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[Brøderbund WFT Vol. 21, Ed. 1, Tree #1186, Date of Import: Apr 26, 1999]
Peterfield Jefferson was the president of one of Clinton, Mississippi's
earliest banks. Mississippi was admitted into the Union as a state in
1817, and soon after 1833 land offices were opened in three Miss. towns,
one of which was Clinton. (The name Mt. Salus was officially changed to
Clinton in 1830). One may conjecture that the opening of a land office
in Clinton attracted Peterfield Jefferson from Virginia to this area, for
he came here as a surveyor. Of interest, his great grandfather was the
grandfather of President Thomas Jefferson. Referring now to Mr.
Jefferson as a banker, he was president of Jefferson and Carsons Counting
Room, counting room being an old English term for banks. Banks in Miss.
had failed in 1837-38, and private banking organizations sprang up. In
1850 the Counting Room referred to above was the only bank in Clinton
(population 767). Although of course this bank did not offer the many
services of banks today, it did perform as a bank. Mr. Carsons, the
other partner in the firm, and Mr. Jefferson were both members of the
Board of Trustees of Mississippi College, and there is record of this
Board holding a meeting in Jefferson and Carsons Counting Room on July
27, 1850. In November 1850, Mr. Jefferson went off the Mississippi
College Board. There is no known record of the exact location in Clinton
of the Counting Room.