Anthony Giannini

Anthony (Antonio) Giannini was a gardener and vigneron at Monticello from 1778 to 1782, who continued to perform occasional specialized tasks for Thomas Jefferson until 1811.

Giannini arrived from Fibbialla, Italy in 1773 with his wife and child as an indentured servant of Philip Mazzei. He first worked for several years of bound labor in the vineyards and orchards of Colle, an estate adjoining Monticello established by Mazzei, before going to work in Jefferson’s orchards and vineyards as a free man. Giannini may have lived with his family in a dwelling on Mulberry Row.

At the end of 1782, Giannini left Monticello, moving to land he purchased on Buck Island in Albemarle County. He continued to work for Jefferson, caring for the apple trees in the North Orchard and for the almonds, apricots, cherries, apples, and peaches in the South Orchard. He also planted “grape vines from Legaux” in the Southwest Vineyard in 1802; a year later, Jefferson paid him for “plants and trouble.” Giannini and his sons later sold corn, fodder, cows, and hogs to Jefferson.

Some of his activities included collecting seeds for Jefferson's friends in France, planting grape vines in the vineyard, and grafting in the Monticello orchards. Giannini bought land in Albemarle County, where he raised a large family. He has many descendants in the Albemarle area and elsewhere. A number of letters between Jefferson and Giannini survive.

 
1747 June 22 Born in Fibbialla near Lucca, Italy
1770 Nov. 26 Married Maria Domenica Modena
1773 Sept. 2 Sailed with his wife and child to Virginia, accompanying Philip Mazzei
1773 November   Arrived in Virginia
1778 March 16 Began to work for Jefferson 
1781    Served briefly with the Virginia militia 
1780s    Bought land on Buck Island Creek, Albemarle County 
1790 February Offered to buy Colle but his bid was not accepted 
1792   Petitioned for liberty to build a mill on Buck Island Creek 
1797   Sued Jefferson (as Mazzei's representative) for indemnification for promised return passage to Italy (lost the suit)
1799 April 24  Described as having "raised a large family, married several of them, &, after thriving for a while, has become embarrassed, & little esteemed"[1]
1802 May 11  Planted grape vines at Monticello in the South West vineyard
1803 March 21  Jefferson paid Giannini 2 dollars for "plants & trouble"; Jefferson also contributed five dollars to a "meetg. house" with which Giannini was involved
1811 April 3  Last reference in Jefferson's papers to Giannini, from whom he bought cows and hogs

- Zanne McDonald, Monticello Research Report, April 1994

 

Primary Source References

Letters

  • Jefferson to Giannini, with a List of Seeds Wanted, February 5, 1786[2]
  • Giannini to Jefferson, June 9, 1786 (in Italian)[3]
  • Giannini to Jefferson, June 21, 1786 (in Italian)[4]
  • Giannini to Jefferson, February 23, 1792[5]

Memorandum Books

1778 March 16. "Antonio Giannini begins to work @40/ 40 lb. meat a month & a peck flour a week."[6]

1778 June 22. "Pd. Antony Giannini £3."[7]

1778 July 16. "Pd. Antony Giannini £3-12."[8]

1778 August 27. "Pd. Antony Giannini £15."[9]

1778 November 1. "Pd. Anthony Giannini for a vinegar cask, & his expences to Rockfish for Umbrellas [trees] 12/."[10]

1778 November 2. "Agreed with Anthony Giannini that he shall serve me one year from the 27th. Inst. I am to give him £50. & find him 15 bushels of wheat & 480 lb. meat, i.e. bacon when we have it. If Mazzei undertakes in writing to pay the expences of his passage to Italy hereafter, I am to stand security for it so long as he is in my service."[10]

1779 January 14. "Pd. Anthony Giannini £4-10."[12]

1779 February 6. "Pd. Anthony Giannini £15."[13]

1779 March 17. "Pd. Anthony Giannini £21."[14]

1779 April 23. "Pd. Anthony Giannini 30/."[15]

1779 April 30. "Pd. Anthony Giannini for a hoe 30/."[16]

1779 September 15. "Pd. Anthony Giannini for trimming chissell 18/."[17]

1780 November 10. "Pd. Anthony Giannini £90."[18]

1781 September 10. "Anthony Giannini goes with militia. Lent him £90. = half a dollar specie."[19]

1781 October 24. "Anthony returns."[20]

1781 November 13. "A. Giannini goes away."[21]

1781 November 25. "Recd. of A. Giannini for pork @ 20/ pr. Cent. 38/ hard money."[21]

1781 December 4. "Gave Anthony Giannini an order for 6. barrels of corn. He sais he has recd. 12 barrels before in part of his wages for 1781. over & above his allowance of a bushel a week."[23]

