lilt' |i.iiri)iMi{(- uf Lord Builint'lon. this book \va.s bruui(lit 

 uut in London in an En^lish translation by Giacoiim 

 Lconi under the title I lit Arihtlfiluir nf A. Pallailio; in Four 

 Books. It had appeared in three editions prior to this 

 inventor>', in 1715, 1 72 1 , and 1 742, according to Fiske 

 Kimball {.Domestic Architfilure of the Amrritan Colonies 

 and uj the luirly Re/iuhlie; New York: Charles Scribncr's 

 Sons, 1924, p. 58). Mercer probably owned one of these. 

 I.angley's City & Country Builder." City and Country 

 liuilder's and Workman's Ireasury of Design by Battcy 

 Langlcv', 1 "40, 1 743. 'I'hi.s was anijther copybook much 

 used by builders and provincial architects. 



All four of these books were listed in succession in 

 the ledger and bracketed together. Next to the 

 bracket are the initials "WB," to indicate that the 

 IxKjks had been lent to someone who bore those 

 initials. In this case it is virtually certain that the 

 initials are those of William Bromley, to whom the 

 lx)oks would have lx*en of utmost importance in 

 designing the woodwork of the house. 



Door hardware was purchased from William Jordan 

 in June 1749, according to an item for '"Locks & 

 Hinges" that amounted to the large sum of £13 8s. 8d. 



DOMESTIC FURNISHINGS 



As the mansion progressed, so did the acquisition of 

 furnishings suitable to its elegance. As early as 1742, 

 doubtless in anticipation of the new house, Mercer 

 had bought from Hunter a "lanthorn." three por- 

 ringers, two cotton counterpanes at 27s., a plate 

 warmer for 7s. 6d., a half-dozen plates for 3s. bd., a 

 half-dozen deep plates for 6s., a dozen "Stone CofTce 

 cups" for 18d., a dozen knives and forks for 3s., two 

 tin saucepans at 4d. each, and "4 Dishes, 19^ lib." 

 (obviously large pewter chargers). In 1743 he 

 bought "3 gallon Basoas 4 7" and "2 pottle Basons at 

 2 4" (for toilet use), "1 Soop .Spoon 1," and "1 

 Copper Chocolate pot 7/6 & mull Stick ffi," "2 blew 

 iV W' Jugs 2 " (probably Westerwald stoneware), 

 and "I Flanders Bed Bunt. 2')" frnli.rcfl lotiun or 

 linen used for Ix-dcovcrs). 



In 1744 Mercer acquired hum Ciliailcs Dick 4 

 candlesticks for a penny each, 2 pairs of large hing<-s, 

 a "hair sifter," "2 kitchen buck hand knives," 12 cups 

 and saucers for 2s., "I milkmaid 2"'" (probably a 

 shoulder yoke), and "1 bucket 12*'." In 174.') a 

 5-gallon "Stone Ixjttlc" for 3s. 6d., "1 doz. butcher 

 knives," a hrarthbrcx>m, six spoons for a shilling, a 

 pair i>f scissors. "H ( 'h.irnlirrdiMir Links w"" brass 



knobs £2," and "I .Sett hncsl (Jhiiia i 5, , 2 punch 

 Ixjwls . . . 2.7" were purchased. 



The following year Mercer paid a total of £23 for a 

 silvei- sugar dish, \\' '; oz., 5 dwt. ; 



teaspoons and tray, • ist.; a teapot 



26 oz., 8 dwt. This lot uf silver probably was Imughi 

 at second hand, having Ix-cn irfi-rrrd to 

 Plate p" Edw" Wright as by Kic' ' H< _ 

 Coke, a Williamsburg silversmith, £1 (is. for «• 

 ing and cleaning it. In the meanwhile, ii ' ,. 



had sold Cloke £tj worth of old silver. He .» 



quantity of "old Plate" for £15 17s. 3d. to Richard 

 Langton in England through Sydenham <t HtxJgson. 

 In 1747 he made an large purchase of silver from the 

 silversmith William King** of Williamsburg: 



dwt. 



48 M 



I4H I5h ^ 11/3 84 13 



In March 1748, Mercer .settled with Captain Lyndon 

 for the following: 



-i. 

 I superfine large gill Sconce glass b !•> 



1 D" 



I Walnut & gold H 

 I Marble Sideboard .12,6 Brdi(olu 

 32 ti 



The following June he Iwught a marble table from 

 William Jordan and in ()ctol)cr "4 Ic 

 which Jordan obtained from Sydcitha 



lim 



