Thomas Jefferson to Henry Sheaff, 11 August 1815
To Henry Sheaff
Monticello Aug. 11. 15.
Dear Sir
With the return of peace I return to my old correspondents. I am out of wine and it will be some months before I can recieve what I have written for to Europe. I must request you to fill up the chasm by sending me a quarter cask of either dry Sherry or dry Lisbon, whichever you have, most to be recommended. let it be in a double cask, and sent to Richmond by some vessel going to that place, addressed for me to Messrs Gibson & Jefferson of that place who will pay charges and forward it to me. when shipped be so good as to drop me a line of notice with information of the price, and it shall be promptly remitted, say within 90. days from the shipment. I avail myself with pleasure [on t]his occasion of renewing to you the assurance of my esteem and respect.
Th: Jefferson
PoC (MHi); on verso of reused address cover of Pierre Samuel Du Pont de Nemours to TJ, 24 July 1815; mutilated at seal; at foot of text: “Mr Henry Sheaff”; endorsed by TJ.
Henry Sheaff (ca. 1751–1820), wine merchant in Philadelphia, sold TJ wine between 1791 and 1804 and also counted George Washington among his customers. His business was at 223 High (or Market) Street in the former year, but he moved to 180 High Street by 1793 and remained there until about 1817. Sheaff suffered a stroke by 1815 and retired. He died in New York City (DNA: RG 29, CS, Pa., Philadelphia, 1790; Clement Biddle, Philadelphia Directory [Philadelphia, 1791], 117; , esp. 2:809, 1141; James Hardie, Philadelphia Directory and Register [Philadelphia, 1793], 129; Philadelphia Dunlap’s American Daily Advertiser, 22 Jan. 1793; , 27:842–5; “Washington’s Household Account Book, 1793–1797,” 29 [1905]: 398; Philadelphia Poulson’s American Daily Advertiser, 17 Apr. 1815; J. Sheaff (for Henry Sheaff) to TJ, 16 Oct. 1815; Robinson’s Original Annual Directory for 1817 [Philadelphia, 1817], 390; John Adems Paxton, Paxton’s Annual Philadelphia Directory and Register [Philadelphia, 1818]; New-York Daily Advertiser, 10 Jan. 1820).
Index Entries
- Gibson & Jefferson (Richmond firm); payments made for TJ search
- Jefferson, Thomas; Business & Financial Affairs; orders wine from H. Sheaff search
- Portugal; TJ orders wine from search
- Sheaff, Henry; and wine for TJ search
- Sheaff, Henry; identified search
- Sheaff, Henry; letters to search
- sherry (wine) search
- wine; Portuguese search
- wine; sherry search
- wine; TJ orders from H. Sheaff search
- wine; white search