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For sale hard to find rare1771 Thomas Jefferson’s marriage bond marriage to Martha Wayles Skelton
in good vintage conditionsize about 8 x 7.25 inchesnice to have for the collection or can be a great giftcan be very old plate print or very old facsimilenice to have for the collection or can be a great giftthank you for looking and good luckfrom the research:
What the document means
Jefferson and Francis Eppes pledged £50 in Virginia currency to the Crown. The obligation would become void if there was no lawful impediment to Jefferson’s marriage. This was a legal safeguard associated with obtaining a marriage license, rather than a payment of £50 for the wedding.
The body of your sheet says, in modern English:
Thomas Jefferson and Francis Eppes guarantee that Jefferson may legally marry Martha Skelton, a widow of Charles City County. If there is no lawful obstacle, their financial obligation ends; otherwise, it remains enforceable.
The date is spelled out as “twenty third day of December” and “one thousand seven hundred and seventy one.”
The wedding occurred nine days later, on January 1, 1772, at The Forest, Martha’s family home in Charles City County, Virginia. Monticello confirms both the wedding date and location. Martha Wayles Skelton Jefferson
Who signed it?
- Right-hand signature: “Th: Jefferson,” representing Thomas Jefferson.
- Lower-left signature: “Francis Eppes.” The handwriting makes the surname look somewhat like “Eppes” or “Epes,” but the historical identification is Francis Eppes.
- Martha did not sign this document. Her name appears in the body.
Francis Eppes was married to Martha’s half-sister Elizabeth Wayles and acted as Jefferson’s co-obligor on the bond. A Chesterfield County architectural history of Eppington confirms that Jefferson’s brother-in-law Francis Eppes signed his marriage bond.
Your questionFindingWhat is it?A legal marriage bond, rather than a personal letterWho wrote the original?Historical accounts attribute the original handwriting to Thomas JeffersonDate written on itDecember 23, 1771What is it about?A financial guarantee that there was no legal obstacle to Jefferson marrying Martha SkeltonWhose signatures appear?Thomas Jefferson and Francis EppesIs your sheet handwritten?Probably printed facsimile handwriting and signaturesIs your paper from 1771?That has not been established; there is evidence of much later printed material
