1798 Richard Bland Lee Signed Virginia Employment Contract – Lee Family –

An original manuscript agreement signed by Richard Bland Lee [1761–1827], prominent Virginia statesman, member of the celebrated Lee family, and former United States Congressman, executed on December 29, 1798.

The agreement records the employment of Jacob Kivilley as Lee's wagoner for an eleven-month term beginning January 1. Lee agrees to compensate him with £50 Virginia currency, together with wages and the hire of horses used in his service. The contract further provides that should wagon work become unavailable, Kivilley would instead perform labor on Lee's farm, offering an unusually detailed glimpse into the management of a prominent Virginia plantation during the Federal period.

Richard Bland Lee was among the most influential Virginians of his generation. He served in the First Congress of the United States, owned the historic Sully Plantation, and later helped oversee the establishment and development of the new federal capital at Washington. Documents relating to the daily administration of his estate are considerably scarcer than routine legal instruments and are sought after by collectors of Virginia history, the Lee family, early American agriculture, and the founding era.

Details

• Original manuscript agreement.
• Dated December 29, 1798.
• Signed by Richard Bland Lee and Jacob Kivilley.
• Virginia employment contract.
• Eleven-month wagoner agreement.
• References wages, horse hire, and plantation labor.
• Single folio manuscript, written on both sides.
• Condition: Very good overall with expected fold wear, light age toning, a small ink burn near the signatures, and later collector annotations on the reverse.

An exceptional and highly collectible manuscript documenting the business operations of one of Virginia's most distinguished political families during the formative years of the American republic.

Richard Bland Lee was a prominent Virginia statesman, the first Congressman from Northern Virginia, and a member of the influential Lee family. He later played an important role in establishing the federal capital and owned the Sully Plantation in Fairfax County.

Identification

Date: December 29, 1798

Place: Virginia

Parties:

• Richard Bland Lee
• Jacob Kivilley [wagoner]

Contents

The memorandum states that:

• Richard Bland Lee employs Jacob Kivilley as a wagoner for eleven months, beginning January 1 and ending November 30.
• Lee agrees to pay:
  • £50 Virginia currency
  • Kivilley's wages
  • Hire of two horses beginning March 1
  • Hire of one horse until December 1
• If Lee cannot keep the wagoner fully employed, Kivilley agrees to perform general farm labor.
• Signed by both parties on December 29, 1798.

This document offers an excellent glimpse into plantation management, transportation, and labor arrangements in post-Revolutionary Virginia.

Historical Significance

Richard Bland Lee was:

• First U.S. Representative from Northern Virginia [1789–1795].
• Brother of Attorney General Charles Lee.
• Member of the famous Lee family.
• Owner of Sully Plantation, now one of Virginia's best-preserved Federal-era estates.
• Close associate of George Washington and James Madison.
• One of the commissioners instrumental in selecting and developing the site of Washington, D.C.

Unlike routine legal papers, this document directly concerns the operation of Lee's plantation and transportation enterprise, making it especially desirable to collectors of Virginia, Lee family, agricultural, and early American labor history.