1782 January 7. "Pd. A. Giannini for injury to a book 6/."[24]

1782 May 19. "Gave Anthony Giannini as Committee of Francesco Tommei order on Mrs. Meriwether for 45. galls. whiskey on acct. of Fr. Gaines to whom I am to charge it."[25]

1782 August 3. "Pd. A. Giannini in part for wax 1/."[26]

1782 August 19. "Let Gray have a Dutch oven 23/6 A. Giannini do. [ditto] 23/6."[26]

1782 September 18. "These paiments were for the following purposes ... Anthony Giannini's levy 0–10 ... Anthony Giannini's tax (the whole) 12–3 ...."[28]

1782 October 13. "Recd. of A. Giannini 17/ in full of all accts. except smith's work & weaving."[29]

1783 August 16. "The following smith's accts. rendered by R. Gaines & to be charged ... Anthony Giannini. 1782. Feb. 3. to Aug. 22. 0–18–9."[30]

1786 November 18. "Inclosed to Frediani of Lucca for Anthony Giannini 24f."[31]

1790 March 1. "Pd. Anthony 26/8 which @ 56/ per month overpays the month 9/4 which he is to work out."[32]

1791 October 9. "Pd. Anthony in full for inoculatg. &c. 24/."[33]

1797 November 6. "Note 80 cents of the 60.04 was for tickets in Giannini's suit chargeable to Mazzei."[34]

1802 May 11. "Pd. Anthony Giannini for planting grape vines from Legaux 1.D."[35]

1803 March 21. "Pd. Anthony Giannini for plants & trouble 2.D. for meetg. house 5.D."[36]

1808 December 12. "Gave ord. on bank US. for 105.55 in favr. of Lemaire for Nichs. Hingston assee. of E. Bacon's order in favr. Mrs. Sally Carter for corn bot. of Giannini."[37]

1809 January 23. "The remittance to Bacon is for the following purposes to pay ... Nichs. Giannini. fodder 11.67."[38]

1810 December 7. "Gave my note to Anthony Giannini for 40.D. paiable Apr. 15. Gave do. to Francis Giannini for 20.D. paiable Apr. 15. These were for 4. cows and 10. hogs."[39]

1811 April 3. "Put into the hands of E. Bacon 425.D. to make the following paiments ... Anthony Giannini 40. ante Dec. 7. for cows & hogs. Francis Giannini 20 ...."[40]

Further Sources

References

  1. ^ Jefferson to Carlo Bellini, April 24, 1799, in PTJ, 31:99. Transcription available at Founders Online. This letter contains brief mentions of many of the Italian immigrants that Jefferson had known and worked with.
  2. ^ PTJ, 9:252-55. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  3. ^ PTJ, 9:623-24. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  4. ^ PTJ, 9:668-69. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  5. ^ PTJ, 23:145. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  6. ^ MB, 1:461. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  7. ^ MB, 1:467. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  8. ^ MB, 1:468. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  9. ^ MB, 1:470. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  10. ^ MB, 1:472. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  11. ^ MB, 1:472. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  12. ^ MB, 1:474. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  13. ^ MB, 1:475. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  14. ^ MB, 1:476. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  15. ^ MB, 1:477. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  16. ^ MB, 1:478. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  17. ^ MB, 1:486. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  18. ^ MB, 1:502. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  19. ^ MB, 1:513. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  20. ^ MB, 1:514. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  21. ^ MB, 1:515. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  22. ^ MB, 1:515. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  23. ^ MB, 1:516. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  24. ^ MB, 1:517. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  25. ^ MB, 1:519. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  26. ^ MB, 1:521. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  27. ^ MB, 1:521. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  28. ^ MB, 1:521-22. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  29. ^ MB, 1:523. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  30. ^ MB, 1:533. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  31. ^ MB, 1:644. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  32. ^ MB, 1:750. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  33. ^ MB, 2:836. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  34. ^ MB, 2:973. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  35. ^ MB, 2:1072. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  36. ^ MB, 2:1094. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  37. ^ MB, 2:1236. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  38. ^ MB, 2:11809 January 23. 239. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  39. ^ MB, 2:1261. Transcription available at Founders Online.
  40. ^ MB, 2:1264. Transcription available at Founders Online.

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