ant ile ▁business . ▁In ▁ 1 7 1 5 , ▁Ge e , ▁together ▁with ▁August ine ▁Washington , ▁father ▁of ▁George ▁Washington , ▁were ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁own ers ▁and ▁found ers ▁of ▁The ▁Princi pio ▁Company . ▁It ▁was ▁founded ▁by ▁an ▁association ▁of ▁British ▁iron - master s , ▁mer ch ants , ▁and ▁capital ists , ▁and ▁conducted ▁in ▁manufact uring ▁p ig - ▁and ▁bar - ir on ▁in ▁the ▁Col on ies ▁of ▁Maryland ▁and ▁Virginia ▁for ▁sale ▁in ▁England . ▁By ▁ 1 7 2 3 ▁he ▁was ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁leading ▁force ▁which ▁owned ▁or ▁controlled ▁more ▁than ▁ 1 2 , 0 0 0 ▁acres ▁of ▁land ▁in ▁North ▁America ▁containing ▁iron ▁ore ▁depos its . ▁He ▁may ▁have ▁had ▁other ▁commercial ▁interest ▁in ▁America ▁and ▁the ▁West ▁Ind ies ▁as ▁well . ▁Ge e ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁mort g age es , ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁nine ▁men ▁to ▁whom ▁in ▁ 1 7 0 8 ▁William ▁P enn ▁mort g aged ▁his ▁Pennsylvania ▁estate ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁raise ▁money ▁to ▁satisfy ▁the ▁deb t ▁he ▁ow ed ▁the ▁he irs ▁of ▁his ▁ste ward , ▁Philip ▁Ford . ▁In ▁addition , ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁frequent ▁ad visor ▁of ▁the ▁Board ▁of ▁Trade ▁and ▁Plant ations . ▁ ▁Personal ▁life ▁ ▁Ge e ▁was ▁married ▁twice ▁during ▁his ▁lifetime . ▁In ▁ 1 6 9 7 , ▁he ▁married ▁Sarah ▁Hart ▁( 1 6 7 3 / 4 – 1 7