To George Washington from William Deakins, Jr., 8 July 1795
From William Deakins, Jr.
Geo. Town [Md.] July 8th 1795
Sir
Mr Hugh Thompson of Baltimore who Married Miss Sprigg has purchased Doctr Stewarts Part of Wodstock Mannor,1 & I find he is desirous to purchase Yours, he gave Doctr Stewart 8 Dollars ⅌ Acre & from Conversation I have had with him, I am of Opinion he will give you ten Dollars ⅌ Acre Cash, if you are disposed to part with this property I will mention it to him; & If I can be serviceable in the Negotiation, you may freely Command me. with great Respect & Esteem I am Dear Sir Your Obt Servt2
Will. Deakins Junr
ALS, DLC:GW.
1. Deakins referred to Elizabeth Sprigg (1770–1814). She and her sisters, Sophia Sprigg Mercer and Rebecca Sprigg Steuart, had inherited Woodstock Manor in Montgomery County, Md., from their father, Richard Sprigg. Dr. James Steuart was Rebecca’s husband. GW owned 519 acres of the manor, which he had received as final payment for a debt owed him by the estate of John Mercer, Sophia’s father-in-law (see GW to John Francis Mercer, 7 Aug. 1793). Hugh Thompson (1760–1826) was a merchant.
2. GW replied to Deakins on 13 July: “As that land was received in payment of the balance of a debt, the greater part of which had been discharged ⟨by⟩ such driblets, and in such a manner as really to have been of very little service to me, I will wait a while to see to what height the price of land thereabouts will rise before I dispose of it—under a full conviction that it will not fall” (ALS [photocopy], Goodspeed’s The Flying Quill, October 1970, item 238; ALS [letterpress copy], DLC:GW; LB, DLC:GW).