George Jefferson to Thomas Jefferson, 1 August 1811
From George Jefferson
Richmond 1st Augt 1811
Dear Sir
Mr Thomas Taylor an acquaintance of mine having lately purchased some land near the West-ham ferry, it occurred to me that he would probably purchase the lots which I recollected to have heard you say you owned there.—On mentioning it to him, I found him very anxious to purchase. As the place can never more be of any value as a landing, unless we suppose the Canal to be abandoned, I conclude that you would be willing to sell the lots, since the trifle they would bring would be better saved than lost: if so, be so obliging as to inform Mr Taylor or myself1 of the number you have, and of their numbers.
I have not been able to do any thing with your Tobacco, not even by dividing it as you proposed.
Geo. Jefferson
RC (MHi); at foot of text: “Thomas Jefferson esqr”; endorsed by TJ as received 4 Aug. 1811 and so recorded in SJL.
The town of Beverley was located at Westham (west-ham) on the James River, six miles upstream from Richmond (, 1:391n, 2:1326n). TJ inherited from his father “4. lots in Beverley town, Henrico. viz. No 57. at the foot of the hill, 107. & 108. on the public road, and 151. includes the ferry landing, being the uppermost lot of the town on the river” (, pt. 1, 127; TJ to Thomas Taylor, 28 Dec. 1814). The nearby canal around the falls of the James River was completed in 1800 (, 2:1326n).
1. Preceding two words interlined.
Index Entries
- Beverly (Henrico Co.); TJ’s lots in search
- Gibson & Jefferson (Richmond firm); and TJ’s real estate search
- Jefferson, George (TJ’s cousin); and TJ’s Westham land search
- Jefferson, George (TJ’s cousin); letters from search
- Richmond, Va.; TJ’s lot in search
- Taylor, Thomas; and sale of Westham land search
- Westham, Va.; TJ’s lots in search