1Remarks & Occs. in Novr. [1771] (Washington Papers)
Novr. 11th. Returnd home from Williamsburg. 20. Began to Plant Cuttings of the Winter Grape in the Inclosure below the Garden. 30. Left of Planting the ground being two hard froze having planted Rows beginning to reckon from the side next the Spring.
2Remarks & Occurances [December 1771] (Washington Papers)
Decr. 16. Finished planting the Grape Cuttings in the Inclosure below the Garden. The first 29 Rows of which Reckoning from the side next the Spring are the winter Grape the other five are the Summer grape of tolerable good taste and ripening in October. 17. Killed my Porke and distributed the Overseers their Shares. 18. Agreed to raise Christophr. Shades Wages to £20 pr. Ann. Shade worked at...
3Remarks & Occurs. in March [1771] (Washington Papers)
20th. Began to Manufacture my Wheat with the Water of Piney Branch, which being insufficient to keep the Mill constantly at Work, & Country Custom coming in no great progress coud be made. country custom : Farmers from the local countryside were bringing their grain to GW’s mill to be ground in exchange for a one-eighth toll ( HENING William Waller Hening, ed. The Statutes at Large; Being a...
4Acct. of the Weather in July [1771] (Washington Papers)
July 1st. Tolerable cool all day with Clouds. Wind Northwardly in the Morning, & Eastwardly in the Afternoon. 2. Cloudy all day with the Wind at East, and light Showers in the Afternoon. Cool & pleasant—in the Night a good deal of Rain. 3. For the most part clear and warm with but little wind and that in the Morning Northerly in the Afternn. Southerly. 4. Clear, calm, and rather warm in the...
5Remarks & Occurs. in August [1771] (Washington Papers)
August 1st. Began to Sow Wheat in the Neck with Wheat steep’d in Brine & allum. 3. Began to Sow Wheat at the Mill also steepd in Brine with Allum put thereto. This day began to sow the Brined Wheat at Muddy hole. Before this the Wheat was not steepd in Brine at this place. Note—The Brine was made by the direction’s in the Farmers guide, as the common method practiced by Farmers but our Wheat...
6Acct. of the Weather in Septr. [1771] (Washington Papers)
Septr. 1. Wind fresh from the Eastward. Afternoon Cloudy & Night Raining. 2. Ground now for the first time since the Rains abt. the 25th. July Wet. Very warm and but little Wind. 3. A Breeze from the Northwest but very sultry notwithstanding—quite clear. 4. Still warm & clear—Wind Southerly. 5. Warm and clear with but little Wind & that Southerly. The Afternoon Showery with some thunder. 6....
7Acct. of the Weather in Decr. [1771] (Washington Papers)
Decr. 1st. The Wind exceeding hard from the Northwest, & very cold. 2. Wind variable with Clouds, and at the sametime cold. 3. The most variable Weather imaginable—sometimes sunshine sometimes snowing—sometimes calm & sometimes the wind very high from the South—the North & Northwest where it contd. all Night. 4. Wind at Northwest and very cold, with great appearances of Snow, a little of which...
8Acct. of the Weather in Jany. [1771] (Washington Papers)
Jan. 1. Calm & very pleasant—being clear with all. 2. Clear and very pleasant with but little Wind and that Southwardly. 3. Still clear but a little Cooler Wind Shifting to the Northward. 4. A little cool but pleasant notwithstanding being clear. 5. Frosty Morning but clear with the Wind rather fresh from the Southwd. 6. Clear forenoon & pleasant but gloomy Afternoon. 7. Very Raw, Cold &...
9Acct. of the Weather in Feby. [1771] (Washington Papers)
Feby. 1st. Ground hard froze & day Cool, Wind being fresh from the No. West. 2. Ground froze but not so cool, nor the Wind so fresh as yesterday. The Morng. Cloudy after a white frost but the Eveng. Clear & Wind South. 3. Ground a little froze—day clear & pleasant with but little Wind. 4. Wind pretty fresh & somewhat Raw from the Southward. 5. Ground but little froze this Morng. but the Wind...
10Acct. of the Weather in March [1771] (Washington Papers)
Mar. 1st. Ground hard froze. Wind fresh & Cold in the forenoon—clear, calm, & warmer in the Afternoon. 2d. Lowering & Cloudy Morning (with the Ground frozen & Wind at No. East)—all the Afternoon Snowing. 3. Clear & Cool Wind being at No. West. Ground a little frozen. 4. Still, Cool, & frosty. Weather clear & Wind at No. West. 5. But little frost—day calm & the fore part of it clear, & very...
11Remarks & Occs. in April. [1771] (Washington Papers)
5th. Turn’d the Water of Doeg Run into my Mill Race, which seemd to afford Water enough for both Mills. One of which constantly employd in Grinding up my own Wheat. With the new millrace and dams finished GW now had a gravitational force of water sufficient for his needs, but his water supply remained undependable. The millrace often froze in the winter and dried up in the summer. At other...
12Acct. of the Weather in May [1771] (Washington Papers)
May 1st. Wind tolerably fresh from the South East, with appearances of Rain but none fell. 2. Cloudy Morning and Warm with the Wind fresh from the Southward. 3. Warm, with appearances of Rain but none fell. Wind Southerly. 4. A little Cool. Wind Northwardly. 5. Clear & Cool. Wind in the same place. 6. Clear—the Wind getting Southerly again the Air grew warmer. 7. Warm (but not Hot)—the Sky...
13Acct. of the Weather in June [1771] (Washington Papers)
June 1st. Clear and Warm—Wind being Southerly. 2. Also clear and pleasant—with but little Wind and that Southerly. 3. Warm, but clear, with little Wind & that Southerly. 4. Wind Easterly & pretty fresh. Evening Cool. 5. Very foggy Morning, then Rain with thunder and Lightning. Afternoon very Cloudy. 6. Clear but very Warm with the Wind Southerly. Foggy Morning. 7. Very warm in the forenoon...
14Acct. of the Weather in August [1771] (Washington Papers)
August 1st. Clear and very warm with the Wind pretty fresh from the Southwestward. 2. Clear and warm again with the Wind in the same place. The Afternoon Cloudy with a little thunder & appearances of Rain but none fell here. 3. Very warm, Wind Southerly & Weather clear. 4. Still very warm & clear with the Wind Southerly. 5. Exceeding warm with the Wind still in the same place. Forenoon...
15Remarks & Occurs. in July [1771] (Washington Papers)
July 1. Began my Wheat Harvest in the Neck. Work’d Ten Cradles 8 of which were my own Negroes. Cut down the 50 Acre Cut upon Carneys Gut next the House. 5. Finishd the Wheat in the Neck abt. two Hours by Sun in the Afternoon. 6. Finishd going over my Corn in the Neck the 2d. Time. Also Began my Harvest at Muddy Hole this day. 9. Finish’d Cutting & Securing my Wheat at Muddy hole abt. 4 Oclock...
16Remarks & Occs. in Septr. [1771] (Washington Papers)
Septr. 4. The Mason’s began to work on the Mill Walls. Finish’d Sowing the Cut of Corn round the Creek at the Ferry Plantn. Permanent repairs apparently were being made because of damages that had occurred earlier in the year. The workmen were Michael Clark, Benjamin Mason, Thomas Tayler, William Bawn, and possibly Con McCarty. Clark, Mason, and Tayler were paid 16 Nov., receiving a total of...
17Acct. of the Weather in October. [1771] (Washington Papers)
Octr. 1st. The Weather clear & pleasant with very little Wind. 2. Clear and pleasant, with but little Wind. 3. Very pleasant forenoon with some Appearances of Rain in the Afternoon. 4. Cloudy forenoon, & now and then Misting—turning Cool. 5. Great Fog & Dew with but little [wind] & that Northerly & Cold. 6. Clear and pleasant not being so cool as yesterday. Wind what little there was of it...
18Acct. of the Weather in Novr. [1771] (Washington Papers)
Novr. 1st. Warm and pleasant—Wind being Southerly. 2. Very warm in the forenoon & clear, Cloudy afterwards & a good deal of Rain in the Night. 3. Clear and Cool, wind being fresh from the Northwest. 4. Clear & pleasant not being so cool as yesterday. Wind however in the same place. 5. Wind pretty fresh from the Northwest and Cold again. 6. Less Cool than the day before but the Wind in the same...
19Acct. of the Weather in April [1771] (Washington Papers)
April 1st. Morning Calm, & Warm. Afternoon a little Windy from the No. West & cooler—day clear. 2d. Morning Cool Wind still Northwardly, the Weather clear, & tolerably pleasant. 3. Clear and the Wind variable, being Northwardly in the forenoon & Easterly afterwards. 4. Wind high and boisterous from the Eastward with great appearances of Rain (except being cold). 5. Wind in the same place all...
20Remarks & Occurs. in June [1771] (Washington Papers)
June 1st. Morris at Doeg Run Quarter Planted his Swamps with Corn. Finished breaking up Corn Ground at Muddy hole. Only half done in the Neck but quite finishd at Doeg Run. 6. Sold all the Flour I have left to Robt. Adam & Co. at the following Rates—fine flour at 12/6 Midlings at 10/. & Shipstuff at 8/4 pr. Ct. £300 of the Money, to be paid in Octr.—the residue in April with Int[eres]t from...
