61To Benjamin Franklin from William Franklin, 11 May 1769 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society A few Days ago I was favoured with your Letter of the 20th. of March by Capt. Creighton. The Packet which left England the 7th. of March is since arrived, but I had no Letter by her from any one. I suppose (tho’ you do not mention it) that you have wrote to me before relative to the Letters I sent you by the January Mail; perhaps by Sparks who is not yet...
62To Benjamin Franklin from James Parker, 12 May 1769 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Before this reaches you, I hope Mr. Foxcroft will be safe arrived with you, as he sail’d from Philadelphia the 20th of last Month. This covers the first of a Set of Bills for £100 Sterling which I purchased here with Money sent me by Mr. Vernon of Rhode-Island, who I have press’d hard for Payment. His Accounts, tho’ kept in Sterling when he sends Cash will...
63To Benjamin Franklin from Thomas Gilpin, 16 May 1769 (Franklin Papers)
Reprinted from “Memoir of Thomas Gilpin,” Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography , XLIX (1925), 304. By the brig Ketly Capt. Osborne I have sent you the model of a machine the result of a thought occurring to me some time ago which I have realised in the present form. It is that of an horizontal windmill applied to three pumps——this application as one of the most useful for raising...
64To Benjamin Franklin from Samuel Wharton, [19 May 1769]: résumé (Franklin Papers)
AL : American Philosophical Society [Dated merely Friday; probably May 19, 1769. A note in the third person: is sorry to inform Franklin that the New York mail, according to Mr. Todd, was made up and dispatched on Wednesday night, when the letters for the governors were received from the various officers. The Captain sails for New York on Monday. ] We are assuming that Wharton referred to...
65To Benjamin Franklin from James Parker, 22–24 May 1769 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society The 12th of this Month I wrote you per Packet, and sent the first Bill of a Set for £100 Sterling of which this incloses the second of the same: to that I refer for Particulars. You have never told me, whether you have received any of my Pay from the Custom-House. As if you have, I should be glad if you would pay Mr. Potts for two years of the Chronicle. It...
66To Benjamin Franklin from Amelia Evans, 23 May 1769 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Your two very obliging favors by Mr. Stuart (who arrived a few weeks ago) I have received, and most sincerely thank you for the enquiries you was so obliging to make concerning him. Mr. Traill and his Lady have charged me with their compliments and warmest acknowledgements for the favor you have done them by it. You my dear Sir, who so much delight in acts...
67To Benjamin Franklin from Hannah Walker, 24 May 1769 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I hope you and Mrs. Stevenson are well and that She did not Dislike my Husbands Letter tho it was wrote as Short as Possible because the time would not allow for we did not receive it till 3 o clock in the Afternoon and he wrote that we agreed to Mrs. Stevensons Proposals in Every thing as She was so good as to go as far as a hundred and fifty Pounds we...
68To Benjamin Franklin from James Parker, 30 May 1769 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society You were so good a while ago, to Mention that if I chose to resign the Custom House Business you would not be displeased. While I had the Ability to do what I was taught was my Duty, I patiently Submitted to any Unpopularity or Odium that might unjustly be thrown upon me. But the Commissioners at Boston seem continually to be forming new Orders and...
69To Benjamin Franklin from James Parker, 31 May–10 June 1769 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society The 22d and 24th Instant, I wrote you per Capt. Haight, inclosing you the 2d of a Bill for £100. Sterling and the first of a Bill from Mr. Hercules Courtenay, Post-Master of Baltimore, for £141 6 s. 11 d. Sterling drawn by Stevenson on Hervey of London, of which this has the 2d inclosed: Mr. Courtenay says it is the whole of the Ballance due from him. I...
70To Benjamin Franklin from John Pownall, 2 June 1769 (Franklin Papers)
ALS (copy): Public Record Office I am directed by the Earl of Hillsborough to desire the Favor that he may see you at His House together with the Agents of some of the other North American Colonies on Wednesday next at Eleven O’Clock in the forenoon, on the subject of some representations that have been made to his Lordship of irregularities committed by Masters of Bermuda Vessels raking Salt...
