Invoice from Richard Washington, 20 March 1759
Invoice from Richard Washington
London 20th March 1759
Invoice of Sundrys Shipd by Richd Washington on board the Desire, Captn Saunders, bound to Virginia on Account & Risque of George Washington Esqr.1
| A Case | . 2. 6 |
| 3 pr Mens prickseam Gloves2 | . 4. |
| 3 pr Satten tand Ditto | . 3. 6 |
| 2 pair dble Channel Pumps bo[un]d &ca3 | 1. 1. |
| 4 pair Shoes and Pumps | 1.12. |
| 14 yds Super Manchester Velvet @ 12/4 | 8. 8. |
| 6 yds fine Shalloon @ 2/5 | .12. |
| A Neat Hogskin huntg Saddle half bitt Bridlle two Saddle Cloths a Circingle bound | 2. . |
| 4 dozn Town Silk Coat, & 4 dozn breast Buttns 6/1 pr Silk Gar[te]rs 2/ | . 8. |
| 1 Oz. Twist & 1 Oz. Silk | . 4. |
| £14.15. | |
| To Entry, Frieght, primg. &ca &ca | .18.10 |
| 15.13.10 | |
| Commissn | . 7. 9 |
| £16. 1. 7 |
Richd Washington
LB, in GW’s hand, DLC:GW.
Richard Washington enclosed this invoice in a letter to GW of 26 Mar. 1759, which has not been found. GW ordered the goods nearly a year before, in a letter of 5 April 1758. GW received Richard Washington’s letter and invoice as well as the goods, “in good Order,” after 7 May 1759 and before 20 Sept. 1759. See GW to Richard Washington, 20 Sept. 1759.
1. The snow Desire, Capt. John Saunders, was cleared for London by the South Potomac naval officer on 15 Oct. 1759.
2. Richard Washington was so long in answering GW’s letter of 5 April 1758 that GW again listed the six pairs of gloves in his invoice of 1 May 1759 to Robert Cary & Co. See also the Invoice from Robert Cary & Co., 6 Aug. 1759. A prickseam, or piqué seam, is a simple seam used in the making of shoes and gloves.
3. Channel shoes are good-quality shoes in which the seam that unites the sole and the upper shoe is sunk into a channel in the sole.
4. GW had asked for “as much of the best superfine Blue Cotton Velvet as will make a Coat Waistcoat & Breeches for a Tall Man.” It has often been assumed that GW ordered this material to have his wedding suit made. Manchester velvet is a cotton velvet with a plain-weave back.
5. Shalloon was a woolen fabric to be used in lining GW’s suit.