21[August 1771] (Washington Papers)
August 1st. Rid to Muddy hole the Mill and where the Carpenter’s were at Work. 2. At home all day a writing Letters & Advertisements of Harry who run away the 29th. Ulto. GW spent £1 16s. to recover this slave, who apparently was soon returned to Mount Vernon ( General Ledger A General Ledger A, 1750–1772. Library of Congress, George Washington Papers, Series 5, Financial Papers. , folio 340;...
22[October 1771] (Washington Papers)
Octr. [1]. Dined at Upper Marlborough & reachd home in the Afternoon. Mr. Wormley—Mr. Fitzhugh, Mr. Randolph, Mr. Burwell, & Jack Custis came with me. Found Mr. Pendleton here. Upper Marlboro was a small tobacco town on the western branch of the Patuxent River in Prince George’s County, Md., about halfway between Annapolis and Mount Vernon. In 1775 it was described by a visitor as “a very...
23[November 1771] (Washington Papers)
Novr. 1st. Dined at Mrs. Dawson’s. Went to the Fireworks in the Afternoon and to the Play at Night. 2. Dined with the Council and Spent the Evening in my own Room a writing. GW is probably preparing his petition to the council on behalf of the Virginia Regiment. In it he asked not only that individual allotments be made but that the limit of 20 surveys be removed, each claimant being permitted...
24[April 1771] (Washington Papers)
April 1st. Still at Dumfries upon the Arbitration between Doctr. Ross and Compa. & Mr. Semple, which was finished about 9 Oclock this Night. 2. Got home to breakfast about 9 Oclock. Mr. Robt. Adam dined & lodgd Here. In the Afternoon, I rid to the Mill Race, Mill, & Posey’s. 3. At home all day. Lord Fairfax, the two Colo. Fairfax’s, and Mr. Chas. Alexander dind here & went away afterwards. 4....
25[July 1771] (Washington Papers)
July 1. Rid into the Neck to my Harvest People, & back to Dinner. Mr. Robt. Rutherford came in the Afternoon & went away again. 2. Rid to the Harvest Field in the Neck & back to Dinner. 3. Rid to the Harvest Field in the Neck by the Ferry & Muddy hole Plantations. In the Afternoon Mr. Jno. Smith of Westmoreland came here. John Smith of Cabin Point, the smallpox inoculator, was going to Warm...
26[September 1771] (Washington Papers)
Sept. 1st. At home all day. Mr. Burwell here. 2. Went up to Alexandria with Mr. Burwell after an early Dinner. Returnd in the Evening with Mr. Piper. 3. Rid in the Forenoon to the Mill. Mr. Burwell, & Mr. Piper both here. 4. Mr. Burwell and Mr. Piper both went away after Breakfast. I rid to the Mill. 5. Rid by the Ferry Plantation to the Mill—from thence to Muddy hole & so home to Dinner. In...
27[December 1771] (Washington Papers)
Decr. 1st. At home all day. Mr. Johnson still here. Doctr. Rumney came to Dinner & stayd all Night. 2. Rid to the River Plantation and the Mill. Mr. Johnson went away after breakfast as Did Mr. Rumney. 3. Rid to Muddy hole, and into the Neck. Mr. Val. Crawford came this aftern. 4. Went up to the Election & the Ball I had given at Alexa. Mr. Crawford & Jno. P. Custis with me. Stayd all Night....
28[January 1771] (Washington Papers)
Jany. 1st. Rid to my Mill in the forenoon and afternoon. 2. Did the same thing again. Met Colo. Robt. Fairfax there, & upon my return home found Mr. Piper, Mr. Muir, and Doctr. Rumney here who dined & lodged. Robert Fairfax was preparing at this time to return to his home in England, Leeds Castle, where he lived until his death in 1793 ( GW to Jonathan Boucher, 3 Feb. 1771 , CSmH ). He became...
29[February 1771] (Washington Papers)
Feby. 1st. At the Mill in the forenoon and afternoon. Doctr. Rumney came here before Dinner & stayd all Night. 2. At the Mill and where my People was at Work on the Race in the forenoon & afternoon. Mr. Rutherford & Price Posey came here in the Evening. Robert Rutherford (1728–1803) was a prominent landowner and burgess from Frederick County. During the French and Indian War he had served for...
30[March 1771] (Washington Papers)
Mar. 1. Messrs. Ross and Wagener went away after breakfast. I rid to my Mill and Ditchers in the forenoon. In the Afternoon Doctr. Craik came. Hector Ross today settled his current account with GW, paying him £89 9s. 5d. cash, much of which was owed as a result of an arrangement made at John Posey’s sale in Oct. 1769 ( General Ledger A General Ledger A, 1750–1772. Library of Congress, George...