Thomas Jefferson to Fanny Brand, 16 December 1815
To Fanny Brand
Monticello Dec. 16. 15
Madam
I was unfortunately from home when you were so kind as to send information of your having cyder to spare. I returned yesterday only, and now send the bearer to ask the favor of some samples of your best casks of cyder. he carries 6. phials with numbers on their corks, and if you will be so good as to give a sample from each good cask, and number the cask correspondingly with the number on the vial into which it’s sample is put, I can chuse with certainty what I prefer. if your cyder is as good as what I had before I shall willingly take two or three hundred gallons. [the] quantity will depend on the quality I am Madam
Th: Jefferson
PoC (MHi); on verso of reused address cover to TJ; mutilated at seal; at foot of text: “Mrs Brand”; endorsed by TJ as a letter to “Brand Fanny” and so recorded in SJL.
Fanny (Frances) Whitlock Brand (1755–1832) was born in Hanover County. She married Joseph Brand and lived at Findowrie, between Cismont and Campbell in Albemarle County. At the time of her death Brand owned personal property valued at $3,650, including nine slaves (Mabel Thacher Rosemary Washburn, The Virginia Brand-Meriwether Genealogy [1948], 10–1, 24; Brand family Bible record [photocopy of transcript in TJ Editorial Files]; Marcia Joseph, “Findowrie, Albemarle County” [1994], unpublished research paper in ViU; Brand to TJ, 23 Feb. 1818; DNA: RG 29, CS, Albemarle Co., 1820, 1830; Richmond Enquirer, 30 Nov. 1832; Albemarle Co. Will Book, 11:118–20, 334–5, 14:469–70).
On 24 Dec. 1815 TJ sent Brand $28.50 for cyder. Although the amount purchased in this instance is uncertain, two days earlier Charles Massie sold TJ 143 gallons of cider for $25 (, 2:1317).
Index Entries
- alcohol; cider search
- Brand, Fanny (Frances) Whitlock (Joseph Brand’s wife); identified search
- Brand, Fanny (Frances) Whitlock (Joseph Brand’s wife); letter to search
- Brand, Fanny (Frances) Whitlock (Joseph Brand’s wife); TJ buys cider from search
- cider; bought by TJ search
- Massie, Charles; TJ buys cider from search
- women; letters to; F. W. Brand search