71From Benjamin Franklin to Deborah Franklin, 3 June 1769 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Capt. Jefferies has so long talk’d of sailing, that People began to think he would never sail; and now I am just told that he goes this Evening, so can only say that I am well, and that having receiv’d Sally’s Letter by Capt. Falkner, I rejoice to hear you so soon got over your late Indisposition, but am impatient for the next Packet which I hope will bring...
72To Benjamin Franklin from John Shippen, 3 June 1769 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society If after the Perusal of the inclosed Letters from my Father you will Venture to Assist Me, by accepting a Bill on the Man so Near and dear to Me, Or in any other way you shall think more proper to Enable Me to Return to America with every requisite necessary to Accomplish my Scheme of reading Lectures on Natural History —with your hearty recommendation and...
73Committee Report on Lightning Rods for St. Paul’s Cathedral, 7 June 1769 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in The Royal Society, Philosophical Transactions , LIX (1769), 162–9. As, in consequence of a letter addressed to the Royal Society from the Dean and Chapter of St. Paul’s, the Society did us the honour to appoint us a Committee to examine that magnificent structure, and, as far as our experience would enable us, to prevent mischief thereto from lightning, by a properly disposed...
74From Benjamin Franklin to Noble Wimberly Jones, 7 June 1769 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : New York State Library, Albany I did myself the Honour of Writing to you on the 3d. of the last Month, since when the Parliament has risen without repealing the Duties that have been so generally complain’d of. But we are now assured by the Ministry, that the Affairs of America have been lately considered in Council: that it was the unanimous Opinion no new Acts for the purpose of...
75To Benjamin Franklin from Thomas Bond, 7 June 1769 (Franklin Papers)
LS : American Philosophical Society I receiv’d your Letter of the 9th of March with William Cowell’s inclosed, at which I was much surprised, as his last to Bond & Byrn was in a very different Strain, it being only dubious Whether a Bill of Three hundred Pounds then in his Hands would be paid or not. That Bill was founded on a large Estate in his Neighbourhood, and on the Drawers Sister, who...
76To Benjamin Franklin from Cadwalader Evans, 11 June 1769 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society The late transit of Venus, has employ’d several of our Mathematicians, as well as others in several parts of the World. You will, probably, receive all the observations made by them, with full remarks; but in the mean time, I inclose those made by O: Biddle, and Joel Bayley, at Cape Henlopen. The former is a Son of John Biddle’s; and the latter a young man...
77Notes on a Week’s Diet and Poor Health, [between 12 June 1769, and 30 July 1770] (Franklin Papers)
AD : Library of Congress So dated because of the reference to dining at Mr. Foxcroft’s. Although the time bracket is unlikely to have much value, the means of establishing it may be worth explaining to illustrate how such problems of dating can sometimes be narrowed when they cannot be solved. The Pa. Packet , on which Foxcroft came to England, arrived on May 30 or 31 ( Lloyd’s Evening Post ,...
78To Benjamin Franklin from Anthony Tissington, 13 June 1769 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society After two Months of Illness and Hurry, I cannot help inquiring if you and Mrs. Stevenson are well, and if you think of visiting Dirbyshire this Summer. For three weeks after I left London I lay Ill of its Smoak; have been since in North Wales; and about the end of this month must go into Scotland, so shall have the benefit of change of Air. Inclosed I send...
79To Benjamin Franklin from James Parker, 18 June 1769 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Eight Days ago, I wrote you per Packet, inclosing the 2d Bill from Mr. Courtney of Baltimore, the first of which I sent per Capt. Haight, for £141 6 s . 11 d . Sterling. Last Night I received the inclosed Bill for £10 1 s . 3 d . Sterling from Mr. Vernon of Rhode-Island; he says, it is good, and he is trying to get more for further Remittance. This is all I...
80From Benjamin Franklin to Mary Stevenson, 27 June 1769 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Library of Congress Agreable to your Orders delivered to me very punctually per Temple, I return you enclos’d Voltaire’s Verses. The Translation I think full as good as the Original. Remember that I am to have them again. I take this Opportunity to send you also a late Paper containing a melancholy Account of the Distresses of some Seamen. You will observe in it the Advantages they...
