1[December 1770] (Washington Papers)
Decr. 1st. Reachd home from Wests after an absence of 9 Weeks and one Day. 2. At home all day alone. 3. Rid to the Mill in the forenoon, and returnd to Dinner. 4. Rid by Posey’s to the Mill, and to the Ditchers. Mr. Boucher and Jacky Custis came here in the Afternoon. Boucher had not given up the idea of taking Jacky to Europe. At this time he was urging the Washingtons to prepare the boy for...
2Acct. of the Weather in Decemr. [1770] (Washington Papers)
Decr. 1st. Cold & Raw in the forenoon & constant Snow in the Afternoon. 2. Clear, & tolerably pleasant, except being Cool. Wind at No. West. 3. Clear & cool, Wind at No. West, & Ground hard froze As it has been for several days. 4. Clear and Cool, Wind being Northwardly in the forenoon & Southwardly afterwards. 5. Lowering & like for Snow in the forenoon—but clearer afterwards. 6. Warm Morning...
3[Diary entry: 31 December 1770] (Washington Papers)
31. I rid to My Mill in the forenoon and Afternoon. Nancy Peake came here. GW gave Nancy £10 as a loan for her father, Humphrey Peake, who repaid the sum in June ( General Ledger A General Ledger A, 1750–1772. Library of Congress, George Washington Papers, Series 5, Financial Papers. , folio 307).
4[Diary entry: 31 December 1770] (Washington Papers)
31. Also clear and Pleasant.
5[Diary entry: 30 December 1770] (Washington Papers)
30. Mr. & Mrs. Cockburn went away. My Miller & his wife and Mr. Ball dind here. GW’s miller was William Roberts, a Pennsylvanian who had signed articles of agreement with Lund Washington 13 Oct. 1770 engaging himself to run the new mill at Mount Vernon for £80 a year plus the privilege of feeding a cow and raising domestic fowl at GW’s expense ( DLC:GW ). Roberts was highly skilled in the...
6[Diary entry: 30 December 1770] (Washington Papers)
30. Exceeding pleast. calm and clear.
7[Remarks and Occurences in December 1770] (Washington Papers)
Saturday 1st. Reachd home being absent from it Nine weeks and one day. 11th. Agreed with Christr. Shade to drive my Waggon by the year for the doing of which I am to find him in Bed, Board, & Washing, and to pay him Eighteen pounds a year. Shade was employed by GW as his wagoner until the end of 1774 ( General Ledger A General Ledger A, 1750–1772. Library of Congress, George Washington Papers,...
8[Diary entry: 29 December 1770] (Washington Papers)
29. Went a fox hunting in Company with the two Mr. Triplets & Mr. Peake, found no Fox. Upon my return home found Mr. & Mrs. Cockburn here.
9[Diary entry: 29 December 1770] (Washington Papers)
29. Very pleasant and quite Calm but somewhat lowering.
10[Diary entry: 29 December 1770] (Washington Papers)
29. Truelove another Hound Bitch Shut up with Ringwood & by him alone lined.
11[Diary entry: 28 December 1770] (Washington Papers)
28. At the Mill in the Forenoon and Afternoon.
12[Diary entry: 28 December 1770] (Washington Papers)
28. Clear and pleasant with but little Wind.
13[Diary entry: 27 December 1770] (Washington Papers)
27. Went a fox Hunting and killd a fox in Company with the two Mr. Triplets and Mr. Peake who dined here.
14[Diary entry: 27 December 1770] (Washington Papers)
27. Frosty Morning but clear and pleasant afterwards.
15[Diary entry: 27 December 1770] (Washington Papers)
27. Shut up Singer after She had been first lined by one or two Cur Dogs. Jowler being put in with her lind her several times; and his Puppies if to be distinguished saved.
16[Diary entry: 26 December 1770] (Washington Papers)
26. At Home all day alone.
17[Diary entry: 26 December 1770] (Washington Papers)
26. Clear and pleasant with but little Wind.
18[Diary entry: 25 December 1770] (Washington Papers)
25. Went to Pohick Church and returnd to Dinner.
19[Diary entry: 25 December 1770] (Washington Papers)
25. Snowing in the Morning, but clear afterwards and Cool. Snow about an Inch deep.
20[Diary entry: 24 December 1770] (Washington Papers)
24. Rid to the Mill again in the fore and afternoon.
21[Diary entry: 24 December 1770] (Washington Papers)
24. Cloudy & like for Rain but none fell.
22[Diary entry: 23 December 1770] (Washington Papers)
23. Rid to the Mill before Dinner. At home afterwards alone.
23[Diary entry: 23 December 1770] (Washington Papers)
23. Clear & pleasant Morning but windy afterwards & a little Cloudy.
24[Diary entry: 22 December 1770] (Washington Papers)
22. Rid to the Mill & Mill Race in the fore and Afternoon. Jacky Custis had been indulged with a further reprieve from studying and apparently was now at Mount Vernon again; on this date GW recorded giving the boy £2 6s. 3d. “to buy Sundries at Fred[ericksbur]g” ( General Ledger A General Ledger A, 1750–1772. Library of Congress, George Washington Papers, Series 5, Financial Papers. , folio...
