Thomas Jefferson Papers

Thomas Jefferson’s Bond with James Lyle (1798–1850), 16 June 1821 [due 1823]

Bond with James Lyle (1798–1850)

KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, That I Thomas Jefferson of Albemarle County am held and firmly bound unto James Lyle admr of James Lyle Senr deceased in the just and full sum of Two Thousand four [hu]ndred [do]llars to be paid unto the said James Lyle admr as aforesaid his certain attorney, his heirs, executors, administrators or assigns, to which payment, well and truly to be made, I bind myself my heirs, executors and administrators, firmly by these presents. Sealed with my seal and dated this 16th day of June one thousand eight hundred and Twenty one

The condition of the above obligation is such, That if the above bound Thomas Jefferson his heirs, executors, administrators or assigns, do and shall well and truly pay, or cause to be paid unto the said James Lyle admr as aforesaid his certain attorney, his executors, administrators or assigns, the just sum of Twelve hundred Dollars on or before the first day of July in the year Eighteen hundred and Twenty three—/1823/. then the above obligation to be void, or else to remain in full force and virtue.

Signed and sealed }
in the presence of
James M Randolph Th: Jefferson (SEAL.)
Tarlton Saunders (SEAL.)

MS (CSmH: JF); printed form, with blanks filled in by Saunders rendered above in boldface, signed by Randolph, Saunders, and TJ; mutilated at fold; docketed on verso in an unidentified hand, with third line interlined by Alexander Garrett (latter two canceled phrases being abbreviations for Henderson, McCaul & Company, and George Kippen & Company):

“Bond No 1.
Th, Jefferson Esqre
to James Lyle
<J Lyle> £201. 4.5
<H McC & Co> 70.19.0
<G K & Co> 87.16.7
£360.  0.0
due 1st July 1823”;
with Tr of receipt in Garrett’s hand and attested by him: “Recieved this 15th of January 1827. of Thomas J Randolph executor of Thomas Jefferson deceased fifteen hundred and Twenty seven dollars being the principal & Interest of the within bond—John Lyle for James Lyle.”

On the same date two similar bonds from TJ to James Lyle, each also for $2,400, were executed, with the first one due 1 July 1824 (MS in ViU: TJP-ER; printed form with blanks filled in by Saunders, signed by TJ, James M. Randolph, and Saunders; docketed on verso in an unidentified hand:

“Bond No 2
Th Jefferson Esqre
G K & Co £200.0.0
H McC & Co 160.0.0
£360.0.0
due 1st July 1824”;
with Trs of two statements by “John Lyle for James Lyle,” each in Garrett’s hand and separately attested by him, with the first indicating that “The within bond is entitled to a credit of five hundred & three dollars to be applied on the 15th day of January 1828 as per reciept given Tho J Randolph the executor this 15th of January 1827,” and the other noting that “The within bond is entitled to a further credit of thirteen dollars to be applied on the 15th of July 1827. as per reciept”).

The third bond of this date was due in 1825 (MS in ViU: TJP-ER; printed form with blanks filled in by Saunders, signed by TJ, James M. Randolph, and Saunders; docketed on verso in an unidentified hand:

“Bond No 3
Th Jefferson Esqre
G K & Co £200.0.0
H McC & Co 160.0.0
£360.0.0
due 1st July 1825”;
with additional notations, one in Garrett’s hand canceled in pencil: “The within bond is entitled to a credit of One hundred and seventy five dollars sixty seven cents to be applied the first of January 1830”; another in an unidentified hand: “20th February 1835 There is due at this date upon this bond about $35840100 as will appear per statements exchanged this day between Mr T J Randolph & myself”; and a third in James Lyle’s hand and signed by him as estate administrator: “20th February 1835 This Bond has been paid as per Statement furnished Mr T J Randolph this day”).

James Madison Randolph (1806–34), farmer, was the first person known to have been born at the President’s House in Washington, D.C., and the eighth child and second son of Thomas Mann Randolph and TJ’s daughter Martha Jefferson Randolph. Educated at Monticello and in local schools conducted by Frank Carr and Gerard E. Stack, Randolph attended the first session of classes at the University of Virginia in 1825. Thereafter he farmed a piece of family land in Albemarle County rent-free until its sale shortly before his death. The 1830 census listed Randolph with twelve slaves and three free blacks. He died at Tufton, the home of his brother Thomas Jefferson Randolph, and was buried at Monticello (Shackelford, Descendants description begins George Green Shackelford, ed., Collected Papers … of the Monticello Association of the Descendants of Thomas Jefferson, 1965–84, 2 vols. description ends , 1:148; TJ to Francis Eppes, 6 Feb. 1818; 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 , 2:1360, 1410; Nash, Students of the University of Virginia; DNA: RG 29, CS, Albemarle Co., 1830; Martha Jefferson Randolph to Ann C. Morris, 16 Feb. 1834 [PPAmP: Smith-Houston-Morris-Ogden Family Papers]; Richmond Enquirer, 6 Feb. 1834).

Index Entries

  • Garrett, Alexander; as Albemarle Co. clerk search
  • Henderson, McCaul &amp; Company (Scottish firm); TJ’s debt to search
  • Jefferson, Thomas; Business &amp; Financial Affairs; bond with J. Lyle (1798–1850) search
  • Jefferson, Thomas; Business &amp; Financial Affairs; debt to Henderson, McCaul &amp; Company search
  • Jefferson, Thomas; Business &amp; Financial Affairs; estate of search
  • Jefferson, Thomas; Writings; Bond with James Lyle (1798–1850) search
  • Kippen &amp; Company (Glasgow firm) search
  • Lyle, James (1726–1812); agent for Henderson, McCaul &amp; Company search
  • Lyle, James (1798–1850); as administrator of estate of J. Lyle (1726–1812) search
  • Lyle, James (1798–1850); TJ’s bond with search
  • Lyle, John; and TJ’s bond with James Lyle (1798–1850) search
  • Randolph, James Madison (TJ’s grandson); identified search
  • Randolph, James Madison (TJ’s grandson); witnesses document search
  • Randolph, Thomas Jefferson (TJ’s grandson; Jane Hollins Nicholas Randolph’s husband); as TJ’s executor search
  • Saunders, Tarlton; and TJ’s debt to Henderson, McCaul &amp; Company search