21From Benjamin Franklin to William Strahan, 28 November 1747 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I received your Favour of June 11. per Capt. Tiffin, with the Books, &c. all in good Order. Mr. Parks, who drew the Bill on Guidart & Sons, is surpriz’d at their Protesting it, they having, as he says, large Effects of his in their Hands: He will speedily renew that Bill. Enclos’d I send you a Bill on Xr. Kilby Esqr, for £19.7.1½ Sterling, which I hope will...
22From Benjamin Franklin to William Strahan, 4 February 1748 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Huntington Library Enclos’d is a second Bill for £19 7 s. 1½ d. Sterling. The first I sent you some time since. Mr. Hall will write, tho’ neither of us have much Time, the Vessel hurrying away for fear of the Ice. I shall soon send you more Bills. With my best Respects to Mrs. Strahan, in which my Dame joins, and hearty Wishes for the Welfare of you and yours, I am, Dear Sir, Your...
23From Benjamin Franklin to William Strahan, 19 October 1748 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Pierpont Morgan Library I receiv’d your Favour of April 25, with the Maps, &c. I am glad the Polybius did not come, and hope you will not have sent it when this reaches your Hands; it was intended for my Son, who was then in the Army, and seemed bent on a military Life; but as Peace cuts off his Prospect of Advancement in that Way, he will apply himself to other Business. Enclos’d I send...
24From Benjamin Franklin to William Strahan, 23 November 1748 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Buffalo Historical Society I have just Time to acquaint you that yours per Cowie is this moment come to hand, with Mr. Read’s Account &c. I shall use my best Endeavours to get your Money, and am not without Hopes of Succeeding. I wrote you the 19th past, and sent a Power with the first of the enclos’d Certificates, which I hope will get safe to hand. You may depend on having the Ballance...
25From Benjamin Franklin to William Strahan, 9 January 1749 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Yale University Library This just serves to cover a Bill of Exchange for £8 8 s. o d. Sterling, and to let you know we are all well. It goes via New York, our River being full of Ice. I shall write you largely per our next Vessel, particularly about Mr. Read’s Affair. I wrote to you per our two last Vessels. The Post just going, cannot add but that I am Dear Sir, Your obliged Friend and...
26From Benjamin Franklin to William Strahan, 28 February 1749 (Franklin Papers)
MS not found; extract reprinted from Stan V. Henkels, Catalogue No. 906, pt. 2, supplement (October 26, 1904), item 2910. Our Friend Hall goes on exceedingly well: Has lately got a Daughter. Mary, first child of David and Mary Hall, was born Feb. 7, 1749, and died before Sept. 27, 1750. PMHB , XVI (1892), 364; LX (1936), 458.
27From Benjamin Franklin to William Strahan, 29 April 1749 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Pierpont Morgan Library I suppose Mr. Hall will acquaint you that I have settled with him for those Things you sent me that were charg’d in his Invoice. Enclos’d are the following Bills, viz. Richard Graham’s £22. 0. 0 James M’Nab’s 3. 10. 0 Hammond & Co’s 2. 13. 7 Do 8. 8. 0 Do
28From Benjamin Franklin to William Strahan, 3 July 1749 (Franklin Papers)
MS not found; reprinted from Bigelow, Works , X , 252–3. I wrote to you very fully per Arthur concerning your affair with Mr. Read, and shall have nothing to add on that subject till I hear further from you. I acquainted you that he had given his bond for the balance due to you, and that I do not look on the debt as desperate. Enclosed I send you several second bills, having sent the firsts...
29From Benjamin Franklin to William Strahan, 23 October 1749 (Franklin Papers)
MS not found; reprinted from Bigelow, Works , X , 253–4. I hope before this can reach you your Parliament will have met and ordered payment of what has been so long due on account of the Canada expedition. In the settling our account I will make you a reasonable allowance for the disappointment occasioned by the delay of my son’s bill. J. Read has removed into a house of less rent, which I was...
30From Benjamin Franklin to William Strahan, 2 June 1750 (Franklin Papers)
MS not found; facsimiles of ALS : Historical Society of Pennsylvania and Boston Public Library The Person from whom you had the Power of Attorney to receive a Legacy, was born in Holland, and at first call’d Aletta Crell; but not being Christen’d when the Family came to live among the English in America, she was baptiz’d by the Name of Mary . This Change of Name probably might be unknown to...
