George Divers (ca. 1748-1830) was an Albemarle County plantation owner, a merchant, and a friend of Thomas Jefferson. The two of them were known to exchange seeds and letters on farming and gardening. Divers married Martha Walker, daughter of Dr. Thomas Walker, and their only son died at a young age. In 1785, Divers bought the Farmington estate, and in 1802, he asked Jefferson to design his house.Anchor

Primary Source References

1772 December 14. "Pd. Divers for 10 yds. calico £2."[1]

1772 December 30. "Charge Anderson Bryan things had from Divers 19/7."[2]

1773 January 18. "Charge Mr. Bryan goods from Div[ers] £2-14-2¼."[3]

1773 February 26. "Gave following orders on George Divers[:] Richard Sorrels £10-8 Wm. Reynolds £7-19-3 Mrs. Wallace 30/ John Spencer on acct. of Jno. Day £4-16 John Swann on acct. Dab. Minor £[ ]."[4]

1773 February 28. "Gave Dr. Allegre order for £5-16 on George Divers on acct. of my mother and took in her note."[4]

1773 April 3. "Drew the following orders on George Divers ...."[6]

1773 May 7. "Recd. of George Divers by Mr. Crumpe in part of Colo. Lewis’s order £35."[7]

1773 July 29. "Gave order on George Divers in favor of Wm. Hickman for £3-15-6¾ which discharges the balance of all dealings from the beginning of the world to this day."[8]

1773 September 27. "My order on George Divers in favr. of Wm. Dan. Fitz not having been paid re-charge Divers."[9]

1774 July 7. "Gave Will Beck order on G. Divers for barrel corn."[10]

1777 March 19. "See Pet. Feild Trent's acct. rendered me by George Divers money paid & good delivered to following persons & charged to me."[11]

1792. "G. Divers thinks feilds of 50. acres of wheat the best size."[12]

1795 August 21. "Sent G. Divers for 3. lambs 4.D."[13]

1795 September 28. "Pd. G. Divers for 25 ℔ mutton @ 3d. 6/3."[14]

1795 October 13. "Sent G. Divers for meat 24/ which is 1/9 over."[15]

1796 January 11. (Jefferson to Thomas Mann Randolph). "I went on Saturday with Divers to see Mr. Meriwether's machine thresh. ... Both Divers and myself were however well satisfied with Mr. Meriwether's."[16]

1796 April 4. "Gave Geo. Divers order on Chas. Johnston for 120.D. on TMR's acct. which debit to TMR."[17]

1796 November 6. "Pd. G. Divers's Will for 18. qts. of greensword seed @1/3 22/6."[18]

1797 September 3. "Pd. Divers’s man for 3½ galls. timothy seed for H. Marks 21/."[19]

1797 November 16. "Settled with G. Divers an old acct. balance in his favor £9-13-6 for which he takes nails."[20]

1798 February 27. "Recd. of George Divers for nails & spectacles £15-8-9 (by hands of Kelly)."[21]

1798 December 4. "See Thos. Carr’s acct. from 96. Dec. 6. to 98. Mar. 19. and matters of acct. with the following persons. 96. Dec. 6. Divers George. ...."[22]

1798 December 7. "I am to pay Upjohn £22–16 sterl. for Geo. Divers which he will repay here. Note it is for a chimney piece sent me without orders, which Mr. Divers buys."[23]

1799 February 8. (Martha Jefferson Randolph to Jefferson). "[A]fter your departure we spent ten days with Mrs Divers, Carr, Trist, &c &c &c during which time I went to a ball in Charlottesville, danced at it and returned home fatigued and unwell to prepare for our return to Bellmont."[24]

1803 June 23. "Gave Geo. Andrews ord. on J. Barnes for ornaments for Geo. Divers 49.69."[25]

1803 September 17. "On settlement with George Divers, recieved from him £14-10 being the balance due on all accts. to this day."[26]

1803 October 9. "Inclosed to him also for J. Perry an ord. on G. Divers for 37.27 as above."[27]

1805 March 27. "Inclosed to G. Divers by Jack 108.87 his acct. for whiskey to the workmen & plantation, beef & flour for the house."[28]

1809 February 6. "Henry Foxall castings for G. Divers 69.18."[29]

1809 March 30. "Gave Mr. Divers's horseler 1.D."[30]

1809 April 14. "G. Divers finds the following sufficient for his family. Celery 400. f. running measure. to wit 10. rows of my squares 3.f. apart 4 f is better. Salsafy 320. f = 8. rows of my squares of 40 f. at 6. I. every way. Carrots 320. f = 8. do.12.I. apart. parsneps 200. f = 5. do.12.I. apart. beet 200. f = 5. do.12.I. apart."[31]

1809 April 24. "Recd. of Geo. Divers the 69.18 paid for him ante Feb. 6."[32]

1809 June 3. "Tomatas. from G. Divers."[33]

1810 March 17-20. "[P]lanted in orchard as follows ... i.- 2. + 2.3. Spitzenburg apple trees from mr. Divers."[34]

1812 March 17-18. "[P]lanted as follows ... 6. Spitzenbgs from mr. Divers. ... 8. pear from mr. Divers ... 6 choice pears from mr. Divers."[35]

1812 March 21. "Nursery. 1st terras. planted 24. sweet almond kernels from mr. Divers' tree."[35]

1812 October 24. "Recd. of G. Divers 50.D. his sbscrptn. to Mclure to be deposited in the bk. of Richmd. for James Hamilton."[37]

