Mercer's domestic-expense account is full of evidence that he was
preparing to set up housekeeping. He bought "1 China punch bowl," 10s.;
"6 glasses," 3s.; "1 box Iron & heaters," 2s. 6d.; "1 p^r fine
blankets," 1s. 13d.; "Earthen ware," 10s.; "5 Candlesticks," 17s. 6d.;
"1 Bed Cord," 2s.; "3 maple knives & forks," 2s.; "1 yew haft knife &
fork & 1 p^r Stilds [steelyards?]," 1s. 10-1/2d.; "1 p^r Salisbury
Scissors," 2s. 6d.; and "1 speckled knife & fork," 5d.
In addition, he accepted as payment for various cloth and materials sold
to Mrs. Elizabeth Russell the following furniture and furnishings:
Ster. £ s. d.
By a writing desk D^o 5
By a glass & Cover D^o 7 6
By 18^l Pewter at 1/4 D^o 1 4
By 6 tea Cups & Sawcers 2/ D^o 12
By 2 Chocolate Cups 1/ D^o 2
By 2 Custard Cups 9^d D^o 1 6
By 1 Tea Table painted with fruit D^o 14
By 6 leather Chairs @ 7/ 2 2
By a small walnut eating table 8
By 1/2 doz. Candlemoulds 10
By a Tea table 18
By a brass Chafing dish 5
By 6 copper tart pans 6
At the time of this purchase, the only house standing at Marlborough was
that built by Thomas Ballard in 1708. It was inherited by his godson
David Waugh,[55] who now apparently offered to let his niece Catherine
and her new husband occupy it. Mercer later referred to it as "the
House I lived in built by Ballard."[56] From his own records we know
that he moved to Marlborough in 1726. He did so probably in the summer,
since on June 11 he settled with Charles McClelland for "cleaning out
y^e house." Unoccupied for years and small in size, it was a humble
place in which to set up housekeeping, and indeed must have needed
"cleaning out." It also must have needed extensive repairs, since Mercer
purchased 1500 tenpenny nails "used about it."
Throughout 1726 Mercer acquired household furnishings, made repairs and
improvements, and obtained the necessities of a plantation. On February
1 he acquired "3 Ironbacks" (cast-iron firebacks for fireplaces) for £8
4s. 2d., as well as "2 p^r hand Irons" for 15s. 5d., from Edmund Bagge.
From George Rust he bought "3 Cows & Calves" for £7 10s., a featherbed
for £3 10s., and an "Iron pot" for 5s.
His reckoning with John Dogge opens with a poignant note, "By a Child's
Coffin": Mercer's first-born child had died. On the same account was "an
Oven," bought for 17 shillings. Dogge also was credited with "bringing
over 10 sheep from Sumners" (a plantation at Passapatanzy, south of
Potomac Creek). Rawleigh Chinn was paid for "plowing up & fencing in my
yard" and for "fetching 3 horses over the Creek." Also credited to Chinn
was an item revealing Mercer's sporting enthusiasm: "went on y^e main
race ... 15/."
From Alexander Buncle, Mercer acquired one dozen table knives, three
chamber-door locks, two pairs of candle snuffers, and two broad axes.
His account with Alexander McFarlane in 1726, the credit side of which
is quoted here in part, is a further illustration of the variety of
hardware and consumable goods that he required:
£ s. d.
2 p^r men's Shooes 9
1 Razor & penknife 2 6
2-1/4 gall Rum 6 9
9 gals. molasses 13
12^1 brown Sugar 6
6-1/4 double refined D^o 20^d 10 5
1 felt hat 2 4
1 q^t Limejuice 1
2 doz. Claret 1 10
2 lanthorns 6
1 funnell 7-1/2
1 quart & 1 pint tin pot 1 10-1/2
* * *
By 2 doz & 8 bottles Claret 2 8
By a woman's horsewhip 3
By 1^{oz} Gunpowder
By 10^l Shot
By 1 wom^s bound felt [hat]
Mercer's comments, added three years later to this record, signify the
complexities of credit accounting in the plantation economy: "In July
1729 I settled Accounts w^{th} M^r M^cFarlane & paid him off & at the
same time having Ed Barry's note on him for 1412^l Tob^o (his goods
being extravagantly dear) I paid him 1450^l Tob^o to M^r Thos Smith to
ball^{ns} accts."
Another of Mercer's accounts was with Edward Simm. From Simm, Mercer
acquired the following in 1726:
£ s. d.
1 horsewhip 4
1 fine hat 12
9 y^{ds} bedtick 3/4 1 10
1 p^r Spurs 8
1 Curry Comb & brush 2 9
2 p^r mens Shooes 5/ 10
1 p^r Chelloes 1 10
2 p^r wom^s gloves 2/ 4
2 p^r D^o thread hose 9
2 p^r mens worsted d^o 8
2 p^r ch^{kr} yarn 3 4
1 Sifter 2
1 frying pan 4 6
7 quire of paper 1-1/4 9 8
6 silk Laces 4^d 2