George Washington Papers

May [1762]

May [1762]

3. Mr. Daingerfields Negro Bricklayer Guy came here to work.

Three William Daingerfields were living in Virginia in 1762, all of whom GW knew. Col. William Daingerfield (d. 1769), of Greenfield, Essex County, whom GW had visited in 1752 as he was traveling home from Barbados, had a son and a nephew, both named William. The son William Daingerfield (d. 1781), of Coventry and Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania County, had served with GW as ensign and lieutenant in the Virginia Regiment and continued in service until the regiment was disbanded in 1762. The nephew William Daingerfield (d. 1783), of New Kent, was a first cousin to Burwell Bassett and lived in the Eltham neighborhood until about 1770, when he removed to Belvidera, just south of Fredericksburg (see RILEY [1] description begins Edward Miles Riley, ed. The Journal of John Harrower: An Indentured Servant in the Colony of Virginia, 1773-1776. Williamsburg, Va., 1963. description ends , 172). GW hired Guy for £30 per year plus room and board and billed Daingerfield for Guy’s clothing. Guy remained in GW’s service until Oct. 1763.

4. Finished Planting Corn at all Places.

10. Counted the Tobo. Gd. at Doeg Run Qr. as follows—viz.—of

Cowpen Ground 7500
Dungd Gd. in Peach Orchard 3100
Ditto in Apple Orchard 3500
14,100
New ground 12500
Old Ground J. Gists adjg. 10700
large Cut by Corn field fence 22000
Middle Cut adjoing. 9200
Small Cut next Woods Do. 4500
round New Tobo. House 8600
Branch between
Jno. Gists old Gd. So. side Plann.
13,000

John Gist (d. 1778) was a planter who for many years had rented 106 acres on the east side of Dogue Run from Sampson Darrell—land that came under GW’s ownership after his purchase of 500 acres from Darrell in 1757. Gist continued to rent his quarter from GW until 12 Aug. 1760, when GW bought out his lease for £30 (deed of Gist to GW, PHi: Gratz Collection: General Ledger A description begins General Ledger A, 1750–1772. Library of Congress, George Washington Papers, Series 5, Financial Papers. description ends , folio 84). Gist apparently moved to Loudoun County.

11. Told my Sheep as follows—viz. & Cut & Markd

Ewes in all 104 Ewe Lambs 38
Weather’s Do. 29 left for Ram’s 4
Ram’s 6 Weather’s 8
139 left for killing 16
66

Note. The above Includes falling Sheep Ewes & Lambs.

Put 31 hides in Soak for Tanning.

Guy began the Garden Wall, after having built an Oven in the Kitchen, laid the hearth, & repaird the back.

Brought 5 Cows & Calves from Muddy hole.

13. Got a Cask of Leith Ale from Mr. Marshall Piscatwy. Agreed to do Mr. Bells Work for £59.

Marshall is probably James Marshall, who owned or managed a “Public House of Entertainment” in Piscataway in 1761 (Md. Gaz., 23 April 1761). Piscataway is on Piscataway Creek in Prince George’s County, Md., almost directly across the Potomac from Mount Vernon. At this time it was a thriving town made up largely of Scottish merchants engaged in the tobacco trade.

mr. bells work: On 15 Aug. 1763 GW received £41 15s. 8d. from “Mr. Josias Bell for Carpenters w[ork]” (General Ledger A description begins General Ledger A, 1750–1772. Library of Congress, George Washington Papers, Series 5, Financial Papers. description ends , folio 166). Most of GW’s carpenters were involved in this work during the summer of 1762 (see entries for 28 June, 19 July, 27 July, and 29 July 1762). Bell was probably Josias Beall (born c.1725) of Prince George’s County, Md.

15. 6 Cows & Calves from S. Johnson. 3 Do. 2 Do. from C.

22. Young Countiss & black Mare Covered by Alexanders Ho[rse].

Alexander is probably Robert Alexander, son of Col. Gerard Alexander and his wife Mary Dent Alexander. It is probable that GW sent some of his mares to Alexander’s nearby plantation to be bred, possibly to an English stallion which he had previously sold to Alexander (General Ledger A description begins General Ledger A, 1750–1772. Library of Congress, George Washington Papers, Series 5, Financial Papers. description ends , folio 96).

28. Planted abt. 50, or 60,000—being the first—Tobo. put in. Roan’s bay & sorrel covered by Mr. Rozers Traveller. English bay & black covered by Aeriel.

Roan may have been John Roan, overseer of Claiborne’s, the Custis dower plantation in King William County.

Ariel was a thoroughbred black stallion from the famous Belair stables in Prince George’s County, Md. In 1762 he was standing at William Digges’s plantation (BELAIR STUD description begins Fairfax Harrison. The Belair Stud, 1747–1761. Richmond, Va., 1929. description ends , 56).

Henry Rozer or Rozier (born c.1725), of Prince George’s County, Md., lived at Notley Hall, nearly opposite Alexandria (BROWNE description begins Fairfax Harrison, ed. “With Braddock’s Army: Mrs. Browne’s Diary in Virginia and Maryland.” Virginia Magazine of History and Biography 32 (1924): 305–20. description ends , 309; BRUMBAUGH description begins Gaius Marcus Brumbaugh. Maryland Records: Colonial, Revolutionary, County and Church, from Original Sources. 2 vols. 1915 and 1928. Reprint. Baltimore, 1975. description ends , 1:85). The previous spring he had advertised in the Maryland Gazette:young traveller, now in the Possession of Mr. Henry Rozer, in Prince-George’s County, Covers Mares at Two Guineas. He is Five Years old, full Sixteen Hands and an Inch high, was bred by Col. Tasker, got by Mr. Moreton’s traveller in Virginia, and came out of MISS COLVILL” (2 April 1761).

30. Chesnut Mare covered by Alexrs. H[orse] Countis & blk. refused.

Roan Mare & old black coverd by McCartys horse.

Capt. Daniel McCarty (d. 1792) of Mount Air charged GW £3 for “the use of your Horse to 4 Mares” (General Ledger A description begins General Ledger A, 1750–1772. Library of Congress, George Washington Papers, Series 5, Financial Papers. description ends , folio 82).

31. White Mare & Rankin covered by Do.

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