Thomas Jefferson Papers

Bond of University of Virginia Board of Visitors to Literary Fund President and Directors, 3 August 1821

Bond of University of Virginia Board of Visitors to Literary Fund President and Directors

Know all men by these presents that we Thomas Jefferson, rector and James Breckenridge, James Madison, Joseph C. Cabell, John H. Cocke, Chapman Johnson and Robert B. Taylor, visitors of the University of Virginia, are held & firmly bound to the President & Directors of the Literary fund in the sum of 58,200,1 to the payment whereof well and truly to be made, we bind ourselves and our successors to the sd President & Directors and their successors firmly by these presents, sealed with the common seal of the sd Rector & Visitors and dated this 3d day of Aug.2 in the year one thousand eight hundred and twenty one.3

The Condition of this obligation is such that, Whereas the President and Directors of the [Literary fund],4 under authority of the act of the General assembly of the 24th day of February5 last past, intituled ‘An act concerning the University of Virginia,’ have this day loaned to the Rector and Visitors of the sd University the sum of 29. thousand 100 Dollars,6 for the purpose of compleating the7 buildings, and making the necessary preparations for putting the said University into operation, on the conditions that the lawful interest on the sd sum of 29,100 Dollars8 shall be annually paid, and the principal be redeemed according to the provisions of the sd act,9 and that the annual appropriation made by law to the sd University be legally pledged to the sd President and Directors for the punctual payment of the annual interest and redemption of the principal as aforesaid: Now therefore, if the sd Rector & Visitors & their successors shall faithfully pay to the sd President and Directors of the Literary fund and their successors annually on the   day of   the lawful interest on the sd sum of 29,100. Dollars,10 or on so much of the sd sums as shall be bearing interest, until the whole of the principal shall have been paid and shall also faithfully pay the sd principal sum of 29,100 Dollars11 according to the provisions of the sd act of assembly, applying for that purpose the sums of money appropriated annually by law to the use, or for the benefit of the sd University, or so much thereof as may be requisite, which sums of money so appropriated in each year, so far as requisite for the purpose, are hereby pledged and set apart by the sd Rector & Visitors to be applied by the President and Directors of the Literary fund to the payment of the sd interest & principal sum of 29,100 Dollars,12 borrowed as aforesaid, and to no other uses or objects until the sd payment shall have been made, then the above obligation shall be void, otherwise shall remain in full force and virtue.13

signed sealed and delivered in presence of Th: J[efferso]n
   Nichs P Trist
   William Bankhead

1822. Jan.   gave a bond for 30,900.D. verbatim as this except as to the sum.

2d Dft (ViU: TJP); in TJ’s hand, signed by Trist and Bankhead; sealed; mutilated to cancel TJ’s signature; endorsed by TJ: “Copy of bond of Aug. 3. 21. for 29,100.” 1st Dft (ViU: TJP); on reused address cover to TJ; entirely in TJ’s hand; undated; at head of text: “rough draught of Condn of bond of July 1821.” The 2d Dft began as the finalized original bond of 21 July 1821 enclosed by TJ to Thomas Mann Randolph on that date. TJ then altered it to match the missing revised bond that he sent to Randolph on 3 Aug. 1821.

1Number interlined in place of “sixty thousand Dollars.”

2Reworked from “twenty first day of July.”

31st Dft begins here.

4Mutilated. 1st Dft: “Lity fund.”

51st Dft: “the day of   .”

6Reworked from “thirty thousand Dollars.” 1st Dft: “30,000.D.”

7In 1st Dft TJ here canceled “necessary.”

8Reworked from “30,000. Dollars.” 1st Dft: “30.M.D.”

9Text from this point to colon interlined in 1st Dft.

10Reworked from “30,000. Dollars.” 1st Dft: “30,000.D.”

11Reworked from “30,000. Dollars.” 1st Dft: “30.M.D.”

12Reworked from “30,000. Dollars.” 1st Dft: “30.M.D.”

131st Dft ends here.

Index Entries

  • An act concerning the University of Virginia (1821) search
  • Bankhead, William; witnesses documents search
  • Breckinridge (Breckenridge), James; as member of University of Virginia Board of Visitors search
  • Cabell, Joseph Carrington; as member of University of Virginia Board of Visitors search
  • Cocke, John Hartwell (1780–1866); as member of University of Virginia Board of Visitors search
  • Jefferson, Thomas; Writings; Bond of University of Virginia Board of Visitors to Literary Fund President and Directors search
  • Johnson, Chapman; as member of University of Virginia Board of Visitors search
  • Literary Fund; and loans for University of Virginia search
  • Madison, James (1751–1836); as member of University of Virginia Board of Visitors search
  • Taylor, Robert Barraud; as member of University of Virginia Board of Visitors search
  • Trist, Nicholas Philip; witnesses document search
  • Virginia, University of; Administration and Financial Affairs; Bond of University of Virginia Board of Visitors to Literary Fund President and Directors search
  • Virginia, University of; Administration and Financial Affairs; funding for search
  • Virginia, University of; Board of Visitors; and loans for University of Virginia search
  • Virginia, University of; Establishment; and General Assembly search
  • Virginia; General Assembly search