31From Benjamin Franklin to William Strahan, 6 December 1750 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I receiv’d your Favour of Augt. 31. per Mesnard, and Copy per Shirley who is just arrived. Mr. Joseph Crellius is gone to Holland and I suppose may call at London before he returns, and settle his Daughter’s Affair. I am sorry there has been so long Delay in this Payment of my Son’s Money; I must contrive some Way to make you Satisfaction. My Son is now...
32From Benjamin Franklin to William Strahan, 4 February 1751 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Yale University Library I wrote you per Capt. Budden, who sail’d the Beginning of December, and sent you a Bill of Exchange on Jonathan Gurnel & Co. for Fifty Pounds, and desired you to send me Viner’s, Bacon’s and Danvers’s Abridgments of the Law, with Wood’s and Coke’s Institutes. I have no Copy of the Letter, and forget whether I added the Compleat Attorney in 6 or 8 Vols. 8vo. the...
33From Benjamin Franklin to William Strahan, 28 June 1751 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : New York Public Library I receiv’d yours of March 26. with the Books per Smith in good Order: And your Account, which agrees with mine except in a Trifle, the Share of the Charges on Ainsworth carried to J. Read’s Account. I am concern’d at your laying so long out of your Money, and must think of some Way of making you Amends. I have wrote to Smith at Antigua to quicken him in...
34From Benjamin Franklin to William Strahan, 19 July 1751 (Franklin Papers)
MS not found; reprinted from Bigelow, Works (Federal Edition, 1904), XII , 253. This serves to cover the enclosed and recommend the affair to your care. I have assured the gentlemen concerned that you will serve them as well and cheap as any bookseller in London. They are men of ability, and will be constant customers. We are all well, and join in the most cordial salutations to you, Mrs....
35From Benjamin Franklin to William Strahan, 22 September 1751 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Yale University Library My Daughter receiv’d her Books all in good Order, and thanks you for your kind Care in sending them. Enclos’d is a second Bill for £20 Sterling. The first went per Mesnard. There is a little Book on the Game of Chess, by Philip Stamma, printed for J. Brindley, 1745. If to be had, please to send it me; with the Remaining Vols. of Viner as fast as they are...
36From Benjamin Franklin to William Strahan, 21 March 1752 (Franklin Papers)
MS not found; reprinted from The Atlantic Monthly , lxi (1888), 29. I wrote to you in the Winter via New York, for a few Books, and sent a 2d Bill of £30 Barbados Currency. The first is enclos’d. I hope it came to Hand Time enough for you to meet with the Gentleman and get the Money. He is Capt. of a Ship, and was to be found in the New England Coffee House, but probably may be gone before you...
37From Benjamin Franklin to William Strahan, 20 June 1752 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Historical Society of Pennsylvania I received yours of Jan. 17. with the two Vols. of Viner, in good Order: but the Ship proving leaky, the Water got into the Box containing poor Sally’s Dressing Glass, by which means the Glue being dissolved, the Frame parted, the Glass dropt out and broke to pieces, and the Wood Work is so twisted and cast out of Shape in drying again, that nothing...
38From Benjamin Franklin to William Strahan, 7 August 1752 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Boston Public Library I wrote to you lately per Mesnard, and sent a Bill for £50 Sterling, with a List of Books to be purchased for our Library; a Copy of which I shall send per another Ship that sails in a few Days. This is chiefly to recommend to you Mr. Matthias Harris, a Gentleman of Maryland, and a Friend of mine. As he will be entirely a Stranger in London, your Acquaintance and...
39From Benjamin Franklin to William Strahan, 8 August 1752 (Franklin Papers)
MS not found; reprinted from The Atlantic Monthly , LXI (1888), p. 30. I wrote to you the 20th of June per Mr. Sterling (who I hope is by this Time safe arrived in England) and sent you a Bill of £50 sterling with a List of Books to be procured for our Library. Enclos’d is a Copy, and the 2d Bill. I wrote at the same Time for a Pair of Globes of 6, or 8 Guineas Price; a concave Mirror of 12...
40From Benjamin Franklin to William Strahan, 1 September 1752 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society This is only to enclose a second Bill for £20 Sterling, drawn on Alexr Grant Esqr per Mrs. Mary Stevens. I am, Yours affectionately See above, p. 339.
