File:Thomas Jefferson family antecedents notes .jpg

Description:Thomas Jefferson began notes on his own autobiography at age 77 while living at Monticello in Albemarle County, Virginia. In this section of notes, Jefferson recounts the family's supposed Welsh roots, as well as his own limited knowledge of the Jefferson family in Virginia, including his grandfather, who he says is the farthest back of which he has knowledge. He also mentions his mother's ancestor Isham Randolph. "The tradition in my father's family was that their ancestor came to this country from Wales, and from near the mountain of Snowdon, the highest in Gr. Br. I noted once a case from Wales in the law reports where a person of our name was either pl. or def. and one of the same name was Secretary to the Virginia company. These are the only instances in which I have met with the name in that country. I have found it in our early records, but the first particular information I have of any ancestor was my grandfather who lived at the place in Chesterfield called Ozborne's and ownd. the lands afterwards the glebe of the parish.1 He had three sons, Thomas who died young, Field who settled on the waters of Roanoke and left numerous descendants, and Peter my father, who settled on the lands I still own called Shadwell adjoining my present residence. He was born Feb. 29, 1707/8, and intermarried 1739, with Jane Randolph, of the age of 19. daur of Isham Randolph one of the seven sons of that name & family settled at Dungeoness in Goochld. They trace their pedigree far back in England & Scotland, to which let every one ascribe the faith & merit he chooses." The Thomas Jefferson Papers, Series 1, General Correspondence, The Library of Congress, Washigton, D. C. (The Works of Thomas Jefferson in Twelve Volumes. Federal Edition. Collected and Edited by Paul Leicester Ford.) Date: 27 July 1821 Source: http://memory.loc.gov/master/mss/mtj/mtj1/052/0500/0517.jpg Author: Thomas Jefferson Permission: Public Domain because its copyright has expired.