On April 12, 1741, Mercer was admitted to practice at the General Court
in Williamsburg.[73] His trip there on that occasion was typical of the
journeys which took him at least twice yearly to the capital. On the
first day of this Williamsburg trip he rode "To Col^o Taliaferro's," a
distance of 19 miles. The following day "To Caroline Court" (18 miles),
the next "To M^r Hubbard's" (30 miles), then as far as "M^r J^{no}
Powers" (24 miles), and finally "To Furneas & Williamsburg" (30 miles).
The route was usually to West Point, or Brick House on the opposite
shore in New Kent County, and thence either directly to Williamsburg, or
by way of New Kent courthouse. Stopovers were made either at ordinaries
or at the houses of friends.[74]
Mercer's travels, summarized in the journal that he kept in the back of
Ledger B from 1730 until his death in 1768, were prodigious. In 1735,
for example, he journeyed a total of 4202 miles and was home only 119
days. This pace had slackened considerably in the period we are now
considering, but, nevertheless, he was not at home more than 218 days
out of any one year of the decade 1741-1750. This energetic and restless
moving about was common among the leading planters, but in Mercer's case
it seems to have reached its ultimate. Practicing law, playing politics,
acquiring property, and becoming acquainted with people led him all over
Virginia.
A representative sample from the journal covers the period of September
and October 1745. It will be noted that the days of the week are
indicated alphabetically, a through g, as in the calendar of the Book of
Common Prayer. The mileage traveled each day is entered at the right.
1 F to Potomack Church & home 10
2 g at home
3 a to Tylers & Spotsylvania Court 14
4 b to M^r Daniels[75] & home 14
5 c to M^r Moncure's,[76] my Survey & home 20
6 d to King George Court & W^m Walkers'[77] 24
7 e to M^{rs}. Spoore's[78] my Survey & home 20
8 F at home
9 g M^r Moncure's my Survey & home 20
10 a to Stafford Court & home 20
11 b at home
12 c to M^{rs} Mason's[79] Survey 18
13 d at D^o 10
14 e at D^o 15
15 F to Potomack Church & M^r Moncure's 18
16 g home 6
17 a at home
18 b D^o
19 c to M^{rs} Spoore & M^{rs} Taliaferro's 17
20 d at M^r Taliaferro's 14
21 e To Fredericksburg & M^{rs} Taliaferro's
22 F To Doctor Potter's[80] & M^{rs} Taliaferro's.
Lost my horses 2
23 g To M^r Moncure's 9
24 a home 10
25 b at home
26 c D^o
27 d D^o
28 e to M^r Moncure's, Vestry & home 16
29 F at home
30 g D^o