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DIARY OF FRANCIS TAYLOR, 1789,
1789,
February,
22, Cloudy thick weather, the trees covered with ice-thawed a good deal.-[SUNDAY]-
23, Changed very cool last night- hard crust on the snow, very bad riding- I went with my father to Court- Paid Tay'r Jones for Waggoning for my father 10/- Dined at Wood's- Snowed in afternoon a little.
24, Froze very hard last night- the Snow so hard as to bear a man- C.Taylor & Capt. Dade came here on their way to H.Taylor's- my father and self went with them and dined there-Clear and very cold all day-
25, Continued very cold- J.Taylor, C.Taylor, Reuben Taylor, T.Barbour & J.Taylor jr dined here-
26, My father, R'd & Colby Taylor went to C.Taylor's. Maj'r Moore, J.Taylor, Reu Taylor, T.Barbour and J.Taylor jr dined there- *Sister S.Taylor gave me a pair leather gloves-Weather a little milder.- [*Sarah Conway, wife of Dr.Charles Taylor-PFT]-
27, My father, R'd & G.Taylor went to J.Taylor's. Maj'r Moore, his sons John & William, H'd Taylor, C.Taylor, Reu Taylor & Capt Burnley dined there, T.Barbour & family do. The wind South, much milder and thawed- The weather has been for some days excessive cold-
28, My father & self went to Uncle Taylor's to dinner. I rode to Mr.Shepherd's, got J.Taylor's Newspapers & left them at his house as I returned home. A Mr.Nath'l Offut (who had been here) called at Uncle Taylor's and said a man near George Town in Maryland wanted to purchase 4,000 acres of B.Taylor's land, of which I gave him the courses some time last Fall- I promised to enquire if the land is not sold, and to inform him by Letter- He lives in George Town near the Falls of the Potowmack- The weather has been warm to day, a very little rain and thawed much-
March,
1, A South wind and great thaw, most of the snow dissolved, only on the North side of hills &c. -[SUNDAY]-
2, Ground froze a little last night-good day- Sent the boys to School but Mr. Goodlett was not there- Moses Perry brought me a pair velvet breeches w'ch A.Holmes gave him yesterday at meeting- Perry complained that Jim had misbehaved. My father went to where they were at work and had him whipped, upon which he ran off. Planted peach stones & Walnuts-
3, Moderate weather, rained about 8 o'clock & most of the day afterwards- Jim came to the house to day- I took a dose of salts, having been very unwell since Sunday- Fever & headach-
4, Rode to Maj'r Lee's-sent a letter to B.Taylor pr Edw'd Spencer, borrowed Maj'r Lee's Surveying Instruments for Plotting- Hardin Burnley came there with me, dined and went away down the County Burgessing- Negro Jim ran away again-
5, Cool weather for the Season, Jim came home in the night-
6, Cloudy morning, J.Taylor rode by to H'd Taylor's &c and came here to dinner. C.Taylor also, the latter had been to the Overseer's & cut a toe of a child off which had got hurt last week. Set in rainy after dinner, mixed with a little hail. Something warmer. The frogs have cried since the 1st inst.
7, Weather cool for the season. G.Taylor rode to C't house and from thence to Maj' Moore's and brought home a few articles Griffy brought from Fredericksburg. He came home to dinner- after dinner Reu Taylor came here and says he and Hubbard Taylor intend next Monday to set off to Fredericksburg &c.
8, -[SUNDAY]- Some negro children very sick and took physick, Froze very hard last night.
9, Weather changed, a little milder. Capt Conway & Ch Taylor came here but the latter being sent for to see a Negro of W,Madison's went away before dinner. J.Taylor and Capt W.White also dined here- Began to work in Garden Square next the Stable. G.Taylor rode after breakfast to day to H.Taylor's. I sent a dollar to Reu Taylor to buy some trifles.
From the TAYLOR DIARY, #1907-z in the Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina Library, Chapel Hill. FOR REFERENCE ONLY: PERMISSION TO PUBLISH MUST BE REQUESTED. WARNING: MOST MANUSCRIPTS ARE PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT.