1Benjamin and Deborah Franklin and John and Frances Croker to Sarah Read: Lease, 11 April 1734 (Franklin Papers)
DS : Morris Duane, Philadelphia, on deposit in Historical Society of Pennsylvania (1957) This Indenture made the Eleventh day of April in the Seventh Year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord George the Second by the Grace of God of Great Britain France and Ireland King Defender of the Faith &c Annoque Domini One thousand Seven hundred and Thirty Four Between Benjamin Franklyn of the City of...
2Shop Book, 1735–39 (Franklin Papers)
MS Account Book: American Philosophical Society The Shop Book is a manuscript volume and business record like the Journal (see above, I , 172). It covers the period from November 14, 1735, to August 3, 1739, with the number of entries falling off sharply after 1736. The cover bears, in addition to doodlings, the words “Shop Book 1738” and the name of Deborah Franklin; Benjamin Franklin’s name...
3Ledger D, 1739–47 (Franklin Papers)
MS Account Book: American Philosophical Society Ledger D, like Ledger A & B (see above, I , 172), throws a fitful light on Franklin’s income, especially from his printing business, and contains incidental information, usually trivial but sometimes significant, on the purchases of some 900 of his customers. A tall, narrow book of 400 pages, bound in parchment, Ledger D contains accounts of...
4Receipt Book, 1742–64 (Franklin Papers)
MS Record Book: American Philosophical Society As a man of affairs who frequently made large cash payments, Franklin kept a book for receipts, in which he or the creditor would write out a form of acknowledgment which the creditor would sign on receiving payment. He used this book from 1742 until 1757, when he went abroad; his wife kept it until his return in 1762, when he himself resumed it....
5Deborah Franklin to Margaret Strahan, 24 December 1751 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Yale University Library I am ordored by my master to write for sum books for Salley Franklin. I am in hopes shee will be abel to write her selfe by the Spring. My Dafter Gives her Duty to Mr. Strayhon and his Lady and her Compleyments to Master Billey and all his Brothers and Sisters. My Son is Gon to Boston on a Visit to his friends. I supose Mr. Franklin will write him Selfe. Mr. and...
6Deborah Franklin to Peter Collinson, 30 April 1755 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Huntington Library Mr. Franklin is from home, and can not have by this Conveyance an Opportunity of answering your Favours by the last Ships. I have forwarded your Letters to Mr. Elliot, Mr. Bartram, Mr. Barton and Mr. Franklin. My Husband is now in the Back Counties, contracting for some Waggons and Horses for the Army, which tho’ so much out of his Way, he was obliged to undertake, for...
7To Benjamin Franklin from Deborah Franklin, 9 August 1759 (Franklin Papers)
Extract: Associates of the Late Rev. Dr. Bray Extract of a Letter from Mrs Franklin in Philadelphia, to B F. in London, dated Aug. 9. 1759 “I went to hear the Negro Children catechised at Church. There were 17 that answered very prettily indeed, and 5 or 6 that were too little, but all behaved very decently. Mr. Sturgeon exhorted them before and after the Catechising. It gave me a great deal...
8Deborah Franklin: Account of Expenses, May 1762 (Franklin Papers)
AD : American Philosophical Society When Franklin was about to leave for England in 1757 his wife Deborah started to keep her household accounts in a memorandum book he provided her. This record is described above, VII , 167–8. On September 1 (the year is not stated) she indicated her intention to stop entering her expenses in detail, “as I am not abell to set down every penney.” But in May...
9To Benjamin Franklin from Deborah Franklin, 8 January 1765 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I donte think the Packit will sail at the time but I write lest it shold and I shold be found wantting in my Duty and you be displesd. In the firste plase Salley is Come home Shee traveled the coldest day I ever felte or that I ever remember and staid at the ferry [?] house till the next day then walked over one halef of the river and then in the bote the...
10To Benjamin Franklin from Deborah Franklin, 10–21 February 1765 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I am set down to Confab a littel with my dear child as it Semes a Sorte of a hollow day for we have an ox arosteing on the river and moste pepel semes plesd with the a fair but as I partake of none of the divershons I stay at home and flatter myselef that the next packit will bring me a letter from you. By the laste packit thair was a letter from mr....
