Benjamin Franklin Papers

To Benjamin Franklin from Peter Hasenclever, 9 February 1767

From Peter Hasenclever1

AL: American Philosophical Society

Putnay Munday morning the 9 feby 1767

Mr. Hasenclever presents his Respects to Dr. Francklin, sends him his Carriage and hopes to have the Honnour to see him to day at Dinner, or as Soon as possible.

Addressed: To/Dr. Benjamin Francklin Esq/Cravenstreet/Westminster

1Peter Hasenclever (1716–1793), Prussian-born son of an iron manufacturer, came to New York in 1764 at the head of a British company formed to develop the production of iron, hemp, flax, and potash in America. He returned to England in 1766 because of business difficulties and may have been seeing BF in connection with an investigation of his transactions. On the other hand, he may have been soliciting BF’s support for a petition he had submitted for lands in Canada at the site of an old French iron works. After returning to America in 1768, he had more difficulties with his associates and went back to Prussia in 1773, where he established a successful linen manufacturing enterprise. DAB; I N.J. Arch., IX, 583–6; Adolph Hasenclever, Peter Hasenclever aus Remscheid-Ehringhausen (Gotha, 1922), pp. 121–5; Gerhard Spieler, “Peter Hasenclever, Industrialist,” N.J. Hist. Soc. Proc., LIX (1941), 231–56.

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