Richard S. Hackley to Thomas Jefferson, 3 October 1815
From Richard S. Hackley
Cadiz 3rd Octobr 1815.
Sir
Samuel Curson esqr who lately arrd at this port from Lima, left in my charge, with a request that it might be forwarded to you, a Loaf of Sugar made by the natives at Cusco, So America,
I execute the commission with much pleasure by the Ship Imogine, Capt Wheeler to the Care of the collector at Richmond. with much respect
Richd s: Hackley
RC (MHi); at foot of text: “Thos Jefferson Esqr late President of the U States, Virginia”; endorsed by TJ as received 15 Dec. 1815 and so recorded in SJL. RC (MHi); address cover only; with PoC of TJ to David Higginbotham, 25 Dec. 1815, on verso; addressed: “Thomas Jefferson esqr late President of the united States Monticello Virginia”; franked; postmarked Hampton, 23 Nov. Enclosed in TJ to James Gibbon, 24 Dec. 1815, and Gibbon to TJ, 5 Jan. 1816.
Richard Shippey Hackley (ca. 1771–1843), merchant and public official, was a native of Fredericksburg. Trained in commerce from his youth, by 1800 he was working as a merchant in New York City. In 1806 Hackley married his second wife, Harriet Randolph, the sister of TJ’s son-in-law Thomas Mann Randolph. Later that same year TJ appointed him consul at Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Spain, and Hackley soon thereafter reached an agreement with Josef Yznardy, consul at nearby Cádiz, whereby Hackley would act as his vice-consul there. This agreement began to fall apart in 1813, and by 1816 Hackley was back in Sanlúcar de Barrameda. In 1820 he returned to the United States and rejoined his family in Richmond. Hackley worked unsuccessfully for many years to prove his claim to Florida land granted to him by the Duke of Alagon, and his frequent financial crises often caused him to relocate. He died in Norfolk (DNA: RG 59, LAR, 1801–25; New York Mercantile Advertiser, 28 May 1800; New-York Evening Post, 30 Jan. 1802; Richmond Enquirer, 18 Jan. 1806; , 2:45 [15, 17 Dec. 1806]; Martha Jefferson Randolph to TJ, 16 Jan. 1808 [MHi]; TJ to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 2 Feb. 1808 [NNPM]; TJ to Thomas Mann Randolph, 2 Jan. 1809 [MHi]; James Madison to TJ, 9 Apr. 1809; TJ to Madison, 19 Apr. 1809; , Pres. Ser., 6:323–4; ASP, Miscellaneous, 2:315; DNA: RG 59, CD, Cádiz; Ellen W. Randolph [Coolidge] to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 31 May 1820 [ViU: Coolidge Correspondence]; Thomas Mann Randolph to Mary J. Randolph, 25 Feb. 1827 [NcU: NPT]; Harriet Hackley and Jane B. Cary Smith to Virginia Randolph Cary, 2 May 1828 [NcU: NPT]; , esp. 26:593–9; DNA: RG 59, PA; New York Evening Post, 1 Mar. 1843).
Index Entries
- Curson, Samuel; and sugar for TJ search
- Gibbon, James; and sugar for TJ search
- Hackley, Harriet Randolph (Richard S. Hackley’s wife); family of search
- Hackley, Richard Shippey; and sugar for TJ search
- Hackley, Richard Shippey; identified search
- Hackley, Richard Shippey; letter from search
- Imogene (ship) search
- Indians, American; South American search
- South America; sugar from search
- sugar; South American search
- Wheeler, Guy C.; ship captain search