From John Jay to Isaac Tichenor, 21 October 1799
To Isaac Tichenor
Albany 21 Octr. 1799
Sir
I was informed by Mr. Kelly1 shortly before his Death, and by other Gentlemen since, that the Legislature of Vermont had been pleased to pass certain Resolutions authorizing a Grant to me of as much Land as remained necessary to satisfy ^supply^ the Deficiency in the former one.2
A Hope and Expectation of being at Bennington before Winter, induced me to postpone taking any Measures on the Subject, untill I should have an opportunity, in a Conversation with you, of obtaining accurate Information relative to it.
Finding myself detained here by various Circumstances, I have desired my Son, who is now here on a Visit, to wait upon Your ^Excellency.^ Permit me to introduce him to You, and to request the favor of You to give him such Information and advice as you may judge proper and requisite.3
The friendly attentions which I have heretofore experienced from You, have not been forgotten; but still continue to excite those Sentiments of Esteem and Regard, with which I remain, Your Excellency’s most obt. Servt.
John Jay
His Excellency Governor Tichenor
Dft, NNC (EJ: 08997). Isaac Tichenor of Bennington, former chief justice of Vermont and senator from Vermont, served as governor of Vermont (1797–1807, 1808–9).
1. John Kelly (d. 1799), New York lawyer and land speculator who served as an agent for New Yorkers seeking titles to landholdings in Vermont. PJM had granted Kelly, who had represented JJ in his earlier claims on Vermont, power of attorney to handle JJ’s business in Vermont in November 1794 while JJ was in England. Albany Centinel, 8 Jan. 1799; PJM to JJ, 19 Nov. 1794, ALS, NNC (EJ: 09372).
2. In the early 1770s, JJ along with other prominent New Yorkers attempted unsuccessfully to claim lands in the disputed Hampshire Grants that later became the state of Vermont. In January 1791, the Vermont General Assembly received a petition from JJ seeking compensation for his earlier losses. The Assembly initially granted 10,000 acres, which JJ opted not to accept as the claim was contested by another party. The Assembly then allowed grants of 14,000 acres to JJ and 2,000 acres to his associate John Cozine. In October 1798, JJ and Cozine submitted a petition for a further grant of 4,800 acres which was denied by the Assembly. In an inventory taken in late 1798, JJ confirmed his holdings, noting that he was “the owner of seven undivided sixteenth parts of a Tract of Land granted by the State of Vermont on the 28 Decr. 1792 to me and John Cozine in different proportions— this Tract is situate in the County of Chittenden, in the Town of Jay, in the said State of Vermont, and contains sixteen thousand acres straight measure to the same more or less—”. On JJ’s prerevolutionary investments in what became Vermont, see the editorial note “The Vermont Lands,” , 1: 63–64. For his dealings with the Vermont General Assembly in the postwar era, see A journal of the proceedings of the General Assembly of the state of Vermont; at their session at Bennington, January, 1791 (Bennington, [1791]; Early Am. Imprints, series 1, no. 23938), 48, 75–76; A journal of the proceedings of the General Assembly of the state of Vermont, at their session at Windsor, October 13th, 1791 (Windsor, 1792; Early Am. Imprints, series 1, no. 24957), 44; A journal of the proceedings of the General Assembly of the state of Vermont, at their session in Rutland, in October, 1792 (Rutland, [1793]; Early Am. Imprints, series 1, no. 26379), 64, 69–70, 99 101, 107; Journal of the General Assembly of the state of Vermont, begun and held at the city of Vergennes, October XIth, M,DCC, XCVIII (Bennington, [1799?]; Early Am. Imprints, series 1, no. 34924), 86, 270–71; A journal of the General Assembly of the state of Vermont. Begun and holden at Windsor, October tenth, one thousand seven hundred and ninety nine (Rutland, 1799; Early Am. Imprints, series 1, no. 36616), 19, 134; Inventory of John Jay’s Property, [8–9 November 1798], , 6: 708–9.
3. JJ granted PAJ power of attorney to handle business related to his property in Vermont. In Jan. 1801, JJ wrote PAJ indicating he wished to have the lands divided between himself, Jacob Watson, and the heirs of John Cozine. Such a division was subsequently accomplished between JJ and the heirs of the other two owners, with boundaries determined by James Whitelaw, Surveyor General of Vermont, who subsequently assisted with the payment of taxes and land sales of Jay’s property in Vermont. JJ to PAJ, 12 Jan. 1801, ALS, CtY-BR (EJ: 05208); JJ to Whitelaw, 29 Sept. 1801, 5 June 1805, and 5 Nov. 1806, all ALS, VtHi (EJ: 11925; EJ: 11926; EJ: 11928); PAJ to Ann Jay, 11 Dec. 1807, ALS, NNC (EJ: 11427); JJ to Whitelaw, 22 July 1822, enclosing a copy of his letter of 13 May 1822, ALS, VtHi (EJ: 11931); and WJ to Whitelaw, 27 Feb. 1826, 22 Jan. and 21 Apr. 1828, all ALS, VtHi (EJ: 11932; EJ: 11933; and EJ: 11934).