John Wharton (1771–1845) to Thomas Jefferson, 8 July 1818
From John Wharton (1771–1845)
8th July 1818
Mr Jefferson, will Oblige a Friend, in giving his Opinion upon the Subject of Oliver Evanss Pattent Rights, Particularly his Hopperboy; Whether under the act of Congress he can Claim unlimited Damages—or Whether he is the Inventer of the Hopperboy—or Whether there was a Renewal of the patent right of the Hopperboy.1 Your answer to those Enquireries together with any other information upon the subject will be thankfuly Received by Sir Your Most Obedient
Servt
John Wharton
RC (MoSHi: TJC-BC); dateline at foot of text; endorsed by TJ as received 9 July 1818 and so recorded in SJL.
John Wharton (1771–1845), miller, served in the Virginia militia from late in 1802 until 1806. He was commissioner of the revenue for Bedford County, 1808–15, and by 1820 he operated a mill. In 1830 Wharton owned twenty-six slaves (Mary Denham Ackerly and Lula Eastman Jeter Parker, “Our Kin”: The Genealogies of Some of the Early Families who Made History in the Founding and Development of Bedford County Virginia [1930], 221–3; Vi: Wharton Papers; Bedford Co. Order Book, 15:21, 138, 281; 16:104, 215, 331; 17:51; 18:6; DNA: RG 29, CS, Bedford Co., 1830; Bedford Co. Will Book, 12:1–2, 15:112–5, 328–9).
For the act of congress, see Isaac McPherson to TJ, 3 Aug. 1813, and note.
1. Omitted period at right margin editorially supplied.
Index Entries
- An Act for the relief of Oliver Evans (1808) search
- Evans, Oliver; asserts patent rights search
- machines; O. Evans’s patent machinery search
- patents; of O. Evans search
- Wharton, John (1771–1845); and O. Evans’s patent right search
- Wharton, John (1771–1845); identified search
- Wharton, John (1771–1845); letter from search