Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

Researchers must use microfilm of this manuscript unless permission to use originals has been granted by senior Special Collections staff.

Preferred Citation

Thomas Jefferson Account Book, Accession #186-a, Special Collections, University of Virginia Library, Charlottesville, Va.

Acquisition Information

This collection was a gift to the Library on 1984 August 17.

Scope and Content

This quarto volume contains daybook-type entries of general expenses incurred by Thomas Jefferson in his travels, particularly in central and eastern Virginia, while carrying on his law practice and on private visits to family and friends. There are twenty-three pages of entries in his hand for the years 1767-1770. Also included is an "Alphabet [index] to all accounts from J. Key's superintendency to Mr. Lewis's inclusive, all the books being paged in one series...." Following this is an index titled, "Alphabet to the Merchants accounts." These "alphabets" are in Jefferson's hand as are accounts for the Nailery" for May 1794 through September 1797 which concludes with "Recapitulations" for this period.

This volume includes accounts headed "The Est[ate] of Thomas Jefferson Esqr.," that are chiefly for the period 1786-1792, and are chiefly not in Jefferson's hand although it appears occasionally as one page 114. These are accounts of his estate as a business enterprise rather than those of the estate of a deceased person.

Finally, there are records of household expenses for the period 1848-1852, probably in the hands of Thomas Jefferson Randolph and his wife, Jane Nicholas Randolph.

Several series of page numbers appear. In the upper, outer corner of each page are two sets. One is the original pagination supplied by Jefferson, and the second is the set that he supplied when he prepared the index to all his account books, "all the books being paged in one series." At the bottom of each page there is a number supplied in pencil in a twentieth-century hand, and this is the one that is referenced. Generally, the pages are blank between sections.

Jefferson's expense accounts, 1767-1770 (p. 1-23)

Jefferson's estate accounts, May 1794-September 1797 (p. 31-136)

"Alphabet to all the accounts from J. Key's superintendency to Mr. Lewis's inclusive...." (p. 137-139)

"Alphabet to the Merchants accounts" (p. 140)

"Nailery" accounts, May 1794-September 1797 (p. 143-152)

Accounts of [Thomas Jefferson Randolph and Jane Nicholas Randolph?], 1848-1852 (p. 154-160)

Chiefly blank, but some pages bear drawings, etc. (p. 161-end)

Randolph Kean of Springfield, Virginia, presented this volume to the Library on August 17, 1984.