Thomas Jefferson to Wythe, 13 January 1796
Note: Jefferson wrote two nearly identical versions of this letter. The transcription below is based on the somewhat more legible second page.
"Thomas Jefferson to Wythe, 13 January 1796, pg 1." Image from the Library of Congress, The Thomas Jefferson Papers.
"Thomas Jefferson to Wythe, 13 January 1796, pg 2." Image from the Library of Congress, The Thomas Jefferson Papers.
A Statement of the Volumes of the Laws of Virginia, Manuscript & Printed in my possession.
M.S. marked A. given me by the late Peyton Randolph. It had belonged to his father John Randolph who had collected papers with a view to unite the history: Virginia it is attested by R. Hickman, & contains the acts of 1622/4 Mans. 35 acts.
M.S. marked {43} purchased of the [exs?] of the late Peyton Randolph, having been among the collection of S. John Randolph from the resemblance of the mark to some I have for […] in the Secretary’s office, I suspect that is an original [?] owned by S. John Randolph. It contains the laws from 1629 To 1633.
Marked [?] purchased from the adms of Col. Richard [Roland?] [?] it [?] laws from 1639 to 1667.
M.S. marked D. purchased from the office of Col. Richard [Roland?] law? It contains laws from 1642-3 to 1651/2.
M.S. copies by myself of the laws of 1660/2 Mar. 23.
M.S. from the Charles City office to which it belonged probably I found it in Lorton’s tavern brought in to be used for waste paper. much had been already cut off for thread papers and other uses. [?] the then clerk very readily gave it to me, as also another hereafter mentioned. It still contains from chap. 31 of the session of 1664 to 1782.
M.S. marked B purchased of the execs of the late Peyton Randolph. Part of S. John Randolph’s collection. It contains laws from 1662 to 1697.
M.S. appendix to a copy of Pervis’s collection from the Westover library given by the late Col. W. [Byrd?] to mr Wayles, whose library came to me, [?].
M.S. from the Charles City office, given to me by Debnam as above mentioned, it contains from c. 2. To c. 53 of the laws of 1705.
M.S. given me by the present John Page of Rosewell. It had belonged to Mr. Page his grandfather, who was one of the commissioners of 1705 for revising the laws, & was probably furnished with this copy for that work.
The above is an exact statement of my M.S. collection, as I left it when I went to Europe. During my absence the whole were borrowed from my library. After using balloted about by [?] and lying some years under a joile of [?] a [?] New York and supposed last, they were returned to me at Philadelphia, without the volume makes {A5} which therefore suppose is lost. If in the laws of the [?] session of 1629 1630 [?] are gone for ever, as they exist in no other book.
Printed laws
Pervis’s collection & his forms the 1st vol. of my collection of the Printed laws of Virginia.
Revisal of 1732 this forms the 2d. vol.
Revisal of 1748 this is vol. the 3d.
Revisal of 1768 this is vol. the 4th.
Fugitive sheets of the laws of particular sessions bound together from 1734 to 1772. Making vol. 5th.
2- ……… upon 1775 to 1783 making vol the 6th
Revisal of 1783 by the Chanellors making vol. 7th
Revisal of the 1794 making vol. the 8th
Th. Jefferson
Jan. 13. 1796.
- JeffersontoWythe13Jan1796p1.jpg
Thomas Jefferson to Wythe, 13 January 1796, "Statement of the Volumes of the Laws of Virginia, Manuscript and Printed" (rewritten copy). Image from the Library of Congress, The Thomas Jefferson Papers.
- JeffersontoWythe13Jan1796p2.jpg
Thomas Jefferson to Wythe, 13 January 1796, "Statement of the Volumes of the Laws of Virginia, Manuscript and Printed" (rewritten copy). Image from the Library of Congress, The Thomas Jefferson Papers.
