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14[178] DIARY OF FRANCIS TAYLOR, 1791, 1791, August, 1, The weather continues very dry- I went to the Tob'o house where the Overseer was fixing 4 Hnds Tobacco to roll to Fred'g- I let G.C.Taylor have 10 yards 4/4 Linen at 3/- & 4 yds Drogheda at 2/3, he promised to pay some time this year. 2, The negroes, Peter, Moses, Israel & Jim, set off th Roll the Tobacco, 2 Hnds with Oxen & 2 with horses. We went to J.Taylor's. Uncle Taylor came there also J.Barbour, Sheriff, was there and I paid him my taxes & Levies now due; 1 slave 2/6; 2 horses 1/- 2 2 Levies at 2/- each- 3, G.Taylor rode to Court house- said Maj'r Lee was hurt by a fall from a horse- Weather very dry. 4, Bro'rs James & Charles, H.Pendleton & J.Taylor jr dined here- Thunder in evening, very little rain. 5, There was Thunder and clouds in the afternoon but very little rain here: appeared as if good rains fell to the North, East & Southeast. The negroes returned from Rolling Tobacco-I heard that Reu Taylor had a son born last night. [This must have been "Reuben," -PFT] 6, My father & I went to Uncle Taylor's and dined- Jos'a Fry came here in evening. 7, [SUNDAY] G.C.Taylor & Jos'a Fry went to Mr.Waddell's meeting and returned at night- My father set off to Fredericksburg alone- Bro'rs James & Charles was here a little before he set out but did not stay to dinner. 8, There fell a fine rain about noon, which came from the East, and the evening was very cloudy and some small rain. The earth was very dry when it fell. Sunned the Bacon- 9, Cloudy morning- Reu Taylor came here, dined & went by Maj'r Moore's. 10, Sunned the Bacon, a very fine rain, the best(I think) which has fell since the Spring. G.C.Taylor wet off in the morning to Charlottesville. 11, Began to dry some peaches- A small shower of rain about nightfall. 12, Cha's Taylor & G.C.Taylor got here about 2 o'clock this morning, they left Charlottesville last evening. C.Taylor went home after breakfast. G.C.Taylor went to J.Taylor's & dined there- I went to Mr.Shepherd's, being, with Maj'r Lee & James Taylor appointed to settle the Credits against a Judg't obtained by John Daniel & others ag'st A.Shepherd, Collector of the Poor Rate in 1787 & 1788, and found a balance due from s'd Shepherd of about Sixty odd Pounds. We dined at Mr.Shepherd's, J.Daniel, Benj'a Winslow, Augustine Webb, Rob't B. Chew & Overton Cosby dined there. I came by J.Taylor's in evening. 13, Uncle Taylor came here & said his family, Mrs Glassell & children, were gone to Capt Burnley's. He got G.C.Taylor to ride to Jos Smith's with a letter for his son on the subject of renting his Store- houses to Mr.Langh. G.C.Taylor gave the letter to Reu.Smith, who is to go to Rockingham soon. After dinner I went with Uncle Taylor to Capt Burnley's. Two Scotch Stone-masons are raising him a Chimney. Maj'r Moore got there after us, also Mr.A.Glassell, who had been to Fredericksburg- My father came up from Fredericksburg with Mr.Glassell and got home an hour by sun in afternoon tolerable well. 14, My father says he bought for me 12 yds Germ'n czna'gs at 16d, 2 yds Shallon at 2/6 & 1 yard Buckram 2/- amo't 23/- for which shall Credit him on Account. G.Taylor let me have 1 Hnd Tobacco at Royston's-vixt. G.T.No.2322-1375-120 Nett 1255 lb. I had bought M.Perry's share 981 lb the balance 274 lb I give G.Taylor Cr for at 2d Amount £2.5.8. We all dined at home. Cloudy & a few drops rain. [SUNDAY]- 15, Mr Snodgrass went from here to Mr.Shepherd's to board- Cloudy evening, about dark a very plain rainbow made by the moon. Wm Taylor returned at night from Maryland- 16, We dined at Uncle Taylor's- W.Taylor with us. A slight shower of rain in evening. Came home by J.Taylor's. J Taylor jr came home with us- J.Taylor got the Still in evening. 17, Uncle Taylor & J.Taylor jr. dined here. 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 MANUCRIPTS ARE PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT.