George Washington Papers
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[Diary entry: 21 April 1786]

Friday 21st. Thermometer at 48 in the Morning—48 at Noon and 48 at Night.

Drizzling till about 6 Oclock when it began a constant slow & moderate Rain with the Wind from No. Et. all day.

About Noon, one James Bloxham, an English Farmer from Gloucestershire arrived here with letters of recommendation from Colo. Fairfax (& others to him) consequent of my request to him to enquire after such a person.

Brought from England on the recommendation of Fairfax, James Bloxham signed an agreement with GW to serve as “Farmer and Manager” at 50 guineas a year, with house, provisions, and an extra 10 guineas to bring his family from England. Neither party to the agreement seemed entirely satisfied at first. GW wrote Arthur Young that Bloxham seemed to be a plain and honest farmer, but that his ability to manage a large farm was questionable. Bloxham wrote home that the plows were shocking, the farm hands disagreeable, and “it is impossible for any man to Do Bisness in any form” (Bloxham to William Peacey, 23 July 1786, ABBOTT description begins Wilbur Cortez Abbott. “James Bloxham, Farmer.” Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society 59 (1925–26): 177–203. description ends , 188–89).

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