On March 11, 1755, after nearly 30 years of uncertainty about his titles
to Marlborough, Mercer at last was granted the entire 52-acre town in a
release from the feoffees, Peter Daniel and Gerard Fowke. This was made
with the provision that he should be "Eased from making improvements on
the other twenty-six Lots (those not built upon), to prevent their
forfeiture and the County will be wholly reimbursed, which it is not
probable it ever will be otherwise as only one Lot has been taken up in
forty-seven years last past and there is not one House in the said town
which has not been built by the said Mercer."[129]
While the day-to-day events of Marlborough went on much as ever, the
conflict between the British and the French spread from Canada southward
along the western ridge of the Appalachians. This expansion, inevitably,
was reflected in the Mercers' activities in many ways, both great and
small. As the struggle approached its climax, Braddock's troops came to
Virginia in March 1755, and were quartered in Alexandria. Among them was
John Mercer's brother, Captain James Mercer, who was a professional
soldier. On March 25 John left Marlborough for Alexandria, probably to
greet James and to have him billeted at William Waite's house where
young son James already was living as Waite's apprentice. This bringing
together of two far-flung members of the Mercer family had unanticipated
results. Captain James was a British gentlemen-officer, untouched by the
leveling influences of colonial life and therefore untempted to banish
"false pride" by any such radical means as John had employed with young
James. Indeed, the sight of his nephew learning a mechanical trade must
have been a rude shock, for we learn from John Mercer that Captain James
"found means to make his nephew uneasy under his choice; and I was from
that time incessantly teazed, by those who well knew their interest over
me, until I was brought to consent very reluctantly that he should quit
the plumb and square" and become a lawyer.[130]
Mercer returned to Marlborough by way of George Mason's, near the place
where a few months later William Buckland was to begin work on "Gunston
Hall." He remained there all day on April 1--"at M^r Mason's wind
bound," he wrote in his journal. The next day he went "home through a
very great gust."
The problems of managing a plantation went on through peace and through
war. Besides a multitude of Negroes, there were also indentured white
servants at Marlborough. One of these ran away and was advertised in the
_Virginia Gazette_ on May 2, 1755:
... a Servant Man named _John Clark_, he pretends sometimes to be a
Ship-Carpenter by Trade, at other Times a Sawyer or a Founder ...
he is about 5 feet 7 inches high, round Shoulders, a dark
Complexion, grey eyes, a large Nose and thick Lips, an _Englishman_
by birth; had on when he went away, a blue Duffil Frock with flat
white Metal Buttons and round Cuffs, red corded Plush Breeches, old
grey Worsted Stockings, old Shoes, and broad Pewter Buckles, brown
Linen wide Trousers, some check'd Shirts, and a Muslin Neckcloth;
had also an old Beaver Hat bound round with Linen.
On October 24, the _Gazette_ carried another advertisement related to
Mercer's problems of personnel:
A Miller that understands the Management of a Wind-mill, and can
procure a proper Recommendation, may have good Wages, on applying
to the Subscriber during the General Court, at _Williamsburg_, or
afterwards, at his House in _Stafford_ County, before the last Day
of November, or if any such Person will enclose his Recommendation,
and let me know his Terms by the Post from _Williamsburg_, he may
depend on meeting an Answer at the Post-Office there, without
Charge, the first Post after his Letter comes to my Hands. _John
Mercer_
In the meanwhile, the war had broken out in full scale, and the disaster
at Fort Duquesne had taken place. Mercer apparently learned the bad news
at a Stafford court session, for he noted in his journal on July 9,
after observing his attendance at court, "General Braddock defeated." We
can imagine his concern, for both George and John Fenton were
participants in the campaign.
On April 18, 1756, John Fenton was killed in action while fighting under
Washington.[131] Curiously, his death was not mentioned in the journal.
Instead, we learn of the death of John Mercer's horse on the way to
Williamsburg in April and of the fact that, on his return in May, Mercer
lost his way and traveled 46 miles in a day. He tells us that he went
"to M^r Moncure's by water" on May 26, a distance of 15 miles, and that
he made a round trip from Mr. Moncure's to Aquia Church for a total of
12 miles. On July 14, he noted that he went "to Maj^r Hedgman's &
returning thrown out of the chaise & very much bruised."
