Thomas Jefferson Papers

Thomas Jefferson’s Notes on Poplar Forest Survey, [after 17 December 1817], document 10 in a group of documents on Survey of Poplar Forest Boundaries, 27 November 1817

X. Thomas Jefferson’s Notes on Poplar Forest Survey

[after 17 Dec. 1817]

according to the survey of Dec. 17.1

to plat the vacant land between P.F. & Cobb’s.

Begin at the w.o. in the S. end of the S. 50. E. line.

N. 75 E. 59. po. to the old spring poplar side line.
sa. co. 9. po. to locust stake in his field. in all 68. po.
 [note this course contind passes a chesnut side line
    at 38½ po. and passes then a hiccory side line to
    the r.o. pointer in Cobb’s path 10.88 in all 49.38 po.
    which is the breadth of the vacant land.]2

then beginning again at the same w.o.

S. 50. E. 22½ to a w.o. stump.
N. 70. E. 3½ po. into the road and along it
S. 50. E. 49.36 crossing Cobb’s path 2. po. short of the end of ye course
S. 73. E.3 25½ [by protraction]4
N. 62. E. 35½ po. by protraction to Cobb’s corner near my fork
then a strait line to the locust stake in his field which by protraction gives S. 42¾ E. 71¼ po. & the pat. calls for S. 37 E. 64.
 

Note the Surveyor, instead of finding N. 62. E. by protraction must go to Clarke’s r.o. & measure course & distance to Clarke’s chesnut, then continue that course the complement of what Clarke’s part leaves of the patent 134. po. for Cobb if Clarke’s part of the line is 72. po. as we made it, Cobb’s part will be 62. po.

then he is to run from this terminn to the locust stake in Cobb’s field

then from the same termination continue N. 62 E. to the P.F. S. 38. E. line

MS (ViU: TJP, TB [Thurlow-Berkeley] no. 1136 [532j–1]); entirely in TJ’s hand; undated; brackets in original; check marks in left margin added in pencil; with circles drawn with a compass on verso.

w.o.: white oak. sa. co.: same course. r.o.: red oak.

1Line added at head of text.

2Omitted closing bracket editorially supplied.

3Reworked from “W.”

4TJ here canceled “S. 62. W. 62. po. to Clarke’s corner chesnut.”

Index Entries

  • Clarke, Mr. (Bedford Co. landowner); and survey of Poplar Forest search
  • Cobbs, William; and survey of Poplar Forest boundaries search
  • Jefferson, Thomas; Writings; Notes on Poplar Forest Survey search
  • Poplar Forest (TJ’s Bedford Co. estate); roads search
  • Poplar Forest (TJ’s Bedford Co. estate); surveys of search
  • roads; at Poplar Forest search
  • surveying; and Poplar Forest boundaries search