From Benjamin Franklin to Deborah Franklin, 18 March 1760
To Deborah Franklin
ALS: American Philosphical Society
London, Pennsilva. Coffee House
March 18. 1760
My dear Child,
Being just told by Mr. Wickoff,1 that he goes tomorrow for Philadelphia, I write this Line here to let you know I am pretty well recover’d of a slight Illness I lately had, the same that affected me when I came down first from Gnadenhut, if you remember it, a Pain and Giddiness in my Head,2 I have been cupp’d, blooded, physick’d and at last blister’d for it; and it seems now quite remov’d; but by those Operations and very spare Living, I am grown a little thin, which I do not dislike. I hope this will find you well, and Mother and Sally. I purpose a little Journey of a few Days during the Easter Holidays.3 My Love to all enquiring Friends. I am, as ever, dear Debby Your affectionate Husband
B Franklin
Addressed: To / Mrs Franklin / Philadelphia / per favour of / Mr Wikoff
1. In Pa. Gaz. as late as Nov. 15, 1759, John and Peter Wikoff were jointly advertising European and India goods for sale at their store in Front St., Philadelphia, at the corner of Black Horse Alley. In the issue of June 26, 1760, John Wikoff began to advertise similar goods under his own name at John Relfe’s former store in Second St., and on Dec. 11, 1760, Peter Wikoff began advertising from the former location and requested all persons indebted “to the late Partnership of John and Peter Wikoff” to pay him. Both men are listed as members of the Mount Regale Fishing Co. of Philadelphia, 1762–63. PMHB, XXVII (1903), 89.
2. Gnadenhütten (now Weissport, Pa.) was a Moravian settlement in Northampton Co. at which BF supervised the building of Ft. Allen in January 1756; see above, VI, 307–8, 365–8. On his dizzy spells after that experience, see above, VI, 429.
3. There is no record of such a trip; BF was probably too busy preparing for the Board of Trade hearings on the Pa. acts of 1758–59 to leave London at this time.