25[Diary entry: 22 December 1770] (Washington Papers)
22. High wind all day from the North West—but not very cold.
26[Diary entry: 22 December 1770] (Washington Papers)
22. Began to Grind Sand in my Mill the Water being let in upon the Fore Bay. Dry sand was being ground between the new millstones “to smooth down the sharp points” on their faces. When the faces were fully finished and fitted together, they would be furrowed and dressed for grinding grain ( craik [1] David Craik. The Practical American Millwright and Miller: Comprising the Elementary...
27[Diary entry: 21 December 1770] (Washington Papers)
21. Rid to the Mill in the fore and Afternoon.
28[Diary entry: 21 December 1770] (Washington Papers)
21. Lowering Morning with a little Rain—but clear afterwards & windy.
29[Diary entry: 20 December 1770] (Washington Papers)
20. Returnd home.
30[Diary entry: 20 December 1770] (Washington Papers)
20. Very pleasant, being clear and Calm.
31[Diary entry: 19 December 1770] (Washington Papers)
19. Went to Colchester on an Arbitration between McCraes Exrs. and John Graham—no business done. Allan Macrae of Dumfries had died in 1766, and the executors of his will were Thomas Lawson, of the Neabsco iron furnace in Prince William County, and Capt. John Lee (1709–1789), who lived on Chopawamsic Creek in Stafford County ( Va. Gaz. , P&D, 11 Dec. 1766). John Graham (1711–1787), clerk of the...
32[Diary entry: 19 December 1770] (Washington Papers)
19. Calm, clear, and Pleasant.
33[Diary entry: 19 December 1770] (Washington Papers)
19. Finishd digging & levelling the Mill Race from Piney Branch. The Piney Branch dam had also been completed, and water could now be diverted from the branch into the race.
34[Diary entry: 18 December 1770] (Washington Papers)
18. Rid to my Mill and to the Ditchers in the Fore and Afternoon. GW today completed a land transaction with Valinda Wade, paying her £175 for her share of the Wade family property on Dogue Run, which she and her two sisters, Sarah and Eleanor, had inherited. During the past few years Sarah had died unmarried, and Eleanor, who had married John Barry of Fairfax County, had recently died also,...
35[Diary entry: 18 December 1770] (Washington Papers)
18. Pleasant again tho a little Cool & frosty.
36[Diary entry: 17 December 1770] (Washington Papers)
17. Jacky Custis went to Annapolis & I to Court. Returnd in the afternoon. Jacky was not eager to return to school. “His mind,” GW warned Jonathan Boucher, is “a good deal relayed from Study, & more than ever turnd to Dogs Horses Guns” (16 Dec. 1770, NNC ). The court met 17–19 Dec. (Fairfax County Order Book for 1770–72, 157–68, Vi Microfilm).
37[Diary entry: 17 December 1770] (Washington Papers)
17. Very pleasant Morning, but Cloudy & blustering afterwards.
38[Diary entry: 16 December 1770] (Washington Papers)
16. Dined at Belvoir with Jacky Custis & returnd afterwards.
39[Diary entry: 16 December 1770] (Washington Papers)
16. Quite Calm, clear, and exceeding pleasant.
40[Diary entry: 15 December 1770] (Washington Papers)
15. I rid to the Mill and Ditchers by Poseys.
41[Diary entry: 15 December 1770] (Washington Papers)
15. Calm and Pleasant forenoon—a little lowering in the afternn.
42[Diary entry: 14 December 1770] (Washington Papers)
14. Mrs. B. Fairfax & Miss Marbray went away after Breakfast & Mr. Peake dind here.
43[Diary entry: 14 December 1770] (Washington Papers)
14. Clear and not windy—nor so cold as Yesterday.
44[Diary entry: 13 December 1770] (Washington Papers)
13. Doctr. Rumney went away after breakfast and the two Mrs. Fairfax’s & Miss Nelly Marbray dind here. Mrs. Geo. Fairfax returnd afterds. nelly marbray : possibly a member of the Marbury family of Prince George’s County, Md. ( mackenzie [1] George Norbury Mackenzie, ed. Colonial Families of the United States of America . 7 vols. 1907-20. Reprint. Baltimore, 1966. , 2:488–89).
45[Diary entry: 13 December 1770] (Washington Papers)
13. Clear Morning & pleasant, but Cloudy & blustering afterwards from the No. Wt.
46[Diary entry: 12 December 1770] (Washington Papers)
12. At home all day. Mr. Semple Dined here, & went away afterwar⟨ds.⟩ Doctr. Rumney came in the Afternoon and stayd all Night.
47[Diary entry: 12 December 1770] (Washington Papers)
12. Drisling all the forenoon. In the Afternoon Rain.
48[Diary entry: 11 December 1770] (Washington Papers)
11. Rid to my Mill and Ditchers before Dinner.
49[Diary entry: 11 December 1770] (Washington Papers)
11. Lowery Morning and dripping Afternoon.
50[Diary entry: 11 December 1770] (Washington Papers)
11th. Agreed with Christr. Shade to drive my Waggon by the year for the doing of which I am to find him in Bed, Board, & Washing, and to pay him Eighteen pounds a year. Shade was employed by GW as his wagoner until the end of 1774 ( General Ledger A General Ledger A, 1750–1772. Library of Congress, George Washington Papers, Series 5, Financial Papers. , folio 331; General Ledger B General...