To George Washington from John Dandridge, 12 May 1786
From John Dandridge
New Kent Court house May—12th 1786
Sir
About three weeks since, Mr Wm Holt of Williamsburg informed me that there were some Eastern shore beans lodged in my neighbourhood for him, & requested me to take them into my possession, & send you one half; which I now do in the bag connected with this letter—Mr Holt expected this would have been done long before this, but the Gent. with whom the beans were lodged has been from home until within a few days.1
You will be so good as to inform my Aunt, that her acquaintances & relations are all well, except my Grandmother who is at present tormented with the rheumatism;2 & present my Duty & affection—With sincere sentiments of respect & Esteem I am, Sir, yr Sert
Jn Dandridge
ALS, DLC:GW.
1. GW wrote in his diary on 20 May that he had “received from [William] Holt [d. 1791] of Williamsburg through the hands of Mr. Dandridge, about 6 gills of the Eastern shore Peas” and had “planted 3 Rows in the inclosure below the Stables” (, 4:333). For a description of this Eastern Shore (or Magothy Bay) bean, see ibid., 333–34.
2. John Dandridge’s paternal grandmother, Frances Jones Dandridge, died in 1785; his maternal grandmother was the widow of Julius King Burbidge of Pamocra in New Kent County. His mother and father, Bartholomew and Mary Burbidge Dandridge, were living at Pamocra when his father died in 1785. John Dandridge also was living at Pamocra at the time of his death in 1799.