11To Benjamin Franklin from Deborah Franklin, 7–12 April 1765 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Aprill 7 this day is Cumpleet 5 munthes senes you lefte your one House. I did reseve a letter from the Capes senes that not one line. I due supose that you did write by the Jan packit but that is not arived as yit. Miss Wikeof Came and told me that you was arived and was well that her Brother had wrote her he had seen you mr. Neet has wrote that you was...
12Deborah Franklin: Household Accounts, [1 July 1765—1 October 1766] (Franklin Papers)
AD : American Philosophical Society Among the Franklin Papers is a three-page account in Deborah Franklin’s hand headed “July the 1 1765 Laid ought on all a Cashons [occasions] in house keeping and other necesarees.” There follow approximately 130 entries of financial transactions, although in about a dozen instances she seems to have failed to put down the amounts paid out. After the heading...
13To Benjamin Franklin from Deborah Franklin, August 1765 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Mr. Hall Coled to let me know that a vesill was to saile to Bristol this day I donte love to let a vesill go with ought letting you nought we air well. I had wrote so far when our good friend Mr. Rhodes come in and then Mr. whortons Eldeste Son thay stayd a while and talked of you and seemed well plesed as I gave them your letter to me Dated May 11 and June...
14To Benjamin Franklin from Deborah Franklin, 22 September 1765 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I have reseved yours by Capt. Friend and one which was to a Cume by N yorke and by the packit and yisterday by Capt. Cotin they all give me pleshuer indead and I love to hear from you I am so verey poor a writer that I donte undertake to say aney thing a bought the dis[order] in this porte of the world but to me it semes we air verey wicked and so is the...
15To Benjamin Franklin from Deborah Franklin, [6–13 October? 1765] (Franklin Papers)
AL (fragment): American Philosophical Society This document begins close to the upper margin of a leaf, without date or salutation but with “(5),” possibly a part of the original writing, at the top. The paper is in Deborah Franklin’s hand, but there is no signature. The writing occupies the whole of one rather large page, with the paragraph beginning “Salley is still att Burlinton” written...
16To Benjamin Franklin from Deborah Franklin, [8?–13 October 1765] (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society In this letter Deborah Franklin was slightly more generous with periods than in the document immediately above, but the same problem recurs here of determining where she intended some of her sentences to end. The editors have therefore again surrounded their inserted periods and their substituted initial capital letters with brackets in order not to deprive...
17To Benjamin Franklin from Deborah Franklin, 3 November 1765 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society The dredfull firste of November is over; and not so much disorder as was dreded I am a shamed of maney of our sittisons but I think you air informed by better handes than I am. I am to one [own] I did not write by the laste packit all thow I did in quier when it wold saile the poste Came in after darke and wente in a quator of an ower so I Cold not write as...
18To Benjamin Franklin from Deborah Franklin, 12 January 1767 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society laste nighte Mr. Brown Came and asked me if I had any Commans to you I sed I all ways have he sed he shold saile this day by the way of Dublin I Cold a wishe he Coud a Stayde tell the Poste had Cum in as I heard the Packit is Cume in to N Yorke. I am so impashente tell the poste cumes in I send you the 2 bills endorsed by Septeymus Robinson but the Paper...
19To Benjamin Franklin from Deborah Franklin, 2[0–25] April 1767 (Franklin Papers)
AL : American Philosophical Society I did reseve your Dear littel letter by the packit it gave me much pleshuer to hear that your dear armes air so much better and that our Dear littel Salley is so much better my love to her tell her I ofen have talked of her. Thank good mrs. Stephenson for takeing Cair of her. I did thinke her mother was dead as you had not sed aney thing of her poor dear...
20To Benjamin Franklin from Deborah Franklin, 1 May 1767 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society This minnit Capt. Folkener Cume to bid fairwell. Salley is in her Room a writeing and I only Say Mr. [David] Potts is not Come down. I shall Send the Bill as Soon as I Can. I have maid a present of my watch to Salley and we have given Capt. Folkner the chain to have it put to write. when you See Mr. and Mrs. Strahan and your young wife my love to them to...
