1To Thomas Jefferson from John Taylor, with Jefferson’s Opinion on Mary Wayland, [16 August 1782] (Jefferson Papers)
Your most Curious Council is required on the following Cases. Case the 1st. Adam Wayland of Culpeper County in the Virga. State, after 1st. Lawful Marriage had 6 Children by his wife and She pregnant with the 7th.—Made a Will by which will he bequeath’d his wife one full Third part of his Estate, his wife in time of her pregnancy was Taken with the Small pox and Died—after remaining a widower...
2To Thomas Jefferson from John Taylor, [before 11 December 1798] (Jefferson Papers)
It would be happy indeed for us, if agriculture and farming still continued to be interesting subjects—but alas! can we, when our house is on fire, be solicitous to save the kittens? How long is it to burn, or will it ever be extinguished? I would be almost content to save a single apartment. If a sufficient spirit had appeared in our legislature, it was my project, by law, to declare the...
3John Taylor to Thomas Jefferson, 25 February 1821 (Jefferson Papers)
Yours of the 14 th instant induces me to think, that the small sum mentioned in my last , may be of some use. Perhaps it may enable the young man intended for the law , to prosecute his studies in your university or elsewhere. Perhaps it may be beneficially applied to the unmarried daughters. But you do not say whether you will apply it. This is material, because it is my wish from some...
4To Thomas Jefferson from John Taylor, 4 April 1798 (Jefferson Papers)
I now take the liberty of inclosing you the papers accompanied with a drawing to obtain Mr: Martin’s patent , having by a reference to the law, discovered the error in having before omited this drawing. Mr: Martin wishes the former papers to be withdrawn or to remain unnoticed, not only on account of this error, but also because several essential improvements have been added by him, since the...
5John Taylor to Thomas Jefferson, 24 July 1821 (Jefferson Papers)
When I first wrote to you on the private subject, I supposed that Col o Nicholas had left at least one young son, and that it would be better to pay $125 annually towards his education, than a larger sum at once. Upon learning from you the state of the family, it now seems to me that $500 contributed at once, will probably do them more good than the four annual advances. In a former letter you...
6To Thomas Jefferson from John Taylor, 25 June 1798 (Jefferson Papers)
The observations contained in yours of the 4th. instant, upon my letter to Colo. New, induce me to say something respecting our political situation, explanatory of one idea in that letter, of which you evidently disapprove. Convinced of the caution imposed on you by the malevolence of party, I have forborne the liberty I am now about to take; but considering your interrogations as permissive,...
7To Thomas Jefferson from John Taylor, [before 13 May 1798] (Jefferson Papers)
Having removed to some distance from Mr: Martin’s, his consideration of your letter of the 6th. of April, and the drawing it covered, has been somewhat delayed. He says, as indeed you will discover, that his amended machine, of which a drawing was lately sent you, has anticipated several of your objections, by having dispensed with the screw, and some of the wheels—that he had in the course of...
8To Thomas Jefferson from John Taylor, 8 August 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
I have this moment been informed by Mr: Martin, that he has at length found a workman capable of executing the drill, and he expresses an anxiety to furnish you with it. He is however apprehensive that the long delay, and the disappointment of your wish to have it in time to be sent by the vessel you mentioned, may have altered your disposition to have it made at all. Be pleased to drop me a...
9To Thomas Jefferson from John Taylor, 15 April 1781 (Jefferson Papers)
Lancaster County, 15 Apr. 1781 . Encloses “a list of the number of Men raised in this County for recruiting this States quota of Troops to serve in the Continental Army, likewise a particular number of each Division, and a return of the Militia but not so full as your last instructions required, as I have not recieved any returns from the Different Captains since.” The return of ammunition...
10To Thomas Jefferson from John Taylor, 23 December 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
Several opinions, in relation to the present aspect of publick affairs, have long pressed on my mind; to publish them might be pernicious and to suppress them, criminal; The badness of my judgment and information, suggests the first apprehension, and the possibility nevertheless of their containing some useful hint, the second; to satisfy both; and recollecting that common soldiers have aided...
11John Taylor to Thomas Jefferson, 25 March 1821 (Jefferson Papers)
Nothing can be better, nor more conformable to my wishes, than the mode you mention of learning the wants of Col o Nicholas ’s family, and the application of the small sum destined towards their alleviation; and I thankfully agree to it. You will therefore be so good as to add to the obligation, by informing me, in which of the banks at Fredericksburg the money shall be lodged, or whether it...
12To Thomas Jefferson from John Taylor, 26 December 1804 (Jefferson Papers)
If this letter should be improper; its apology is, that no evil design suggested it. An idea is circulated, that after the expiration of the next presidential term, you purpose to decline a re-election.—as one of your constituents; as one of your friends; I am about to inform you of its reception within the compass of my observation, and to add several remarks as to its propriety. The...
