Thomas Jefferson’s watch key con­tain­ing the plaited hair of his deceased wife, Martha Wayles Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson’s watch key con­tain­ing the plaited hair of his wife, Martha Wayles Jefferson

On Jan­u­ary 22, 2010, Thomas Jefferson’s watch key will be sold by Christies. Watches in the eigh­teenth cen­tury were wound by hand using a key-shaped device; they had to be wound each and every day. This par­tic­u­larly remark­able exam­ple con­tains the plaited auburn hair of his deceased wife, Martha Wayles Jef­fer­son, who was thirty-three at the time of her death. Note the ele­gant engrav­ing on the front explain­ing its con­tents. Jef­fer­son was utterly dev­as­tated by the loss; Martha died shortly after giv­ing birth to their sixth child. The front of the key lists Mrs. Jefferson’s day of her birth as well as the day of her pass­ing: Sep­tem­ber 6, 1782.