Peter Field Jefferson 1735 - 1794

In 1765 Field Jefferson died leaving his son Peter Field Jefferson the following bequests:
I give my son Peter Field Jefferson the plantation wherein I live including all the lands I purchased of Francis Howard (excepting ten acres at the Ferry Landing) and part of the back land running a straight line from the dividing line of two Howards till it reaches Holloways line excepting one hundred feet square at the Burying place.

He also bequeathed to his son John all my land on the South side of Roanoke that I purchased of Andrew Hampton and whereon my son Peter Field now lives.

So we know that Peter Field in 1765 was not living on his father's plantation, but rather land that his father had bought from an Andrew Hampton.  But after 1765 Peter Field takes possession of the plantation and his brother gets the Hampton place.

Most people think of plantations and they think of Tara.  There is no way to know what kind of house Field Jefferson had built.  It would have had to be big enough for nine children.  It is in all likelihood a farmhouse, but this is not to say that they lived in a dump.  There might be something at the courthouse.

Since 1763 other acts beside the Proclamation Line had been passed.  In 1764 the Revenue Act or the Sugar Act which was intended to stop smuggling and raise revenues.  I don't know if this affected Field or Peter Field except some items may have been more expensive.  In 1765 Parliament imposed the Stamp Act on the colonies.
Under the provisions of the Stamp Act all newspapers had to be printed on stamped paper that was taxed on shilling (roughly twenty-five cents) a sheet.  A three shilling stamp was required on virtually all legal documents. School and college diplomas were taxed two pounds.  The stamp on a lawyers license cost ten pounds, while appointment to public office had to be written on paper that was taxed four pounds.  Liquor license cost as much as four pounds, and playing cards were taxed a shilling a pack.  One of the most objectionable aspects of the bill in colonial eyes was that all violations were to be tried in courts of admiralty without juries.  The money was to be used to protect the Colonial frontier.  It was extremely irksome to the colonist because they were allowed no representation in the decision making of this tax.  They feared that with this tax would come more taxes by Parliament without our representation.

Everyone was grinning and bearing it, but the Virginia House of Burgesses  lead by Patrick Henry set out Stamp Act Resolves stating that no taxes imposed by England should be paid by the colonist unless the colonies government had enacted the taxes.  And that anyone that thought that England should be able to impose taxes on the colonist without representation was an enemy of the colony.

Pretty radical thinking.  I wonder what Peter Field thought about all this.


Some References:
Tyler's Quarterly historical and Genealogical Magazine  Volume VII July 1925
page 50,51
George Jefferson, Peterfield's brother, patented considerable tracts of land in Pittsylvania County, and in 1774 and 1776 he sold to Peterfeild Jefferson several of these dividends.  Peterfeild must soon have removed to that County, for in 1779, giving his residence as in Pittsylvania, he sold to Elisha Walker 380 acres of land there for 350 pounds.  ( William and Mary Quarterly XXIII, 181, 182)
There is no will of Peterfield Jefferson recorded in Pittsylvania, but there is one of his wife, Mrs. Elizabeth Jefferson,  dated in 1828.
According to his will Peterfield Jefferson had issue: Field, John, Samuel Allen, Alexander, married Elizabeth Smith (marriage bond, February 20, 1808) Archer, deceased at date of will, Thomas Jefferson, deceased at date of will, married Elizabeth Ball (marriage bond February 27, 1806) Patsy, who married Brewer and Judith.

Pages 120, 121,
Information from Family Bible of Thomas Jefferson the second.

The Soul of my dear Father Field Jefferson departed this life February 10, 1765.  It being Sunday Morning about ten o'clock.  He being in the sixty Second year of his age.  PFJ
The Soul of my Dear Brother Thos Jefferson Departed this life December 5, 1783.  PFJ
The Soul of My Dear Father departed this life January 1, 1974. SAJ
The Soul of my Dear mother departed this life the 7th Day of May 1828.  SAJ
Peter Feild Son of Feild and Mary Frances Jefferson was born March 14, 1735.
Elizabeth Wife of Peter Feild Jefferson and Daughter of Samuel Allan and Wife Martha Allan was born December 7, 1739.
Peter Field and Elizabeth Allan was married May 30, 1762.
Feild Son of Peter Feild and Elizabeth Jefferson was born April 1, 1763, it being Friday.
William Allan Son of Peterfeild and Elizabeth Jefferson was born December 14, 1764.  it being Friday.
Archer Son of Peterfield and Elizabeth Jefferson was born December 14, 1764.  It being Sunday.
Thomas Son of Peterfield and Elizabeth Jefferson was born March the 21, 1768.  It being Monday.
John son of Peterfeild and Elizabeth Jefferson was born February the 23rd 1770.  It being Friday Morning.
Frances Daughter of Peterfield and Elizabeth jefferson was born January the 11th, 1772.  It being Saturday Morning.
Judith Daughter of Peterfeild and Elizabeth Jefferson was born January the 7th 1774.  It being Friday.
Samuel Allan son of Peterfield and Elizabeth Jefferson was born March the 24, 1776, it being Sunday in the afternoon.
Alexander Son of Peterfield and Elizabeth Jefferson was born July 31st 1779, it being Saturday morning.
Martha Field Daughter of Peterfield & Elizabeth Jefferson was born April the 7, 1781 it being Saturday night.
Elizabeth Daughter of Peterfield and Elizabeth Jefferson was born September the 2nd 1785.
Samuel Allan Jefferson and Betsy Ann Jefferson were married June 20, 1803.
Samuel Jefferson Son Peterfeild Jefferson and his first cousin Elizabeth Ann Jefferson, daughter of John R. Jefferson and wife Elizabeth Broome on June 20, 1803.

Genealogical Abstracts from
18th Century Virginia Newspapers  by Robert K. Headley, Jr.
Jefferson Family, Pittsylvania Col, August Ct. 1798 in Chancery:  Samuel Hopkins and john Pucket (pltfs) against Elizabeth Jefferson, widow and relict of Peter F. Jefferson, Field Jefferson, William Jefferson, John Jefferson, Samuel Jefferson, George Murphy and Frances his wife formerly Frances Jefferson, Judith Jefferson who are of lawful age, and Alexander Jefferson, Patsy Jefferson, and Elizabeth Jefferson infants under 21 by Elizabeth Jefferson their gdn.