Thomas Jefferson Papers
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From Thomas Jefferson to James Somerville, 1 December 1791

To James Somerville

Philadelphia Dec. 1. 1791

Sir

I am to acknolege the receipt of your favour covering one of Keith’s pamphlets on Weights and measures, which contains a great deal of information on the subject. With my thanks be pleased to accept assurances of the regard with which I have the honor to be Sir Your most obedt. humble servt,

Th: Jefferson

PrC (MHi).

Somerville’s letter of 22 Nov. 1791, recorded in SJL as received 22 Nov.1791, has not been found. George Skene Keith’s Pamphlet: Tracts on Weights, Measures, and Coins (London, 1791). See Sowerby, description begins E. Millicent Sowerby, comp., Catalogue of the Library of Thomas Jefferson, Washington, 1952–1959, 5 vols. description ends No. 3766. TJ subsequently disparaged this work, critical of his advocacy of the rod pendulum as a standard of measure, as vague and imprecise (TJ to David Rittenhouse, 8 June 1792).

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    Jefferson Papers
    Title
    From Thomas Jefferson to James Somerville, 1 December 1791
    Author
    Jefferson, Thomas
    Recipient
    Somerville, James
    Date
    1 December 1791

    Reference

    Cite as
    “From Thomas Jefferson to James Somerville, 1 December 1791,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-22-02-0326. [Original source: The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, vol. 22, 6 August 1791 – 31 December 1791, ed. Charles T. Cullen. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1986, p. 367.]