To Benjamin Franklin from Alice Izard, 21 April 1783
From Alice Izard
AL: American Philosophical Society
Hotel de Vendome 21st. April 1783.
Mrs. Izard presents her Compliments to Dr. Franklin, & requests the favour of a passport for herself, & family, & Miss Stead, with their Servants, to go to Bourdeaux, & from thence to America.6 If Dr. Franklin has any commands for Philadelphia, Mrs. Izard will execute them with the greatest pleasure.7
Notation: Mlle. Beck chez la Mse D’Agne au Luxembourg
6. Mary Stead was a daughter of the late Benjamin Stead, a London merchant and friend of Ralph Izard; her sister Elizabeth was married to Ralph Izard, Jr.: Laurens Papers, X, 102n; XV, 544n; XVI, 205n. The entourage left Paris on April 24. They expected to sail from Bordeaux to Philadelphia about May 10, but had difficulty obtaining proper accommodations for the trip: Smith, Letters, XX, 288; Laurens Papers, XVI, 203.
7. BF sent a passport the same day, along with several letters. These were sent under cover of a letter from WTF, a retained copy of which is at the APS.