At George Washington’s Mount Vernon, dinner was at three o’clock, and at two on Sundays. Guests who chose to dine with the family were expected to appear within fifteen minutes of the dinner bell. Washington reportedly allowed a five-minute grace period.
A story told about Washington has him explain to late guests: “I have a cook who never asks whether the company has come, but whether the hour has come.” The story appears without a source, and it may be apocryphal.