Iliiiitcr and Cliailcs Dick, thr I"icdfiick.sljuii» mer- 

 chants from whom Mercer bought most of his goods 

 and suppUcs. To others, however, payments were 

 made in a complexity of tobacco notes, legal-fee 

 payments, and plain bartei'. Tobacco shipped over- 

 seas was usually handled 1)\' Sydenham & Hodgson. 

 Also involved with tobacco transactions in England 

 were two X'irginia merchants. Major John Champe, 

 a distinguished resident of King George County 

 who lived at Lamb's Creek plantation, and William 

 Jordan, of Richmond County, both of whom ar- 

 ranged for purchases of books, furniture, and othei 

 English imports for Mercer. 



The following arc excerpts from Sydenham & 

 Hodgson's accomu in Ledger G: 



1743 

 June 



NovciiiIk' 



I74»j 

 .May 



Iel> 



1747 

 St-pieinb' 



1748 

 June 



1749 

 Scptcinb' 



To 8 hhds. tob" con- 

 signed you by the 

 Pri[n]cc of Denmark 



To 6 hhds by the 

 I larrington 



To 5 hhds by Cap" 



Lee LOST 

 To 10 hhds by Cap' 



Pcrr>' 



1.) 10 hhds by Cap« 

 Pcrryinan 



lo 10 hhds by Cap" 

 Dunaldson Losr 



63 



29 



51 



35 



IT) 



14 



162 



17 



14 



lo 24 hhds tob" sold 

 Mr. Jordan 

 Revealed in this account are the hazards of shipping 

 goods ovci-scas in the 18th century. .A partnership 

 apparently figured in the second loss at sea. however, 

 as the following entrv in Ledger G shows: 



June 1747 By Profit & Loss for the half £75.l5.3«i 



of 20 hhds by Donald.sori 

 in llic Cumberland & Lost 

 By William Jordan for die 

 other half, 

 lirtween 1747 and 1750 Mercer lost a total of 107 

 hogsheads of tobacco. Over and above this, however, 

 he shipped overseas tobacco to the amount of 

 £31t."i lis. 7d.. diiriiic the same periixl. 



CLIEMS 



.Mei-cer's success was gaiticd despite the failures 

 of a great many persons to pay the fees they owed 



riijure 8. — WlNt-Boiiii -■ >i ..n .-mi. .%,.■..!.■ .■ .i. 

 Marlboroui;h. with same arrauKement of initials 

 used ill the .Marlborough tobacco seal. 



him. In 1745 he listed 303 "Insolvents, bad & 

 doubtful debts." That matters were no worse may 

 be attributed to a high average of responsible clients. 

 .•Xmong them were such well-known \'ii-ginians as 

 Daniel Dulaney, William and Henry Fitzhugh. 

 William Randolph, .Augustine, John, and I^wrcncc 

 Washington, Cierard Fowke, Richard Taliaferro, 

 John and Daniel Farkc Custis, .Andrew and Thomas 

 Monroe, George Tayloe, George Lcc, George W- •'■'■. 

 and William Ramsay. 



CI.OTIII.N'G 



By the early 1 740's Mercer was in a position to 

 surround hinwelf with symlxjis of wealth and prestige. 

 C;lothes, a traditional measure of alTluence. were no\s 

 a growing concern for himself and his family. Between 

 1741 and 1744, the ledger rc>cals, he purchased 

 from William Hunter a greatcoat, women's stockings, 

 women's calf shoes, morocco pumps, a "fine hat." 

 three felt hats, two dozen "plaid hose," two pairs of 

 men's shoes, one pair of "Women's Spanish Shoes," 

 and "2 p' Calf D". " In 1744 and 1745 he Ijoughi 

 from Charles Dick two pairs of "women's coll"'' 

 lamb glo\'es," two pairs of silk stcKkinus, "1 \rl\ei 

 laced hood," a "laced hat," a "C^istor" ^i.e., br.ivn i 

 hat, "fine thread stockiiigs," silk handkerchiefs, a 

 "flower'd |iettycoai." worsietl 

 skin gloves. From Hugh M 

 tailor, he obtained a suit in 1745 



The rise in Mercer's wxalth and piotigc is icilccicu 



31 



