of William and Mary) Edwards, Elizabeth, 39 Elizabeth (ship), 26 Elizabeth City Courthouse, 9 Elliot, George (turner), 36, 96 Elzey, Thomas, 117 Emo, Lord Leonardo, 98 Fairfax, George, 49 Falkner, Ralph, 192 _—a Fallmouth (Virginia), 53 Ferguson, John (overseer), 42 ferry, Potomac Creek, 8, 13 fiddler, 34 fireback, iron, 17 fireplaces, 12, 20, 41, 94, 96, 97, 101, 102, 104, 105 (See also chimney; mantel) Fisher, George, 51 fishhooks, 42, 111, 171 (illustr.) fishing, 32, 42, 54, 64; drumlines, 42; perch lines, 42; seine, 42, 54 Fitz, Captain, 32 Fitzhugh, Colonel, 192 Fitzhugh, Ann, 16 Fitzhugh, Henry, 21, 25, 31, 118; widow of, 118 Fitzhugh, William, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 31, 51 Fitzhugh, William, Jr., 9 Fitzhugh, William III, 16 Fitzpatrick, John (weaver), 32 flagon, stoneware, 132 (illustr.) floors (See pavement) flower pots, 62; earthenware, 129 (illustr.) Foard (Foward), John, 25 food, 192; cinnamon, 32; fish, 32; lemons, 26; limes, 33; lime juice, 17; mace, 32; molasses, 17, 32-33; nutmegs, 32; oysters, 32, 40; pork, 32, 57; spices, 32; sugar, 17, 32, 33 (muscovy); venison, 25; wild game, 25 (See also crops) Forbes, Andrew, 192 forks, 111, 159 (illustr.); wooden handled, 17 Forman, Henry Chandlee, 12 Fort Frederica (Georgia), 126 Foward (Foard), John (merchant), 25, 26, 167 Foward, Jonathan, 26 Fowke, Chandler, 18 Fowke, Gerard, 31, 52 Foxhall, Joseph, 32 Fredericksburg, vii, 28, 30, 31, 34, 42, 43, 46, 53, 55, 59, 62, 196 freckled ware (See under stoneware) French, Hugh, 18 Fry, Colonel, 49 funnel, 17 Furnea’s (Furnau’s) Ordinary, 27, 28 furniture: beds, 13, 20, 25, 40; bolsters, 13; covers, 39; feather, ity 17; flock, 13; tick, 18 chairs, cane, 13; child’s, 20; leather, 17; rush seat, 13, 25 chest, handle for, 163 (illustr.), 165; chest of drawers, 13 cradle, 25 cupboard, 13 couch, 13 desk, 17; repair of, 25 escritoire, 25, 40, 165 | looking glass, 39 furniture (continued) painted, 17 sale of, 61-62 sconce glass, 39, 41 sideboard, 39 stools, 13 table, 13, 17; marble, 39 garden, 99; botanical record of, 209-210 gardener, 58, 178 Garner, A. M., 137 Garvan, Anthony N. B., viii gateway, 80, 81; pintle for, 73, 81 Grorge Mercer Papers Relating to the Ohio Company of Virginia, viii, 15, 59 Gilmer, George (apothecary), 36 glass, 17 (and cover), 68, 145-154; bowl, 119, 154; candela- brum, 153 (illustr.), 154; decanter, 73, 145, 152-154; mirror, 153 (illustr.), 154; posset pot, 154; salt, 153 (illustr.), 154; window, 62, 96, 107, 121, 153 (illustr.), 154 (See also boule) glasses, 17; cordial, 152 (illustr.), 154; looking, 39; sconce, 39, 41, 154; tumbler, 152, 153 (illustr.), 154; wine, 73 107, 152 (illustr.), 153 (illustr.), 154 glasshouse, 56; Bristol, 148; Germantown, 151 glassmaking techniques, 146, 148-149, 151-152, 154 Gooch (ship), 40 goose, 25 Graham (Graeme), John, 20, 191 Graham, William (overseer), 41 grater, nutmeg, 13 Gray, William, 28 greenhouse, 62, 109, 178 Gregg, Thomas (surveyor), 9, 14, 21, borough, survey 1707) Grenzhausen (Germany), 129 gun flints, 42, 155, 157 (illustr.) 