Advertisement

Advertisement

Elizabeth Jefferson

Birth
Shadwell, Albemarle County, Virginia, USA
Death
24 Feb 1774 (aged 29)
Charlottesville, Charlottesville City, Virginia, USA
Burial
Shadwell, Albemarle County, Virginia, USA Add to Map
Memorial ID
View Source
Suggest Edits
Younger sister of Thomas Jefferson, the next child born after he was. Very little is known about her life. She was said to have had a mental disability and Thomas Jefferson received approvals from the executors of his father's estate to receive money to make sure that his sister may be "well dressed". An entry in a family prayer book believed to have been made by Jefferson records her death date as January 1, 1773, however Jefferson's account book for 1774 states "My sister Elizabeth was found last Thursday being Feb. 24". He next mentions that March 7 was the day they buried her, but does not specifically give the date of her death. Some point to a large earthquake on February 21, 1774 which sendt the residents at Monticello running outdoors as being connected to her death. The thought was that perhaps she ran off into the winter weather and was not found for days. Alternative, a descendant said they had heard Elizabeth drowned with her maid in a boating accident trying to cross a river, however Jefferson's account book makes no mention of losing a maid, and this was possibly a cover story told to obscure the facts of what happened to Elizabeth. Whatever the case, based on her date of burial she likely died in early March 1774, but the cause of her death not to mention most details about her life remain a mystery. Her burial place was not recorded either, but it would almost certainly have been the family lot at Shadwell or less likely "near Dabney Carr" per the Page Smith biography, which would imply Monticello instead.
Younger sister of Thomas Jefferson, the next child born after he was. Very little is known about her life. She was said to have had a mental disability and Thomas Jefferson received approvals from the executors of his father's estate to receive money to make sure that his sister may be "well dressed". An entry in a family prayer book believed to have been made by Jefferson records her death date as January 1, 1773, however Jefferson's account book for 1774 states "My sister Elizabeth was found last Thursday being Feb. 24". He next mentions that March 7 was the day they buried her, but does not specifically give the date of her death. Some point to a large earthquake on February 21, 1774 which sendt the residents at Monticello running outdoors as being connected to her death. The thought was that perhaps she ran off into the winter weather and was not found for days. Alternative, a descendant said they had heard Elizabeth drowned with her maid in a boating accident trying to cross a river, however Jefferson's account book makes no mention of losing a maid, and this was possibly a cover story told to obscure the facts of what happened to Elizabeth. Whatever the case, based on her date of burial she likely died in early March 1774, but the cause of her death not to mention most details about her life remain a mystery. Her burial place was not recorded either, but it would almost certainly have been the family lot at Shadwell or less likely "near Dabney Carr" per the Page Smith biography, which would imply Monticello instead.

Family Members

Parents
Siblings

Advertisement

See more Jefferson memorials in:

Flower Delivery Sponsor and Remove Ads

Explore more

Advertisement