To George Washington from Thomas Moore, 24 October 1766
From Thomas Moore
King William Octr 24. 1766
Dear Sir,
Haveing from time to time begd your Indulgence in regard to the money I owe you and haveing as often received it with the greatest kindness and good nature I have not now the face to ask any longer time but least you should think I have bin faulty & have not truly indeavourd to precure it I must assure you I have done every thing in my power to collect the money for you and tho. I have severall thousands due me for great part of which I have brought suits above two years ago but to my great mortification and disapointment I have not yet got Judgements Others I have not suid but intreeted and perswaided but to no purpose as money was so scarce it could not be got by them nay if they sold there Estates (as some offerd to do) they could not expect above half price In short Sir I promis you I have not bin Idle and can prove if required what I have here mentiond to be realy the truth.
I am Assured now I shall have Judgements very soon and get my money and others that are not suid have promised considerable sums shall be paid I therefore have all the reason in the World to beleave the time draws near that I shall wate on you with the money & with my acknowledgements—As to the interest du⟨e⟩ you, my intention & full purpose is to p⟨ay⟩ Interest on that also as the severall Sums ⟨be⟩come due. I flatter my Self the want of ⟨mutilated⟩ the money for a few months longer will be no metereal hurt to you If you should want it to purchace Negroes rather then you should be disapointed I will furnish you out of my own—I only mention this to Show you I am ready and willing to do every thing in my power to keep you from sustaining any damage on my Accot—I am very respectfully Dr Sir Your obt hble Sert
Thos Moore
N.B. If I should be disapointed in part of the money I expect to receve my Crops as soon I can get them sold I hope will be more then make up the dificientcey.
ALS, DLC:GW.
Thomas Moore of Moorefield, like his brother Bernard Moore of Chelsea (see Bernard Moore’s letters, with notes, of 21 Oct. and 29 Dec. 1766), was a planter in King William County who borrowed a large sum from Martha Custis during her widowhood. In 1758 Thomas Moore’s initial bond of indebtedness for £1,400 (reduced to £806.7.4 by 1761) current money was assigned to Martha Parke Custis. Thomas Moore had in 1766 paid no interest on the £806.7.4. The death of the colonial treasurer John Robinson in 1766 with the ensuing revelation that he had lent large amounts of public funds to his friends including Thomas and Bernard Moore, brothers of his second wife, increased the pressure on the already troubled finances of the two Moores. In November 1766 Thomas Moore had the Virginia assembly dock the entail of his land in King William, and in January 1767 he offered it for sale, apparently unsuccessfully. Three years later, on 24 May 1770, the trustees into whose hands Moore’s property had been placed advertised for sale “all that gentleman’s estate,” including his plantation Moorefield on the Mattaponi River. At the sale on 11 June 1770 GW took two slaves and a mare as part payment (£94.5 current money) for what Moore owed Martha Parke Custis and received a bond from Carter Braxton for £1,050 in full payment of the remainder. See doc. III-B, n.28, in Settlement of the Daniel Parke Custis Estate, 20 April 1759–5 Nov. 1761; and Virginia Gazette (Purdie and Dixon; Williamsburg), 21 Jan. 1767, 24 May 1770.