1Ellen W. Randolph (Coolidge) to Martha Jefferson Randolph, [ca. 10 November 1816] (Jefferson Papers)
We were a good deal disappointed at not recieving letters from some of the family in the large pacquet which came to Grandpapa from Monticello ; one of the girls might have written to let us know that you were all well— Grandpapa We expect to be with you the last of the Month and in the mean time are making very good use of our time; I have got through the Syntax, & have finished Corderi ....
2Extracts 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...
3Extract 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...
4Extracts 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....
5Extract 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...
6Extract 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,...
7Extract 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...
8From Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 31 December 1792 (Jefferson Papers)
I received three days ago Mr. Randolph’s letter of the 14th. from Richmond, and received it with great joy as it informed me of the reestablishment of dear Anne’s health. I apprehend from an expression in his letter that some of mine may have miscarried. I have never failed to write every Thursday or Friday. Percieving by the Richmond paper that the Western post now leaves that place on...
9From Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 12 October 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
My journey to this place was not as free from accident as usual. I was near losing Castor in the Rapidan, by his lying down in the river, where waste deep, & being so embarrassed by the shafts of the carriage & harness that he was nearly drowned before the servants, jumping into the water, could lift his head out & cut him loose from the carriage. this was followed by the loss of my travelling...
10From Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 20 January 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
Mr. Short in a late letter says that your acquaintances in Panthemont complain excessively of your inattention to them and desired him to mention it. Matters there are going on well. The sales of the church lands are succesful beyond all calculation. There has been a riot in Paris in which M. de Castrie’s houshould furniture was destroyed. I am opening my things from Paris as fast as the...
11From Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 14 February 1809 (Jefferson Papers)
In the instant of the departure of the post Genl. Dearborne calls on me to know the name of a person for whom I applied to be made a Cadet; and I have forgotten the name, & cannot find it on a review of your letters, altho’ I know it was through you that the application came. pray let me know it by return of post; and I will keep the place open a few days. Genl. Dearborne leaves us in a few...
12From Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 1 November 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
Mr. Bacon delivered your letter & every thing else safely. I had ordered a gross of bottles to be bought: but I will now countermand them. I send on corks by the stage, for I think that water casks should be trusted no longer than necessary. the letter & bundle for Jefferson shall be forwarded. certainly the residue of Buffon ought to be sent on to him to the care of mr Jefferson. when he went...
13Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 7 August 1818 (Jefferson Papers)
I have heard that D r Cooper has come on to Richmond , which however I doubt. if so he may possibly have come to Monticello . under this uncertainty where a letter may find him, I inclose one to you for him , with a request to forward it to him by mail wherever he is. I have left it open as it may enable you to judge what to do with it in every case. I left Judge Stuart ’s yesterday after...
14From Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 8 June 1797 (Jefferson Papers)
Yours of May 20 came to hand the 1st. inst. I imagine you recieved mine of May 18. about six days after the date of yours. It was written the first post-day after my arrival here. The commission you inclosed for Maria is executed, and the things are in the care of Mr. Boyce of Richmond, who is returning from hence with some goods of his own, and will deliver them to Mr. Johnston.—I recieve...
15From Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 27 December 1797 (Jefferson Papers)
I am at length got well of a terrible cold, which I think must have proceeded from the intense cold of the day I left Belmont. It became very bad by the time I got to Baltimore, and has been worse here. However it is now entirely passed off. We are here lounging our time away, doing nothing, and having nothing to do. It gives me great regret to be passing my time so uselessly when it could...
16From Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 11 February 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
The hour of post is come and a throng of business allows me only to inform you we are well, and to acknolege the receipt of Mr. Randolph’s letter of Jan. 24. With hopes that you are all so accept assurances of constant love to you all from your’s my dear most affectionately RC ( NNP ); at foot of text: “Mrs. Randolph”; endorsed by Mrs. Randolph. PrC ( CSmH ). Tr ( ViU : Edgehill-Randolph...
17From Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 25 January 1796 (Jefferson Papers)
After the departure of my last letter to Mr. Randolph I found the details I had given him respecting the waggon were erroneous. The rise of the river had cut off our communications for several days. I presume it arrived at Varina as soon as my letter. We are all well here. Jefferson particularly so. He is become the finest boy possible. Always in good humor, always amusing himself, and very...
18From Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 24 March 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
I have nothing interesting to tell you from hence but that we are well, and how much we love you. From Monticello you have every thing to write about which I have any care. How do my young chesnut trees? How comes on your garden? How fare the fruit blossoms &c. I sent to Mr. Randolph, I think, some seed of the Bent-grass which is much extolled. I now inclose you some seed which Mr. Hawkins...
