101To George Washington from Jonathan Boucher, 13 June 1768 (Washington Papers)
I think myself much obliged to You for the flattering Preference given Me, in thinking Me a proper person to undertake the Direction of Mastr Custis’s Education. And I will not hesitate to confess to You, that it wou’d mortify Me not a little to be depriv’d of so acceptable an Opportunity of obtaining some Credit to Myself, which I flatter myself there wou’d be no Danger of, from so promising...
102To George Washington from Jonathan Boucher, 9 May 1771 (Washington Papers)
The Season of Suspence, I thank God, is now over & Mrs Washington, without the Fears that wou’d have been unavoidable during a State of Uncertainty, will have the Pleasure of learning from undoubted Authority, that her Son is happily & easily releas’d from a formidable Disorder, without hardly one Mark to tell that He ever had it. He is as well as ever He was in his Life: indeed has such...
103To George Washington from Jonathan Boucher, 3 March 1770 (Washington Papers)
It gives Me infinite Uneasiness to find myself under a Necessity of making a disagreeable application to You; but so am I circumstanced that this is almost my last Resort, to preserve Me from a very distressg Situa[tio]n. Doubtless, You have heard of the calamitous Fate of poor Mrs Campbell. At the Best, her Situa[tio]n was piteous; but it was rendered much more so by her being deserted by...
104To George Washington from Jonathan Boucher, 21 February 1772 (Washington Papers)
I congratulate You, & the World with Us, on our Restoration to a temperate Zone: for, in Truth, We have had a kind of a Greenland Winter. And, for my own Part, I own to You, I now have a much stronger Idea of the Nature of a Winter pass’d in a Cave, than I could ever have learn’d from Books alone. I sometimes almost regretted, We could not become quite torpid, & sleep out the whole dreary...
105To George Washington from Jonathan Boucher, 18 August 1770 (Washington Papers)
Jack comes a Day or two sooner than I intended, in Consequence of an Invitation from Mr Galloway, & Mr Magowan, to go to West River, which He does this Day. He brings You some Samples, which I hardly expect will please. Mr Antho. Stewart has a Cargo just arriv’d, not yet opened, in which, He says, are Assortmts of Coating: Shou’d you rather incline to wait for a choice out of These, if You...
106To George Washington from Jonathan Boucher, 19 January 1773 (Washington Papers)
It is certainly expedient to remove Mr Custis to some Place of publick Education, and speedily. And when there is so noble, so princely an Institution of this sort, in his own Country, it is lamentable to find there still shou’d be a Necessity for sending Him to Another. I had, as You know, been endeavouring to believe the many Stories We are perpetually hearing of the Mismanagement at Wm &...
107To George Washington from Jonathan Boucher, 5 March 1772 (Washington Papers)
At length I have seen an Abstract of the Will of The Lord Baltimore: more absurd, & more vexing than You will easily believe. It appears to have been made Fifteen months before his Death, in Venice, & is as follows. To Mrs Browning (Sister of Mrs Eden) & Mrs Eden, each—£10,000 on condition, that They sign a Release to all Claim on the Province. To Robt Eden, Robt Morris (a busy Lawyer, &...
108To George Washington from Jonathan Boucher, 19 November 1771 (Washington Papers)
I have seen your Letter to your Son, &, I will own to you, it has given Me a sensible Concern. That my Attention to Him has not lately been so close nor so rigid, as I wish’d, or, as it ought to have been, is a Truth I will not attempt to deny. The Peculiarity of my Circumstances & Situation, as well as of my Temper & Disposition, are All I have to offer in my Excuse, which, however, I do not,...
109To George Washington from Jonathan Boucher, 8 April 1773 (Washington Papers)
I hardly remember ever to have been more surpris’d, than I was a few days ago, on being informed by the Governor of the Engagement that had taken Place between Mr Custis, & Miss Nelly Calvert; and, I beg Leave to assure You, on my Word & Honour, that, never till that moment, had I the most distant Suspicion of any such Thing’s being in Agitation. It gives Me great Uneasiness to learn, from the...
110To George Washington from Jonathan Boucher, 2 April 1770 (Washington Papers)
I felt so strongly the Truth of your Remarks, that I took Shame to my self for having reduc’d You to so distressing a Dilemma. Believe it however, Sir, that it was Necessity & not Inclination that urged Me to the Step, which yet I shd hardly have taken, at last, cou’d I have supposed the Circumstances of Mastr Custis’s Esta. to have been as You represent Them. I have now the Pleasure to inform...