Good food and drink played an important part in Mercer's life, as it did
in the lives of most Virginia planters. In the ledger accounts are found
both double-refined and single-refined sugar, bohea tea, coffee,
nutmegs, cinnamon, mace, and chocolate. Most meats were provided by the
plantation and thus are not mentioned, while fish were caught from the
plantation sloop or by fixed nets. However, Thomas Tyler of the Eastern
Shore sold Mercer a barrel of drumfish and four and one-half bushels of
oysters, while Thomas Jones, also of the Eastern Shore, provided a
barrel of pork for 47s. 6d. in 1749. Earlier there appeared a ledger
item under "General Charges" for 1775 pounds of pork.
Molasses was an important staple, and Mercer bought a 31-gallon barrel
of it from one "Captain Fitz of the Eastern Shore of Maryland" in 1746
and 30 gallons the next year, charging both purchases to his wife. In
1750 he received 88 gallons of molasses and 255 pounds of "muscovy
sugar" from Robert Todd. Muscovy sugar was the same as "muscavado"
sugar, the unrefined brown sugar of the West Indies, known in Spanish as
_mascabado_.
[Illustration: Figure 9.--FRENCH HORN dated 1729. Mercer purchased a
"french horn" like this from Charles Dick in 1743. (USNM 95.269.)]
Beverages and the fruits to go with them were bought in astonishing
quantities between 1744 and 1750. Major Robert Tucker, a Norfolk
merchant, exchanged a "Pipe of Wine" worth £26 and a 107-1/2-gallon
hogshead of rum valued at £22 in return for Mercer's legal services.
Again as a legal fee, Mercer received 55 gallons of "Syder" from Janet
Holbrook of Stafford and bought 11 limes from John Mitchelson of York
for 12 shillings. From William Black he purchased "11 dozen and 11
bottles of Ale" at 13 shillings, and from John Harvey "5-1/12 dozen of
Claret" for £11 6d. "Mark Talbott of the Kingdom of Ireland E^{sq}" sold
Mercer a pipe of wine for £3 3s.