1To Thomas Jefferson from John and Lucy Ludwell Paradise, 10 October 1788 (Jefferson Papers)
Bergamo, 10 Oct. 1788. Is grateful for TJ’s favors to himself and his family; their trip was “prosperous” and they found their “friends in perfect health and completely happy.” Awaits the arrival of William Short. Was “under a necessity of using Mr. Grand’s letter to the banker at Lyons,” and is thus accountable on demand to TJ for thirty Louis d’or. [ Beneath Paradise’s signature, in the hand...
2To Thomas Jefferson from John and Lucy Ludwell Paradise, 22 June 1787 (Jefferson Papers)
London, 22 June 1787. They plan to leave for Virginia within a week or two; thank TJ for his valuable help and offer to perform any services for him there. Their eldest daughter was married on 4 Apr. to “His Excellency Count Antonio Barziza a Patrician of the Republick of Venice and a Gentleman with a good Character, and fortune,” whose estates are at Bergamo. They have given Count and...
3To Thomas Jefferson from Lucy Ludwell Paradise, 15 August 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
I had the honour to receive your Excellency’s kind and friendly letter of the 29th. of May, for which I return you a thousand thanks. The present situation of our affairs is truly distressing, as a debt of such an enormous size is not easily discharged. The Ship we expected arrived a few weeks ago, and brought only 44 Hogshd. of tobacco. I say only 44 as it is not enough to pay the creditors...
4To Thomas Jefferson from Lucy Ludwell Paradise, 5 May 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
I hope before you shall have received this letter, your Excellency will be safe arrived, and found your amiable daughter in perfect health, to whom, I beg you will make all our Compliments. Your very kind letter I received on the morning of your Excellency’s departure, for which, I return you a thousand thanks, as it gave me great comfort, and brought me the pleasing assurance of your...
5To Thomas Jefferson from Lucy Ludwell Paradise, 14 April 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
I take the liberty to acquaint your Excellency that the Biblia Indica per Elid Cantab. 4to. went for a great deal More then you had Marked it at, O[n] May the 2d. will begin to be sold the other Books. The Diodorus Siculus will be amongst the first. Mr. Robson has promised Me if he can get them for less then your Excellency has Marked them at he will. I see very plainly he wishes to do every...
6To Thomas Jefferson from Lucy Ludwell Paradise, 13 September 1788 (Jefferson Papers)
As I am now put in full possession of the dividends by Your Excellencies great humanity and exertions, I am to acquaint you that I shall send an Order directly to Mr. Anderson to pay the October Dividend to Dr. Bancroft for to inable him to pay those debts he has mentioned in his Letter to me. I acquainted your Excellency in a Letter, I wrote to you the other day, that Mr. Paradise would not...
7To Thomas Jefferson from Lucy Ludwell Paradise, 12 September 1788 (Jefferson Papers)
Your Excellencies humanity to my Cries to have things arrainged so as to have some supply not to be obliged to beg money of My Children has so indeared you and your family to me that I shall think of it, forever and ever. When your Letter came, Mr. P was not awake, therefore he desired me after he awoke to read it to him. I did, I said nothing to him, but your goodness melted me.—I hope he...
8To Thomas Jefferson from Lucy Ludwell Paradise, 21 August 1788 (Jefferson Papers)
I am, before I begin the Subject of this Letter to beg of Your Excellency to keep Secret what I shall communicate to you. It concerns my Country, It concerns your Exellency to assist many persons, but the assistance is only your advice, and Protection. I am serious when I beg you to keep Secret from every person in the World what I am to beg of you. Before I begin, permit me to open my heart...
9To Thomas Jefferson from Lucy Ludwell Paradise, 25 June 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
I return your Excellency a thousand thanks for your kind and friendly letter. I wish it was in my power to acquaint you that the time was fixed, and that we had taken our passage for our return to dear Virginia. Since you left us I thought proper (seeing the affairs of Mr. Paradise grow worse, and worse every day, as my truly good friend Dr. Bancroft will acquaint you) to write a letter to Dr....
10To Thomas Jefferson from Lucy Ludwell Paradise, 15 January 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
I must beg your Excellency to accept my apology for troubling you with a second Letter upon our affairs , but time is a thing, that will stay for no man. In you we put all our confidence, trust, and hope, and it is absolutely necessary that some plan should be laid, and begun. For me, Your Excellency may be certain, that the plan, you shall have the great goodness to take the trouble to advise...
