George Washington Papers
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[Diary entry: 4 May 1785]

Wednesday 4th. Mercury at 56 in the Morning 59 at Noon and 64 at Night.

Raining until 7 O’clock, when the wind getting to the Westward, the Clouds broke, & the weather cleared & was tolerably pleast.

After doing a little business, & calling upon Judge Mercer and the Attorney General, I left Richmond about 11 Oclock. Dined at one Winslow’s abt. 8 Miles from the City, & lodged at Clarkes Tavern 10 Miles above Hanover Court House.

judge mercer: James Mercer of Fredericksburg was a judge of the General Court 1779–89. He later served on the Virginia Court of Appeals from 1789 until his death in 1793.

Winslow’s was located near the Henrico-Hanover County line. This tavern, recorded by GW in his accounts as “Winsters” (General Ledger B description begins General Ledger B, 1772–1793. Library of Congress, George Washington Papers, Series 5, Financial Papers. description ends , folio 203), may have been the “Winstons’ Ordinary” that was in existence in that area in 1751 (VSP description begins William P. Palmer et al., eds. Calendar of Virginia State Papers and Other Manuscripts. 11 vols. Richmond, 1875–93. description ends , 1:244). clarkes: The tavern located ten miles up the stage road from Hanover Court House was owned during the Revolution by James Head Lynch, of Caroline County, and appears in a 1789 map as the tavern of “Head Lynch.” Clarke may have been the tavern keeper in 1785 (CAMPBELL [1] description begins Thomas Elliott Campbell. Colonial Caroline: A History of Caroline County, Virginia. Richmond, 1954. description ends , 413; COLLES description begins Christopher Colles. A Survey of the Roads of the United States of America, 1789. Edited by Walter W. Ristow. Cambridge, Mass., 1961. description ends , 189; and see 25 April 1786).

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