To George Washington from Francis Deakins and Benjamin W. Jones, 20 December 1792
From Francis Deakins and Benjamin W. Jones
Montgomery County [Md.] 20 Decr 1792
Sir
We now enclose you our Valuation of Mrs Sophia Mercers part of Woodstock Manor⟨,⟩ which we should have done before this had we not waited the time you Limited for a division to take place—the Sales & Quality of Other Lands in this Neighbourhood has been duly considered in our Valuation of this tract.1 We have the Honor to be Sir your Mt Obedt Servt
Francis Deakins
Benjn W. Jones
LS, DLC:GW. in the hand of Francis Deakins.
1. For background on GW’s hiring of Deakins and Jones to assess the value of Sophia Mercer’s land in Montgomery County, Md., in order to settle a longstanding debt owed by the estate of John Mercer, the father of Sophia Mercer’s husband John Francis Mercer, see John Francis Mercer and GW to Deakins and Jones, 8 Dec. 1792, and note 1. According to the enclosed statement of 20 Dec., Deakins and Jones set the "Average Value on the Whole Tract" at "Six Dollars pr Acre" (LS, DLC:GW). An entry in GW’s on 1 April 1793 credits the account of John F. Mercer: “By a Tract of Land lying in the County of Montgomery State of Maryland, Containing 519 Acres, being part of a Tract called Woodstock Manor, conveyed to me by yourself & others @ 42/. ⅌ Acre . . . £1089.18.” At the request of GW and Mercer, Deakins and Jones directed Hezekiah Veatch to survey this tract. The 2 Jan. 1793 survey was recorded in the general court of Montgomery County on 18 April 1794 (ViMtvL). Francis Deakins wrote GW from Montgomery County, Md., on 4 Jan. 1793 that if he could provide “Any Little Service” in the future, “your commands Shall be cheerfully obeyed” (DLC:GW).