13To Thomas Jefferson from John Taylor, 14 October 1797 (Jefferson Papers)
A model of Martin’s machine for seperating the grain of wheat from the straw, is now before me, and yet simple as it is, I have no hopes that my mechanical knowledge is equal to a description so perspicuous, as to enable you to erect one. For it probably bears a very distant analogy to the Scotch machine or to Booker’s, neither of which had ever been seen by Mr: Martin, when he invented his....
14To Thomas Jefferson from John Taylor, 15 August 1794 (Jefferson Papers)
Some time past, I inclosed you the pamphlet you wrote for—accepted of your commission to procure the drill plow—and requested to know to whom at Richmond I should forward it. The plow has been ready for some time and delayed for want of an answer. Concluding at length, that my letter, or your reply has failed, I have forwarded it herewith to the care of Mr: John Harvie at Richmond, and...
15To Thomas Jefferson from John Taylor, 12 July 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
Your letter of June the 22d. only reached me this day; being directed “near the Bowling Green” it has slept in that post office; for I now live 17 miles from it, near Port Royal. Immediately on receiving your first letter, I applied to Mr. Martin to make a drill for you, and my instances have been often repeated. His inclination to comply was strong and he promised it. The difficulty was to...
16To Thomas Jefferson from John Taylor, 5 March 1795 (Jefferson Papers)
There is a spice of fanaticism in my nature upon two subjects—agriculture and republicanism, which all who set it in motion, are sure to suffer by. Tho’ there is no comfort, there is a warning in the confession, enabling you at this moment to escape from its effect. For I am about to go farther into the means which I have practised for the recovery of worn out lands, the experiments I have...
17To Thomas Jefferson from John Taylor, 5 December 1780 (Jefferson Papers)
It gives me great uneasyness that the Militia of this County By their riotous behavour have prevented my making a proper return to you. On the day appointed for the Draft they assembled in a Mob, and disarm’d the Officers as they came to the field, and took from me the papers relative to the draft which prevented my carrying it on. I had a Court Martial held according to Law, and many were...
18To Thomas Jefferson from John Taylor, 1 July 1804 (Jefferson Papers)
I herewith send you the Swedish turnip seed promised. This species of turnip seems to me to require earlier sowing than the common kind, to be drilled and cultivated. Accept the highest esteem and respect, of, Sir, Yr: mo: obt: St. RC ( ViU ); endorsed by TJ as received 5 July, but recorded in SJL as received 6 July. TJ had introduced the Swedish turnip , or rutabaga, to Taylor in 1795, and...
19To Thomas Jefferson from John Taylor, 1 June 1794 (Jefferson Papers)
Your letter dated one month past, was delivered to me, as I was about to leave philadelphia, and this circumstance defered my answer hitherto. It was my purpose previously to have seen Mr: Martin, who is the inventor of the drilling machine , the simplicity of which is its best recommendation; but a succession of heavy rains have swept off our mills and bridges, and left a gulf between Mr:...
20To Thomas Jefferson from John Taylor, 25 March 1798 (Jefferson Papers)
Mr: Martin, for whom I solicited you to obtain a patent for a thrashing machine, has made several important improvements upon the model forwarded to you, and therefore wishes the taking out of a patent may be postponed, until his application can be so amended, as that it may include these improvements. For this End I will very shortly take the liberty of inclosing you the proper papers,...
21To Thomas Jefferson from John Taylor, 19 November 1797 (Jefferson Papers)
Herewith I have forwarded to you the drill you requested, packed into a crate basket, in a secure manner. This machine is an improvement upon that heretofore sent you, in having cups cut into iron rollers, instead of being fixed to bands. The effect, is perfect regularity in the sheding of the grain, because no change will be produced by the quantity in the box—because these cups must fill...
22John Taylor to Thomas Jefferson, 3 February 1821 (Jefferson Papers)
I hope you will excuse the liberty I am about to take, when I assure you that I have no other means of effecting my object. Is the family of the late Col o Wilson C. Nicholas in destitute circumstances? Did he leave sons whose educations are unfinished? Would a contribution, if such is the case, of one hundred and twenty five dollars annually for four years be beneficial to them? Would you...
23John Taylor to Thomas Jefferson, 3 August 1821 (Jefferson Papers)
I am constrained to write you this letter, by having Seen in the news papers an extract of a letter , said to be written by you, approving of construction construed ; to assure you that I had never seen nor heard of your letter, if it is genuine, before I saw it in a news paper. Recently I inclosed you a draft on the bank of Virginia at Richmond to be applied at your discretion as before...
24To Thomas Jefferson from John Taylor, 15 February 1799 (Jefferson Papers)
Your letter concerning a successor to Mr. Tazewell , took the rout to Richmond, and found me at home a few days past, for the assembly had risen before its arrival. It was my wish to have tried Colo. M. against Wood at the last session, of which I informed Colo . Nicholas previous to its meeting, but it was prevented by a doubt of success. This however would have been a pledge for my exertions...