Patrick Gibson to Thomas Jefferson, 29 October 1822
From Patrick Gibson
Richmond 29th Octr 1822
Dear Sir
After the kindness you have shown to me in behalf of my Son Alexander, I am apprehensive I shall be consider’d as trespassing by another application to you on my own Account. but my situation compels me to put your goodness to another trial—The Office of Agent to the Penetintiary Store has become vacant, the appointment of a successor is to take place next Friday by the Governor and Council, may I beg the favor you will state in any manner you may think proper the length of time you have known me, and as far as your own knowledge extends, or what you may have learnt from others, my competency to transact business &c &c,—I regret that I was not sooner informd of the vacancy as the time is So short but my Son Henry who is the bearer hereof insists1 that he can easily accomplish it Permit me the liberty of introducing him to your acquaintance and accept the assurance of my sincere respect & esteem.
Patrick Gibson
RC (DLC); endorsed by TJ as received 30 Oct. 1822 and so recorded in SJL.
Henry Gibson (1802–43), attorney, was a son of Patrick Gibson, TJ’s business agent in Richmond and frequent correspondent. By 1825 the younger Gibson owned real estate in Richmond valued at $4,800, including a store, office, and house. In 1835 he was serving as clerk of the United States district and circuit courts for eastern Virginia, a position he held until his death. Gibson owned nine slaves in 1830 and twelve a decade later. He died in Richmond (Vi: Gibson Family Papers; Patrick Gibson to TJ, 17 Jan. 1823; Vi: Mutual Assurance Society, Declarations, esp. no. 5435; DNA: RG 29, CS, Richmond City, 1830, Henrico Co., 1840; , 29:53, 37:340 [16 Dec. 1835, 9 Feb. 1842]; Richmond Daily Whig, 6 June 1843).
According to “An act to amend an act, entitled, ‘an act to reduce into one act the several acts, and parts of acts, for establishing a penitentiary-house, and for the punishment of crimes,’” the office of agent to the penetintiary store was to be filled annually by election on a joint ballot of the General Assembly, or in cases of removal, by gubernatorial appointment. Governor Thomas Mann Randolph gave Thomas Nelson the position on 1 Nov. 1822 following the removal of Matthew H. Rice ( [1820–21 sess.], 17 [6 Mar. 1821]; [1822–23 sess.], 17 [5 Dec. 1822]).
1. Manuscript: “insits.”
Index Entries
- An act to amend an act, entitled, “an act to reduce into one act the several acts, and parts of acts, for establishing a penitentiary-house, and for the punishment of crimes” (1821) search
- Gibson, Alexander; seeks appointment search
- Gibson, Henry; identified search
- Gibson, Henry; introduced to TJ search
- Gibson, Henry; visits Monticello search
- Gibson, Patrick; family of search
- Gibson, Patrick; letters from search
- Gibson, Patrick; seeks appointment search
- jails and prisons; in Richmond search
- Jefferson, Thomas; Correspondence; letters of application and recommendation to search
- Monticello (TJ’s Albemarle Co. estate); Visitors to; Gibson, Henry search
- Nelson, Thomas; as agent to Va. state penitentiary store search
- patronage; letters of application and recommendation to TJ search
- Randolph, Thomas Mann (1768–1828) (TJ’s son-in-law; Martha Jefferson Randolph’s husband); as governor of Va. search
- Rice, Matthew H.; as agent to Va. state penitentiary store search
- Richmond, Va.; penitentiary in search
- Virginia; Council of State search
- Virginia; General Assembly search
- Virginia; State Penitentiary search