Jefferson’s Memorandum Books, Accounts, with Legal Records and Miscellany 1767-1826, Vol I-II, James A. Bear, Jr. and Lucia Stanton, Editors, Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, 1997
NOTE: Sorrels only extracted from the above reference by Thelma Faye Prince, 14 December 1997. Copyrighted material used with the permission of Princeton University Press for me to use it. Punctuation left as Thomas Jefferson wrote it. He put a period after every abbreviation. I will place a NOTE when I wish to comment on these records. A list of abreviations with their meanings is given in the book. I have used Ib instead of the symbol for the English pound, since I don’t have it on the keyboard.
28 August 1769. Rd. Sorrels and another began to work @45/pr. month each. They find themselves.
[footnote in book says Richard Sorrels (d. 1773) did general labor at Monticello, such as splitting rails, digging cellars, grubbing the orchard, and reaping (Misc. Accts.; Sorrels account).]
12 Sept. 1769. Pd. Richard Sorrels 40/. Hired a boy [a slave] of him @7/6 pr. week.
NOTE: Footnote in the book says a boy was a slave.
1 Oct. 1769. Pd. Richard Sorrels (4/ too much) 3 Ibs.
NOTE: The Chronology given in this reference says that Jefferson was born 13 April 1743, at Shadwell, Goochland Co. Va. Shadwell was his father’s plantation. His father, Peter, died 17 Aug. 1757. The contract to level a 250 foot square for a dwelling at Monticello was done 15 May 1768, and construction began of a small dwelling (later the south pavilion) at Monticello sometime during the year of 1769. Shadwell burned down 1 Feb. 1770. Jefferson moved into the south pavilion at Monticello on 26 Nov. 1770. So, at least in my mind, is some doubt as to where Richard was working in the year 1769, Shadwell or Monticello, but the footnote above says Monticello, and note that the footnote says Richard Sorrels d. 1773. I did not see this statement in the transcription of the account books, only in the footnote. Monticello was under construction and not finished until 1809.
20 Jan. 1770. Assumed to R. Sorrels for George Dudley Ib.4-1-2.
Assumed to John Henderson senr. for Richard Sorrels Ib. 1.
14 March 1770. Assumed to John Moore for Richard Sorrels 15/9.
13 May 1770. R. Sorrels 10/.
Pd. John Henderson junr. For R. Sorrels 6/.
5 Aug. 1770. Pd. Mrs. Dudley for Rd. Sorrels 18/6.
1 Oct. 1770. Rd. Sorrels 27/6.
1 Dec. 1770. Gave R. Sorrels on acct. of Steph. Willis an order on R. Harvie or Peter Harvie for goods to amt. of Ib-4.
18 Feb. 1771. R. Sorrel directs me to pay at Sec.’s office for Wm. Thomason and charge to him 16/4.
March 1771. Pd. Richd. Sorrels 5/.
26 March 1771. Gave Rd. Sorrels an order on Jno. Tool (overseer for Col. Carter) for 3 barrels of corn 30/. [Jefferson italized this entry]
30 March 1771. Do. For Rd. Sorrels on old assumpsit 4/6.
10 May 1771. Pd. At S.O. (Sec.’s office) for Wm. Thomason to be
charged to Rd. Sorrel 16/4.
27 May 1771. Pd. R. Sorrels 20/.
31 May 1771. Pd. Mrs. Sorrel for R. Sorrels 20/.
29 July 1771. Pd. Rd. Sorrels 20/7 ½ which strikes balance as to labour chickens & everything.
30 July 1771. Purchased 5 young geese of R. Sorrels.
14 August 1771. Pd. R. Sorrels for geese & one day’s work 8/9.
19 November 1771. Accepted the followg. ord. for T. Warren to be charged to Stephen Willis by his order. Mrs. Sorrels 0-17-0.
24 November 1771. Am to give Mrs. Sorrel 6/ for 6 ducks.
28 Nov. 1771 . Pd. Mrs Sorrels for Steph. Willis 2/1 ½.
Pd. do. by ord. Julius Shard 14/.
Pd. do. for 6. Ducks 5/. Still owe her 1/.
17 Dec. 1771. Gave Richd. Sorrels note to Anderson’s store (by order and on account of D. Minor) for Ib.5.
18 Dec. 1771. R. Sorrels begins to work in the morning @30/pr. mth.
16 Feb. 1772. Paid Rd. Sorrels 46/ which leaves him 2/9 in my debt.
28 March 1772. Pd. Richd. 40/ which is his wages till Apr. 4. And settles all our accts. He agrees then immedly. To grub, clean & burn my fruitery @ 18/ the acre.
28 Aug. 1772. Pd. Mrs. Sorrels 3/ (from Martha Jefferson’s accounts)
10 Sep. 1772. Pd. James Jones for Richd. Sorrel 32/6.
26 Sep. 1772. Let R. Sorrels have a sack of salt.
30 Sep. 1772. Charge Richard Sorrels 2. fore-quarters 152 Ib 22/6.
9 Oct. 1772. Pd. Richd. Sorrels 18/.
9 Nov. 1772. Agreed with Rd. Sorrels to give him Ibs5-10.pr. month for the work of the three hands he has here, he finding them. They begin the middle of this day. Pd. Rd. Sorrels Ibs3-6.
11 Nov. 1772. Wm. Sorrels attended the measuring at Shadwell of 9.hhds corn in ears for my mother 10 ½ do for myself. (hhds=hogheads or households).
