"Carried there in abundance:" Georgetown's Procurator objects to the food rations for black workers in the wash house, 1821

"Carried there in abundance:" Georgetown's Procurator objects to the food rations for black workers in the wash house, 1821

Slavery, Labor, Supplies, Wash house, Slaves--United States--Social conditions; Georgetown College

This account of the wash house is part of a financial report made by the Procurator of Georgetown College in December 1821. He describes the "table at which the colored people breakfast" as "well supplied with butter." His review considers these provisions as an "additional expense" and calls for austere measures.

Georgetown University Archives

Georgetown Slavery Archive

1821-12

Julia Bernier, Elsa Barraza Mendoza

Georgetown University Library

PDF

English

Financial Records

GSA220

From the forementioned causes of additional expense, similar effects have and continue to be produced in the wash house- the table at which the colored people breakfast is well supplied with butter, meat often beef stake- _^ ^{often small in proportion} and a few weeks past I was informed from good authority that seven bottles of the best port had been carried therein [?] without Fr Minister’s knowledge as he afterwards told me- how long that has been carried on I am unable to say- as to what ^lengths this extreme kindness has prompted the bursar to manifest ^go I know not- but fruit cakes +^c have been carry’d there in abundance- these extraordinary things for a family of ten or twelve persons contributes not a little to increase the expense- I would have _^ ^it understood, that ^and it is my firm belief, that the extra things, were never demanded by any person residing at the washhouse, but procured solely from the benevolent disposition of the person who carried them__  __

 

            From what has been said as this head of economy, it will easily appear the necessity of preventing when it can be done, applying remedies to the existing evils.

Unbound financial record