To Benjamin Franklin from John Franklin, [January 1753]
From John Franklin
Draft: New York Academy of Medicine
[January 1753]3
Dear Brother
With Regard to our fathers Estate I can only so far Inform you that the houshold Stuf as sold at Vendue amounted to a Little more than [illegible]4 old Tenor. The house and Land was apprisd at £200.5
3. This letter answered BF’s inquiry of January 2; it was drafted in the margin of BF’s letter, Dec. 8, 1752.
4. Torn in MS, but the figure was probably £70. Josiah Franklin’s personal estate was appraised at £59 12s. 2d., but brought £70 17s. 3d. at auction. The house was appraised at £253 6s. 8d., but brought only £188 13s. 4d., when sold, April 15, 1754. Van Doren, Franklin-Mecom, pp. 39–40. Bigelow incorrectly rendered the sums as $400 and $2000 respectively. Works (Federal edit., 1904), XII, 260.
5. Two memoranda appear in the margin, as though they are notes of information to be included in the fair copy of John Franklin’s letter to be sent to BF: “almon attorney crellis security” and a column of names and figures: Boyles 300, Barber 400, Sutton 50, Cox 100, JF [John Franklin] 500, Yrs [BF’s] 200, totaling 1550.