From George Washington to William Pearce, 19 November 1794
To William Pearce
Philadelphia Novr 19th 1794.
Mr Pearce,
Enclosed I send you thirteen hundred dollars; out of which I desire you will discharge and take in my bond, with a receipt thereon in full, from Mr Lund Washington. The letter to him is left open for your perusal and government in this business.1 The accounts therein are, for aught I know to the contrary, correct; but if any errors should be found in them, there can be no objection to the correction of them. When you re-receive the bond transmit it to me.
Out of the above Sum you will also pay to the Trustees of Alexandria or their agent or Treasurer, the sum of fifty pounds; being my annual donation to the charity school at the Academy in that place—due sometime in this month. And I request moreover, that you will pay my annual subscription of ten pounds to the Revd Mr Davis (incumbent of the Episcopal Church in Alexandria)—When it became due I am unable to inform you; but you may know this from the paper itself—or you may do so from Mr Herbert, who interested himself to obtain the subscription.2 I am Your friend &ca
Go: Washington
ALS, ViMtvL; ALS (letterpress copy), DLC:GW. This letter was sent with GW’s letter to Pearce of 23 November.
1. See GW to Lund Washington, this date. GW recorded the payment of this date in his Cash Memoranda, 29 Sept. 1794–17 Aug. 1797 (RPJCB): “By Cash sent to Mr Wm Pearce—to pay Mr Lund Washington—my donation to the charity School in Alexandria—and Subscription to the salary of the Revd Mr Davis—Incumbt of Fairfax Parish.” Pearce recorded in his account book the receipt of £390 from GW on 23 Nov. and a payment to Lund Washington in Dec. of £37.05.07½ ().
2. Pearce’s accounts record payments in December of £50 to James Muir, president of the board of trustees of the Alexandria Academy, and £10 “paid Mr Herbert for prson Davidson.” On GW’s pledge to give an annual payment to the academy, see GW to Trustees of the Alexandria Academy, 17 Dec. 1785 (, 3:463–64), and , 4:251. Thomas Davis (c.1745–1815), who was ordained in 1773 and served as chaplain of the 1st Continental Dragoons during the Revolutionary War, was minister of Christ Church in Alexandria from 1792 to 1806. He officiated at GW’s funeral. For GW’s promise to pay an annual subscription to support the ministry of the Alexandria church, see GW to John Dalton, 15 Feb. 1773, n.1, and David Griffith to GW, 31 March 1788, and n.1 to that document. Mr. Herbert probably was William Herbert.