Benjamin Franklin Papers
Documents filtered by: Period="Confederation Period" AND Correspondent="Franklin, Benjamin" AND Correspondent="Hodgson, William"
sorted by: editorial placement
Permanent link for this document:
https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Franklin/01-41-02-0110

To Benjamin Franklin from William Hodgson, 30 October 1783

From William Hodgson

ALS: American Philosophical Society

London 30 Octr. 1783

Dear sir

I recd your kind Letter of the 9th4 per Mr Jay, who has been somewhat indisposed since his arrival, you may be assured if it lies in my Power to be in the least usefull to him I shall have great Pleasure therein— I shall pay Mr Vinys Bill for your Chariot Wheels & know of no better mode of Conveyance for them than by Rouen—5 Inclosed you have your Acct with me ballance due to you £49..7.6—6 In a former Letter7 I quoted the Ballance wrong having taken it from the Expenditure after receipt of Mr Vaughans money, without adverting to what I had advanced before that Time— There is an Article of £21. to Mr Cooke8 that I do not consider myself as quite warranted to charge you with. I was in hopes Mr Cook wou’d himself have repaid me, but I have not heard a Word from him alltho now a year & half ago, I therefore submit it entirely to your Generosity, hoping you will think this a pardonable stretch of my Instructions— Some of my Friends have suggested to me that if Congress appointed a Consul for G Brittain, I had some Pretensions to offer them my Services in that Capacity— I just submit the Idea to your friendship & Consideration, if you approve the thought you will favor me with your Advice & Assistance I am very truly Dr sr Your much Obliged Friend & servt

William Hodgson

His Excellency B. Franklin Esqr

Addressed: To / His Excellency / Benj. Franklin Esqr. / Paris

[Note numbering follows the Franklin Papers source.]

4Not found.

5See Dessin to BF, Oct. 14, and John Viny to BF, [after Nov. 28].

6This account, the final extant one submitted by Hodgson, was completed by him on Oct. 24 (APS). The debit side includes payments relating to American prisoners and BF’S private concerns; some of these are specified in XXXVII, 31n. He credited BF for cash received at Paris in November, 1782 (XXXVIII, 441n) and a bill of exchange on Benjamin Vaughan of February, 1783 (XXXIX, 209). At some later time BF tried to bring the account up to date, adding entries in pencil. Hodgson had paid Dr. Withering £5.5 and paid Viny “for Wheels”; the amount of the latter was left blank. He noted that all the money dispersed by Hodgson (£275 15 s.) was furnished out of his own private account with Ferdinand Grand. The final balance due him was £248 9s.

7XXXIX, 479–80.

8See XXXVII, 31n.

Index Entries