22 (See also Marl- gunpowder, 18, 25, 42 Hamitt, William, 25 Hammersicy, Francis, 7, 12 Hampton (Virginia), 9, 47 Hanbury, Capel, 53 hand mill, 55 Hanover Church, 35 Hanover County, 35 Happel, Ralph, 10, 115 hardware, 193 bole, 111, 119 Gillusor), 121, 166 Cilhaste.), 166 i67. 168 | (illustr.), 170 | brad, 34, 165, 167 chain, 169; for door, 39 escutcheon plate JOR, 154 Cillieste : Mi ilbuete), 163% (illaste), 164 handle or pull, 108 illustr hardware (continued) hasp, 164 (illustr.), 166 hinge, 25, 39, 163 (illustr.), 164 (illustr.), 165-166; butt, 164 (illustr.); HL, 20, 103, 163 (illustr.), 165; H, 163 (illustr.), 165 hook, 166 (illustr.), 168 (illustr.), 170 key, 111, 163 (illustr.), 167 latches, 25, 163 (illustr.), 164 (illustr.), 166 locks, 17, 20, 25, 39, 163 (illustr.), 166-167 nails, 17, 18, 25, 34, 72, 102, 121, 165 (illustr.), 167 nuts and bolts, 170 pin, 166 (illustr.) pintle, gate, 73 rivet and washer, 169 (illustr.) shutter fastener, 88 slab, 105 (illustr.) spike, 165, 167 staples, 163 (illustr.), 166 swingletree loop, 73, 170; chain, 169 tie bar, 87, 94 (illustr.) Harmer & King, 41 harnesses, 61, 170; fittings for, 73, 156 (illustr.), 169 (illustr.), 170 Harrington (ship), 31 Harrison, Colonel, 53 Harrison, Lucy Carter, 118 Harrison, Nathaniel, 118 Hartley, Green & Company, 140-141, 143 Harvey, John, 33 Harwood, Thomas, 185 Hayward, Joseph, 12; house of, 12 Hayward, Nicholas, 12 Hayward, Samuel, 12 hearth (See fireplace) Hedgman, Major Peter, 23, 24, 51, 53 Historic American Buildings Survey, viii, 120 history, books on, 20, 43, 191, 200 Hogans, Francis (wheelwright), 30 hogs, 20 Holbrook, Janet, 33 Holdbrook, 5 Sil Hooe, Rice, 15 Hoomes, George, 28 Hopkins, Mr., 22 Hoppus, Edward, 37 horn, objects made from, 32, 58 (See also specific items; musical instruments) hornbook, 33 (illustr.), 34 horses, 17, 20, 26, 56 (and colts), 61, 63; Ranter, 57, 61-62 (sale of) horseshoes, 169 (illustr.), 172 houses: Alexandria, Carlyle house, 30 Carter’s Grove, 35 Corotoman, 118 218 houses (continued) Eagle’s Nest, 118 Essex County—Elmwood, 98; Blandfield, 103 Gloucester County—Abingdon glebe house, 97; Fair- field, 97 Greenspring, 47, 97, 102 Gunston Hall, 12, 52, 97 Hanover, Scotchtown, 97 Henrico County, ‘Turkey Island, 97 Jamestown, Isaac Watson’s, 12 Joseph Hayward’s, 12 King George County, Brandon, 118 Marlborough, 9, 12-13, 17 John Mercer’s (1730), 18, 22, 45 John Mercer’s ‘Manor House,’’ 45; construction of, 34-38, 62, 177, 178; excavation of, 84-99; insurance policy for, 64, 96; inventory of, viii, 62, 88, 96, 109, 168, 177, 211—212; plan of, 96 (illustr.) Morrisania (New York), Lewis Morris House, 126 Mount Airy, 103 Mount Vernon, 98, 103, 105 Salvington, 28 Shalstone Manor, 40 Stratford, 51, 102, 103 Spotsylvania County, Mannsfield, 102, 103 Williamsburg, Brush-Everard House, 32 Yorktown, Digges house, 12 house, brick, 12, 63 house, glebe, 35, 97 house, wooden, 12, 20 Hubbard, Benjamin, 27 Hudson, J. Paul, 131 Hudson, Thomas, 20 Hull, Sigrid, viii Humble, Green & Co., 140-141 Hunter, James, 55 Hunter, William (merchant), 30-31, 33, 34, 39, 42, 167, 170; textiles listed in Mercer’s account with, 196 hunting, 