1813 January 29. "[R]ecd. from Geo. Divers ante Oct. 24. to the credit of James Hamilton, being their subscriptions to Wm. Mclure assigned to Hamilton."[38]

1813 August 14. "Inclosed G. Divers 10.D. for 30. galls. vinegar."[39]

1815 April 30. "[M]r. Divers has a dish of peas."[40]

1816 May 10. "[P]eas at mr. Divers. they were sown Feb. 2."[41]

1817 May 4. "[P]eas at mr. Divers. sown early in Jany."[42]

1817 May 17. "[W]inter cabbage Brussels sprouts? Divers."[43]

1818 July 31. "Farmington vales 1.5."[44]

1819 September 25. "Gave G. Divers ord. on Jas. Leitch for 25.D. for 100. ℔ candles."[45]

1820 May 26. "Planted the whole bed of sea kale with plants from mr. Divers. about 400. plants in all."[46]

1821 August 6. "Pd. G. Divers for 6. Bar. flour 27.D."[47]

1821 October 30. "Sent G. Divers for wheat .75."[48]

1822 April 21. "Limas. G.D."[49]

1823 April 27. "Recd. back from G. Divers the .75 ante Nov. 1. 21. 28. Hhd. xp. 1.D."[50]

- Douglas Evans, Jefferson's Neighbors, Monticello Research Report, 1995Anchor

Further Sources

  • Jefferson–Divers Correspondence. Transcriptions available at Founders Online.

References

  1. ^ MB, 1:301. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  2. ^ MB, 1:299. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  3. ^ MB, 1:334. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  4. ^ MB, 1:335. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  5. ^ MB, 1:335. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  6. ^ MB, 1:337. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  7. ^ MB, 1:339. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  8. ^ MB, 1:343. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  9. ^ MB, 1:345. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  10. ^ MB, 1:376. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  11. ^ MB, 1:440. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  12. ^ Garden Book, 1766-1824, page 27Thomas Jefferson Papers: An Electronic Archive (Boston: Massachusetts Historical Society, 2003). See also Betts, Garden Book, 171.
  13. ^ MB, 2:931. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  14. ^ MB, 2:932. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  15. ^ MB, 2:933. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  16. ^ PTJ, 28:579-80. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  17. ^ MB, 2:938. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  18. ^ MB, 2:948. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  19. ^ MB, 2:969. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  20. ^ MB, 2:973. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  21. ^ MB, 2:989. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  22. ^ MB, 2:993. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  23. ^ MB, 2:994-95. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  24. ^ PTJ, 31:20. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  25. ^ MB, 2:1103. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  26. ^ MB, 2:1106. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  27. ^ MB, 2:1110. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  28. ^ MB, 2:1150. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  29. ^ MB, 2:1240. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  30. ^ MB, 2:1244. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  31. ^ Garden Book, 1766-1824, page 31Thomas Jefferson Papers: An Electronic Archive (Boston: Massachusetts Historical Society, 2003). See also Betts, Garden Book, 386.
  32. ^ MB, 2:1245. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  33. ^ Garden Book, 1766-1824, page 36Thomas Jefferson Papers: An Electronic Archive (Boston: Massachusetts Historical Society, 2003). See also Betts, Garden Book, 391.
  34. ^ Garden Book, 1766-1824, page 40Thomas Jefferson Papers: An Electronic Archive (Boston: Massachusetts Historical Society, 2003). See also Betts, Garden Book, 420.
  35. ^ Garden Book, 1766-1824, page 49Thomas Jefferson Papers: An Electronic Archive (Boston: Massachusetts Historical Society, 2003). See also Betts, Garden Book, 475.
  36. ^ Garden Book, 1766-1824, page 49Thomas Jefferson Papers: An Electronic Archive (Boston: Massachusetts Historical Society, 2003). See also Betts, Garden Book, 475.
  37. ^ MB, 2:1283. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  38. ^ MB, 2:1286. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  39. ^ MB, 2:1292. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  40. ^ Garden Book, 1766-1824, page 56Thomas Jefferson Papers: An Electronic Archive (Boston: Massachusetts Historical Society, 2003). See also Betts, Garden Book, 537.
  41. ^ Garden Book, 1766-1824, page 56Thomas Jefferson Papers: An Electronic Archive (Boston: Massachusetts Historical Society, 2003). See also Betts, Garden Book, 551.
  42. ^ Garden Book, 1766-1824, page 56Thomas Jefferson Papers: An Electronic Archive (Boston: Massachusetts Historical Society, 2003). See also Betts, Garden Book, 565.
  43. ^ Garden Book, 1766-1824, page 58Thomas Jefferson Papers: An Electronic Archive (Boston: Massachusetts Historical Society, 2003).
  44. ^ MB, 2:1346. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  45. ^ MB, 2:1358. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  46. ^ Garden Book, 1766-1824, page 56Thomas Jefferson Papers: An Electronic Archive (Boston: Massachusetts Historical Society, 2003). See also Betts, Garden Book, 589.
  47. ^ MB, 2: 1377. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  48. ^ MB, 2:1380. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  49. ^ Garden Book, 1766-1824, page 63Thomas Jefferson Papers: An Electronic Archive (Boston: Massachusetts Historical Society, 2003). See also Betts, Garden Book, 599.
  50. ^ MB, 2:1395. Transcription available at Founders Online.