1To Benjamin Franklin from John Alleyne, 5 September 1769 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I should not have broken in upon your Time in this Manner, if my Health wo’d have permitted Me, to have address’d You personally, but Confin’d, as I have been, and much weaken’d by the Gout I trust your Goodness will Excuse Me, if I ask the Favor of a Line from You, in Answer to the following Questions. A Reverend Friend of Mine had an Offer, some few...
2To Benjamin Franklin from John Bartram, 29 November 1769 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Yesterday I had the pleasure of takeing Mrs. Franklin by the hand in her own house as allso thy daughter and grandson a fine boy. Likewise thy sister from Boston all whome I expect at my house according to promise. I have now before me thy dear affectionate letter of July the 9th 1769. My health and familys still continueth: (God allmight be praised and...
3To Benjamin Franklin from John Bartram, 10 April 1769 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I received with great pleasure my dear friends letter of January the 9th 1769 and am much obliged to him for his kindness in takeing care of the Box for the King. I should have wrote to Michael Colinson Last fall but I did not know then his name alltho I asked several that had frequented his fathers house but towards the spring I received a very kindly...
4To Benjamin Franklin from [Richard Henry Alexander?] Bennet, [1769?] (Franklin Papers)
AL : American Philosophical Society Mr. Bennet presents his Comp[limen]ts to Doctor Franklin and returns him many thanks for the Honor of his very obliging Present which he esteems infinitely. The writer and date are equally conjectural. The Bennet to whom we have assigned the note was an F.R.S. and a co-sponsor, with BF , of the nomination of William Hewson to the Society in December, 1769;...
5To Benjamin Franklin from Joseph-Étienne Bertier, 27 February 1769 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Vous m’avéz fait grand plaisir de m’adresser M. le Capitaine Houry. Vous m’avéz donné l’occasion de vous marquer ma reconnoissance, mon attachement, et mon estime, et de rendre les services dont je suis capable à un homme de merite, et bien aimable. Pour couroner l’oeuvre, il faudroit faire encore un voyage en france. C’est votre pays autant que...
6To 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...
7To Benjamin Franklin from Ephraim Brown, 15 September 1769 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Yours of the 13th lies before me. I am oblig’d to you for your offer of the loan of three Guineas, and have drawn on you payable to Wm. Jackson on order. I don’t know what to think of your excessive temperance in my case. I am of opinion if a hearty man get a bad cold, to drive it away by abstinance, is very right; but a person in my Condition requires many...
8To Benjamin Franklin from [Joseph Chew], 12 December 1769 (Franklin Papers)
AL (incomplete): American Philosophical Society Having wrote you so many Letters without being Favoured with an Answer, I should not now have presumed to trouble you, was their not some Dispute or Reather Misunderstanding between Mr. Parker and me about the settlement of my Post office Accounts. In the years 1755 and 1756 agreable to your directions their was a Cross Post from New London to...
9To Benjamin Franklin from Thomas Clifford, 21 October 1769 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society The bearer hereof is Thomas Clifford junr. just going to embark for Great Britain; I have desired him to wait on thee with my kind respects; Thy Friendly Notice of him as an Inhabitant of Pennsylvania, and my Son will be very obliging to Thy Respectful Friend Addressed: To / Benjamin Franklin Esqr. / York Buildings / London / per favour of / T. Clifford...
10To Benjamin Franklin from a Committee of Boston Merchants, 29 December 1769 (Franklin Papers)
ALS (copy): American Philosophical Society The Merchants and Traders of the Town of Boston having on the 1st. August 1768 Enter’d into an agreement not to send for or import any Goods from Great Britain (Some few Articles except) from the 1st. January 1769 to the 1st. January 1770 and as this agreement was near expiring on the 17th. October Last they enter’d into an other agreement not to...
11To Benjamin Franklin from a Committee of the Town of Boston, 23 October 1769 (Franklin Papers)
LS : American Philosophical Society It is with the greatest Pleasure we obey the Orders of the Town of Boston in transmitting to you their Remarks upon the Letters from Governor Bernard, the Commissioners of his Majesty’s Customs, General Gage and Commodore Hood Copies of which the Town have been furnished with by Mr. Bollan. The Town of Boston are fully sensible of your extensive Influence...
12To Benjamin Franklin from Thomas Coombe, 17 April 1769 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Your favour of the 5th January, I receiv’d per Cap. Falconer. The Book you was pleased to send me, I also received, and accept as a mark of the Authors Friendship, tho the Instances of the very extraordinary kindness shewn my Son and your Assurances of it’s continuance, together with the Pleasure you are pleased to express in my recommending him to you, are...
13To Benjamin Franklin from Samuel Cooper, 3 August 1769 (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft): British Museum I am now to acknowledg the repeated Favor of your Letters, with the Notes of Mr. P.’ Speech in Parliament, the arguments on the Dissenting Cause; and the Political Pamphlets, in which you have given me no small Entertainment. I could not forbear communicating what you wrote to some particular Friends, to whom I knew it would give great Pleasure, and to allow some...
14To Benjamin Franklin from Grey Cooper, 13 October 1769 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I Shall come to Town on Monday next, and will [with] great pleasure carry you back with me, if you happen to be disengaged. Yours ever very truly Addressed: To / Dr. Francklin Presumably Sir Grey’s country house, where BF had written his essay on smuggling. See above, XIV , 315.
