Thomas Jefferson Papers
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https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/03-12-02-0470

Thomas Jefferson’s Conveyance of Milton Lands to Martin Dawson, 28 March 1818

Conveyance of Milton Lands to Martin Dawson

This Indenture made on the 28th day of March 1818 between Thomas Jefferson of the one part and Martin Dawson of the other both of the County of Albemarle Witnesseth that the said Thomas in consideration of the sum of two thousand five hundred dollars to him in hand paid by the sd Martin hath given granted bargained and sold unto the said Martin a certain parcel of land in the same County lying on the Rivanna river and adjoined to the lower end of the town of Milton containing by estimation [two]1 Hundred and fifty six acres and bounded as followeth to Wit Beginning at the lower corner of William D Meriwether lot of land on the Rivanna river & running S 60° W 20 poles to the line of the town of Milton thence on the said line S 30 E 28 po to the SE corner of the town thence continuing with the line of the sd town across a branch at 22 po and so on untill a second intersection of the same branch thence up and along the said branch to a poplar near a2 road thence along the said road S 48 W. 40 poles N 86 W 56 po to a branch thence along the said branch S 78 W 50 po. to Suttles road thence with Suttles road S 5 W 12 po. S 18 po S. 51. W. 18 po S. 17. W. 47. poles to Watson line thence along Watsons line N. 86 E 264 po. to a pine on a ridge N. 16. W 32 po. N. 75 E 190 po. to the river thence up the river to the beginning, To have and to hold the sd parcel of land with its appurtenances to him the said Martin and his heirs and the said Thomas his heirs executors and administrators the sd parcel of land with its appurtenances3 to the said Martin and his heirs will forever Warrant and defend. In Witness whereof he hath hereto set his hand and seal on the day aforesaid.

Signed Sealed and delivered } Th: Jefferson seal
 In presence of
James R Watson
John Watson
Fleming Douglass

Tr (Albemarle Co. Deed Book, 21:146–7); entire document enhanced, apparently resulting in one or more of the errors noted below; with signed attestation at foot of text by Albemarle County deputy clerk William Wertenbaker: “In the Office of the County Court of Albemarle the 30th day of March 1818 This Indenture was produced to me in the said office and proved by the oath of Fleming Douglass a Witness thereto And In the said Office the 2nd day of april 1818 It was acknowledged before me by Thomas Jefferson party thereto to be his hand & seal Act and deed and admitted to record”; endorsed by Wertenbaker: “Jefferson to Dawson} Deed Examd & deliverd to M. Dawson 13th Octo 1818 Wm W DC.”

TJ was finalizing his earlier sale to Dawson of this 256-acre parcel just south of Milton, a portion of the much-contested Henderson tract, for $2,300, not two thousand five hundred dollars. Having received $1,657.44 in cash from Dawson on 20 July 1817, TJ used the remainder of the proceeds to pay $50.56 to Dawson on his “store acct.,” $500 to Eli Alexander “towards the difference of value of the lands I exchanged with him,” and $92 to Thomas Jefferson Randolph (MB description begins James A. Bear Jr. and Lucia C. Stanton, eds., Jefferson’s Memorandum Books: Accounts, with Legal Records and Miscellany, 1767–1826, 1997, 2 vols., The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, Second Series description ends , 2:1336).

A missing letter from Dawson to TJ of 9 Mar. 1818 is recorded in SJL as received from Milton on the day it was written.

1Omitted word editorially supplied.

2Manuscript: “or.”

3Manuscript: “appurtinances.”

Index Entries

  • Albemarle County, Va.; roads in search
  • Albemarle County Court, Va. search
  • Alexander, Eli; and Henderson lands search
  • Dawson, Martin; and Milton lands search
  • Dawson, Martin; letters from accounted for search
  • Dawson, Martin; TJ’s account with search
  • Douglass, Fleming; witnesses documents search
  • Henderson, Bennett; lands of search
  • Jefferson, Thomas; Business & Financial Affairs; account with M. Dawson search
  • Jefferson, Thomas; Business & Financial Affairs; exchanges land with E. Alexander search
  • Jefferson, Thomas; Business & Financial Affairs; payments to T. J. Randolph search
  • Jefferson, Thomas; Business & Financial Affairs; sells land to M. Dawson search
  • Jefferson, Thomas; Writings; Conveyance of Milton Lands to Martin Dawson search
  • Meriwether, William Douglas; lands of search
  • Milton, Va.; TJ’s land at search
  • Randolph, Thomas Jefferson (TJ’s grandson; Jane Hollins Nicholas Randolph’s husband); TJ’s payments to search
  • roads; in Albemarle Co. search
  • Watson, James R.; witnesses documents search
  • Watson, John (1760–1841); lands of search
  • Watson, John (1760–1841); witnesses documents search
  • Wertenbaker, William; as Albemarle Co. clerk search