1To Thomas Jefferson from Ellen Wayles Randolph Coolidge, 8 March 1826 (Jefferson Papers)
I enclose a bill for the brandy &c my dearest Grandpapa, by which you will see that we have still a few dollars remaining of the sixty sent by Col Peyton. there are also such receipts for dressing the fish & tongues & sounds as I could obtain, but these dishes, especially the latter, are scarcely ever brought upon table in Boston, owing, I suppose, to their being so easily obtained as to lose...
2To Thomas Jefferson from Ellen Wayles Randolph Coolidge, 26 December 1825 (Jefferson Papers)
Your letter of Nov. 14. & 26. my dearest Grandpapa, gave me a degree of pleasure only to be understood by those, who, like me, are far separated from the best and kindest friends; it is some compensation for the pains of absence, this increased sensibility to the pleasures left still within our reach, whereby an occasional & limited intercourse with those dearest to us, acquires a value so...
3To Thomas Jefferson from Ellen Wayles Randolph Coolidge, 10 October 1825 (Jefferson Papers)
The Rev. M r Brazer, a Unitarian Clergyman of Salem in this State, asks from M r Coolidge or myself a letter of introduction to you, as he proposes to make a tour through the middle states, & wishes to visit Monticello, & pay his respects to you there. knowing, as we do, how much you are harassed and oppressed by the crowd of strangers who think themselves privileged to waste and misuse your...
4To Thomas Jefferson from Ellen Wayles Randolph Coolidge, 1 August 1825 (Jefferson Papers)
Having reached Boston in safety, my dearest grandfather, one of my first cares is to write to you, to thank you for all the kindness I have received from you, & for all the affection you have shewn me, from my infancy & childhood, throughout the course of my maturer years: the only return I can make is by gratitude the deepest & most enduring; and love the most devoted; and although removed by...
My Grandfather informs me that you have expressed a wish to hear from him through my means, since he is deprived of the power of writing to you himself by the accident which has disabled one of his wrists. this accident was much less serious than might have been apprehended from the circumstances under which it took place. the fall was to the ground from a terrace about three feet high; my...
6Ellen W. Randolph (Coolidge) to Thomas Jefferson, 22 March 1822 (Jefferson Papers)
I have delayed writing to you, from post to post, my dearest Grandpapa , always hoping that I should be able to announce to you, the conclusion of my bargain for the busts: they are at length deposited in the hands of M r Barnes , and I have procured the engraving from Vanderlyn ’s portrait of Col. Monroe , which I shall carry home with me, as you desired . the busts are second hand, and one...
7Ellen W. Randolph (Coolidge) to Thomas Jefferson, 12 December 1821 (Jefferson Papers)
After a great many inquiries I have at length discovered two copies of Cardelli ’s busts of M r Madison and M r Monroe which I think I shall be able to obtain for you, as the lady in whose possession they are, seems not averse to the idea of parting with them—upon a second examination I am by no means so well pleased with these busts, as when I saw them at Montpellier ; I think now that they...
8Extract from Ellen W. Randolph (Coolidge) to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 13 September 1820 (Jefferson Papers)
We have reached our journey’s end my dear Mother, in safety, not without some disagreable adventures, such as being confined one whole day by the rain— at Flood’s tavern . we left Uncle Eppes ’s before sun-rise monday —the morning was lowering, and it was dropping rain before we set out, but you know Grand-papa —he was morally certain we should have “a cool agreable cloudy day for our journey,...
9Enclosure: Edy Turner’s Vocabulary of the Nottoway Language, 4 March 1820 (Jefferson Papers)
Vocabulary of the language of the Nottoway Tribe of Indians, obtained from an old Indian Woman of the name of Edie Turner , the 4 th of March 1820 . Nouns. Of the Universe 1. The Sun Aheeta 2. The Moon Tethrāke 3. The Stars Deeshū
10Extracts from Ellen W. Randolph (Coolidge) to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 24 August 1819 (Jefferson Papers)
In spite of the desperate condition of Col. N ’s affairs , I cannot help hoping that my dear Grand-father will escape, or at least that he will receive some indemnification. the 20,000 $ as you observe would still leave a large estate behind, if it was simply a loss of 20,000$, but in times like these, to raise such a sum, you must sell property perhaps to the value of 100,000 or even more....
11Extracts from Ellen W. Randolph (Coolidge) to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 28 July 1819 (Jefferson Papers)
Grand papa and myself are in the habit of sitting, some time after dinner, in conversation, upon different subjects, and it was but the other day, that, speaking of education, & the influence exerted by mothers over their children, he paid to his grandchildren the compliment of all others the most valuable, that of alluding indirectly to what he considers their excellences, and ascribing them...
12Extract of Ellen W. Randolph (Coolidge) to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 14 April 1818 (Jefferson Papers)
Grandpapa has been taking such a long nap, my dear Mother that I began to despair of getting ink in time to write to you, but he has at last made his appearance, and as I have very little to tell you, I shall in spite of my fatigue, make an effort to write. we did not stop at Warren the first night as we intended, but after dining with M rs Patterson got on to M rs Gibson’s who received us...
13Extract of Ellen W. Randolph (Coolidge) to Martha Jefferson Randolph, [after 29 August 1817], document 3 in a group of … (Jefferson Papers)
Johnny’s arrival gave us great pleasure as we began to be very anxious to hear from you, and I thank you very much for having spared time to write such a long letter. the head of Christ is really a great curiosity, Grand-papa is almost as much pleased with it as we are, and considers it extremely ingenious & original. it is certainly a very fine face and the character is so decided that I...
14Extract of Ellen W. Randolph (Coolidge) to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 18 August [1817], document 2 in a group of … (Jefferson Papers)
Cornelia will probably give Virginia a detail of our Journey to the Natural Bridge —for me it was a complete chapter of accidents—my misfortunes began the day I left home and have not yet ceased, for a cold caught I believe in crossing the blue ridge settled upon my face and has kept me in almost constant agonies—I have not been free of pain one moment for the last eight and forty hours and...