The demands of the war are revealed in journal entries made in June
1757. On the 20th he wrote, "to Court to prick Soldiers & home," and on
the 27th, "to Court to draft Soldiers & home." As at other times in the
journal, birth and death, in their tragic immediacy and repetitiveness,
were juxtaposed in September: on the 24th, "Son John born"; on the 27th,
"Brother James died at Albany"; on the 28th, "Son John died."
In 1758 George Mason ran for the office of burgess from both Stafford
and Fairfax. On July 11, Mercer went to the Stafford elections, where
"Lee & Mason" were chosen. On the 15th, he went "to M^r Selden's & home
by water to see M^r Mason," who evidently had come to Marlborough for a
visit. Four days later, he traveled to Alexandria for the elections
there and saw "Johnston & Mason" elected.
In the fall of 1758 he went, as usual, to Williamsburg. His route this
time was long and devious, taking him to both Caroline and King William
County courthouses on the way, for a total of 121 miles in five days. We
learn of one of the hazards of protracted journeys in the 18th century
from a notation repeated daily in his journal for four days following
his arrival: "at Williamsburg Confined to Bed with the Piles."
On November 15, soon after his return to Marlborough, Mercer was sworn
to the new commission of Stafford justices. Five days previously his son
Catesby had been buried, but, as usually happened, new life came to take
the place of that which had survived so briefly. On May 17, 1759, Mercer
recorded, "Son John Francis born at 7 in the Evening." John Francis
evidently was given an auspicious start in life by a christening of more
than ordinary formality: "May 28. to Col^o Harrison's with the Gov^r Son
christened."
During 1759 the second edition of the _Abridgment_ was published in
Glasgow, Scotland, this time with neither public notice nor
recrimination.[132] On November 25, Mercer met the growing problem of
his indebtedness by deeding equal shares of some of his properties, as
well as whole amounts of others, to George and James Mercer, Marlborough
and a few other small holdings excepted. Fifty Negroes were included in
the transaction. This action was followed immediately by the release of
the properties under their new titles to Colonel John Tayloe and Colonel
Presley Thornton for a year, thus providing cash by which George and
James could pay £3000 of John Mercer's debts.[133]
The Ohio Company was experiencing its difficulties also. Mercer's
importance in it was demonstrated by his appointment to "draw up a full
State of the Company's Case setting forth the Hardships We labour under
and the Reasons why the Lands have not been settled and the Fort
finished according to Royal Instructions...."[134] This was his most
responsible assignment during his activity in the company.
Indebtedness throughout these years lurked constantly in the background,
now and then breaking through acutely. In 1760, for example, William
Tooke, a London merchant, brought suit to collect £331 1s. 6d. which
Mercer owed him. Two years later Capel Hanbury sued Mercer for £31
10s.[135]
In 1761 George Washington and George Mercer ran for burgesses from
Frederick County in the Shenandoah Valley, and both were elected. John
Mercer, evidently anxious to be present for the election, undertook the
arduous journey to Winchester, leaving Marlborough on May 15. His
itinerary was as follows:
May 15 to Fredericksburg 15
16 to Nevill's Ordinary 37
17 to Ashby's Combe's & Winchester 32
18 at Winchester (Frederick Election)
(Geo Washington and Geo Mercer elected)
19 to M^r Dick's Quarter 18
20 to Pike's M^r Wormley's Quarter 12
21 to Snickers's Little River Quarters & Nevill's 60
22 to Fallmouth & home 50
In the previous year Anna had been born, and now, on December 14, 1761,
Maria arrived. Between the 8th and the 20th of August, 1762, entries
were made that suggest that there was an epidemic of sorts at
Marlborough: "Cupid died // Tom (Poll's) died // Daughter Elinor died //
Miss B. Roy died." In his long letter to George, written in 1768, he
reflected on the fact that, although through the years 98 Negroes had
been born at Marlborough, he, at that time, had fewer than the total of
all he had ever bought. "Your sister Selden," he wrote "attributes it to
the unhealthiness of Patomack Neck, which there may be something in....
I thank God, however, that my own family has been generally as healthy
as other people's."[136]