1809 April 25. (Jefferson to Etienne Lemaire). "I am constantly in my garden or farm, as exclusively employed out of doors as I was within doors when at Washington, and I find myself infinitely happier in my new mode of life."
Étienne Lemaire (d. 1817) was Thomas Jefferson's second mâitre d'hôtel, or "steward," in the President's House. He was hired to replace Joseph Rapin late in the summer of 1801. Describing the ideal mâitre d'hôtel, Jefferson noted that "honesty & skill in making the dessert are indispen[sable] qualifications. that he should be good humored & of a discreet, steady disposition is also important." Lemaire was brought to Jefferson's attention by friends in Philadelphia, where Lemaire worked in the household of William Bingham. Transferring to Jefferson's employ, he would assume management of the domestic staff at the President's House, supervise the dinner service & dessert, handle household accounts, & conduct most of the marketing for groceries & other provisions.
Some of Lemaire's recipes have been preserved, along with his memorandum on the proper wine to serve with certain main dishes. A Monticello cookbook compiled by Jefferson's granddaughter Virginia Jefferson Randolph Trist credits Lemaire with recipes for Beef à la Mode, Bouilli, Breast of Mutton, & Pancakes. Jefferson had sent Lemaire's "reciepts" to his family at Monticello in 1803, noting that "the orthography will be puzzling & amusing; but the reciepts are valuable."
The Monticello overseer Edmund Bacon described Lemaire as "a very smart man, was well educated, & as much of a gentleman in his appearance as any man." Jefferson's granddaughter recalled him as "a portly well-mannered frenchman ... of whose honesty his master had a higher opinion than the world at large, & who I fancy made a small fortune in his employ. But he was a civil & a useful man & merited reward."
After he retired to Monticello in 1809, Jefferson wrote Lemaire a letter of appreciation, expressing "the sense of my attachment to you & satisfaction with your services. they were faithful, & skilful, & your whole conduct so marked with good humour, industry, sobriety & economy as never to have given me one moment’s dissatisfaction." In 1817, Jefferson heard from his former chef at the President's House that Lemaire drowned himself in the Schuylkill Rive. Jefferson responded to this news: "I sincerely lament the unfortunate fate of poor Le Maire."
Research & images & much more are directly available from the Monticello.org website.
