Tobias Lear to Lovell and Urquhart, 16 December 1792
Tobias Lear to Lovell and Urquhart
Philada 16th Decr 1792.
Gentlemen,
In reply to your Letter of the 10th inst: to the President of the United States, I have to inform you, that upon receipt of your letter to him of the 8th of Novr, the sum of £25–10—Virginia Currency was paid to Messrs John Field & son agreeably to your desire expressed in said Letter—and their receipt therefor, dated the 16th of Novr is taken upon the Letter.1
As it was presumed that Messrs Field & son2 would have advised you of this payment having been made, it was not thought necessary to do it on the part of The President. I am Gentlemen &c.
T. Lear.
LB, DLC:GW.
1. The letters to GW of 8 Nov. and 10 Dec. have not been found. An entry in Cash Memorandum Book H for 16 Nov. 1792 reads: “The President’s private Acct—pd John Field & Son by order of Mess[r]s Lovel & Urquert, for 10,000 three feet shingles del[ivere]d at Mt Vernon by [John] Cowper & [Isaac] Sexton @ 51/ Virga Cy per M.—25⟨£⟩ Virga Cury” for a total of $85. Thomas Newton, Jr., earlier this summer had ordered these shingles, which were hewn from cypress trees in the Dismal Swamp, for shipment to Mount Vernon, and he had sent GW an invoice for £25.10, dated 28 June at Nansemond County, Va. (ViMtvL). In his letter to Anthony Whitting of 28 Oct., GW wrote that 10,000 shingles had been obtained for the piazza roof.
2. The bill had been paid to the Philadelphia merchant firm of John Field & Son located at 22 South Front Street ( 44).