751From Benjamin Franklin to the Printer of The London Chronicle, 30 December 1758 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in The London Chronicle: or Universal Evening Post , December 28–30, 1758; draft: American Philosophical Society. When people consider the supply of Twelve Millions as necessary for the service of the ensuing year, the greatness of the object astonishes; and they are apt to say, Whence can so vast a sum arise? Can England possibly bear the continuance of a war at so enormous an...
752From Benjamin Franklin to [William Strahan], [1759–62, 1764–75?] (Franklin Papers)
ALS (draft): Blumhaven Library (1957) I have perus’d the Parts you put into my Hands of the new Work on Commerce, &c. and must own myself extreamly pleas’d with it. It is a most valuable Collection of Facts which I should think every one in Britain, Ireland and the Colonies who has any thing to do with Publick Affairs, or is desirous of understanding that very interesting Subject, would gladly...
753From Benjamin Franklin to Isaac Norris, 1759 (Franklin Papers)
Duplicate Yale University Library When I first began to treat with the Proprietors, they desired I would put down in Writing the principal Points of Complaint which were to be the Subjects of Conference between us, that they might previously consider them. I accordingly deliver’d them the Paper herewith enclos’d, called Heads of Complaint , in which I confin’d myself to those that related...
754List of Franklin Birthdays, [1759] (Franklin Papers)
AD : Historical Society of Pennsylvania The Birthdays of the Children of Josiah and Ann Franklin Eliz. Franklin, Mar. 2. 1677/8. Died Aug. 25. 1759. Samuel May 16. 1681 Mar. 30. 1720 Hannah May 25. 1683 April 3. 1723 Josiah Aug. 23. 1685 Went to Sea, never heard of Ann Jan. 5. 1686/7 June 16. 1729 Joseph Feb. 6. 1687/8
755From Benjamin Franklin to Mary Stevenson, [1759?] (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Library of Congress At length I have found an Hour, in which I think I may chat with my dear good Girl; free from Interruption. The Attention you have always shown to every thing you think agreable to me, demands my most grateful Acknowledgements. I have receiv’d the Garters you have so kindly knit for me; they are of the only Sort that I can wear, having worn none of any kind for 20...
756Comments on Hoadly and Wilson’s Electrical Pamphlet, 28 January 1759 (Franklin Papers)
AD : American Philosophical Society; italicized text summarized from Dr. [Benjamin] Hoadly and Mr. [Benjamin] Wilson, Observations on a Series of Electrical Experiments (London, 1756). (Yale University Library) In August 1756 Benjamin Hoadly and Benjamin Wilson, English electrical experimenters, published a 76-page pamphlet entitled Observations on a Series of Electrical Experiments . In it...
757Petition to the King in Council, [2 February 1759] (Franklin Papers)
I. Draft: American Philosophical Society. II. Copy: Historical Society of Pennsylvania; also two additional copies: Historical Society of Pennsylvania During the Indian conference at Easton in November 1756, the Delaware chieftain Teedyuscung, dramatically accused the Proprietors of having defrauded his people of lands in northeastern Pennsylvania. Governor Denny promptly relayed this charge...
758Preface to Dr. Heberden’s Pamphlet on Inoculation, 16 February 1759 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in [William Heberden], Some Account of the Success of Inoculation for the Small-Pox in England and America. Together with Plain Instructions, By which any Person may be enabled to perform the Operation, and conduct the Patient through the Distemper . London: Printed by W. Strahan, M,DCC,LIX. (Historical Society of Pennsylvania) Since at least 1730, Franklin had advocated inoculation...
759From Benjamin Franklin to Isaac Norris, 19 March 1759 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Yale University Library This unusually full and explicit letter describes more clearly than virtually any other contemporary document the attitude of leading members of the ministry on some of the constitutional questions which were to become increasingly important in the relations between the colonies and the mother country during the next fifteen or sixteen years. In the light of what...
760From Benjamin Franklin to Israel Pemberton, 19 March 1759 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Boston Public Library I received your Favour of December 11, and January 19. By those Ships you will receive some of the printed Enquiries, to which Post’s first Journal is added, which being more generally interesting, occasions the other to go into more Hands and be more read. Extracts of your and Mr. Thomson’s Letters are also added to make the Thing more compleat. Mr. Hall has Orders...