42; hunting horn, 33 husbandry, books on, 43 Hyndman, John (merchant), 32 indentured servants, 14, 32, 52, 53, 58; apparel of, 52, 58, 59; Thuanus (weaver), 32 Indian, 158; celt, 73, 119; pottery, 108; trial of Nanticoke Indians, 12 indigo, 42 Innes, Enoch, 20 insurance policy, 64, 88-89, 95, 97; house plan drawn on, 96 (illustr.) inventory: George Andrews, 183; Peter Beach, 184; Marl- borough (taken by Thomas Oliver, 1771), viii, 62, 88, 96, 109, 168, 177, 211-212 iron, 121, 161-167; slab, 104, 105 (See also specific items; hardware; tools) onworks: Accokeek, 23, 24, 25, 47, 162, 193; Mercer's protest against Act for Encouraging Adventures in, ackson, Robert (silversmith), 46 amestown, 9, 12, 126, 158 ar: cover, 125, 127 (illustr.); storage, 128 (illustr.); earthen- ware, 125, 127, 128; Buckley ware, 126, 129 (illustr.); stoneware, 131 (illustr.) is, James (widow of), 18 jeweler, 47, 167-168; jeweler’s tools, 111, 167-168 ewelry: earrings, 47; ring, 47, 63 , elected as burgess, 53 Joiner, 36, 38, 50 Jones, Booth (overseer), 42 Jones, Charles, 32 Jones, James, 18 Jones, Robert, 192 Jones, Thomas, 32, 41 Jordan, William (merchant), 31, 39, 168 jugs, 39; delftware, 138; stoneware, 131 (illustr.), 134; white salt-glazed, 135 (illustr.), 136 ecoughtan, 126, 158 Kemp, Peter, 16 _Kernodle, G. H., 149 kiln, 36; malt kiln, 59 King, George Harrison Sanford, viii, 115 _ King, William (silversmith), 39, 55 King, William (brewer), 55 _ King William Courthouse (See under courthouse) kitchen (See Marlborough, buildings) knife, 17, 111, 158 (illustr.), 160 butcher, 39 chopping, 88, 158 (illustr.), 162 clasp, 25 and fork, 17, 39, 159 pen, 17, 25, 32, 111, 155, 158 (illustr.) shoemaker’s, 16 agate-handled, 119 horn-handled, 39 Sheffield-handled, 111, 160 (illustr.) silver-handled, 32 wooden-handled, 17 laces, 18 ladle, iron, 162 (illustr.) Lamb’s Creek (plantation), 31 Land Book, John Mercer's, vii, 6, 8, 45, 82 Langley, Battey, 39 Langton, Richard, 39 lanterns, 17, 39 laundry irons, heaters for, 17, 25, 162 law, books on, 17, 21, 191-192, 198-200 ledgers, John Mercer's, 15, 16; Ledger B, 16, 209; Ledger G, 28, 29, 32, 102, 104, 105, 129; contents of, 185-208: accounts for domestic expenses, 186-190 Lee, Captain, 31 Lee, Dr. Arthur, 54 Lee, General Charles, 63; death of, 63; will of, 63 Lee, George, 31 Lee, Colonel Philip Ludwell, 5! Leoni, Giacomo, 98 Lewes (Delaware), 126 Lewis, Fielding, 34, 47 library: Colonel Spotswood’s, 20; John Mercer's, 21, 42-45, 61-62 (sale of), 198-208 (purchase of) (See alco books) lighting devices, 40, 41 (See also candle; candlestick; sconce) lignum vitae, 13 Linton, Anthony, 18, 25 literature, English, books of, 43 Little River Quarters, 53 loom, 32 (See also weavers) Ludwell, Philip, 47 Lyde, Major Cornelius, 40 Lyde, Lyonel (merchant), 40 Lyndon, Captain Roger, 36, 39, 41, 109 Lynn, Doctor, 41 MacLane, Hugh (tailor), 31 malt, 55, 56; malt kiln, 59; malt house, 55, 62 mantels, 36, 37 (illustr.) (See alse fireplace) maps, 6, 19, 44, 116, 117 marbles, chalk, 155, 157 (illustr.) Marigold (ship), 36, 109 Markham, James, 21, 26 Marlborough: abandonment of, 14 