The Cultural History of Marlborough, Virginia Part 6

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 servants. 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, 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.

Payment 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 stock-locks," "1 padlock," "2 best padlocks,"

"1 drawingknife," "9 p^r hinges," "3 clasp knives," and "1 gall.

Maderas." In April 1731, he bought from Captain Foward:

s. d.

1 bellmettle skillet 4-1/2^{oz} at 2/ 9 1 copper Sausepan 7 1 Small D^o 5 4 1 hunting whip 5 1 halfcheck bridle 7 1 fine hat 12 1 wig Comb 6

Also in 1731 he bought "6 rush bottom Chairs" for 17 s.h.i.+llings and a spinning wheel for 10 s.h.i.+llings 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^m 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 Nathaniel Chapman,[69] who directed the newly established Acc.o.keek Ironworks. In 1731 he sold Mercer several hundred nails of different descriptions, a 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^d for mending a snuff box. 2.6" (Appendix F).

In 1732 he paid Thomas Staines 1 for "a Cradle," "two Bedsteads," and "a weekes work." From John Blane, during the same year, he purchased 2500 tenpenny nails and the same quant.i.ty of eightpenny nails. He also bought from Blane 4 "basons," a porringer, 100 needles, 2 penknives, a gross of "thread b.u.t.tons," and a pair of large "Scissars." Again, in 1732 he obtained from William Nisbett a quant.i.ty of miscellaneous goods, including 10 parcels of earthenware and a pewter dish weighing 4 to 5 ounces. He also settled with Samuel Stevens for "your share in making a Canoe."

FOOTNOTES:

[69] Nathaniel Chapman headed the Acc.o.keek 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 Augustine Was.h.i.+ngton.

TOBACCO WAREHOUSES

The Tobacco Act of 1730 provided for the erection of public tobacco warehouses, and Marlborough was selected as one of the sites.[70] In 1731 Mercer's account with John Waugh included "Timber for 2500 boards @25/.3.2.6" and "Posts & Ceils for two Warehouses, 12 s.h.i.+llings." 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 "incentive awards" for the workmen. Included in Fitzhugh's account were "3 days work of Caesar & Will," ten s.h.i.+llings, and "4319 very bad Clapboards at 1/2^d y^e board." On March 25 he paid Anthony Linton for 1820 clapboards, allowing him eight s.h.i.+llings for "sawing of Boards." The warehouses were in operation 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."[71] The actual date of their termination was November 16, 1735, when a new warehouse was scheduled for completion at the mouth of Aquia Creek.[72] The expression "put down" does not seem to mean that the warehouses were torn down, but that they were officially discontinued. He apparently, however, continued to use them for his own purposes.

FOOTNOTES:

[70] HENING, op. cit. (footnote 1), vol. 4, p. 268.

[71] Pet.i.tion of John Mercer, loc. cit. (footnote 17).

[72] _JHB, 1727-1734; 1736-1740_, op. cit. (footnote 6), p.

202.

PERSONAL ACTIVITIES

During the 1730's Mercer recorded a minimum of recreational activities.

Those that he did list are representative of the society of which he was a part. Making wagers was a favorite amus.e.m.e.nt. For example, he was owed 7 16s. by "Col^o George Braxton To a Wager you laid me at Cap^t Rob^t Brooke's house before M^r James Reid, Will^m Brooke &c Six Guineas to one that Col^o Spotswood would not during the Reign of K. George that now is, procure a Commission as Chief or Lieu^t Gov^r of Virginia." In 1731 he paid William Brent "By a pistole won of me about Hedgman's wrestling with and throwing Fra^s Dade. 1.1.12." He also paid 2 10s.

to James Markham "By [my] part on the Race on Stotham's horse." There are other scattered 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 Appendix G, is of interest in showing that violations of moral law were held accountable to the church and that fines for convictions were paid to the church. Mercer, representing the parish, collected a portion of each fine as his fee.

Most of his energies now seem to have been divided between the law and the substantial responsibilities for managing his plantations. The increasing extent of tobacco cultivation is revealed in the tobacco account with "M^r Jonathan Foward, Merchant in London" (presumably John Foward, mentioned earlier), extending from 1733 to 1743. This account lists s.h.i.+pments of 129 hogsheads of tobacco, totaling 643 1s. 11d. (if we include a few extraneous items, such as "To an over charge in Lemons"

and "To a Still charg'd never sent"). Several similar accounts involve proceeds from tobacco. In 1734 and 1738, for example, he s.h.i.+pped 54 hogsheads to William Stevenson, another London merchant, for 207 7d. on the s.h.i.+ps _Triton_, _Snake_, _Brooks_, and _Elizabeth_.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 6.--MOTHER-OF-PEARL COUNTERS, or "fish," used in playing 18th-century games, including Loo, at which Mercer once won 7s.