761From Benjamin Franklin to Thomas Holme, 27 March 1759 (Franklin Papers)
Draft: Historical Society of Pennsylvania I received your Favour of the 17th. Instant, with the Accounts, which are clear and satisfactory. And as you are so kind as to offer any farther Service in this Affair, may I take the Freedom to request you would make and send me a Draft of such a Discharge for me to sign, as will be proper and satisfactory to Mr. Fisher? If the Money could be paid by...
762From Benjamin Franklin to the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, April 1759 (Franklin Papers)
ADS : Public Record Office, London Pursuant to William Pitt’s promises, conveyed to the colonial governors in letters of Dec. 30, 1757, and Dec. 9, 1758, that Parliament would be urged “to grant a proper Consideration” to those colonies which had vigorously supported the war effort against France (above, p. 291 n), the chancellor of the Exchequer laid before the House of Commons, April 26,...
763From Benjamin Franklin to Deborah Franklin, [c. 7 April 1759] (Franklin Papers)
LS (incomplete): American Philosophical Society [ First part missing ] By the same I shall write to dear Precious, Cousin Debby, and some other Friends. I have now only to let you know what I have sent in these Ships. There are two or 3 Boxes; Mr. Neate shipt them, but I know not on board which Ship, as he has not sent me the Bills of Lading. They were shipt on board [the] Cornelia Capt. Smith...
764From Benjamin Franklin to Joseph Galloway, 7 April 1759 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Yale University Library Mr. Galloway I have your Favours of November 18 and February 9. Since my last our old Agent Mr. Patridge is deceas’d. You see something of my Friend Mr. Jackson in his Opinion and private Paper of Advice on our Affairs, which I last year transmitted to you. He is a Gentleman of considerable Fortune, and no Man in England has a greater Regard for the Colonies. He...
765From Benjamin Franklin to David Hall, 8 April 1759 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Independence National Historical Park, Philadelphia I have yours of Novr. 20. Decr. 5 and 8, and Jany. 18, with a Postscript of Feb. 5. Your prudent Conduct in my Absence, with regard to the Parties, as well as in every other respect, gives me great Satisfaction. If I do not correspond so fully and punctually with you as you expected, consider the Situation and Business I am in, the...
766From Benjamin Franklin to Deborah Franklin, 12 April 1759 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Calling here just now, I find a Bag not taken away, and as my Letters are gone or going, part by the Ships now at Portsmouth and part per Packet to be dispatch’d on Saturday, I write this Line to let you know we are well, and that you may not be uneasy at not having one Letter by this Ship. Now I think on’t; there was a Trunk sent last year by the...
767From Benjamin Franklin to Mary Stevenson, 4 May 1759 (Franklin Papers)
MS not found; reprinted from Smyth, Writings , III , 478–9. Hearing that you was in the Park last Sunday, I hop’d for the Pleasure of seeing you yesterday at the Oratorio in the Foundling Hospital; but, tho’ I look’d with all the Eyes I had, not excepting even those I carry in my Pocket I could not find you; and this Morning your good Mama, has receiv’d a Line from you, by which we learn that...
768From Benjamin Franklin to the Printer of The London Chronicle, 9 May 1759 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in The London Chronicle: or, Universal Evening Post , May 10–12, 1759. Paul Leicester Ford first identified Franklin as the author of this paper in 1889, and Verner W. Crane established the matter definitely in 1950 by pointing out the similarity of thought and treatment in certain passages with others of Franklin’s writings. Bigelow printed it in Works , IV , 244–58, but with the...
769Certificate of Nomination to the Royal Society, 17 May 1759 (Franklin Papers)
DS : The Royal Society, London Franklin was elected a fellow of the Royal Society on April 29, 1756, and was formally admitted on Nov. 24, 1757. He attended meetings regularly, was a frequent guest at dinners of the Royal Society Club, and took an active part in the Society’s business, being elected a member of the Council in 1760, 1766, 1767, 1772. Between 1759 and 1774 he joined in...
770Remarks on Thomas Penn’s Estimate of the Province, 29 May 1759 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in [Richard Jackson], An Historical Review of the Constitution and Government of Pensylvania … London: Printed for R. Griffiths, in Paternoster-Row, 1759, pp. 431–8. In the issue of May 26–29, 1759, The London Chronicle announced that An Historical Review of the Constitution and Government of Pensylvania was “This day published.” So appeared at last a work with which Franklin had been...