acrial photograph, 66 buildings— barn, 62, 113, 178 brewhouse, 55, 114, 178 cider mill, 62, 178 cooper’s house, 55, 178 corn houses, 64, 178 grainery, 178 greenhouse, 62, 109, 178 houses, 9, 12-15, 17 kitchen, 36, 58, 67, 101-105, 109, 178 malt house, 55, 62, 114, 178 Negro quarters, 64 office, 178 overseers’ houses, 64, 178 privy, 112 prison, 12-13 smokchousc, 106-109 219 Marlborough (continued) buildings (continued) stables, 62, 178 summer house, 58, 178 warehouses, tobacco, 62, 113, 114, 115, 177-178 windmill, 35, 52, 64, 67, 178 excavation plans, 44, 74, 75, 84, 100, 106, 113, 118 inventory, vill, 62, 88, 96, 109, 168, 177, 211-212 maps, 6 naming, 9 surveys— (1691), 6, 21, 44, 67, 68, 82-83, 177 (1707), 9, 14, 21, 22, 45, 82-83 (UFABIDY, (63, PAL We AIG {SE WV 7/ (1743), 117 (See also houses, Marlborough; slaves) Mary Washington College, vii mason, 37, 91 Mason, Ann, 28, 47 Mason, Catharine, 16 Mason, George, 9, 12, 13 Mason, Captain George, 10, 12 Mason, Colonel George IIT, 15, 16, 20, 21, 24, 26, 28 Mason, George IV, 24, 52, 53, 63, 97; elected as burgess, 53 mathematics, books on, 43 Mattaponi church, 35 McClelland, Charles, 17 McFarlane, Alexander, 17, 18 McKenzie, Doctor Kenneth, 46 medicine, 41, 46; books on, 43, 201; bottles for, 152; Aqua Linnaean, 46; British oyl, 46, 152; Daffy’s Elixir, 46; Euphorbium, 46; gum fragac, 46; Holloway’s Citrate, 46, 152; oil of cinnamon, 46; Opadeldoc, 152; opium, 46; rattlesnake root, 46; rhubarb, 46; of lavender, 46; sago, 46 (See also doctors; apothecary) Mercer, Ann Roy, 48; death of, 61, 211; portrait of, 47 (illustr.) Mercer, Anna, birth of, 53 Mercer, Catesby, death of, 53 Mercer, Catherine, 17, 18, 146, 147; death of, 47 spirits Mercer, Elinor, 51; death of, 53 Mercer, George, 33, 34, 49, 52, 53 (elected as burgess), 54, 56, 59 (See also George Mercer Papers . . .) Mercer, Grace Fenton, 15, 51 Mercer, James, 33, 34, 49; 50; 52) 53, 54, 57, 61, 62, 63: death of, 64 Mercer, Captain James, 52; death of, 53 Mercer, John, passim; portrait of, 47 (illustr.); death of, 59 Mercer, John (father of John Mercer of Marlborough), 15 Mercer, John III, birth and death of, 53 Mercer, John Fenton, 33, 34, 49, 52; death of, 52 Mercer, John Francis, birth of, 53, 63, 64, 142 Mercer, Maria, birth of, 53 Mercer, Mungo Roy, 51 Mercer, Sarah Ann Mason, 28, 33 c 220 Meese, Anne, 12 microscopes, 43 mill, 35, 62; windmill, 35, 52; hand mill, 55 Mills, James, 30 Mills, William (weaver), 32 Minitree, David (bricklayer), 35, 36, 91, 95 Mitchelson, John, 33 mold: bullet, chalk, 111, 155, 156 (illustr.), 157 (illustr.); candle, 17; tart, copper, 17 Moncure, Reverend John, 27, 28, 47, 52 Monday, William (carpenter), 36, 91 Monroe, Andrew (overseer), 31, 55, 57 Monroe, James, 55 Monroe, Thomas, 31 Moore, Bernard, 39 mortar and pestle, 20 mother-of-pearl, 26 Mountjoy, ol Mountjoy, Edward, 184 mug: creamware, 141; delftware, 137; earthenware, 124 (illustr.), 125, 127 (illustr.); stoneware, 88, 131 (illustr.), 132 (illustr.), 134, 135 (illustr.), 136 mull stick, 39 music, book on, 33 musical instruments: horn, French, 33 (illustr.); fiddle strings, 