19From Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 18 August 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
Maria and I are scoring off the weeks which separate us from you. They wear off slowly, but time is sure tho’ slow. Mr. D. Randolph left us three days ago. He went by the way of Presquisle and consequently will not enrapture Mrs. Randolph till the latter end of the month. I wrote to Mr. Randolph sometime ago to desire he would send off Tom Shackleford or Jupiter or any body else on the 1st. of...
20From Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 31 May 1798 (Jefferson Papers)
My letter by the last post was to mr Randolph, dated May 24. yours of the 12th. inst. did not get to hand till the 29th. so it must have laid by a post somewhere. the receipt of it, by kindling up all my recollections increases my impatience to leave this place & every thing which can be disgusting, for Monticello and my dear family, comprising every thing which is pleasurable to me in this...
21From Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 14 June 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
I have just recieved information from mr Jefferson that my shipwrecked goods are gone on from Richmond to Monticello (3. casks excepted which he supposes plundered) and that they appear to be in good condition. as a knolege of what gets safe & in good condition will dispense with my sending on a duplicate provision, I have directed mr Bacon to open all the packages & report to me their...
22From Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 2 February 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
The letter to mr Hackley shall go by a government vessel which sails for Cadiz the 10th. of this month. such a one will sail monthly for Falmouth, Brest, Lisbon & Cadiz during the embargo. this will furnish his friends a regular means of writing to him. Mr. Hackley has nothing to apprehend from mr Meade as the successor to mr. Yznardi. Meade’s intrigues against Yznardi, and his indecent...
23From Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 10 January 1809 (Jefferson Papers)
I recieved yesterday your letter of the 5th. & mr Randolph’s of the 6th. and I have this morning sent an extract of the latter to mr Nicholas. I sincerely wish it success, but I am afraid mr Carr has been misinformed of mr Patterson’s views, or, which is as likely, that mr Patterson has changed them. he has certainly concluded to settle on a tract of 5. or 600. acres which he gets from mr...
24From Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 24 July 1791 (Jefferson Papers)
Your last letter come to hand was of May 23. Consequently it is now two months old. Petit arrived here three or four days ago, and accosted me with an assurance that he was come pour rester toujours avec moi. The principal small news he brings is that Panthemont is one of the convents to be kept up for education, that the old Abbess is living, but Madame de Taubenheim dead, that some of the...
25From Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 27 June 1790 (Jefferson Papers)
My last news from you were conveyed in your letter of May 28. I ascribe this to your present ambulatory life. I hope when you are more in the way of the post, I shall receive letters regularly once a week from one or other of you, as I write regularly once a week myself. In my letter of the last week to Mr. Randolph I mentioned the appearances of a war between England and Spain. We have...
26From Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 27 December 1798 (Jefferson Papers)
I reached Fredericksburg the day after I left you, and this place on Christmas-day, having (thanks to my pelisse) felt no more sensation of cold on the road than if I had been in a warm bed. nevertheless I got a small cold which brought on an inflammation in the eyes, head ach &c so that I kept within doors yesterday & only took my seat in Senate to-day. I have as yet had little opportunity of...
27From Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 7 July 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
My head has been so full of farming since I have found it necessary to prepare a plan for my manager, that I could not resist the addressing my last weekly letters to Mr. Randolph and boring him with my plans.—Maria writes to you to-day. She is getting into tolerable health, tho’ not good. She passes two or three days in the week with me, under the trees, for I never go into the house but at...
28From Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 12 March 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
Altho’ this letter which goes by the carts, will not reach you till Monday evening, and that which I shall write you by the post of tomorrow evening will reach you on Monday morning, yet I cannot omit to drop you a line lest any accident should delay that by mail. mr Randolph continues well. eats with appetite sleeps tolerably, reads: and has not had the smallest return of fever since it left...
29From Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 24 February 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
We have no letter from Monticello since Mr. Randolph’s of Jan. 30. to Maria. However we hope you are all well and that there are letters on the road which will tell us so. Maria writes to-day. Congress will rise on Saturday next, a term which is joyous to all as it affords some relaxation of business to all. We have had the mildest winter ever known, having had only two snows to cover the...
30From Thomas Jefferson to Martha Jefferson Randolph, 16 January 1801 (Jefferson Papers)
I wrote to mr Randolph on the 9th. & 10th. inst. and yesterday recieved his letter of the 10th. it gave me real joy to learn that Lilly had got a recruit of hands from mr Allen; tho’ still I would not have that prevent the taking all from the nailery who are able to cut, as I desired in mine of the 9th. as I wish Craven’s ground to be got ready for him without any delay. mr Randolph writes me...