exhibited an unusual aptitude for architecture. His 

 talent was noticed by William Bromley, the master 

 joiner on the mansion house, who told Mercer that 

 James "had a most extraordinarx turn to me- 

 chanicks." On the strength of this, Mercer decided 

 that James should become a master carpenter or 

 joiner, then s\-nonynious with "architect." In 

 America in 1753 professional architects, as we know 

 them, did not exist; gentlemen, some \ery talented, 

 designed and drafted, while skilled joiners or car- 

 penters followed general directions, executing, engi- 

 neering, and in\cnting as the\- went along. 



Mercer's decision was as unconventional as it was 

 prescient, being made at a time when gentlemen were 

 not expected to learn a trade, yet at a moment when 

 the respected place the piofessional architect was 

 later to have could be envisioned. Indeed, he 

 explained his feeling that those who possessed archi- 

 tectural skills "were more beneficial members of 

 society, and more likely to make a fortune, with credit, 

 than the young Gentlemen of those times, who wore 

 laced jackets attended for improvement at ordinaries, 

 horse races, cock matches, and gaming tables." 

 Motivated by this honest .sense of values, forged in the 

 experience of a self-made man, Mercer proceeded to 

 bind James "apprentice to Mr. Waite, a master 

 carpenter and undertaker (of Alexandria), who 

 covenanted to instruct him in all the difTerent branches 

 of that business. At the same time I bound four 

 young Xcgro fellows (which I had given him) to Mr. 

 Waite, who covenanted to instruct each of them in a 

 particular branch. These, I expected, when they 

 were out of their time, would place him in .such a 

 situation as might enable him to provide for himself, 

 if I should not lie able to do any more for him. It is 

 notorious that I received the compliments of the 

 Governour, several of the Council, and many of the 

 best Gentlemen in the country, for having set such an 

 example, which, they said, they hoped would banish 

 that false pride that too many of their countrymen 

 were actuated by." 



On June 25, 1753, Mercer noted in his journal, 

 "At home. Bound son James & Peter & Essex to 

 W'" Waite for 5 y"." However commendable this 

 efTort to banish "false pride" may have been, it was 

 probably not a realistic solution for James' career. 

 James, as we shall see, was to make his own choice 

 later and w-as to follow with great distinction in his 

 ftlvTS footsteps as a lawyer. 



GROWING BURDENS, 



RESPONSIBILITIES, AND DEBTS 



Meanwhile, Mercer had announced his intention to 

 publish a new edition of the Abridgment. In doing so, 

 he adopted a hostile, testy approach that was unusual 

 even in 18th-century advertising. Implying that he 

 was doing a favor to an ungrateful populace, he stated 

 in the Virginia Gazette on August 16, 1751, "I have 

 been prevail'd upon to print it, if I have a prospect of 

 saving myself, though the Treatment I met from the 

 Subscribers to the last had determined me never to be 

 again concerned in an Undertaking of this Kind." 

 On the following February 20, he announced in the 

 Gazette that if there were 600 subscribers by the last of 

 the next General Court he would send the copy to 

 press. If not, he would return the money to those who 

 had subscribed, "which I should not have troubled 

 myself with, if I could have thought of any other 

 Expedient to secure myself against the base Usage I 

 met with from the Subscribers to my former Abridg- 

 ment, who left above 1200 of them on my Hands." 

 This kind of advertising had its predictable response: 

 publication of the new Abridgment was postponed 

 indefinitely. 



The first suggestion that all was not well in Mercer's 

 financial affairs was given in an advertisement in the 

 Gazette on April 10, 1752. In this he noted that he 

 had agreed to pay the debts of one Francis Wroughton, 

 a London merchant, out of Wroughton's effects. 

 However, although Wroughton's effects had not 

 materialized, he promised to make payment anyway, 

 "notwithstanding a large Ballance due to myself." 

 He concluded, "Besides Mr. Wroughton s Debts. I 

 have some of my own (and not inconsiderable) to 

 pay, therefore 1 hope that such Gentlemen as are 

 indebted to me will, without putting me to the 

 Blush which a Dunn will occasion, discharge their 

 Debts . . . ." 



Perhaps to alleviate these dithculties, he had 

 advertised in the Gazette on the previous March 15 

 that he would lease "3,000 Acres of extraordinarv- 

 good fresh Land, in Fairfax and Prince William," 

 but there is no exidence that he was successful. 



Signs of irritability became increasingly noticeable. 

 In 1753 he outraged his fellow justices at Stafford 

 court — so much so that they brought charges against 

 him before the Exccutixe Council "for misbehaxior 