34; trumpet, 33 Mussen, James, 11 Mutual Assurance Society of Virginia, 64, 96 (See also insurance policy) Nanticoke Indians, 12 National Park Service, 121, 126 needles, 25 Negroes, 25, 41; “Negro Ship,” 47; skipper, 42 (See also slaves) Nevill’s Ordinary, 53 Newbery, Bob (London bookseller), 59 New Kent Church, 35 New Kent Courthouse (See under courthouse) Nicholson, Captain Timothy, 36, 58 Niemeyer, Mabel, viii Nisbett, William, 25 Noél Hume, Ivor, viii, 126, 131 Norfolk, 9, 33, 47, 55, 59 Occaquan warehouse, 30 occupations, colonists identified by Mercer according to, 195 (See also specific occupations) Ohio Company of Virginia, 25, 49, 51, 53, 54, 55, 59, 119, 122 (See also George Mercer Papers . . .) Oliver, Thomas (overseer), inventory by, vili, 62, 88, 96, 109, 168, 177, 211-212 Omwake, H. Geiger, 126 ordinaries, 8, 11, 12, 13, 27, 28, 51, 53; inventory of ordinary keeper, 183 oven, 17, 36, 102, 104, 105 rwharton Parish, 16, 26, 27, 46, 145; John Mercer's account for, 194 (See also churches, Potomac and Aquia) painter: house, 36; portrait, 16, 32 painting, 36 (See also portrait) Palladio, Andrea, 37, 98-99 Palladio Londonensis (book), 37, 38 Pamunkey River, 35 (illustr.), 125, 127 (illustr.); sauce, 25, 39; Buckley ware, 126, 127 (illustr.); copper, 25; redware, 125 (illustr.); Tidewater-type earthenware, 124 (illustr.), 125; tin, 39 Sys Passapatanzy, 17, 29, 35, 61 Patterson, ores) pavement, 104, 105; brick, 85, 102-103; stone, 86, 97, 101, 121 Peace Point, 7 Peale, Captain Malachi, 7, 8, 12 Pemberton, James, 62 _ Perry, Captain, 31 Perryman, Captain, 31 pestle, 20 pewter, 13, 17, 52, 119, 160-161 (See also specific items) Phipps, Reverend John (tutor), 34, 40 Pipe, , 53 pipe (See tobacco pipe) pistols, 63 pitcher: creamware, 141; stoneware, 133, 135 (illustr.), 136; : whiteware, 143 plasterer, 36 plastering, 18; plaster cornice molding, 96, 97 (illustr.) (See also building materials) plates, 20, 39; “basket,” 136; cake, 136; pie, 129; cream- ware, 119, 141; delftware, English, 136 (illustr.), 137; pewter, 111, 161; porcelain, 144; tortoiseshell ware, 140; white salt-glazed, 119 plate warmer, 39 platter: creamware, 141; queensware, 140 (illuste.); white salt-glazed, 119 (illustr.) Pohick Church (Fairfax), 37 u Pope, > 22 porcelain, Chinese, 107, 112, 114, 140, 144, 173; blue and white, 142 (illustr.), 143 (illustr.); importation of, 144; Lowestoft, 144; polychrome, 140 (illustr.), 14! (illustr.), 144 (See also specific forms) porringer, 25, 39 Port Royal (Virginia), 28, 47, 51 port towns, 5 (See also Acts for Towns) portrait, 32; of John Mercer, 16 (illustr.); of Ann Roy Mercer, 47 (illustr,) posset pot: delftware, 138; glass, 154; marbled, 139; stone- ware, 119, 132, 133, 136; yellowware, 126 pot: lid, 73, 162 (illustr.), 126, 127 (illustr.); ointment, 14 (illustr.), 138 (illustr.); repair of, 25; delftware, 134; iron, 17, 161—162 (illustr.); tin, 18 Potawomake (Indian village), vii, 67 Potomac Church (Ste under church) Potomac Creck (See courthouse, Potomac Creek) Potter, Doctor Henry, 28 potteries: Burslem, 133, 134; Little Fenton, 128; Stafford- shire, 135, 