41From Benjamin Franklin to William Strahan, 16 November 1752 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Yale University Library Your Favours of Augt. 26. with the Books for the Library Company, &c. came safe to hand; and all turn out right; excepting that D’Argens Philosophy of Common Sense is not come, but another thing of his instead of it. The Life of Boerhave sent is an old and small Book; what we intended was a new Life lately published in (I think) 4 Vols. 8vo. Condamine’s Figure of...
42From Benjamin Franklin to William Strahan, 9 May 1753 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Boston Public Library; also duplicate: New York Public Library I have your Favour of Jany. 30 and thank you for the Civility shown on my Recommendation to Mr. Harris. What you mention concerning the Books, was not at all amiss. Neither the 2d Vol. of Bower’s History of the Popes, nor Delaresse’s Art of Painting, nor Crito, are to be found in Mr. Hall’s Trunks. I have settled a Nephew of...
43From Benjamin Franklin to William Strahan, 4 June 1753 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : New York Public Library The above is a Copy of mine per Reeves. This is only to request you would send me here, the Quarto Abridgement of the Philosophical Transactions, except the first five Volumes which I have. Send me also Fielding’s Proposals for employing the Poor. In haste, I am Yours ut supra All well. Mr. Hall out of town. The 5 Vols of Transactions I have, are abridg’d by...
44From Benjamin Franklin to William Strahan, 27 October 1753 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Yale University Library I have your Favour of June 27, and am quite surpriz’d at the Conduct of Mr. Harris. He is return’d to Maryland as I hear, a Parson! I have now received Bower’s 2d Vol. and shall send to the Trenton Library to enquire after Crito and Delaresse. The Sum was £25 to which I limited the Books, &c. to be sent my Nephew Benja. Mecom. But if you have sent to the Amount of...
45From Benjamin Franklin to William Strahan, 16 November 1753 (Franklin Papers)
MS not found; reprinted from extract in Merwin Sales Company, Catalogue No. 557 (1914), p. 16. I wrote to you via Bristol and desired you to bespeak some Letter and a Press for me. I desired Mr. Hall to look out for such a Bill for me, but he has not been able to procure one at any reasonable rate. Among the lost [long?] list of type is 300 lb. long Primer with Figures and Signs sufficient for...
46From Benjamin Franklin to William Strahan, 27 November 1753 (Franklin Papers)
ALS and duplicate: Yale University Library I inclose you a Bill of Philip Gibbes jr. drawn on Messrs. Lascelles and Maxwell, Merchants in London, for £50 Sterling. Also a Bill of John Hutchings on Mr. James Buchanan Merchant London for £50 Sterling which I hope will be readily paid. Twelve Pounds in these Bills is what I received of Mr. Dove for Mr. Young; the remaining £88, please to carry to...
47From Benjamin Franklin to William Strahan, 4 December 1753 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Yale University Library This serves to enclose second Bills for One Hundred Pound Sterling, sent per Richey. I am, ut supra. Addressed: To Mr Wm Strahan Printer London Per Capt. Mitchell. Written on the same sheet with the duplicate of his letter to Strahan, Nov. 27, 1753.
48From Benjamin Franklin to William Strahan, 18 April 1754 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Pierpont Morgan Library; also duplicate: New York Public Library By Capt. Gibbon I received a Copy of yours per the Myrtylla, but she is not yet arrived. I am glad to hear the Bills I sent you for £100 Sterling are accepted, and that the Goods were to be shipt soon for Connecticut. Bryant is arrived at New York, who left London the Middle of March; I have not heard whether he has brought...
49From Benjamin Franklin to William Strahan, 28 April 1754 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : New York Public Library; also duplicate: Yale University Library The above is a Copy of mine per Reeve. Two Ships are since arrived in New York, but I hear nothing yet of the Things expected, tho’ possibly they may be come. I enclose Mrs. Steevens second Bill for £20 Sterling. Please to send the following Books, viz. 2 Familiar Letters by Charles Halifax 12mo Baldwin 2 Nelson on the...
50From Benjamin Franklin to William Strahan, 8 August 1754 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Yale University Library The above is Copy of my last. Not receiving the Printing House as expected last Spring, has been a considerable Disappointment; but I am more concern’d to hear that you and yours have had so much Sickness. I hope before this time you are all perfectly recover’d. I inclose a Bill for £20 Sterling, drawn by Mrs. Mary Steevens on Alexr. Grant Esqr; which when paid...