Thomas Jefferson Papers

Albemarle County Court Order Concerning a Proposed Road, 8 April 1817

Albemarle County Court Order Concerning a Proposed Road

At A court held for Albemarle county the 8th day of April 1817.1

On the motion of Thomas J Randolph and Thomas Jefferson to alter the road leading from the Orange fork near Lewis’s ferry downwards thro the lands of Richard Sampson, Thomas J Randolph and Thomas Jefferson to the mouth of the chapel branch, and instead thereof to substitute the road already opened, on the lands of Charles L Bankhead, from the corner of his fence nearest Charlottesville to the secretarys ford, thence across the river and down its northern side to the mouth of the same chapel branch, It is ordered2 that Joseph Coleman, Benjamin Childress, Andrew Hart, Robert McCullock jr John Slaughter, Brightberry Brown, and Horsley Goodman, or any three of them being first sworn before a justice of the peace, do view the ground along which such substitute road is proposed to be conducted and make report to this court truly and impartially the conveniencies and inconveniencies which will result as well to individuals as to the publick, if such way shall be established3 and that they also view the present established road and report in like manner the comparative conveniencies and inconveniencies thereof.4 And on the like motion to alter also the road from Moores creek where the said Charles L Bankheads fence corners on it thro’ the thoro’-fare of the mountain to the fork of the same road at Colle, and instead thereof to establish5 the road before mentioned from the corner of his fence nearest Charlottesville to the secretarys ford and thence down the southern side of the river to Milton with a fork from the same near the mouth of the Indian branch up to the said branch to the said fork at Colle, It is Ordered that the same persons or any three of them being first sworn before a justice of the peace, do view the ground along which such substitute road is proposed to be conducted and make report to this court truly & impartially the conveniencies and inconveniencies which will result as well to individuals as to the publick if such way shall be established6 and that they also view the present established road and report in like manner the comparative conveniencies and inconveniencies thereof

A Copy

 teste

Alex Garrett C.C

Tr (ViU: TJP-ER); in Alexander Garrett’s hand, with marginal note by TJ. FC (Albemarle Co. Order Book [1816–18], 238–9); dated 8 Apr. 1817 at head of day’s proceedings; at foot of day’s proceedings: “Signed David J. Lewis.” Dft (ViU: TJP-ER); with TJ’s Notes on a Proposed Albemarle County Road, [ca. 8 Apr. 1817], on verso; undated, variant version entirely in TJ’s hand: “On motion to <put down> discontinue the road from Moore’s creek where Charles L. Bankhead’s fence corner’s on it to the fork of the same road at Colle, and to establish instead thereof the road already opened on the lands of Charles L. Bankhead’s from the corner of his fence nearest Charlottesville to the Secretary’s ford and down the South side of the river to Milton; and the road also already opened from Colle down the Indian branch into the proposed road between Charlottesville & Milton. And to <put down> discontinue the road leading from the Orange fork downwards thro the lands of <John W. Eppes> Richard Sampson T. J. Randolph Thomas Jefferson & Thomas <J> M. Randolph to the mouth of the Chapel branch, and establish instead thereof the road before proposed to the Secretary’s ford and across the same along the road also already opened on the North side of the river to the mouth of the Chapel branch. Whereupon it is ordered that   do view the comparative conveniences & inconveniences of the roads so proposed to be established and of those proposed to be discontinued & report the same to this court.” Enclosed in Circular from TJ to Joseph Coleman and Others, 1 Oct. 1817.

In SJL TJ recorded two missing letters from Charles L. Bankhead, one inconsistently recorded as dated 12 Apr. 1817 and received 11 Apr. from Carlton, and another, undated and lacking place of origin, received 15 Apr.

1Dateline not in FC.

2FC here adds “by the Court.”

3FC: “substituted.”

4In left margin, perpendicular to text to this point, TJ inserted a note reading “so far only is to be viewed now.”

5FC: “substitute.”

6FC: “substituted.”

Index Entries

  • Albemarle County, Va.; and road orders search
  • Albemarle County, Va.; roads in search
  • Albemarle County Court, Va. search
  • Bankhead, Charles Lewis (Ann Cary Randolph Bankhead’s husband); and proposed Albemarle Co. road search
  • Bankhead, Charles Lewis (Ann Cary Randolph Bankhead’s husband); letters from accounted for search
  • Brown, Brightberry; and proposed Albemarle Co. road search
  • Charlottesville, Va.; roads in search
  • Childress, Benjamin; and proposed Albemarle Co. road search
  • Coleman, Joseph; and proposed Albemarle Co. road search
  • Colle (Albemarle Co. estate); and proposed Albemarle Co. road search
  • Garrett, Alexander; as Albemarle Co. clerk search
  • Goodman, Horsley; and proposed Albemarle Co. road search
  • Hart, Andrew; and proposed Albemarle Co. road search
  • Lewis, David Jackson; attests document search
  • Lewis’s Ferry (Albemarle Co.) search
  • McCulloch, Robert; and proposed Albemarle Co. road search
  • Milton, Va.; road at search
  • Moore’s Ford (Albemarle Co.) search
  • Randolph, Thomas Jefferson (TJ’s grandson; Jane Hollins Nicholas Randolph’s husband); and proposed Albemarle Co. road search
  • Randolph, Thomas Mann (1768–1828) (TJ’s son-in-law; Martha Jefferson Randolph’s husband); and proposed Albemarle Co. road search
  • Rivanna River; and Albemarle Co. roads search
  • roads; in Albemarle Co. search
  • Sampson, Richard; and proposed Albemarle Co. road search
  • Secretary’s Ford (Albemarle Co.); road at search
  • Slaughter, John; and proposed Albemarle Co. road search
  • Virginia; roads proposed in search