138; Yorktown, 125, 131, 173 powder (See gunpowder) Power, James, 39 Powers, John, 27 prison, 12 punchbowl, 39, 119; delftware, 119; lignwm viter, 13; porcelain, 17, 144 Purefoy, Henry, 40 Ramsay, William, 3! Randolph, William, 31 razor, 17, 32; strop, 32 Reid, James, 26 “Retirement, The” (plantation), 12 Reyant, Pat, 24 Richards, Mourning, 47 rings: brass, 111, 170; curtain, 13, 156 (illustr.), 162-163 (See also jewelry) Ritchie, Mr., 42 Robinson, , 22 Robinson, Berryman, Pope & Parry, 22 Robinson, John, 55 Rock, George, 33 Rogers, — (clerk), 51, 4 Rogers, William (potter), 16, 125, 131, 173 Rose, Parson 192 Rosewell (plantation), 126, 131, 144, 147, 148, 152, 154,173 Roth, Rodris, viii Roy, Ann, marriage to John Mercer, 48 Roy, Mrs. B., death of, 53-54 Roy, Donald E., viii Roy, Doctor Mungo 47, 48 rug, silk, 16; “Turkey work,” 13 Russell, Elizabeth, 17 Russell & Russell, viii Russell site (Lewes, Delaware), Rust, George, 17 126 saddle stiffener, 169 (ilhustr.), 171 sail, 42; for windmill, 59 sale, John Mercer's estate, 61-65 Salmon, William, 37, 38 oc te _ sauceboat: silver, 39; stoneware, 136 saucer, 17, 39, 144; Chinese porcelain, 144 (illustr.) Savage, James (overseer), 42 Savage John, 7, 8, 21, 82, 116, 192 (See also Marlborough, survey 1731 and 1743 Scarlett, Martin, 12 Schumacher, Edward G., viii science, books on, 43, 192, 200 scissors, 25, 39, 155; “Salisbury,” 17, 161; steel, 111, 161 (illustr.) (See also shears) “sconce glass,” 39, 41 Scott, Reverend Alexander, 16 Scott, Jack, vill Scott, James, 49 seal: wine bottle, 31 (illustr.), 73, 146-149; ““G R,” 131, 132 (illustr.); tobacco cask, 30, 148 seed boxes, 59 Selden, Mr., 53, 54, 58 Selden, Joseph, 28 Selden, Samuel, 28 Setzler, Frank M., vii, 67 Seward, Nicholas (overseer), 42 Shaw, Simeon, 135 shears, sheep, 108, 170 (illustr.), 171 sheep, 17, 20 sheets, 59 shipping, 15, 16 (See also boat) shot, 18, 25, 42 sifter, 18; hair sifter, 39 silver, 32, 39, 159; church plate, 46; sale of, 61, 62-63; Sheffield, 111, 155, 159 (See also specific items) silversmith, 39, 46 Simm, Edward, 18 Simpson, John (wheelwright), 30 skillet, bell metal, 25 skimmer, 20 skins, deer, 16, 31 (buckskin) slate, 156, 158 (illustr.); slate pencil, 111, 156, 158 (illustr.) slaves, 16, 25, 41, 57; carpenter’s apprentices, 50; clothing, 32, 42, 58, 59; expenses regarding, 59, 160, 162; number of Negroes born at Marlborough, 54; punish- ment of, 41; purchase of, 24, 53, 55, 58; quarters of, 64, 178; sale of, 16-17, 64; suicide of, 41; Bob, 24, 42; Boatswain, 42; Caesar, 25; Captain, 42; Cupid, death of, 53; Deborah, 24, 41; Dublin, 24; Essex, 50; Frank, 41; George, 24; Joe, 41-42; Lucy, 24; Margaret, 24; Marlborough, 24; Nan, 24; Nero, 24; Peter, 24, 50; Phillis, 24; Poll, 53; Sampson, 62; Sarah, 17; Stafford, 24; Temple, 58; Tom (death of), 53; Will, 24, 25 sloop (See under boat) Smith, Thomas, 18 Smith’s ordinary, 51 smoothing iron, heaters, for, 25 (See also box iron) Snake (ship), 26 Snicker’s Little River Quarters, 53 99 oe he hen snuff: bottle, 32; box, 32, 25 (repair of) snuffers, candle, 17; iron, 88, 163 (illustr.) Spencer, Doctor, 