1. See Cash Accounts, August 1770, n.3.

2. Jacob Gooding (died c.1791) lived in Fairfax County. In General Ledger A description begins General Ledger A, 1750–1772. Library of Congress, George Washington Papers, Series 5, Financial Papers. description ends , folio 324, GW records on this date “20 Maryland Dollars let you [Gooding] have myself to buy a Hanger &ca,” £6; and he records receiving in October 1770 “one cutteau” worth £6. A hanger or a couteau is a short sword.

3. On 20 Sept. GW entered into articles of agreement with Dominicus Gubner of Fairfax County, which read in part: “the said Dominicus Gubner for the Considerations hereinafter mentiond doth oblige himself to work true and faithfully at his Trade as a Black-smith for . . . George Washington during the space of one whole year . . . that is to say he shall be constant & deligent at his business at all hours & seasons that is customary & proper for a Smith to Work at. . . . And the said Dominicus Gubner doth further oblige himself well and truely to perform . . . all and every kind of work which shall be brought to the Shop whether it belongs to the said George Washington or any other Person; that he will at all times & upon all occasions use the greatest care imaginable of the Iron, steel, & Coal which may be intrusted to his care working each respective article to the best advantage he is capable of and will render a . . . faithful Acct of all the work he does . . . whensoever calld upon to do so And further the said Dominicus Gubner doth oblige himself to Instruct . . . any Negro Slave which the said Geo. Washington shall put under him in the Shop in the Art of a Blacksmith. In consideration of these Services . . . the said Geo. Washington doth promise & engage on his part to let the said Dominicus Gubner have the Free use and enjoyment Rent Free of the Plantation commonly calld & known by the name of John Crooks for his the said Gubners Wife & Family to live at; that he will find the said Gubner good & wholesome Provision’s & lodgings whilst he is at work in the Shop and will moreover at the expiration of the year fully compleated and ended in the manner abovementioned pay him the said Gubner the Sum of Thirty two pounds Currt money of Virginia.” The agreement was witnessed by Thomas Bishop and Lund Washington. For John Crook’s plantation, see Humphrey Knight to GW, 23 Aug. 1758. Gubner remained with GW until the fall of 1773 (see General Ledger B description begins General Ledger B, 1772–1793. Library of Congress, George Washington Papers, Series 5, Financial Papers. description ends , folio 34).

4. The master carpenter Jonathan Palmer, who had been living at Muddy Hole, moved in June 1770 with his family to John Posey’s former place on the Potomac, at Mount Vernon (Diaries description begins Donald Jackson and Dorothy Twohig, eds. The Diaries of George Washington. 6 vols. Charlottesville, Va., 1976–79. description ends , 2:83, 245). Mrs. Palmer is probably his wife.

5. Cornelius Palmer was a laborer helping with GW’s harvesting of wheat in July (see Cash Accounts, July 1770), and he seems to have been one of those helping in September with the building of the new mill on Dogue Run. He may have been Jonathan Palmer’s son, one of whom apparently helped with the harvesting in 1769 (see Diaries description begins Donald Jackson and Dorothy Twohig, eds. The Diaries of George Washington. 6 vols. Charlottesville, Va., 1976–79. description ends , 2:165).

6. This was probably John Hite, Junior. For GW’s later dealings with John Hite, Jr., see William Crawford to GW, c.15 Nov. 1772, n. 4.

7. John Hull and other masons had begun work on the foundations of the new mill on 17 April 1770. See Diaries description begins Donald Jackson and Dorothy Twohig, eds. The Diaries of George Washington. 6 vols. Charlottesville, Va., 1976–79. description ends , 2:232–33.

8. See Cash Accounts, May 1770, n.2.