Frederick August Mayo (1785–1853), bookbinder, was born Friedrich Gotthilf Mejo in Nossen, Saxony, and learned his trade in Germany. He worked throughout Europe as a bookbinder until he was impressed into the British navy. Mayo spent nearly four years as a sailor before arriving in the United States by 1808, when he set up shop in Staunton. In 1815 he established a bindery and book and stationery store in Richmond, working in partnership with Philip DuVal as Frederick A. Mayo & Company. After that firm dissolved, Mayo joined with John Frayser as Mayo & Frayser, 1816–17. By 1821 Mayo had gone bankrupt and given up his book and stationery business. He returned to bookbinding as his main employment and so continued until 1836. TJ sent him numerous books and pamphlets to be bound between 1818 and 1825. Mayo also operated a public garden beginning in 1822 at Springhill, his home near Richmond. In addition to his lengthy career as a bookbinder, he worked as a land agent and frequently traveled west to explore and acquire land. In 1850 Mayo authored a book encouraging Germans to immigrate to the United States (Hannah D. French, “Thomas Jefferson’s Last Bookbinder: Frederick August Mayo,” in her Bookbinding in Early America: Seven Essays on Masters and Methods [1986], 148–220; Staunton Political Censor, 24 Aug. 1808; DNA: RG 29, CS, Augusta Co., 1810, Henrico Co., 1820–50; Staunton Spirit of the Press, 18 May 1811; Richmond Enquirer, 29 Apr. 1815; Richmond Enquirer, 7 Oct. 1815, 30 Mar., 3 July 1816, 28 Feb., [4] Apr. 1817, 24 Feb., 11 Aug. 1818, 6 Mar., 8 Oct. 1819, 30 Jan. 1836, 26 Apr. 1853; Richmond Virginia Argus, 24 Apr., 19 June 1816; TJ to Mayo, 28 Dec. 1820; Mayo to TJ, 2 Apr. 1821; Mayo, 40 Jahre in Virginien, oder Kommt nach West-Virginien! [1850]; Richmond Whig and Public Advertiser, 22 Apr. 1853).

One of the papers stuck in the groupings to be bound, the one that TJ sent with his pamphlets. navigation (Poor, Jefferson’s Library description begins Nathaniel P. Poor, Catalogue. President Jefferson’s Library, 1829 description ends , 5 [no. 217]), can be found with his bound set in PPAmP. discourses. unitarian: Poor, Jefferson’s Library description begins Nathaniel P. Poor, Catalogue. President Jefferson’s Library, 1829 description ends , 9 (no. 532). commerce. money: Poor, Jefferson’s Library description begins Nathaniel P. Poor, Catalogue. President Jefferson’s Library, 1829 description ends , 12 (no. 710). The two volumes of pamphlets described as political. foreign are Poor, Jefferson’s Library description begins Nathaniel P. Poor, Catalogue. President Jefferson’s Library, 1829 description ends , 11 (nos. 680–1). orations: Poor, Jefferson’s Library description begins Nathaniel P. Poor, Catalogue. President Jefferson’s Library, 1829 description ends , 13 (no. 826); TJ’s copy in ViU. reviews: Poor, Jefferson’s Library description begins Nathaniel P. Poor, Catalogue. President Jefferson’s Library, 1829 description ends , 13 (no. 834). physiological: Poor, Jefferson’s Library description begins Nathaniel P. Poor, Catalogue. President Jefferson’s Library, 1829 description ends , 7 (no. 303); TJ’s copy in MBPLi. convention of 1775: Poor, Jefferson’s Library description begins Nathaniel P. Poor, Catalogue. President Jefferson’s Library, 1829 description ends , 10 (no. 576); TJ’s copy in Vi; see also note to Philip Doddridge to TJ, [17] Jan. 1816. languages: possibly Poor, Jefferson’s Library description begins Nathaniel P. Poor, Catalogue. President Jefferson’s Library, 1829 description ends , 14 (no. 913).