To George Washington from Peter Trenor, 8 November 1786
From Peter Trenor
Petersburgh 8th Novr 1786
The inclosed Memorial I received from Mrs Ann Ennis of the City of Dublin which I expected to have had the Honour of handing your Excellency on my Way to Baltimore where I purposed going on my leaving Ireland—but calling here & meeting a market for my Goods prevents my having that Honour.1
Your Excellency will perceive by said Memorial that the Will of the Late Doctor Willm Savage, with many other Papers relative thereto were in the hands of a Captain Brereton of Baltimore which I presume he informed your Excellency of—if your Excellency will be so obliging as to inform me by Post (at Messrs Gordon & Keans Portsmouth Virginia,) whether or not you have any Effects in your hands to discharge Mrs Ennis’s demand—and what sum she may expect—at same time if your Excellency will be so good, as to send me an order either on Philadelpha, New York, Baltimore or Portsmouth—for what you think proper to remit her—shall send you a receipt for same—& if required shall give your Excellency such Security for delivering of same as you may require.2
In expectation of having the Honour of hearing from your Excellency before my return to Dublin (which expect will be in the Course of three Weeks.[)] I am your Excellency’s most Obed. Servt
Peter Trenor
ALS, DLC:GW.
1. The text of Ann [Anne] Ennis’s memorial “To his Excellency General Washington,” dated at Dublin, 12 July 1786, is: “The Memorial of Ann Ennis Widow of Richd Ennis late of the City of Dublin Gentn Deced Sheweth That your Memoralist Some few Years ago when Mrs Margt Savage Wife to Doctr Wm Savage late of Virginia Lived in Dublin, Supported the said Mrs Savage & Supplied her with every necessary possible to make her live Comfortably when in Dublin.
“That your Memts paid & Expended for Necessarys for the Support of said Mrs Savage upwards of fifty Guineas which Sum remains justly due and owing to your Memorts by the Heirs & Representatives of the said Mrs Savage.
“That the said Mrs Savage Shortly before She left Dublin, duly made & publishd her last will and testament which will after the accot of her Death came to Dublin, was duly provd and Registerd in the Courts of Record for Such in the City of Dublin—That the said Mrs Savage often Inform’d Your Memort that She was formerly Wife to Doctr [Charles] Green of Virgina Deced—who had left an Estate of upwards of £500 ⅌ year to your Excellency in trust & for the purpose of paying to his Widow (then the said Mrs Savage), the sum of £100 Sterg ⅌ year During her life, which Estate your Excellency is now in possession of and the said Mrs Savage Informed Your Memoralist that there were due her by your Excellency thirteen years annuity of the said Sum of £100 Stg ⅌ year left to her by her late Husband the said Wm Green which Sum was in your Excellencys hands for her Use—and that your Excellency would pay the same to any person She would will it to.
“That the said Mrs Savage by her Said Will among other Legacys left to your Memot the Sum of £150—& to her Husband the sd Richd Ennis the Sum of £100—& all the said Debt She owed & said Legacy to be paid out of the Sum remain’g in your hands of her annuity due her as aforesaid, and said Mrs Savage left to your Excell’y the Sum of £100—& to Col: [Bryan] Fairfax £50 & appointed your Excellency & said Col. Fairfax Executors to her said Will.
“That your Memot had the Honour to write to your Excellency about 18 Mons ago—Informing you of the above Matters & that the said Will of the said Mrs Savage with Many other papers relative thereto were in the hands of Captn [Thomas] Brereton of Baltimore for the Inspection & Use of your Excellency & Col. Fairfax—but your Memt has not Since had the honour of hearing any thing from Your Excell’y or any other person in regard to the said Mrs Savages affairs.
“That your Memot being now a Widow and in reduced needy Circumstances She Humbly Hopes your Excellency will take her Case into your kind Consideration and order her paymt of the 50 Guineas justly due to Memots which She Paid for the Support of the said Mrs Savage when in Dublin—and also order her the amount of the said Legacys bequeathd to her and her Husband by the said Mrs Savage in her Said will to which will your Excelly is Trustee & Executor.
“That Memoralist fearing her Letters has & might Miscarry has requested a friend of hers to have this Memorial Deliverd to your Excell’y and to Request an answer thereto.
“Therefore your Memt Humbly Hopes [(]as She was a good friend to the said Mrs Savage) Your Excelly will be so good as to grant a favourable answer to this Memorial by Inform’g the Bearer whether or not Memot will get the said 50 Gs. due her or any of the said Legacy so bequeathd to her—and if your Excelly will pay any of the said Money to the Bearer Peter Trenor his Receipt on this Memorial will be Sufft & will be allowd & acknowledged by Your Excelly Most Obedt Servt Anne Ennis” (DLC:GW).
For GW’s response to Mrs. Ennis’s memorial, see his letter to her of 15 Nov.1786. The outlines of the long continuing Savage affair are set out in Henry Lee and Daniel Payne to GW, 24 April 1767, n.1.
2. See Thomas Brereton to GW, 12 April 1786, and GW to Brereton, 20 April 1786. For references to fuller discussions of the Savage affair, see note 1 in Brereton’s letter of 12 April.