To Benjamin Franklin from Thomas Holme, 17 March 1759
From Thomas Holme
ALS: Historical Society of Pennsylvania
Wellingborough March 17th. 1759.
Sir
I have communicated Yours of the 8th Instant to Mr. Fisher,6 who gave me the inclosed Bill of Funeral and other necessary Expences, to be sent to you for your Satisfaction with regard to the Distribution of your late Cousin Fishers Estate which according to my Calculation will stand as follows—
| Dr. Administratrix to the Estate late Mrs. Fisher’s. | Credr. | ||||
| £ s. d. | £ s. d. | ||||
| To a Legacy bequeathed. by the late Mr. R:Fisher |  |
100:0:0 | By necessary Expences. | 31: 2:2 | |
| To Mrs. Fishers wearing Apparel divided between Mrs. Morris and Mrs. Farrow valued at | |
11:0:6 | By four equal 7th Shares at £11 8s. 4d. each | |
45:13: 4 |
| By three more at Do.7 | |
34: 5:0 | |||
| £111:0:6 | £111:0:6 | ||||
Mr. Fisher (as he gave Bond with Mrs. Farrow for the due Distribution of this personal Estate) approves of your Proposal to receive the four Shares due to your Relations in America, and will directly pay £45 13s. 4d. to your Order, on sending a proper Discharge for the Same, and will also pay your Share, which you are so good as to give them, to Mrs. Morris and Mrs. Farrow.8 If I can be of any further Service to You in this, or any other Affair here, I beg you would make no Scruple of sending your Commands to Sir Your very humble Servant
Tho Holme.
The Expences of the Funeral of Mrs. Mary Fisher, who was buried Decr. 30. 1758.9
| £ | s. | d. | |
| Pd. for the Administration for Mrs. Farrow | 01 | 19 | 04 |
| Gave the Under-bearers | 00 | 06 | 00 |
| Pd. the washwoman for laying Mrs. Fisher out and for Gloves | 00 | 07 | 02 |
| Pd. a Woman for helping to lay Her out, and for Gloves | 00 | 07 | 02 |
| Gave the Servant Jenny for a pair of Gloves | 00 | 01 | 02 |
| Pd. Mr. Day for five Bottles of Wine | 00 | 09 | 04 |
| Pd. Mr. Maules Draper’s Bill for the Funeral | 13 | 13 | 00 |
| Pd. the Glazier’s Bill for a lead Coffin | 07 | 00 | 00 |
| Pd. the Carpenter for Coffins and Furniture &c. | 04 | 01 | 06 |
| Pd. Mr. Lucas the Apothecary | 00 | 18 | 00 |
| Pd. the Sexton for taking up and laying down the Grave-Stone | 00 | 02 | 03 |
| Pd. the Sexton for digging the Grave, the Bell and cleaning the Church | 00 | 07 | 06 |
| Pd. Mr. Holme for the Grave in the Church and a Mortuary | 00 | 16 | 08 |
| Pd. the Church-Wardens for opening the Grave in the Church | 00 | 06 | 08 |
| Charges in bringing and carrying Mrs. Farrow home | 00 | 06 | 06 |
| 31 | 02 | 02 |
These Expences were approved of
by the Administratrix Mrs. Farrow,
and defrayed by me
Wm. Fisher sole Executor
of the late Mr. Richd Fisher
Addressed: To / Mr. Benjamin Franklin / at Mrs. Stephenson’s in Craven Street / Strand / London / Free / Wm Cartwright
Endorsed: Revd Mr Holme March 17. 1759 answd the 27th
6. Not found. Rev. William Fisher superintended the administration of Mary Fisher’s estate for Anne Farrow, the administratrix. For matters connected with that estate and identification of other persons mentioned in this letter, see above, pp. 221–5.
7. Mary Fisher’s estate was divided equally among her seven living first cousins: four in New England (Samuel Franklin, Elizabeth Douse, Peter Franklin, and Jane Mecom) and three then in England (Anne Farrow, Eleanor Morris, and BF).
8. On July 14, 1759, BF wrote his sister, Jane Mecom, asking her to suggest in what form he might most satisfactorily send the legacies to her and Elizabeth Douse; see below, p. 415. Mrs. Douse died Aug. 25, 1759, in debt to BF, so he may never have sent her share; Mrs. Mecom apparently drew on her son Benjamin, who was also indebted to BF, so that the transfer could become merely a bookkeeping arrangement. BF to Jane Mecom, Jan. 9, 1760. How the other two American heirs were paid does not appear. On the amounts to which the two elderly English cousins became entitled, see below, p. 302 n.
9. This statement is in a different hand from that of the letter it accompanies.