Thomas Jefferson Papers

To Thomas Jefferson from Silas Deane, 2 May 1781

From Silas Deane

Paris May 2d. 1781

Dr. Sr.

This will be handed to you by Mr. Greive who goes to America with the Resolution of establishing himself in the United States, whose Interests, he has, (to my knowlege,) at all times zealously espous’d, and of which he has a few Days since, qualified himself a Citizen; He has an Affair of some Importance in your State, in the adjustment of which, I flatter myself, you may be of service to him, and therefore take the Liberty of recommending him, to your good offices. I have the honor to be with the most sincere respect Dr. sr. yours &c

S Deane

FC (Lb in CtHi: Deane Papers); at foot of text: “His Excelly. Govr. Jefferson.”

An affair of some importance: Greive was going to Virginia apparently to help Charles Bennet, the fourth Earl of Tankerville, assert his family’s claim to an estate in Fairfax County that had been bequeathed to the third Earl by John Colvill (Deane Papers, New-York Historical Society, Collections, Pub. Fund Ser., xix-xxiii [1887–91], iv, 305–6; Fitzpatrick, Writings description begins John C. Fitzpatrick, ed., The Writings of George Washington, Washington, D.C., 1931–44, 39 vols. description ends , xxiv, 75; Washington, Papers description begins W. W. Abbot, Dorothy Twohig, and others, eds., The Papers of George Washington, Charlottesville, 1983–, 24 vols. description ends , Confed. Ser., i, 64–6, 109–10, 120; Thorne, Parliament description begins R. G. Thorne, The History of Parliament: The House of Commons, 1790–1820, London, 1986, 5 vols. description ends , iii, 178).

Index Entries