15To Benjamin Franklin from [William?] Curtis, 23 October 1769: résumé (Franklin Papers)
AL : American Philosophical Society [Monday, October 23, (1769?). An invitation to dine on Thursday in Martin’s Lane with Dr. Price, Mr. Canton, and Dr. Jeffries. ] William Curtis (1746–99) was a Quaker physician and botanist, who later acquired considerable fame as the translator of Linnaeus and an expert on the flora of London. DNB. If our conjectural date is correct he was scarcely...
16To 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
17To Benjamin Franklin from Henry Elwes, 22 October 1769 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society We are just this moment come on shore; from on board Capt. Friend after a passage of seven weeks, very tedious Difficult weather; having a Number of Letters under my Care for You and Mr: Wharton which should have sent off by this Day post; But was Requested to Deliver them myself. If You judge it will be necessary to have them before I arrive in London;...
18To 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...
19To Benjamin Franklin from Cadwalader Evans, 27 November 1769 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Your letters of the 8th. and 9th. of Sepr., together with the four French memoirs on the Education of Silk worms, and culture of Mulbery trees, came safe to hand; for which I cordially thank you. As I do not read French with ease, and have not leisure enough to consult Boyer, I have got my worthy friend Mr. Odell, to take the memoirs, and make such extracts...
20To Benjamin Franklin from Cadwalader Evans, 15 July 1769 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society By the Ship Chalkley, Capt. Volans I sent to you Owen Biddle’s, and Joel Bailey’s, observations, of the Transit of Venus, at Cape Henlopen; but as there was some error in that hasty copy, I am desired to inclose a more correct one. I have not got the observations made at the Statehouse, or at David Rittenhouse’s, but woud if I had known time enough to...
21To 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...
22To Benjamin Franklin from John Foxcroft, 21 February 1769 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Immediately on my receiving your favour by the Genl. Gage Captain Kemble (enclosing me Mr. Todds Letter Signifying to me that their Lordships had been pleased to grant me leave of absence for a few Months) I set out for this Colony, in order to put the Riders on such a footing that no stopages might happen during my absence, which I think I have Effectually...
23To Benjamin Franklin from [John] Foxcroft, [1769?]: résumé (Franklin Papers)
AL : American Philosophical Society [1769? A note in the third person, dated only Friday, asking Franklin to visit him for a game of chess “on his New Invented Table.” A very bad cold has prevented Foxcroft from calling, and the visit would be an act of charity.] So identified by the handwriting. But his brother Thomas, the Philadelphia postmaster, wrote a closely similar hand, and visited...
24Observations upon [Thomas Pownall], State of the Constitution of the Colonies, [1769?] (Franklin Papers)
MS (copy): American Philosophical Society In December, 1769, or possibly in the following month, Thomas Pownall attempted to formulate general principles of law that applied to the issues in dispute between Britain and her colonies. He composed a short document in two parts; the first set forth six principles, and the second adduced corollaries from them. This document he had printed but not...
25From Benjamin Franklin to Jacques Barbeu-Dubourg, 30 August 1769 (Franklin Papers)
Extract printed from Jacques Barbeu-Dubourg, ed., Œuvres de M. Franklin … (Paris, 1773), p. 314. Cette lettre vous sera remise par le Docteur Lettsom, jeune Médecin Amériquain de beaucoup de mérite, qui est de la paisible secte des Trembleurs, et que vous regarderiez conséquemment au moins comme une rareté à contempler, quand même vous auriez épousé toutes les préventions de la plupart de vos...
26Committee 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...
27From Benjamin Franklin to Lord Kames, 1–16 January 1769 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Scottish Record Office It is always a great Pleasure to me to hear from you, and would be a much greater to be with you, to converse with you on the Subjects you mention, or any other. Possibly I may yet one day enjoy that Pleasure. In the meantime we may use the Privilege that the Knowledge of Letters affords us, of conversing at a distance by the Pen. I am glad to find you are turning...
28From Benjamin Franklin to John Winthrop, 11 March 1769 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society At length after much Delay and Difficulty I have been able to obtain your Telescope that was made by Mr. Short before his Death. His Brother, who succeeds in the Business, has fitted it up and compleated it. He has followed the Business many Years at Edinburgh, is reckon’d very able, and therefore I hope every thing will be found right; but as it is only...
29Marginalia in The True Constitutional Means, an Anonymous Pamphlet, [1769?] (Franklin Papers)
MS notations in the margins of a copy in the New York Public Library of The True Constitutional Means for Putting an End to the Disputes between Great-Britain and the American Colonies (London, 1769). [ On the title page: ] Query, Could this be written by Mr. Jackson? from some Expressions and Arguments it should seem so; but others are so unlike his Precision that I rather think he is not the...
30From Benjamin Franklin to Deborah Franklin, 21 March 1769 (Franklin Papers)
AL : American Philosophical Society By Capt. Sparks Mrs. Stevenson sent you a large square Case, containing the Things mentioned in the inclos’d Invoice; it was marked Stores for Mrs. Franklin Philadelphia , and carried on board by our Porter, who says he deliver’d it to the Mate, but he brought back no Receipt. The Mate told him he liv’d not far from you, and knew us both. I hope there has...