It is clear that Ranter and his cohs, as well as the 

 cattle, had not been disposed of at the former sale. 

 Further, it is obvious that there was an end to brewing 

 at Marlborough, a result which James must ha\e 

 been all too glad to bring about. 



This sale, however, was also unsuccessful. In thi 

 May 9, 1771, issue of Purdic & Dixon"s Virginia 

 Gazette we learn that "The wet Weather last November 

 having stopped the Sale of the personal Estate of the 

 late John Merser, Esquire, the Remainder . . . will 

 be sold at Marlborough, on Monday, the 27th of this 

 Month, if fair . . . ." \Ve learn that the family 

 beds, apparently alone of the furniture, had been 

 sold, and that the chariot had been added to the sales 

 list. Apparendy tiie iiljrary still remained largely 

 intact, as "a great Collection of well chosen Books" 

 was included. Ranter was still for sale, now at a 

 five percent discount ■"allowed for ready money." 

 But again - so an advertisement of June 13 reads in 

 the same paper— the sale was "prevented by bad 

 Weather." June 20 was appointed the day for the 

 postponed sale. This time an additional item con- 

 sisted of 200 copies of Mercer's "old Abridgment" 

 (doubtless the 1737 edition), to be sold at five shillings 

 each. 



In the meanwhile, James iiad emplo\ed one 

 Thomas Oliver, apparently of K-ing George County, 

 as overseer for the four plantations which were in his 

 custody — Aquia, Accokeek, Belvedere, and Marl- 

 borough. On May 31, 1771, Oliver made a detailed 

 report to Mercer on "the true state & Condition of 

 the whole Estate and its Contents as they appearVl 

 when this return was fill'd up".'" Included in it 

 was an inventory of every tool, outbuilding, vehicle, 

 and servant. The .Marlborough portion of this is 

 given in Appendix .\1. Oliver added an N.B. sum- 

 marizing the condition of the animals and the 

 physical properties. The following of his remarks are 

 applicable to Marlborough; 



. . . The work of the Mill going on as well as Can be 

 Expected till M ' Drains is better, the Schoo and Boat 

 unfit for any Sarvice whatsoever till repaired, if Capable 

 of it. the foundation of the Malt house wants repairing. 

 the Manor house wants lead lights in some of the \vin- 

 dows. the East Green House wants repairing, the west 



'*' A Documentary History of American Industrial Society, edit. John 

 P. Commons (New York: Rvissell & Russell, 1958), vol. I, fac- 

 : '■■:■ 'ipp. p. 236. 



d° wants butlmcnts as a security to the wall on the 

 south side. The barn, tobacco houses at Marlbrough & 

 Acquia must be repaired as soon as possible .... five 

 stables at Marlbrough plantation must be repair'd 

 before winter, we have sustai'd no damage from Tempest 

 or Floods, it will Expedient to hyer a Carpinder for the 

 woork wanted can not be accomplish'd in time, seeing 

 the Carpenders must be taken of for harvest which is 

 Like to be heavy. I will advertise the sale at Stafford 

 Court and the two parish Churches to begin on the 

 20th of June 1771 ... . P.S. The Syder presses at 

 Each plantation & Syder Mill at Marlborough totally 

 expended .... Negro Sampson Marlbro Company 

 Sick of the Gravel .... Negro Jas Pemberton at 

 Marlb'' Sick Worme Fever. 



The sale as ad\crtised and, prcsuniaiiK . as posted 

 by Oliver was again a failure. Apparently no one 

 attended. The situation must have been regarded 

 then as desperate, for James advertised on August 29, 

 1771, in Purdie & Dixon's Virginia Gazette substan- 

 tially the same ntaterial as before. This time, how- 

 ever, it was "To be SOLD, at the Townhouse in 

 Fredericksburg, on the 24th day of September next (being 

 the second Day of the Fair)." Added to the former 

 list were "About two Hundred Weight of HOPS of last 

 Crop," "About four hundred Weight of extraordinary 

 good WOOL with a variety of Woollen and Linen 

 Wheels, Reels, &c.," as well as "A Number of 

 GARDEN FLOWER POTS of different forms. 

 Some ORANGE, LEMON and other E\"ER- 

 GREENS, in Boxes and Pots." The valuable but 

 unwanted Ranter was again put up. 



Biu once more bad luck aitd an apathetic (and 

 probably impecunious) populace brought failure to 

 the sale. On October 24, 1771, Purdie & Dixon's 

 Virginia Gazette printed the following ach'citiscment 

 and James Mercer's final public effort to convert some 

 of his father's estate into cash: 



To be SOLD /o the highest Bidders, some Time .\ext 11 Vc/., 

 before the Kalcigh Tavern in ]Villiamsburg, 



The beautiful Horse RANTER, a genteel FAMILY 

 C:().\C^H, with Harness for six Horses, also several 

 Pieces of FASHIONABLE PLATE, yet remaining of 

 the Estate of the laic John Mercer, Esquire, deceased. 

 Credit will be allowed until the 25th of .'\pril next, thr 

 Purchasers giving Bund and Security, with Interest from 

 the Sale; but if the Money is paid when due, the Interest 

 will be abated. 



.\ny Person inclinable to purchase RL'SllWt )R I H"S 

 COLLECTION may see them at the Printing Office, 

 and know the Terms. At the same Place are lodged 

 .several Copies of the old Abridgment of the \'IRGINI.\ 



