The Cousin’s Violin
The 2nd violin originally belonged to Jefferson’s cousin, John Randolph. Through correspondence letters, historians know that Jefferson and Randolph made an agreement in 1771, in which Jefferson would get the violin upon Randolph’s death. And if Jefferson were to die first, Randolph would get 100 pounds worth of Jefferson’s books.
However, in 1775, Randolph dissolved the agreement, and delivered his violin to Jefferson. Historians do not know the value of this violin, or where it was made. But from the correspondence we see, it was most likely worth quite a lot!
Imagine you delivering an item upon your death in an agreement. On top of that, Jefferson was known for being a scholar. Who was willing to deliver 100 pounds worth of his books upon his death, as seen as equal value to the violin.