I beg his pardon

In an earlier post, I suggested that Thomas Jefferson had not paid his debts to us. However, he did pay off some of them. From a new source I explored today - the day to day accounts of Thomas Jefferson.

1799
Jan 2 
Paid barber 2D, pd. for books 6.5
Drew on George Jefferson & Co, for £98-5 Virginia Currency in favour of James Strange agent for Donald Scott & Co., Jas. & Rob. Donald & for Alexr. Donald which discharges all balances due to them on account of my mother, my sister A.S. Marks, my brother & myself. The painment for Alexr. Donald was for a telescope. See among my papers a particular statement of these balances. 


Says in the notes at the bottom that Donald had procured for TJ in London another Dollond telescope, probably one of the two now at Monticello - so I shall look out for that next time I visit.

The account book has many references to what he paid the Donalds for - for instance he was with Alexander in Hanover Town on 25 January 1769 - I presumed for Burn's Night, but as Rabbie was only 10, unlikely.

Jan. 1769 
25 Pd at A.Donald's for ferrit 1 1/2 d. 
27 Gave servt. at A.Donald's 2/3

Ferrit - or actually ferret - is not as exciting as it sounds. It is strong cotton or silk tape used for trimming.

Another entry before the war -

1768 
9 Sep. Recd. a letter from A. Donald retaining me on behalf of the sufferers of the riot in Norfolk of Aug. 27


This was an interesting case. Before the Jenner Vaccination against smallpox was introduced in 1796 those who wished to protect themselves against the disease had to be inoculated. This involved finding someone who had small box, taking a bit of their small pox boil, cutting yourself and rubbing some of the pus/matter into your cut. The hope was that it would induce a similarly mild case. You developed the symptoms and had to be quarantined until the disease had run its course. That is if it didn't kill you - but it was a good gamble apparently.
There was a bit of debate about how long you had to be kept away from other people - not helped in 1768 as a small scale epidemic killed two people (I would not have used the word epidemic for that, but still) near Yorktown which was attributed to the premature release by Dr Smith of inoculated patients from quarantine.
Three people in Norfolk were in favour of incolulations - Cornelius Calvert, Dr Archibald Campbell and James Parker, a Norfolk merchant and outspoken Tory. On the other side were Cornelius's brothers - Maximilian and Joseph. The Calverts were all sons of Cornelius Calvert Snr, a sea captain. 10 of his 11 sons grew to maturity and became masters of vessels. There were quite a few others against.
The 1768 riot happened because Dr Campbell and some of his Norfolk friends wanted to have their wives and children inoculated by Dr John Dalgleish. Their first proposed site was objected to, so Dr Campbell's plantation, three miles from Norfolk was chosen. He wanted to make it a free for all - but that was objected to as well, so he agreed to limit it the those lucky ones already enlisted.
Still some didn't want the inoculations to go ahead, and when they heard that they had on 25 June they demanded that all those who had been inoculated should be taken to the Norfolk public pest house, which sounds charming. Dr Campbell agreed - providing the pest house was put in order. However, the crowd weren't happy with that, so Joseph Calvert organised a mob which attacked Dr Campbell's house on the 27 June and drove the patients to the pesthouse in foul weather. Two days after this, Dr Campell's house was burned.
Various civil suits and criminal proceedings were brought, however, as a result of the mob action and on 9 September Alexander wrote to Jefferson.
The case dragged on and on - not helped by Jefferson's then house Shadwell being burnt to the ground with his notes - and in the end, everyone was found guilty. Parker was charged with nuisance and was fined. As the fine was less than £100 he wasn't able to appeal to the King - so he asked for this fine to be increased to £100. This was refused.
Still can't quite work out why Alexander was retaining Jefferson.

Loads of other entries - for instance on 7 March 1790:

There is a balance of £19-10 due from me to Mr. Eppes. Pd. him 53/4 and gave order to A. Donald to pay him £16.16.8. 
Sold my Poplar forest tobo. (overseas parts excepted) to A. Donald for 26/. He to receive it there. Gave him order for it accordingly. 
Gave Quarrier order on A. Donald for £5-5 for repairs of chariot
Recd. of A. Donald £60.17.8. 
Sent to James Lyle an order on A.Donald for £325. sterl. to be paid on or before July 19. for Henderson McCaul & Co which I expect will make good my instalment of that date. 
Inclosed to Mr. Nichs. Lewis and order on A.Donald in favr. of Dr. Walker for £36.7.11

Quite a busy day!