81To Benjamin Franklin from James Parker, 28 June 1769: résumé (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society [New York, June 28, 1769. Encloses two bills of exchange, which he is sending by way of Bristol: one from Tuthill Hubbart of Boston for £122, drawn by Timothy Folger on Moses Allnutt of London, dated June 19; the other from Thomas Vernon, the Newport postmaster, for £15, drawn by John Mawdsley on Messrs. Lane Son & Fraser of London, dated June 16. Also...
82To Benjamin Franklin from Sir John Pringle, [June? 1769] (Franklin Papers)
AL : American Philosophical Society Sir John Pringle’s Compliments to Dr. Franklin, and begs to introduce to his acquaintance the bearer Dr. Starck who has lately made the curious experiments on living on bread and water, and who wanting to make a pair of nice scales for weighing himself in this prosecution of those experiments Sir J.P. has taken this liberty to address him to Dr. F. for his...
83The Formation of the Grand Ohio Company, [June? 1769] (Franklin Papers)
The two documents that follow are closely connected. Both were products of the obscure and complicated process by which a group, known as the “suffering traders,” that claimed Indian lands west of the Alleghenies was transformed into an Anglo-American company with political influence and grandiose ambitions. Neither of the documents can be precisely dated. The first is a rough draft, in...
84From Benjamin Franklin to Samuel Wharton and William Trent, 3 July 1769 (Franklin Papers)
AL : American Philosophical Society Dr. Franklin presents his Compliments to Messrs. Wharton and Trent, and acquaints them that on Thursday (or Friday) last, he had a good deal of Discourse with Mr. Mildred, and afterwards with Mr. Mildred and his Solicitor Mr. Lane, when they concluded, on his Advice, to withdraw the Petition that had [been] presented to the King in Council, on Behalf of...
85To Benjamin Franklin from James Elphinston: Bill for William Temple Franklin’s Education, 4 July 1769 (Franklin Papers)
ADS : American Philosophical Society Master William Temple July 4. 1769 One half year’s board and Education 15. .. .. One half year’s dancing 2. 2. Education, a poem, bound 3. 6 Copybooks, paper, pens and ink &c 6. 6 Mending of cloaths 5. 6
86From Benjamin Franklin to Deborah Franklin, 5 July 1769 (Franklin Papers)
ALS (facsimile) in John Jay Smith, American Historical and Literary Curiosities; Consisting of Fac-Similes of Some Plates, &c. Relating to Columbus, and Original Documents of the Revolution … Second Series (New York, 1860), pl. XLVI . By Capt. Falconer, I shall write to you fully; this only serves to acquaint you that I am as well as I can be without my usual Journey, but I begin to feel the...
87From Benjamin Franklin to Charles Thomson and Thomas Mifflin, 7 July 1769 (Franklin Papers)
ALS (copy): Minutes of the Library Company of Philadelphia, November 29, 1769. I received your favour of the 3d. of May, and shall send you the Books you write for per Capt. Falconer. Seeing some Time since that other Libraries were about to be united with yours, I did for that Reason forbear buying any Books but Robinson’s History, till I should have further Orders, lest I should purchase...
88From Benjamin Franklin to John Bartram, 9 July 1769 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Stanford University Libraries It is with great Pleasure I understand by your Favour of April 10. that you continue to enjoy so good a Share of Health. I hope it will long continue. And altho’ it may not now be suitable for you [to make?] such wide Excursions as heretofore, you may yet be very useful to your Country and to Mankind, if you [sit?] down quietly at home, digest the Knowledge...
89From Benjamin Franklin to Humphry Marshall, 9 July 1769 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Mr. S. Hallock du Pont (1955) I received your obliging Favour of April 13. with Specimens of the several Colours suitable for Painting which you have found in different Parts of our Country. It gives me great Pleasure to see them, and I have shown them to many Persons of Distinction, together with your Letter, which is allow’d to contain a great many sensible and shrewd Observations....
90From Benjamin Franklin to the Philadelphia Merchants, 9 July 1769 (Franklin Papers)
Broadside: Yale University Library I Received yours of the 18th of April, inclosing copies of the articles of your agreement, with respect to importation, and of your letter to the merchants here. The latter was published, and universally spoken well of, as a well-written, sensible, manly and spirited performance; and I believe the publication has been of service to our cause. You are, in my...