John Harvie Sr.

John Harvie, often called Colonel John Harvie (1706–1767), was raised in Stirlingshire, Scotland and immigrated to the Thirteen Colonies. He settled in Albemarle County, Virginia by 1735 and purchased Belmont that was a plantation near Shadwell and Keswick, Virginia. He had close relationships with his neighbors the Jeffersons and was the guardian of future president Thomas Jefferson for some years after Jefferson's father died.

Early life Harvie was born in Gargunnock, Stirlingshire, Scotland on December 20, 1706, son of John Harvie. Although there was significant anti-English sentiment in Scotland at the turn of the 18th century, political leaders in Scotland sought to unite with England to improve their trade opportunities with English colonies, thus improving their poor economy. This was complicated, however, by the Jacobite uprisings that began in 1688 to restore James II and his descendants to the throne. Immediately after the Union, Scotland began to trade with the colonies. Tobacco was important to Virginia's economy, where it was grown, as well as to Scotland, where it was the major import from the colonies in the early and mid-18th century. Ships left the Chesapeake Bay for Scotland to deliver tobacco and returned with immigrants and goods for the colonists. In 1769, Virginia and Maryland received 83% of Scotland's exports. He was near the Rivanna River and had views of the South West Mountains to the north and the mountain that would become Monticello to the south. as well as books that he had lent to neighbors and a number of French and Latin books.

Harvie was one of the founders of the Loyal Company of Virginia. John Lewis was the key founder. Others included Peter Jefferson, Thomas Walker, and Joshua Fry, who surveyed the land for the land grant and, like Harvie, also settled in Albemarle County. On July 12, 1748, a grant of 800,000 acres was made to the company. Harvie and Jefferson were early settlers of Albemarle and had already settled there by the time of this grant. Jefferson arrived in 1737 when there were only one or two other settlers. The earliest known letter from Thomas was written to Harvie on February 14, 1760 from Shadwell. Thomas expressed an interest in attending College of William & Mary to "get a more universal Acquaintance." Jefferson was earnest in his belief that going away to school would allow him to more effectively focus on his education. and related to Edmund Pendleton Gaines. Harvie died in 1767. They lived two miles from the Broad River and on the eastern side of Long Creek.