To Benjamin Franklin from Deborah Franklin, August 1765
From Deborah Franklin
ALS: American Philosophical Society
August the 17652
My Dear Child
Mr. Hall Coled to let me know that a vesill was to saile to Bristol this day I donte love to let a vesill go with ought letting you nought we air well. I had wrote so far when our good friend Mr. Rhodes3 come in and then Mr. whortons Eldeste Son4 thay stayd a while and talked of you and seemed well plesed as I gave them your letter to me Dated May 11 and June 8.5 Mr. Rhodes ses you never give him two letters for one but he is thankfull for aney as he knows you have much writeing to doe. I have be gun a letter or rather Jurnal to you which I shall send by the packit6 I am very glad that you doe approve of my purchous7 and when it shall pleas God to restore you to your one [own] house I think you will be verey much plesd at the look of it as it dos make a fine Squair and an equil spaise on each sid your house and at this time your man Gorge8 is a leveling of it and it look much better then when I firste Come into it which was in may that is I stayd in Mr. Foxcroftes house9 till he Come that is we dresed vitels and slep thair and muefed by degrees to our one [own] house. Salley is well and sendes her Duty shee is to dine to day at mr. Rosses in Cumpany with Tom Bond and wife and Buckridg Simes and wife who is Even Morgons Dafter.1 I tell you this to excues her to you for not writeing to day. Mr. Foxcroft and our Nabor thomson2 is gon to Virjoney to gather. Our nabors and friends air all well we have had a verey drey time as ever I knew sens I Can remember but a verey fine and plentey full Harves blesed be god for his goodnes. I saw Brother and Sister3 on tusday night thay was well thair Dafter and another Child is with them so thay air prittey full at this time. Billey Hunter4 is well and dines with me every Sunday all mouste he grows finely and I hope is a good Boy. Be plesd to make my Compleymentes to Good mrs. and Miss Stephenson with thankes for thair Cair of you to Mr. Strahans whole famely. My Brother5 is returnd from N york he desiered me to give his love to you I pray god bles you and give my [you] Suckses and send you home to you friends in his one time I am as ever you re afeckshonat wife
D Franklin
Addressed: To / Benjamin Franklin Esq / in / Craven Street / London / Via Bristol / By Capt. Harkies / Q.D.C.
2. The day of the month appears to have been left blank, although a small pen mark in the space may have been intended for a “I.” In any case, DF must have written this letter during the first week of the month, for Pa. Gaz., Aug. 8, 1765, reported that the snow Penn, J. Harkies, had cleared for Bristol; see the first sentence and the notation on the address. For these reasons the letter is placed at the beginning of August.
3. Samuel Rhoads. He would not yet have received BF’s letter of July 9.
4. Thomas Wharton, BF’s correspondent and the eldest son of Joseph Wharton. Thomas’ own sons were small children at this time.
5. DF probably meant the letter of May 11, to which BF had added a postscript on June 8; above, pp. 126–8.
6. Possibly one of DF’s two undated letters of 1765.
7. The Syddon lot, adjoining the Franklin property on the east. BF had expressed his approval of the purchase in his letter of May 11, mentioned above. For the deed, see below, pp. 283–6.
8. BF’s Negro household servant, mentioned often in DF’s letters and later in Richard Bache’s accounts.
9. Apparently Foxcroft had bought or rented a house in Philadelphia to bring him closer to the center of his activities for the Post Office. On June 14 Parker had told BF that Foxcroft had arrived in the city and was busy putting his house in order; above, p. 175.
1. The host at this dinner was probably John Ross. The other guests were Thomas Bond, Jr., and his wife, Anne, and Buckridge Sims (above, VIII, 65 n) and his recent bride, Elizabeth. Mrs. Bond and Mrs. Sims were sisters.
2. Charles Thomson.
3. Probably Peter Franklin (C.9) and his wife, Mary. A daughter, Sarah, is mentioned in correspondence among the women members of the family. She may not have been Peter and Mary’s actual daughter, however, but a sister of Ephraim Brown, whom the Franklins are said to have adopted.
4. Son of BF’s former associate in the Post Office. The boy was receiving his education in Philadelphia under the Franklins’ supervision; above, X, 317 n.
5. DF’s brother, John Read (E.1.2.5); above, I, 363; IV, 208–9.