3d. from Col. George Mason (III). These examples, collected in Ma.s.sachusetts, are probably late 18th century. (USNM 61.399.)]

Marlborough's full transition to a seat of tobacco-planting empire is now clearly discernible. In so becoming, it was typical of the consolidation of wealth, property, and power in Virginia as the mid-century approached. Land had become both a subst.i.tute 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 ama.s.s great 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 cla.s.s of leaders of the succeeding generation, who had so much to do with founding the nation.

IV

_Marlborough at its Ascendancy, 1741-1750_

TRAVEL

On April 12, 1741, Mercer was admitted to practice at the General Court in Williamsburg.[73] 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^o Taliaferro's," a distance of 19 miles. The following day "To Caroline Court" (18 miles), the next "To M^r Hubbard's" (30 miles), then as far as "M^r J^{no} Powers" (24 miles), and finally "To Furneas & Williamsburg" (30 miles).

The route was usually to West Point, or Brick House on the opposite sh.o.r.e in New Kent County, and thence either directly to Williamsburg, or by way of New Kent courthouse. Stopovers were made either at ordinaries or at the houses of friends.[74]

Mercer's travels, summarized in the journal that he kept in the back of Ledger B from 1730 until his death in 1768, were prodigious. In 1735, for example, he journeyed a total of 4202 miles and was home only 119 days. This pace had slackened considerably in the period we are now considering, 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 alphabetically, a through g, as in the calendar of the Book of Common Prayer. The mileage traveled each day is entered at the right.

1 F to Potomack Church & home 10 2 g at home 3 a to Tylers & Spotsylvania Court 14 4 b to M^r Daniels[75] & home 14 5 c to M^r Moncure's,[76] my Survey & home 20 6 d to King George Court & W^m Walkers'[77] 24 7 e to M^{rs}. Spoore's[78] my Survey & home 20 8 F at home 9 g M^r Moncure's my Survey & home 20 10 a to Stafford Court & home 20 11 b at home 12 c to M^{rs} Mason's[79] Survey 18 13 d at D^o 10 14 e at D^o 15 15 F to Potomack Church & M^r Moncure's 18 16 g home 6 17 a at home 18 b D^o 19 c to M^{rs} Spoore & M^{rs} Taliaferro's 17 20 d at M^r Taliaferro's 14 21 e To Fredericksburg & M^{rs} Taliaferro's 22 F To Doctor Potter's[80] & M^{rs} Taliaferro's.

Lost my horses 2 23 g To M^r Moncure's 9 24 a home 10 25 b at home 26 c D^o 27 d D^o 28 e to M^r Moncure's, Vestry & home 16 29 F at home 30 g D^o

October

1 a at home 2 b to M^r Moncure's & Fredericksburg Fair 15 3 c at the Fair 4 d to M^r Moncure's & home 15 5 e at home 6 F to M^{rs} Taliaferro's 17 7 g to Caroline Court h^o & George Hoomes's[81] 20 8 a to Newcastle 50 9 b to M^r Anderson's & M^r Gray's [82] 14 10 c to New Kent Courth^s & M^r Gray's 14 11 d to Furnau's & Williamsburg 17 12 e at Williamsburg

[He remained at Williamsburg until November 6.]

Such itineraries were punctuated by periods of staying 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 Potomac 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 pa.s.sed "Salvington," the mansion of Joseph Selden.[83] 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.[84] Near it, on a foundation still visible, Cave built the warehouse that bore his name, and through him pa.s.sed 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^r Cave's 11 home by water 5

FOOTNOTES:

[73] John Mercer's journal, kept in the back of Ledger B.

[74] 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 Creek, 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.

[75] Peter Daniel was a burgess and leading citizen of Stafford County, who, as vestryman, signed the advertis.e.m.e.nt for bids to build a new Aquia Church in 1751. _Virginia Gazette_, June 6, 1751.

[76] The Reverend Mr. John Moncure was minister of Overwharton Parish.