Thomas Newton to Thomas Jefferson, 8 May 1811
From Thomas Newton
Norfolk May 8. 1811
Dr Sir.
In passing to the Western Country Mr Wm R. Nimmo a young man of respectability is extremely deserous of tendering personally his respects to you.
To gratify a sentiment so natural and praiseworthy—I have not hesitated to comply with his request in geveng to him this letter of introduction.
In your retirement—I wish that you may enjoy many years of health—With sentiments of great esteem—I remain yr obt sevt
Tho Newton
RC (MoSHi: TJC-BC); at foot of text: “Thomas Jefferson esq:”; endorsed by TJ as received 15 May 1811 and so recorded in SJL.
Thomas Newton (1768–1847), son of longtime TJ correspondent Thomas Newton (1742–1807), represented a district including Norfolk in the United States House of Representatives, 1801–29. Educated at the College of William and Mary, he became a lawyer and merchant. Newton sat for Norfolk in the Virginia House of Delegates, 1796–99. He was a Republican who supported arming the militia and going to war with Great Britain. Newton corresponded occasionally with TJ and James Madison, sending them letters of introduction and acting as their agent in transporting goods such as wine, cider, and myrtle wax from Norfolk. After leaving Congress he served as recorder of the Hustings Court of the city of Norfolk (
; James A. Padgett, ed., “Letters from Thomas Newton,” , 2d ser., 16 [1936]: 192–205; , 204, 208, 212; Newton to TJ, 3 July 1802 [DLC]; , 2:1065, 1219; Norfolk City Will Book, 8:33–5).William Robinson nimmo (b. ca. 1786), of Princess Anne County, moved to Baltimore by 1819 and spent parts of the next thirty-five years there as a writer, china merchant, teacher, and bookstore owner. He wrote My Companion; or, A Familiar Elucidation of the Most Interesting Problems on the Terrestrial and Celestial Globes (Baltimore, 1819) (Lower Norfolk County Virginia Antiquary 1 [1896]: 129; C. Keenan, The Baltimore Directory, for 1822 & ’23 [Baltimore, 1822], 208; Matchett’s Baltimore Director for 1837 [Baltimore, 1837], 243; DNA: RG 29, CS, Md., Baltimore City, 1850; Matchett’s Baltimore Director for 1853–54 [Baltimore, 1853], 228).
Index Entries
- Jefferson, Thomas; Correspondence; letters of introduction to search
- My Companion; or, A Familiar Elucidation of the Most Interesting Problems on the Terrestrial and Celestial Globes (Nimmo) search
- Newton, Thomas; identified search
- Newton, Thomas; introduces W. R. Nimmo search
- Newton, Thomas; letters from search
- Nimmo, William Robinson; identified search
- Nimmo, William Robinson; letters of introduction for search
- Nimmo, William Robinson; My Companion; or, A Familiar Elucidation of the Most Interesting Problems on the Terrestrial and Celestial Globes search