771From Benjamin Franklin to William Heberden, 7 June 1759 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Harvard College Library Tourmaline crystals, brought to Europe from the East by the Dutch early in the eighteenth century, began to attract the attention of electrical scientists when they found that, if heated, they had the power of attracting and repelling ashes and other light substances. The German scientist Aepinus began to study this pyroelectrical property and wrote a paper in...
772From Benjamin Franklin to Isaac Norris, 9 June 1759 (Franklin Papers)
Duplicate: Yale University Library It gives me great Pleasure to learn by yours of the 12th. of April, that the Bill taxing the Proprietary Estate would pass. I believe he will not dare to oppose it here; but if he does, I think it will bring the Point to a Decision the shortest Way, and that it must in all Probability be decided against him. The Firmness of the Assembly on this Occasion...
773From Benjamin Franklin to James Wright, 9 July 1759 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Yale University Library; transcript: John L. W. Mifflin, Middlebush, N.J. (1955) By the Cornelia Capt. Smith I sent you in a Box to Mrs. Franklin Norden’s Egypt. cost £4: 4: 0 Maintenon’s Letters and a Book of Husbandry 0: 6: 0 A Thermometer 1: 11: 6 £6: 1: 6 which I hope are got safe to hand. There has been at my House one Mary James
774From Benjamin Franklin to James Wright, 9 July 1759 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: William L. Clements Library When Mr. Hunter came to Town, I conferr’d with him on the Subject of Supporting a regular constant Post between Charles Town in South Carolina and Williamsburgh in Virginia, agreeable to what Pass’d when I had the Pleasure of Meeting you at the General Post Office. He was Concerned to hear, that by the Death of Mr. Fareis who we had appointed to Carry on that...
775From Benjamin Franklin to Jane Mecom, 14 July 1759 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I received your kind Letter of Jany. 31. You are very good in not resenting some Part of my Letter of September 16. which I confess was a little rude; but you fatfolks can’t bear Malice. Our Cousin Fisher and her Husband are both dead since I saw them. She surviv’d him but a few Days. What she had in her Disposal was but little; and it was divided into 7...
776From Benjamin Franklin to Ebenezer Kinnersley, 28 July 1759 (Franklin Papers)
MS not found; reprinted from The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography , XIII (1889), 247–8. I received your favour of Sept. 9 and should have answer’d it sooner, but delay’d in Expectation of procuring for you some Book that describes and explains the Uses of the Instruments you are at a loss about. I have not yet got such a Book but shall make further Enquiry. Does not Desaguliers...
777From Benjamin Franklin to Deborah Franklin, 6 August 1759 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I wrote to you already by this Ship, but have since receiv’d yours and Sally’s of June 18. and 21. which gave me great Pleasure, as your Letters always do; and the greater as it was long that I had not heard from you. I have wrote you several long Letters this Year, and suppose they got to hand at last, tho’ it seems by yours they have been long by the Way:...
778From Benjamin Franklin to Deborah Franklin, 29 August 1759 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society This letter is the first document connected with the long trip the Franklins took to the north of England and to Scotland in the summer and early autumn of 1759. The honors paid Franklin and the new friends he made mark this journey as one of the high points of his first mission to Great Britain. Documentation is inadequate to provide precise dates for the...
779From Benjamin Franklin to William Strahan, 6 September 1759 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Yale University Library Your agreable Letter of the 4th August, is just come to hand, being sent back to me from London hither. I have been a Month on my Journey; but the first Thing I did after my Arrival here was to enquire at Mr. Kincaid’s whether you were yet in Scotland. He told me he believ’d you were out of Town, but not return’d to England, and might be heard of at Mrs. Scot’s....
780From Benjamin Franklin to Sir Alexander Dick, [5 October 1759] (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Mrs. Ailsa Joan Mary Dick-Cunyngham, Prestonfield, Edinburgh (1955) Dr. Franklin and his Son present their respectful Compliments to Sir Alexander Dick, and shall attend him to Preston-field tomorrow with great Pleasure. They are extreamly oblig’d to Sir Alexander for his kind Invitation to spend some Days at his Seat in the Country, but doubt the short Stay they must make in these Parts...