In June, Jonathan Boucher had married Eleanor Addison (1739–1784) of Oxon Hill, niece of his benefactor Rev. Henry Addison. The Washingtons had intended to pay their respects to the newlyweds earlier in the summer but had been prevented by “Harvest, Company, and one thing or another” (GW to Boucher, 18 Aug. 1772, DLC:GW). Benedict Calvert’s two eldest daughters were Elizabeth (Betsey) Calvert (born c.1752) and Eleanor (Nelly) Calvert (1754–1811). Unknown to the Washingtons or the Bouchers, Jacky Custis was at this time courting Nelly Calvert. When their romance did become known several months later, Boucher was shocked: “Never . . . had I the most distant Suspicion of any such Thing’s being in Agitation,” he wrote GW. “You will remember, I always thought, that He was enamoured of Miss Betsey [Calvert]; tho’ even in that, I suspected not, that there was any Likelihood of its be coming so serious, without my first knowing more of it” (8 April 1773, DLC:GW).

St. Barnabas Church, located several miles southeast of Mount Lubentia, was the parish church for Jonathan Boucher’s parish of Queen Anne.

Osborne Sprigg, Jr., son of Osborne Sprigg (1707–1750) and Rachel Belt Sprigg, lived less than two miles northwest of Boucher’s house in Prince George’s County.

GW’s purpose in going to Fredericksburg at this time was to meet with other veteran officers of the French and Indian War “to consider of a proper method to obtain the Lands granted” by the king’s Proclamation of 1763 (resolutions of veteran officers, 15 Sept. 1772, MoSW).

GW was preparing to advertise Ferry Farm in the Virginia Gazette “To be sold, rented, or exchanged, for back lands in any of the northern counties” of Virginia (5 Nov. 1772). Fielding Lewis agreed to act as GW’s Fredericksburg agent in this business.

Weedon’s tavern was probably the scene of today’s meeting of the veteran officers. Fourteen officers, including GW, were present and agreed to organize in order to push their claims. Each man was to be assessed £3 for every thousand acres claimed, and five officers living in the Fredericksburg neighborhood were appointed to disburse the collected money for surveying and other expenses (resolutions of veteran officers, 15 Sept. 1772, MoSW).

GW today recorded paying his mother £30 cash in the presence of brother Charles (General Ledger B description begins General Ledger B, 1772–1793. Library of Congress, George Washington Papers, Series 5, Financial Papers. description ends , folio 45).

As ordered by the court on 20 Aug., George West divided the disputed tract on Dogue Creek, allotting 75 acres to GW and 118 acres to William Barry (GW’s list of quitrent lands for 1772, DLC:GW). GW received less land, probably because he received riparian rights on the creek as part of his share of the property. Almost 11 years later GW bought the 118 acres from William Barry and his wife, Sarah, for £150 Virginia currency (deed of William and Sarah Barry to GW, 16 June 1783, ViMtvL).

The court met 21–24 Sept., and GW was present the first three days (Fairfax County Order Book for 1772–74, 118–31, Vi Microfilm).

GW today paid John West, Jr., £436 9s. for the land near Mount Vernon that West had previously agreed to sell to him (see main entry for 29 April 1769). Two separate tracts were specified in the deeds: the undisputed section which GW had been renting from West since 18 Sept. 1770, said here to contain 196 acres, and the six-acre strip over which West and John Posey had been contending. Having bought Posey’s rights to the strip 8 June 1772, GW with this purchase effectively ended the dispute between the two men and established his own unchallengeable right to that land (General Ledger B description begins General Ledger B, 1772–1793. Library of Congress, George Washington Papers, Series 5, Financial Papers. description ends , folio 41; West’s deed to GW, 21 Sept. 1772, MoSW; excerpt from West’s deed to GW, 22 Sept. 1772, American Art Assoc. Catalogue, 21–22 Jan. 1926, Item 295).

GW and Fairfax were surveying the 484 acres of land on Dogue Creek that West had previously promised to sell to GW (see main entry for 28 May 1772). This tract extended west from the creek into Belvoir Neck, and because GW was primarily interested in the eastern part next to his mill, he agreed to sell Fairfax 72 acres of the land in the neck at the same rate he was to buy it from West: 25s. an acre, a total price of £90 (General Ledger B description begins General Ledger B, 1772–1793. Library of Congress, George Washington Papers, Series 5, Financial Papers. description ends , folio 63, 66). West deeded the full 484 acres to GW on 28 Oct. 1772, and within the next few months GW gave a deed to Fairfax for his 72 acres (deed of Charles West to GW, ViMtvL; General Index to Fairfax County Deeds for 1742–97, 218, Vi Microfilm).

Bryan Fairfax was showing GW this 463½-acre tract on the South Run of Pohick Creek with the hope that GW would pay off his £160 bill of exchange in return for it, but GW declined to accept the deal (Fairfax to GW, 3 Aug. and 2 Dec. 1772, DLC:GW; see “Remarks” entry for 8 Jan. 1772). Fairfax later sold the tract to Alexander Henderson of nearby Colchester for £166 (deed of Fairfax to Henderson, 16–17 April 1773, Fairfax County Deeds, Book K–1, 433–54, Vi Microfilm).

Christopher Gist had a brother Thomas and a son Thomas. This Tom Gist is probably the son, who lived in southwest Pennsylvania on the main route to the Ohio country (BAILEY [5] description begins Kenneth P. Bailey. Christopher Gist: Colonial Frontiersman, Explorer, and Indian Agent. Hamden, Conn., 1976. description ends , 154).

Bridget Fleming was an unmarried daughter of Thomas Fleming of Alexandria (will of Thomas Fleming, 7 April 1786, Fairfax County Wills, Book E–1, 160, Vi Microfilm).

Mr. Fitzhugh could be almost any of the many Mr. Fitzhughs living in Stafford or King George counties. Mr. Brown may be one of Dr. William Brown’s brothers. Mr. Burwell is probably one of the two younger Lewis Burwells. Colonel Burwell who came the next day is Robert Burwell, and John Fitzhugh is probably John Fitzhugh of Marmion, but may be John Fitzhugh (1727–1809) of Bell Air, Stafford County.