Thomas Jefferson Papers
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Marriage Settlement for Mary Jefferson

Marriage Settlement for Mary Jefferson

This indenture made on the twelfth day of October one thousand seven hundred and ninety seven between Thomas Jefferson of the one part, Mary Jefferson his daughter of the second part, both of Albemarle, Francis Eppes and Elizabeth his wife of the county of Chesterfeild1 of the third part and John Wayles Eppes their son of the fourth part of the same county,2 Witnesseth, that forasmuch as a marriage is intended shortly to be had between the said John Wayles Eppes and the said Mary Jefferson, and the said Francis Eppes and Elizabeth his wife3 for the natural love which they bear to the said John Wayles Eppes and his advancement, and in consideration of the said marriage, and of the advancement made by these presents on the part of the said Thomas to the said Mary his daughter, have conveyed or undertaken to convey before the said marriage to the said John Wayles Eppes in feesimple a certain tract of land called Angola in the county of Cumberland on the North side of Appomattox river containing by estimation three thousand four hundred and nineteen and three quarter acres in exchange for a certain tract of land on the South side of James river4 at Bermuda Hundred in the county of Chesterfeild,5 heretofore conveyed by the said Francis to the said John Wayles Eppes in feesimple, and the said Francis hath also conveyed and confirmed or undertaken to convey or confirm before the said Marriage to the said John Wayles Eppes certain slaves6 duly specified or to be specified before the marriage and whereof delivery hath been heretofore made or will be made before the 25th. day of December next. Now this indenture witnesseth that the said Thomas7 for the natural love which he bears his said daughter and for her advancement, and in consideration of the said marriage and of the advancement so made or undertaken to be made before the marriage8 by the said Francis and Elizabeth to the said John Wayles Eppes their son,9 and for the further consideration of five shillings to him in hand paid hath given granted bargained and sold to the said Mary a certain tract of land whereof the said Thomas is now seised in feesimple, in the county of Albemarle on the North East side of the Rivanna river and adjacent thereto, called Pantops, containing by estimation eight hundred and nineteen and one quarter acres heretofore the property of the Smiths, and comprehended between the lands now held by the Keys, the said Rivanna river,10 the tract of land of the said Thomas called Lego formerly the property of Edwin Hickman, and his newly patented lands;11 and also the following slaves, to wit,12 smith Isaac and Iris his wife and her two children Squire and Joyce, Lucinda and her four children Sarah, Sandy, Sousy, and Barret, Judy and her three sons Tim, Austin, and York, Philip and his wife Thamer and her two children Rachael and Lucy13 Scilla and her two children Nelly and Letty14 Phyllis and her child Sophia, Sally, her sister Clarinda, and her brother Goliah, all three the children of Molly, Val, Martin son of Doll, Lucy and her child Zachary15 Betsey the daughter of Mary and Melinda the daughter of Betty Brown being thirty one in number16 together with the plantation tooles and17 utensils heretofore appropriated to and used by the said slaves and also a proper stock18 of horses cattle and hogs19 for a farm of which said slaves and stock delivery shall be made on or before the 25st.20 day of December next To have and to hold the said lands called Pantops with the said Slaves tooles utensils and stock to the said Mary and her heirs free of all encumbrance whatsoever—

In Witness whereof the said Thomas hath hereto set his hand and seal on the day and year first before mentioned

Th: Jefferson

Sealed and delivered in presents of }
Richard Richardson Hugh Chisholm }
Matthew Toler

Memorandum: that before the ensealing and delivery of these presents it was agreed that the lands at Bermuda Hundred instead of those called Angola should stand settled on the said John Wayles Eppes in fee and that this should be accepted instead of the Angola lands as one of the considerations of this deed acknowledged under my hand and seal at the date first before mentioned

Th: Jefferson

PrC (ViU: Edgehill-Randolph Papers); entirely in TJ’s hand; indented; incomplete, with remainder of text, signatures, and memorandum supplied from Tr (see note 15 below); with day and month and two names (see notes 13 and 14 below) supplied in ink by TJ; with several emendations only the most important of which is noted below (see note 1). Dft (CSmH); partially dated, with dashes for day and month; lacks names of slaves (see notes 12 and 16 below), signatures, and memorandum; with numerous emendations, only the most important of which are noted below. Tr (Albemarle County Deed Book, No. 12, Albemarle County Circuit Court Clerk’s Office, Charlottesville); in left margin: “Jefferson to Eppes} Deed Examined”; with later endorsement by Deputy Clerk Alexander Garrett noting that upon request a copy of the deed was sent to John Wayles Eppes on 15 Apr. 1812. Recorded on 4 Dec. 1797 (Albemarle County Court Order Book, in same).

1Preceding five words interlined in PrC and Dft.

2Preceding four words interlined in Dft.

3In Dft TJ first wrote “now for the advancement of their said son” before altering the following passage to read as above.

4Preceding seven words interlined in Dft.

5Preceding five words interlined in Dft.

6In Dft TJ here canceled “in the said conveyance specified or to be specified” and interlined the remainder of the sentence.

7In Dft TJ first wrote “for the advancement of the said M. his daughter” before altering the following passage to read as above.

8Preceding three words interlined in Dft.

9Following passage interlined in Dft concluding with “to him paid.”

10Preceding four words interlined in Dft.

11Preceding five words interlined in Dft.

12TJ here placed a dash in Dft and did not include the names of the slaves.

13Preceding name supplied by TJ in ink.

14Preceding name supplied by TJ in ink.

15PrC ends at this point with remainder of text from Tr.

16Dft continues at this point.

17Preceding two words interlined in Dft.

18Interlined in Dft in place of “proportion.”

19In Dft TJ first wrote “for a plantation to be assigned to the said M. by the said T. in the presence of witnesses” before altering the following passage to read as above.

20Preceding digit appears to have been reworked from “1” in Tr.

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