Thomas Jefferson to Ebenezer Herrick, 20 February 1812
To Ebenezer Herrick
Monticello Feb. 20. 12.
Sir
I subjoin the copy of an advertisement taken from a newspaper, which induces me to write this letter requesting you to forward one of the machines therein described, well packed, to the address of Messrs Gibson and Jefferson merchts at Richmond for me. they will send it on to me. I inclose you 15. Dollars, the price mentioned in the advertisement, in bills of the bank of Richmond, which the mercantile intercourse between Boston & Richmond will certainly afford opportunities of exchanging.
the same intercourse doubtless furnishes opportunities of sending the machine to Richmond by vessels going constantly from Boston to Richmond for coal, flour, corn Etc. be so good as to drop me a line of answer by post, and accept the assurance of my respects
Th: Jefferson
PoC (DLC); adjacent to signature: “Mr Ebenezer Herrick West Stockbridge county of Berkshire Mass.”; with enclosure subjoined; endorsed by TJ. Enclosure: enclosure to TJ to William Thornton, 14 Jan. 1812. Enclosed in TJ to Henry Dearborn, 20 Feb. 1812.
Ebenezer Herrick was aged between sixty and seventy and living in Hancock, Berkshire County, Massachusetts, at the time of the 1830 census (DNA: RG 29, CS). On 17 Aug. 1810 he received a patent for “The domestic spinner,” the invention described in the enclosure, and on 22 Oct. 1813 he received another for his improvements to the stocking loom (, 85, 129).
Index Entries
- Dearborn, Henry; and E. Herrick’s spinning machine search
- Gibson & Jefferson (Richmond firm); and textile machinery acquired by TJ search
- Herrick, Ebenezer; and Domestic Spinner (spinning machine) search
- Herrick, Ebenezer; identified search
- Herrick, Ebenezer; letters to search
- machines; spinning search
- patents; of E. Herrick search
- spinning machines; TJ orders search