James Brown (1780–1859), merchant and public official, was a native of Virginia who often signed himself as “Junior” although the first name of his father, who was clerk of the Virginia Court of Appeals, was John. Brown began his career by 1802 as a Richmond shopkeeper and auctioneer. He was appointed accountant of the Literary Fund by its directors in 1821, and eight years later he became the fund’s superintendent. In 1823 the Virginia General Assembly elected Brown second auditor, a newly created position that oversaw the state’s investments in public works. He simultaneously served as secretary of the Board of Public Works, 1823–51. Brown retired from public office the following year. He owned six slaves in 1820 and five in 1830 and 1840. Brown died in Richmond after a train ran over his ankle and foot (DVB description begins John T. Kneebone, Sara B. Bearss, and others, eds., Dictionary of Virginia Biography, 1998– , 3 vols. description ends ; Richmond Virginia Argus, 16 Oct. 1802; JHD description begins Journal of the House of Delegates of the Commonwealth of Virginia description ends [1821–22 sess.], 67 [21 Dec. 1821]; [1822–23 sess.], 28, 216 [11 Dec. 1822, 25 Feb. 1823]; [1823–24 sess.], 65 [19 Dec. 1823]; [1852–53 sess.], 113 [23 Dec. 1852]; DNA: RG 29, CS, Richmond, 1820–50; Richmond Daily Dispatch, 4 Jan. 1859; gravestone inscription in Shockoe Hill Cemetery, Richmond).

This document was likely returned to Randolph in a letter of 7 Aug. 1821 from Anthony Robinson, the teller of the Bank of Virginia, which relayed the opinion of William Dandridge, that bank’s cashier, that “there is no authority lodged with him to justify his obtaining from the Auditor a warrant on the enclosed order” and that “It must therefore be enclosed to Mr Jefferson for his endorsation—In the mean time If checks should be presented at this Bank from the Bursar of the College, I am directed to pay them” (RC in ViU; addressed: “Thom: M. Randolph Esqr Governor”; with unrelated calculation by TJ on address leaf).