14 Nov. 1772. Charge Richd. Sorrels 20. Ells Hempen rolls.
28 Nov. 1772. Wm. Sorrels has attended the measuring out to me at the lower quarter by T. Garth 32 hhds. of unshelled corn.
29 Nov. 1772. Richd. and Wm. Sorrels will begin to work on Jan. 4. At Ibs4. And find themselves.
NOTE: I don’t think Wm. Sorrels was a boy. He must have been grown or older in order to attend to the measuring out of corn. He is never refered to as a boy in these papers.
26 Jan. 1773. Charge Geo. Dudley 12 ½ barrels corn the whole delivd. this year-Richd. Sorrels witness.
19 Feb. 1773. Charge Rd. Sorrels 2 galls. 1 qt. Molasses.
24 Feb. 1773. Charge Rd. Sorrels pd. T. Garth Ib1-6-7 !/2d.
26 Feb. 1773. Gave following orders on George Divers
29 March 1773. Charge Richd. Sorrels my assumpsit to pay Mr. Henry his fee 50/ in the suit of Sowell v. Davenport.
27 Sep. 1773. Mr. Lewis values the two cows of Rd. Sorrels taken in exn (execution) by J. Henderson.
Credit Richd. Sorrels 1 day’s work of Billy Sorrells.
28 Sep. 1773. Mr. Lewis and T. Garth valued the two cows & calf yesterday which I bot. (bought) of Rich. Sorrels & the sheriff (by whom they were in exn.) @Ib4-16-3.
20 Oct. 1773. Say pd. Mr. Henry for Richd. Davenport to be charged to R. Sorrels by law fund 50/.
NOTE: The legal notations of Thomas Jefferson which are also given in this book, shows the case of Sowell v. Davenport was dismissed 13 Feb. 1774. Jefferson represented Joseph Sowell, the plaintiff. The legal notations in this book give the details of this case: 19 March 1770. Joseph Sowel (Albemarle) v. Richd. Davenport (Albemarle). Bring action of sland. dam. Ib 200 for saying in January last “The pl.stole a bull & he could prove it by Nich. Hamner.” The truth was this. The pl. When 17 years old living on his mother’s plantn. And acting for her hd. had been troubled with a bull wch. Frequented the plantn. Courts were then shut up by the stamp act, wherefore he applied to his older neighbors to know what he should do They told him he could not post it, and he theref. Better call witnesses to weigh it and notice the marks, and also to nail up the ears, and that with these precautions he might kill it. He called on the witness killed the bull but one of the ears got lost he could not nail them up, therefore published among the neighbors industriously what were the marks. No owner ever appeared. Employ auxilary if necessary. Legal notations for 20 Oct. 1773 say: Say recd. 50/ by Mr. Henry as I was to pay him that much in Davenport v. Sowell. NOTE: I believe Jefferson assigned this case to Mr. Henry as his auxilary in the law practice. This case doesn’t seem involved with Richard Sorrels. He was just asked to take the money to Mr. Henry, as I interpret this.
10 Feb. 1774. An exn. (execution) having issued against Richard Sorrels and myself as his common bail ads. (ad sextum, a legal term meaning the defendant’s name goes first) Richard Woods and only a part of it levied before Sorrel’s death, his widow this day sold all his goods at public auction and made the monies payable to me from the several purchasers to indemnify me as far as the estate will go. The following is a state of the sale for which give Sorrel’s estate credit, and charge the purchases.
Henry Mullins. A cow and calf Ib 2-15-6
(John Henderson a sow & 5 shoats) (1-0-0)
a mare
Walter Mousley for myself a stack of rye 0-8-6
do. for do. a bed 32/6 a pot 7/ pewter 7/6 2-7-0
Ib 6-11-6
13 Oct. 1774. Pd. William Henderson (sheriff) Ib. 7-14-9. Note this was in part of my dues and of old Sorrel’s judgment.
19 March 1777. See Pet. Feild Trent’s acct. rendered me by George Divers money paid & goods delivered to following persons & charged to me.
The seventh name on this list is Richard Sorrels, 13 March 1773, amount Ib 10-8-0, and he goes on to list 7 more names, and then saying: Some of which are already settled in account with those persons, the others must be carried into account. Also the following articles omitted above by oversight: 1 Feb. 1775, James Lewis Ib1-3-3, and Majr. John Lewis for Jas. Lewis Ib6-19-9. The last two sums were for sawing done by James Lewis for me by direction of Falvy Frazer.
11 Sep. 1777. Gave Mrs. Sorrel in charity 20/.
NOTES: Walter Mousley was overseer at Shadwell Plantation for several years and at Monticello during 1772-74. Thomas Garth was also an overseer, steward, and rent collector at Monticello and other TJ holdings for a long time. They kept separate account books, but none of them has survived. During this time period and agricultural economy, there was a scarcity of cash money, therefore many transactions were carried out by barter or by passing orders, assumpsits, for credit to be paid at a future time, usually when the crops were harvested.
What can we prove from these records about Richard Sorrels? I would
say he was a trusted employee and a good worker. Because he was allowed to find
his own hands to help. Also, he was entrusted to take money orders to
people by Thomas Jefferson. There are parts of these records I don’t understand
though, like the last part about the exn. levied against Richard Sorrels and
Thomas Jefferson. Any help would be appreciated. Richard was married,
but his wife’s name was not given. Thomas Jefferson gave her money to
help her out in Sept. 1777. Richard was evidently “old” as he is called
‘Old Sorrels’ by Thomas Jefferson. He had a probable son or relative
named Wm. Sorrels working with him.