11To Thomas Jefferson from Lucy Ludwell Paradise, 4 January 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
I was in hopes my future Letters would have been Letters of amusement and not of Grief. Your very Great Goodness over powers me, so that I am confounded and struck with it. To say, I shall ever be able to return all your extraordinary attentions is more then I am able at this moment to say. Thus far, I declare, that should any thing happen to put it in my power to shew you my heart, I will...
12To Thomas Jefferson from Lucy Ludwell Paradise, 22 November 1787 (Jefferson Papers)
I take the liberty to trouble your Excellency with a few lines to acquaint you of our Arrival in Dear Virginia and at the same time to thank you for all the attentions you have been pleased to shew Mr. Paradise myself and family. The Passage we had was long and very disagreeable, as we had the great misfortune to have a Brute of a Captain to Command the Ship Juno, owing to the very unfortunate...
13To Thomas Jefferson from Lucy Ludwell Paradise, 10 November 1788 (Jefferson Papers)
On the 29th. of October our dear friend Mr. Short came to us. On the 1st. of Novr. he was taken Ill with a Cold and fever which has continued upon him until now. Every care and attention is paid to him and we hope that he will soon be well. We have beged of him not to continue his journey but return with us to Paris, as we propose, as soon as Mr. Paradise hears from Mr. Anderson, to return to...
14To Thomas Jefferson from Lucy Ludwell Paradise, 11 September 1788 (Jefferson Papers)
I have the honour to thank your Excellency for your Answer, and to assure you of my Gratitude to your family the first Moment I have it in my power. You may suppose Mr. Paradise has, from his Conversation written to England. He has not, and at his house when alone with me, he appears not to seem inclined to write; and if he does not write before he leaves Paris he will not do it after. I...
15To Thomas Jefferson from Lucy Ludwell Paradise, 17 August 1788 (Jefferson Papers)
I hope you will pardon my troubling you with my Letters so often, but, Indeed, I do not know the reason, but when, I have the honour, and happiness of conversing with you, I cannot Speak often, what, I would wish to say, therefore it is that I am obliged to have recourse to this method to converse with Your Excellency. I have been turning in my mind what you mentioned to me, for one person to...
16To Thomas Jefferson from Lucy Ludwell Paradise, 27 February 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
I take up my pen in the stead of my Dear Dr. Bancrof who is very greatly hurried to acquaint your Excellency and Mr. Paradise that the meeting of all the Creditors was held at the Percy Street Coffee house on Thursday the 26th. Inst. Great difficulties arose, but when they found I should bind myself to pay them in case of the death of Mr. P. by a deed they seemed more composed. I was not...
17To Thomas Jefferson from Lucy Ludwell Paradise, 18 January 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
I am very happy to hear that your Daughter is better today, I am certain with your affectionate, and kind attention she will regain her health. I am sorry to give you so much trouble but indeed, I am a truly unfortunate woman. I assure your Excellency, I am from the very bottom of my heart sorry, I ever left Virginia and could, I get there again, I would never quit it. As for my not being able...
18To Thomas Jefferson from Lucy Ludwell Paradise, 31 March 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
Your Excellency by this Post will recvd. two Letters . This I was obliged to write by it’s self, as it is a Letter only for your Excellencies private reading. Your Letter of the 24th. of Mar. arrived this day and as it is Five days a going, I thought proper, contrary to my first intention to answer it immediatly. Dr. Bancroft and myself wait for your Answer to his Last Letters however in the...
19To Thomas Jefferson from Lucy Ludwell Paradise, 29 January 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
The Letter your Excellency was pleased to send us yesterday Morning by your Servant, has brought News rather agreeable then otherwise, and, I think it will be of some comfort to the Creditors, as they will find they shall receive something. I shall be ready any day next week after Monday, that your Excellency shall think proper for Me to go to England. I wish to have a few particulars relating...
20To Thomas Jefferson from Lucy Ludwell Paradise, 31 January 1789 (Jefferson Papers)
Mr. and Mrs. Paradise present their compliments to his Excellency Mr. Jefferson, and will do themselves the honour to dine with him to Morrow, according to his very polite invitation . Mrs. Paradise begs the favour of her friend Mr. Jefferson to facilitate as Much as possible her going to England next week, as she thinks, the last letter received from their Steward, will ease the Minds of the...
21To Thomas Jefferson from Lucy Ludwell Paradise, 2 August 1788 (Jefferson Papers)
As I find, I shall never be able to speak to Your Excellency I thought it best to write to you. Mr. Paradise is an honest Man, and a Man who has had a very good Education, but alas with all that, he never has, since I have been Married given himself the proper time to think upon his affairs as he ought and that is the true reason of my past, and present suffrings. He thinks only of the present...