43 spices (See food) spinning: reel, 62; wheel, 25, 32, 62 spoons: soup, 39; tea, 39, 88, 160; iron, 162; pewter, 111, 160 (illustr.), 161 (illustr.), 173; silver, 13, 39, 88, 159, 160 (illustr.) Spoore, Ann, 28 Spotswood, Colonel Alexander, 20, 26, 191 Spotswood, Robert, 20 spurs, 18 stables, 62 Stafford County, port town for, 7 Stafford Parish Church, 10 Stafford Rangers, 12 Stafford Survey Book, 8 Stamp Act, 54, 55; George Mercer, stamp office , 54 steelyards, 17 Stevens, Samuel, 25 Stevenson, William (merchant), 26 Stewart, I. Dale, vii, viii, 67 still, 26 stoneware, 39, 125, 129, 131-136; basaltes ware, 112, 138 (illustr.), 142 brown-banded, 88 “Crouch” ware, 135 drab, 133 “freckled ware,” 134 Nottingham, 88, 111, 132-133, 173 salt-glazed, 114, 131-132 “scratch-blue,”’ 133 (illustr.), 135 Westerwald, 39, 73, 88, 107, 111, 129, 131, 132, 173 white salt-glazed, 72, 88, 108, 111, 133 (illustr.), 135- 136, 173 Stotham, Mat, 191 Strother, Widow, 58 Suddath, Henry, 18 Sumner’s Quarters (plantation at Passapatanzy), 17, 29, 30 surveys (See under Marlborough) Sussex Archeological Society, 126 swans, 25 swords, 63 Sydenham & Hodgson, 30, 31, 39, 99, 168 Sydenham, Jonathan, 30 tailors, 31, 32 34, 42, 47 Talbott, Mark, 33 Taliaferro, Colonel John, 27, 28; wife of, 43 Taliaferro, Richard, 31 tankard, pewter, 13 Tappahannock (town), 9, 30 tar, 42 Tayloe, George, 31 Tayloe, Colonel John, 53 Taylor, James, 43 Taylor, Robert, 34 pot: and frame, 39; handle, 139; lid for, 111, 135 (illustr.), 140, 160 (ilustr.), 161 (illustr.); earthen- ware, 139; pewter, 111, 160, 161; silver, 39; stoneware, 135; tortoiseshell ware, 140 temperatures, 209 textiles, 32; listed in accounts, 193, 196; blankets, 17, 42, 59; cotton, 32; counterpanes, 39; drill, 58; duffel, 42; haircloth, 59; linen, 39, 58; “ozenbrigs,’ 42, 59; sheets, 59; silk, 31; velvet, 32; wool, 25, 32, 62; worsted, 31 (See also clothing; weaving; spinning) thermometer, 59 thimble, 155 (illustr.), 156 (illustr.) Thompson, Matthew, 7 ‘Thomson, William (tailor), 34, 42, 47 Thornton, Francis, 49 Thornton, Major George, widow of, 63 Thornton, Colonel Presley, 53 Threlkeld, William (weaver), 32 ‘tobacco, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 25, 26, 30, 31, 41, 42, 45, 46, 51, 118 (See also warehouses) tobacco cask symbols, 29 (illustr.), 30 tobacco pipe, 119, 156, 157 (illustr.); kaolin, 11, 157 (illustr.); terra-cotta, 157 (illustr.), 158, 173 Todd, Robert, 33 Tooke, William (merchant), 53 tools, 193; adze, 34 auger, 34 ax, 17, 34, 166 (illustr.), 170 bung extractor, 72, 166 (illustr.) chisel, gouge, 166 (illustr.), 167 (illustr.); mortice, 34; paring, 34 hammer, blacksmith’s, 167 (illustr.); jeweler’s, 111, 167 (illustr.) hollows and rounds, 36 knife, draw, 25, 34 plane, 34, 36, 166 (illustr.), 167 scraping, iron, 72, 166 (illustr.), 167 (illustr,); stone, 119 (illustr.) shovel, 170 (illustr.) socket gouge, 3+ tomahawk, 25 wedges, 25 wrench, 167 Torbutt, William (overseer), 42 toys, 33; marbles, 155, 157 (illustr.) trap, animal, 111, 171 (illustr.) tray, 39; silver, 39; stoneware, 136 trees, 62 Trinity College, 15 Triton (ship), 26 trunk, 13; handle for, 163 (illustr.), 165 Tucker, Major Robert (merchant), 33 “Turkey work,” 13 turner, 36 twine, ship's, 42 Tyler, Henry, 30 Tyler, Thomas, 32, 34 Tylers, 27 University of Pennsylvania, viii University of Pittsburgh, Darlington Library, viii University of Pittsburgh Press, viii University of Virginia, Mary Washington College, vii Vaulx, Robert, 51 vehicles: carriage, fitting for, 169 (illustr.) cart, tumbling, 30; ox, 169 chaise, 28, 30, 53; hinge for, 172 chariot, 28, 30; sale of, 62 coach, 61, 62 wagon, 58, 170 (See also sloop) veranda, 90, 91, 95, 96, 97, 178 Victoria and Albert Museum, 139 Virginia, map of, 19 (illustr.) Virginia Committee of Safety, 63 Virginia State Library, viii wagon (See under vehicle) Wain, Joseph (servant), 58 Waite, William (carpenter), 50, 52 waiter, (See tray) Wales, Mr. (brewer), 55 Walker, Robert (cabinetmaker), 40 Walker, Major William (cabincunaker), 25, 28, 35-36, 40, 46, 144 Waller, Benjamin, 46 Waller, Charles, 34 warehouse: Occaquan, 30; tobacco, 25, 4, 42, 62, 115, 115, 177, 178 Warwick Courthouse, 11 Washington, Augustine, 25, 31, 49 Washington, George, 55, 63 Washington, John, 31 Washington, Lawrence, 25, 31, 49 watch, gold, 32 water cooler, carthenware, 129 (illustr.) Watson, Isaac, 12 Waugh, Alex, 184 Waugh, David, 16, 17, 18, 21 Waugh, James, 16 Waugh, John (Parson), 10, 12, 16 Waugh, John, Jr, 16, 21, 22, 25, Waugh, Joseph, 20 Waugh, Mary, 154 Waughhop, James, 34 +4, 183 nm hr - weavers, 32, 42, 59 Wedgwood, Josiah, 139, 140, 141, 142 West Point (Virginia), 27 wharf, 25 Wheeland, William, 42 wheels, 30 wheelwright, 30 Whieldon, Thomas, 108, 138, 139 Whiffen, Marcus, 35, 121 whip: horse, 16, 17, 18; hunting, 25; thong, 41 Whitehaven (England), 32 whiteware (See under earthenware) Whiting & Montague, 16 Whitticar, Ralph, Jr., vii wig, 34; comb for, 25 Wigley, Job (mason), 37 Williams, Jacob (plasterer), 36 Williams, T. Ben, vii Williamsburg, 27, 32, 34, 35, 36, 39, 41, 47, 48, 52, 53, 54, 57, 58, 126; capitol, 35, 99, 121; courthouse, 121; General Court, 27; student life in, 34, 197 (See also College of William and Mary) Wilson, Captain, 32, 34 Winchester (Virginia), 53 windmill, 35, 52, 64, 67, 178; sails for, 59 windows, 38 (illustr.), 62, 96-97 (See also glass, window) wine (See beverages) Wine Trade Loan Exhibition, 149, 154 Withers, John, 7, 12, 30 IVolf (sloop of war), 58 Woodford, William, 32 Woodstock, 12 wool cards, 32 Wormley, Mr., 53 Wright, Edward, 39 Wroughton, Francis (merchant), 50, 51 Wythe, George, 31 yarn, 18 yellowware (See under earthenware) yoke, 39 York (County), 33; courthouse (1692), 11 Yorktown, 9, 16, 47, 125, 173 is ako I baie, Tans ol eae 7 ' e : : ond? Pp N > pe a ee ae . ( amarons Onitinay Ws WIL hYi nage el a Note " a a a) N\ Col (avr. © Tubal WP ' ~~ S OA Fredericksburg m ) e Poplar ( a, } e771 Liay Hollanggpt § c“ lhing C ~ Wa a : = ry w 3. nm \ ey y : i VA Larker,, Hudf{, i A CC ie i = James t ral 7 ¢ — | " = , re) — s 2) c a Ba %, Vve Per V2 ae ¥ Cows ¢ UP x — hy : » ' ow : . ( ‘ Y/Y ) ae g Wackftones I. we . S*Marvs “wiiuiltiii 3 9088 01421 3458 1 LIBRAF “ aces