This indenture is the purchase agreement by which George Washington acquired six acres of land from John Posey. This tract of land was situated along the Potomac River between the mouths of Little Hunting Creek and Dogue Creek. The document is partially printed and filled out by George Washington in his own hand on June 10, 1772. Washington signed his name five times within the text, and Posey signed it at the conclusion. Witnesses John Parke Custis, Jonathan Palmer, Thomas Bishop and another individual, whose autograph is indecipherable, all signed that this document was sealed and delivered in their presence. An inscription at the bottom of the document states that on October 19, 1772, court was held for the County of Fairfax and this lease was proved by the oaths of the witnesses to be the deed of John Posey. The acquisition of this document by the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association closes the circle on this important story and piece of Mount Vernon land which is approximately where the wharf of today is located. It is the third in a series of documents between John Posey and George Washington. The first two documents, GEORGE WASHINGTON'S SURVEY FOR JOHN POSEY, OCTOBER 10, 1769 (A-481.1) and LEASE FROM JOHN POSEY TO GEORGE WASHINGTON, APRIL 23, 1770 (RM-1022, MS-5650) already in Mount Vernon's possession, demonstrate Washington's longstanding interest in acquiring this tract of Posey's land. This third and final document, negotiating the sale of the property to Washington, tells the story of his eventual success in acquiring the land and expanding his Mount Vernon estate. Captain John Posey was a veteran of the French and Indian War, and George Washington's neighbor. John Posey's home, Rover's Delight, was just a mile downriver, southwest, of Mount Vernon. Posey farmed his plantation and operated a public ferry across the Potomac to Maryland. Posey was a friend of Washington's and often joined him in fox hunts and to play cards. John Posey suffered financial trouble throughout the 1760's and took loans from George Washington as well as other creditors. For example, on October 1, 1763, Washington took a £700 mortgage on Posey's property. Over the years the interest on Posey's debts grew and by October 1769 Posey's debt to Washington had grown to nearly 1,000 pounds Virginia currency. On October 10, 1769, George Washington surveyed the land later purchased in this agreement (see A-481.1). At that time this portion of land was under dispute between Posey and John West. As a result of the demands of Posey's many creditors, the remainder of Posey's Virginia property, which was not under dispute, was auctioned off under court order on October 23, 1769. With the 1769 sale, Washington was recompensed for his loans to Posey and Washington was able to acquire 200 acres of Posey's land. However, Washington also desired ownership of the small area of disputed land which contained Posey's ferry and fishery. Fortunately for Washington, Posey soon found himself back in debt. On April 23, 1770, George Washington began to lease from Posey the land which had been under dispute between Posey and John West. Washington was interested in leasing this land because it was located adjacent to Mount Vernon and on the Potomac River very close to his fishing and shipping operations. With this 1770 lease, Washington assumed the management of Posey's land and ferry. At some point during the following year, Posey resettled in Queenstown on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Washington continued to lease this land until finally acquiring it with this purchase document in 1772. THE PAPERS OF GEORGE WASHINGTON state that the eventual purchase of this tract of land took place on June 8, 1772, because a deed of release from Posey to Washington now in the Rosenbach Museum and Library in Philadelphia carries this date (Colonial Series Vol. 8 187). However, this official purchase agreement in the collection of Mount Vernon is dated June 10, 1772, and an inscription notes court was held on October 19, 1772. By the time Washington made this agreement Posey was so broke that Washington was able to acquire the land, as well as Posey's house, ferry and horse-all for 50 pounds (Rees 154). Witness Jonathan Palmer was George Washington's master carpenter. Once Washington began leasing Posey's land, Washington had Palmer and his family move into Posey's home. Washington records this in his diary on May 16, 1770. It is because of Palmer's place of residence and connection to Posey and Washington that Palmer was eventually selected as one of the witnesses to this purchase agreement.
