John Mercer (colonial lawyer)

John Mercer (February 6, 1704 – October 14, 1768) was an Irish-born lawyer, planter, politician and writer.

Born in Dublin, Kingdom of Ireland, His parents were John Mercer (1670–1717) of Dublin, and his wife Grace Fenton (1680–1763), he came to Virginia in 1720, where he built the colonial estate Marlborough (also called Marlboro; at Marlborough Point on the Potomac River, in Stafford County).

[7] His heirs deeded 790 acres (just west of the present day intersection of South Four Mile Run Drive and South Walter Reed Drive in Arlington County, Virginia) to Washington in payment.

[11] Three sons lived to become prominent in Eighteenth Century America: A fourth son, John Fenton Mercer (1735–1756) was commissioned a captain in 1755 under George Washington, commander of the Virginia Regiment and was killed on April 18, 1756, at the "Battle of the Great Cacapon River" or "Mercer's Massacre."

The Mercer Library at the Prince William Campus of George Mason University is named in his honor.