1From Benjamin Franklin to the Earl of Shelburne, 22 March 1782 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Public Record Office; AL (draft) and two copies: Library of Congress; transcripts: Massachusetts Historical Society, National Archives Lord Cholmondeley having kindly offer’d to take a Letter from me to your Lordship, I embrace the Opportunity of assuring the Continuance of my ancient Respect for your Talents and Virtues, and of congratulating you on the returning good Disposition of...
2From Benjamin Franklin to the Earl of Shelburne, 10 May 1782 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Public Record Office; press copy of LS , and copy: Library of Congress; transcripts: Massachusetts Historical Society, National Archives I have received the honour of your Lordships Letter, dated the 28th past, by Mr Oswald, informing me that he is sent back to settle with me the Preliminaries of Time & Place. Paris as the Place seem’d to me Yesterday to be agreed on between Mr Grenville...
3From Benjamin Franklin to the Earl of Shelburne, 25 August 1784 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Reproduced in Christie’s auction catalogue, “Important Autograph Letters from the Historical Archives at Bowood House” (London, Oct. 12, 1994), p. 39. I have had the Pleasure of seeing Lord Fitzmaurice several Times. I congratulate your Lp. sincerely on your having so promising a Son. He will I am persuaded make a valuable Man, and be a Comfort and Honour to you in your Old Age. The...
4From Benjamin Franklin to the Earl of Shelburne, 15 January 1783 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : G. T. Mandl-Trust, Nestal, Switzerland (2001) As Jonathan Williams, Jr., requested on January 9, Franklin appended this note to the letter Williams wrote to Shelburne regarding the mutinous seizure of his merchantman Trio . The vessel had been brought into Kinsale and was awaiting condemnation as a prize. The British government’s encouragement of mutinies on American-owned ships had long...
5From Benjamin Franklin to the Earl of Shelburne, 26 November 1782 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Reprinted from Christie’s auction catalogue “Important Autograph Letters from the Historical Archives of Bowood House” (London, Oct. 12, 1994), p. 35. Mr Vaughan brought me some time since from your Lordship a Remedy you were so kind as to send me for my Gravel. I intended to thank you by him. He staid here much longer than I expected, and when he went it was so suddenly that I had not...
6From Benjamin Franklin to the Earl of Shelburne, 13 May 1782 (Franklin Papers)
ALS and two copies: Public Record Office; copy: Library of Congress; transcripts: Massachusetts Historical Society, National Archives I did myself the honour of Writing to your Lordship a few days since by Mr Grenville’s Courier, acknowledging the Receipt of yours of the 28th past by Mr Oswald. I then hoped that Gentleman would have remain’d here some time; but his Affairs it seems recall him...
7From Benjamin Franklin to the Earl of Shelburne, 12 July 1782 (Franklin Papers)
LS and two copies: Public Record Office; copies: William L. Clements Library, Library of Congress Mr Oswald informing me that he is about to dispatch a Courier, I embrace the Opportunity of congratulating your Lordship on your Appointment to the Treasury. It is an Extension of your Power to do Good, and in that View, if in no other, it must increase your Happiness, which I heartily wish: being...
8From Benjamin Franklin to the Earl of Shelburne, 18 April 1782 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Public Record Office; press copy of LS , and copy: Library of Congress; transcripts: Massachusetts Historical Society, National Archives I have received the Letter your Lordship did me the honour of writing to me the 6th. Instant. I congratulate you on your new Appointment to the honourable & important Office you formerly filled so worthily; an Office which must be so far pleasing to you...
9To Benjamin Franklin from the Earl of Shelburne, 27 July 1782 (Franklin Papers)
Reprinted from William Temple Franklin, ed., Memoirs of the Life and Writings of Benjamin Franklin … (3 vols., 4to, London, 1817–18), II , 392. On the day Shelburne wrote the following letter, he also accepted as a basis for conducting negotiations the necessary terms that Franklin had communicated to Oswald on July 10. Shelburne informed Oswald on July 27 that “a Commission will be...
10To Benjamin Franklin from the Earl of Shelburne, 21 May 1782 (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft) and two copies: William L. Clements Library; L (draft) and three copies: Public Record Office; two copies: Library of Congress; transcripts: Massachusetts Historical Society, National Archives I am honour’d with your Letter of the 10h Inst. and am very glad to find that the conduct which the King has empower’d me to observe towards Mr. Laurens and the American Prisoners has given...