Part 6 (2/2)

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.

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