1To Thomas Jefferson from Lucy Ludwell Paradise, 5 May 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
I hope before you shall have received this letter, your Excellency will be safe arrived, and found your amiable daughter in perfect health, to whom, I beg you will make all our Compliments. Your very kind letter I received on the morning of your Excellency’s departure, for which, I return you a thousand thanks, as it gave me great comfort, and brought me the pleasing assurance of your...
2To Thomas Jefferson from Lucy Ludwell Paradise, 25 June 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
I return your Excellency a thousand thanks for your kind and friendly letter. I wish it was in my power to acquaint you that the time was fixed, and that we had taken our passage for our return to dear Virginia. Since you left us I thought proper (seeing the affairs of Mr. Paradise grow worse, and worse every day, as my truly good friend Dr. Bancroft will acquaint you) to write a letter to Dr....
3To Thomas Jefferson from Lucy Ludwell Paradise, 15 August 1786 (Jefferson Papers)
I had the honour to receive your Excellency’s kind and friendly letter of the 29th. of May, for which I return you a thousand thanks. The present situation of our affairs is truly distressing, as a debt of such an enormous size is not easily discharged. The Ship we expected arrived a few weeks ago, and brought only 44 Hogshd. of tobacco. I say only 44 as it is not enough to pay the creditors...
4To Thomas Jefferson from John and Lucy Ludwell Paradise, 22 June 1787 (Jefferson Papers)
London, 22 June 1787. They plan to leave for Virginia within a week or two; thank TJ for his valuable help and offer to perform any services for him there. Their eldest daughter was married on 4 Apr. to “His Excellency Count Antonio Barziza a Patrician of the Republick of Venice and a Gentleman with a good Character, and fortune,” whose estates are at Bergamo. They have given Count and...
5To Thomas Jefferson from Lucy Ludwell Paradise, 22 November 1787 (Jefferson Papers)
I take the liberty to trouble your Excellency with a few lines to acquaint you of our Arrival in Dear Virginia and at the same time to thank you for all the attentions you have been pleased to shew Mr. Paradise myself and family. The Passage we had was long and very disagreeable, as we had the great misfortune to have a Brute of a Captain to Command the Ship Juno, owing to the very unfortunate...
6To Thomas Jefferson from Lucy Ludwell Paradise, 2 August 1788 (Jefferson Papers)
As I find, I shall never be able to speak to Your Excellency I thought it best to write to you. Mr. Paradise is an honest Man, and a Man who has had a very good Education, but alas with all that, he never has, since I have been Married given himself the proper time to think upon his affairs as he ought and that is the true reason of my past, and present suffrings. He thinks only of the present...
7To Thomas Jefferson from Lucy Ludwell Paradise, 17 August 1788 (Jefferson Papers)
I hope you will pardon my troubling you with my Letters so often, but, Indeed, I do not know the reason, but when, I have the honour, and happiness of conversing with you, I cannot Speak often, what, I would wish to say, therefore it is that I am obliged to have recourse to this method to converse with Your Excellency. I have been turning in my mind what you mentioned to me, for one person to...
8To Thomas Jefferson from Lucy Ludwell Paradise, 21 August 1788 (Jefferson Papers)
I am, before I begin the Subject of this Letter to beg of Your Excellency to keep Secret what I shall communicate to you. It concerns my Country, It concerns your Exellency to assist many persons, but the assistance is only your advice, and Protection. I am serious when I beg you to keep Secret from every person in the World what I am to beg of you. Before I begin, permit me to open my heart...
9To Thomas Jefferson from Lucy Ludwell Paradise, 11 September 1788 (Jefferson Papers)
I have the honour to thank your Excellency for your Answer, and to assure you of my Gratitude to your family the first Moment I have it in my power. You may suppose Mr. Paradise has, from his Conversation written to England. He has not, and at his house when alone with me, he appears not to seem inclined to write; and if he does not write before he leaves Paris he will not do it after. I...
10To Thomas Jefferson from Lucy Ludwell Paradise, 12 September 1788 (Jefferson Papers)
Your Excellencies humanity to my Cries to have things arrainged so as to have some supply not to be obliged to beg money of My Children has so indeared you and your family to me that I shall think of it, forever and ever. When your Letter came, Mr. P was not awake, therefore he desired me after he awoke to read it to him. I did, I said nothing to him, but your goodness melted me.—I hope he...