Thomas Jefferson Papers

Thomas Jefferson to Julius B. Dandridge, 19 November [1819]

To Julius B. Dandridge

Monticello Nov. 19.

Sir

I now return you the deed of Trust recieved from you, executed and certified by 2. magistrates to have been acknoleged before them, to authorise it’s admission to record in Bedford. but I have made one alteration of indispensable justice. the draught authorised a sale on 2. weeks publication in some newspaper of Virgini[a.] the abuse which might have been possible under this is obvious, because the notice might have been in a Norfolk paper, and the sale within two weeks after on the Virginia side of the Ohio. certainly the justice of the Directors & Trustees were a security to me against such an abuse. but the same justice will approve that that should be done by contract which they would have done without it. I have put 21 months instead of tw[o] weeks and some newspaper of Richmd & Lynchburg instead of leaving it quite at large. for the sale of a lot in a town little notice is necessary because the bidders are always on the spot. but for lands in the country they come from a distance, and need time for notice and to prepare their resources for purchase. I hope therefore this just alteration will be approved.

I presume the deed is to be signed by the Trustees and acknoleged in like manner before 2. justices there & certified to the clerk of Bedford. you can therefore either forward it to him directly yourself, or return it to me for that purpose. the latter method saves postage, and will ensure a speedy return by my manager of a certificate that it is recorded. but this is at your choice. be pleased to accept assurances of my great respect.

Th: Jefferson

RC (William Reese Company, New Haven, Conn., 2003); partially dated; edge trimmed; adjacent to signature: “Mr J. B. Dandridge”; notation in Dandridge’s hand at foot of text: “completed the Deed Returned to Mr J. 27 Nov. ’19. p mail.” PoC (MHi); on verso of portion of reused address cover from Joseph Coppinger to TJ, 2 Sept. 1817; edge trimmed; endorsed by TJ as a letter of 19 Nov. 1819 and so recorded in SJL. Enclosure: TJ’s Deed of Trust of Bedford County Land to Andrew Stevenson and Bernard Peyton, 15 Sept. 1819, document 4 in a group of documents on Jefferson’s Mortgage of Bedford County Land, 15 Sept. 1819.

The clerk of bedford was James Steptoe. my manager: Joel Yancey.

On 14 Nov. 1819 TJ prepared a note to Dandridge stating that “I recieved last night your favor of the 10th covering the form of a deed of trust. this I have executed and now inclose to you. it shall be followed by certificates of acknolegement and record as soon as the forms will admit” (PoC in MHi; on verso of portion of reused address cover to TJ; at foot of text: “Mr J. B. Dandridge”; recorded in SJL but then canceled there, with the above letter sent instead).

1Number interlined.

Index Entries

  • Bank of the United States, Second, Richmond branch of; and W. C. Nicholas’s debts search
  • Bedford County, Va.; deeds of trust for land in search
  • Dandridge, Julius Burbridge; as cashier of Bank of U.S. search
  • Dandridge, Julius Burbridge; letters to search
  • Jefferson, Thomas; Business & Financial Affairs; deeds of trust for Bedford Co. land search
  • Jefferson, Thomas; Business & Financial Affairs; endorses notes for W. C. Nicholas search
  • Jefferson, Thomas; Writings; Deed of Trust of Bedford County Land to Andrew Stevenson and Bernard Peyton search
  • newspapers; advertisements in search
  • newspapers; Virginia search
  • Nicholas, Wilson Cary (1761–1820); TJ endorses notes for search
  • Peyton, Bernard; TJ deeds Bedford Co. land to search
  • Steptoe, James; clerk of Bedford Co. search
  • Stevenson, Andrew; TJ deeds Bedford Co. land to search
  • Virginia; newspapers in search
  • Yancey, Joel (d.1833); as superintendent of Poplar Forest search