Accokfck Ironworks pt'titioncd tli<- t innniitii i im 

 l'ro|K)sitions ;)ikI CJricvanccs with an objection to the 

 vcstn's decision to rebuild, claiming that "as the 

 said Iron-Works lie in the Parish aforesaid, and em- 

 ploy many Tilhahles in carryinj; on the same, they 

 will labour under great Hardships thereby. . . ." "' 

 rhe petition was rejected, but nothing seems to have 

 been done on the new church until three months 

 liter Walker's death in February 1750, when Mourn- 

 mt; Richards was appointed undertaker."" 



Mercer's charities in this decade form a short list. 

 Mis only outright gift was his '"Subscription to 

 Protestant workincf-Schools in Ireland. To my 

 annual .Subscription for .Sterling £5.5." In 1749 he 

 did £12 3s. worth of legal work for the College of 

 William and Maiy, which he converted into "Sub- 

 scriptions to Schools" of equal value; in other words, 

 he donated his ser\'ices. 



CATHERINE mercer's DEATH AND 

 ANN" ROY'S ARRIVAL 



On April I, 1750, Mercer went to NVilliamsburg for 

 the spring session and stopped en route to visit his 

 friend Dr. Mungo Roy at Port Royal in Caroline 

 County. He remained at Williamsburg until the 

 seventh, except for going on the previous day to 

 "Greenspring" to be entertained by Philip Ludwell 

 in the Jacobean mansion built a centuiT earlier by 

 Governor Berkeley. Again stopping off at Port 

 Royal, he returned home on May 10. He remained 

 there until June 15, when he made the laconic entry 

 in his journal : "My wife died between 3 & 4 at noon." 

 What time this denotes is unclear. 



Following this loss — Catherine Mercer was only 

 43 — Mercer reniaincd at home for five da\-s, then 

 visited his sister-in-law Mrs. Ann Mason. The next 

 niqht he stayed with the pastor of Aquia Church, 

 Mr. Moncure, then returned to Marllxjroutjh and 

 remained there for nearly a month. Meanwhile, he 

 purchased from Ficldinij Lewis, at a cost of 

 Ci 18s. 7';^., "sundns for mourning." William 

 I homson, the Stafford tailor, made his mournini; 

 clothes. The preparations for the funeral must have 

 been elalwrate; it was not held until July 13. 



At the end of July Mercer went to Williamsbun?, 

 thence to Yorktown, and from there to Hampton and 



Fitjure 15.^Portrait of Ann Roy Mrrcer, John 

 Mercer's second wife and the daughter ufDr. Mungo 

 Roy of Port Royal, painted in 1750 or .l...riK 

 thereafter. {CourUsy of Mrs. Thomas B. Pa: 



.Norfolk by water on an ".\ntigua Ship." rrturnini; 

 to Hampton on August 5 on a ".Negro Ship," c\i- 

 dently havint; caught passage on oce.i ■ '^i-s. 



The younger children remained in \\ . th 



Cicorgc and a nurse. On September 8 he went to 

 Port Royal and stayed "at Dr. Roy's." He returned 

 home on the lOth. then went back to Port Roxal on 

 the 14th. stayitig at Dr. Roy's until the 20th, aiteixliiiit 

 .Sunday church ser\ices during his visit. He returned 

 home again on the 23rd, only to visit Or. Roy once 

 more on the 'iSth. The Octolicr court session drew 

 him to Williaiitshurg, where !•- 

 .November 7. While there, he pui . 

 from James CraiR,"' a jeweler: 



By a pair of ELurrings 



Bv 



Bv 



' ••••til 



2 I- 



'" Op. cit. (foolnolr 19). p. IW. 



"" WiiirFEN, op. cit. (foolnoCo 'H), p. 14-', 



,Sc. 

 Sla«x. " 



CR.MG. Im^itn. froMi LONDON \! 



..U^i 



i;4o 



