Marten Wanscher, plasterer, immigrated to the United States from his native Germany by 1799 and worked intermittently at Monticello from 1801 until 1804. He operated a shop on Queen Street in Alexandria until at least 1808. TJ was unable to locate him after that (Alexandria [now Arlington] Co. Circuit Court Orders, 4:452; MB description begins James A. Bear Jr. and Lucia C. Stanton, eds., Jefferson’s Memorandum Books: Accounts, with Legal Records and Miscellany, 1767–1826, 1997, The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, Second Series description ends , 2:1053, 1126, 1134; Wanscher to TJ, 8 May, 10 Dec. 1802, and TJ to Wanscher, 30 Nov. 1803 [all in MHi]; T. Michael Miller, comp., Artisans and Merchants of Alexandria, Virginia 1780–1820 [1991–92], 2:347; TJ to John Barnes, 21 July 1818).

The inclosed letter to TJ from Dame Schrader is recorded in SJL as received on 16 Sept. 1812 with the notation: “coverg lre for Martin Wanscher.” Neither letter has been found.