Samuel J. Harrison to Thomas Jefferson, 25 August 1819
From Samuel J. Harrison
Lynchburg Augt 25. 1819
Sir
This will be handed to you by mr James Wade, who wishes to become the undertaker of laying the pipes for Conveying water to the university. Should You think proper to Contract with him, I have no doubt but that he will execute the job, with fidelity & dispatch; as he is a Very Industrious, punctual1 man; experienced in the business.
S J Harrison
RC (ViU: TJP-PP); endorsed by TJ as received 27 Aug. 1819 and so recorded (with additional bracketed notation: “James Wade”) in SJL. RC (MHi); address cover only; with PoC of TJ to Maria Cosway, 27 Dec. 1820, on recto and verso; addressed: “Thomas Jefferson Esquire Poplar Forest” by “Mr Wade.” Enclosed in TJ to Arthur S. Brockenbrough, 29 Aug. 1819.
James Wade (d. 1823), pipe layer, was a native of Ireland. He moved to Lynchburg, where he advertised in 1810 for “apprentices to the Carpenters business.” The next year Wade helped manage the city’s new fire company, and in 1817 he purchased the city’s waterworks. He owned two slaves in 1820. Wade died at Rock Landing in Halifax County, North Carolina (Lynchburg Press, 9 July 1810; William Asbury Christian, Lynchburg and Its People [1900; repr. 1967], 42, 71; DNA: RG 29, CS, Lynchburg, 1820; Lynchburg Virginian, 5 Sept. 1823).
1. Manuscript: “pountual.”
Index Entries
- Harrison, Samuel Jordan; letters from search
- Harrison, Samuel Jordan; recommends J. Wade search
- Jefferson, Thomas; Correspondence; letters of application and recommendation to search
- patronage; letters of application and recommendation to TJ search
- pipes, water; for University of Virginia search
- Virginia, University of; Construction and Grounds; water pipes for search
- Wade, James; identified search
- Wade, James; seeks employment at University of Virginia search
- water; pipes search