21To Benjamin Franklin from Deborah Franklin (I), 16 May 1767 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I hear that Capt. Sparkes is to saile to morrow or next day. I set down to chatt a littel to you, and in close a letter, which I had sente to N yorke but the vesill was gon. I wente up to see our Children att Burlinton on Satterday and Billey Come doune with me on munday and returnd yisterday and Salley wente up with him and I expeckte her down this day or...
22To Benjamin Franklin from Deborah Franklin (II), [16 May 1767] (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society on thusday I reseved yours with one inclosed to Salley with the Ring. Yours is dated March 17. You cante thing what pleshuer thees dear littel letters give to me as I know you thinke of me ofen. The Bairer of this is mr. Franses the Eldest son of your old friend mr. Franses. He has bin in quite distres senes yisterday was week on a Counte of the faileor of...
23To Benjamin Franklin from Deborah Franklin, 3 July 1767 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Sir John the bairer of this will tell you shold you be in London that I am as well as yousal. Salley who is att Burlinton ever senes wensday was verey well when shee set ought and I hearde ones from her mabey shee writes from thair to you. Billey and Mrs. Franklin was verey well I heard on thusday. This is Satterday the 4 of July our friend forster Came to...
24To Benjamin Franklin from Deborah Franklin, [13–18 October? 1767] (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I have reseved all your letters down to July 3d the laste by mr. Nevese whare in you say that by the packit you shall anser all mine and your friends letters by Folkener Friend and the Packit but that is arived and no letter from you to aneybodey which is verey surpriseing to them I say that I thinke you have wrote but by sum mistake thay was not put on...
25To Benjamin Franklin from Deborah Franklin, [21–22 January 1768] (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society yister day I had the pleshuer to reseve yours Dated November the 17 I had not hearde one worde abought you senes the later end of Auguste which was neare five munthes but I shall not dwell on that at this time. You reseded I hope all our letters wrote in September and ocktober and those from Mr. Bache and Salley and mine all so and I thinke you was told...
26To Benjamin Franklin from Deborah Franklin, 20[–23] May 1768 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I have wrote to you by Capt. Folkner this is to go by Capt. Storrey by Folkner. I send the watch to be dun what Mrs. Stephenson and you pies all thow I menshoned a Wat[ch?] chaine by Capt. Sparkes I leve it an have no choyce of my one [own] and I know that Salley will be plesed with what is chose for her. This day I deliverd E Browns Close to Mr. Town to...
27Deborah Franklin: Power of Attorney, 14 October 1768 (Franklin Papers)
DS : American Philosophical Society Whereas my Husband Benjamin Franklin late of this City of Philadelphia but now of London Esqr. by his Letter of Attorney dated the Fourth Day of April, ADomi. 1757, did constitute and appoint me the Subscriber his Attorney to negotiate settle and transact all his private Affairs and Business in America with power to substitute an Attorney under me for that...
28Deborah Franklin: Receipt to Sarah Drury, 10 December 1768 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: American Philosophical Society Know all Men by these presents that I Deborah Franklin Attorney in fact duly authorised and empowered by my husband Benjamin Franklin Esqr. now in London have received from Sarah Drury Executrix: Of William Maugridge Esqr. three bonds of Henry Ferree to said Sarah Drury and by her assigned to Doct. Benjamin Franklin each for one hundred pounds the first...
29To Benjamin Franklin from Deborah Franklin, 31 August 1769 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I have but time to tell you that yister day our Dear littel Boy was Caireyed to Christe Church and was baptised by the Name of Benj Franklin. His Unkill and Ante stood for him Mr. Banton as procksey for you and I was well aneuef to stand for my selef. I have the pleshuer to tell you that Salley is thank to god as well as we have resen to expeckte her to be...
30To Benjamin Franklin from Deborah Franklin, 4 October 1769 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society The preceding letter from Deborah, written on August 31, suggests that she had recovered her mental powers after her previous illness. Her spelling, syntax, and punctuation (or rather lack of it) were as always sui generis , and she remarked on her “in Conneckted staet”; but the sequence of her ideas was no more confused than usual, and she talked of the...