1Thomas Jefferson to William Thornton, 23 July 1814 (Jefferson Papers)
I return you Janes’s description of his loom with many thanks for the communication of it. the improvement for the moving the treadles without using the feet is highly valuable, inasmuch as our weavers are for the most part women. it appears too to be sufficiently simple for country use. the winding up the cloth is also useful, & not complicated. I do not well understand the mechanism for...
2Thomas Jefferson to William Thornton, 9 February 1815 (Jefferson Papers)
I have to thank you for the drawing of the beautiful hydraulic machine with which you favored me in yours of Jan. 11. in simplicity and effect it promises to go far beyond Montgolfier ’s hydraulic ram. I have endeavored to constitute a supply of water at Monticello by cisterns for recieving and preserving the rain water falling on my buildings. these would furnish me 600. gall s of water a...
3Thomas Jefferson to William Thornton, 20 June 1812 (Jefferson Papers)
I wrote you three days ago thro’ the post office, but by an unfortunate change of our post days, I expect my cart will convey this sooner still to it’s destination. the object of that letter was to explain the delays which had taken place in sending for the Spinning machine; the present is to request you to have it delivered to the bearer, Davy , who carries a cart for the purpose. instead of...
4Thomas Jefferson to William Thornton, 27 July 1816 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favor of the 20 th is recieved, and I take up my pen merely to assure you I had not mentioned the return of the paintings from any hurry to recieve them, but merely to make known a safe occasion of sending them if done with. I thank you for the offer to place a copy of one of them here in oil; but Stewart ’s original takes as much room on the walls as the thing is worth. with respect to...
5Thomas Jefferson to William Thornton, 24 May 1810 (Jefferson Papers)
Your favors of May 7. & 10. are both recieved, and with them came the figs in perfect condition. on my proceeding to plant them in the same places where I had planted those you were so kind as to send me the last year, & reopening the holes, to my great astonishment I found a young bud putting out from the root of every one. they had been long on the road, were planted late, & this succeeded...
6Thomas Jefferson to William Thornton, 3 July 1812 (Jefferson Papers)
My spinning machine is safely arrived, and also your letter of the 27 th covering the drawings now returned. they served to instruct us compleatly as to the spinning part of the machine, which is now at work; but not as to the Feeding frame, marked G. in the drawing. the written specification says ‘it recieves motion in the same manner and performs the same service as in the common roving...
7Thomas Jefferson to William Thornton, 24 May 1812 (Jefferson Papers)
Your letters of the 8 th and 9 th arrived here just after I had set out on a journey to Bedford from whence I am but just returned. I accept with great pleasure the offer of the machine of Barrett made for mr Greenleaf , and I now inclose you a fifty dollar bill, the price stated: and my spinning works having been some time and still continuing suspended till I get this machine, a cart will be...
8Thomas Jefferson to William Thornton, 20 May 1816 (Jefferson Papers)
M r Delaplaine of Philadelphia , being en g aged in a work of engravings of American characters, has engaged an artist to come on here, and perhaps will accompany him himself, to copy my Columbus , Vespucius , Cortez E t c. and he wishes to copy that also of myself by
9Thomas Jefferson to William Thornton, 24 August 1809 (Jefferson Papers)
Having accidentally mentioned to my former servant Joseph Dougherty my misfortune in losing both my big-tailed rams, he, in his zeal for whatever concerns me, took the liberty of mentioning it to you & informed me you were so kind as to offer to supply my loss with one from your farm. by the cart which now goes to bring it, I take the occasion of returning you my best thanks for your kindness,...
10Thomas Jefferson to William Thornton, 27 [June] 1810 (Jefferson Papers)
A Your letter of the 8 th was duly recieved, & I have to return you thanks for the kind offer of Barbary sheep as a mixture with the Merino. I will state to you the stock from which I propose to breed. one of Robert Morris’s captains about the year 1792. brought him a pair of what he said were Merino sheep which he smuggled from Cadiz . the ewe died, & he gave me the ram. I bred in & in from...