To Benjamin Franklin from James Parker: Bond, 15 November 1763
From James Parker: Bond2
Printed form with MS insertions in blanks: American Philosophical Society
[November 15, 1763]
Know all Men, by these Presents, That I, James Parker of Woodbridge in the County of Middlesex and Province of New Jersey Printer, am Held and firmly bound unto Benjamin Franklin, Esqr. of the City of Philadelphia in the Sum of Three Hundred and fifty Seven Pounds, Sixteen Shillings and one penny, Lawful Money of New York to be paid to the said Benjamin Franklin his certain Attorney, Executors, Administrators or Assigns: To which Payment well and truly to be made, I bind my self, my Heirs, Executors and Administrators, firmly by these Presents. Sealed with my Seal, Dated the Fifteenth Day of November in the Year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Sixty three and in the Fourth Year of the Reign of our Soverein Lord George the Third by the Grace of God, King of Great-Britain, &c.
The Condition of this Obligation is such, That if the Above-bounden James Parker his Heirs, Executors, Administrators, or any of them, shall and do well and truly pay, or cause to be paid unto the above-named Benjamin Franklin, or his certain Attorney, Executors, Administrators or Assigns, the just and full Sum of One hundred and Seventy eight Pounds, eighteen Shillings, Lawful Money aforesaid, on the Fourth Day of June next, which will be in the year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Sixty four, without any Fraud or further Delay, then the above Obligation to be void, or else to be and remain in full Force and Virtue.
James Parker [Seal]
Endorsed: Nov. 15 1763 Bond J Parker £178. 18. 0 New York Money3
Desember the 10 1766 Reseved of of James Parker Cash 24-19
D Franklin
Aprill the 18 1770 Reseved of J Parker in Cash 20-0.04
D Franklin
2. The execution of this bond probably resulted from an adjustment and settlement of the accounts between Parker and BF in June 1763; see above, p. 258 n. The major item causing Parker’s net indebtedness to BF at that time seems to have been an “Invoice of Stationary Insurance and Charges £103 15s. 2d.” sterling that BF had paid in London for Parker, Feb. 1, 1760; “Account of Expences,” p. 51; PMHB, LV (1931), 126. The bond was for double the amount of the debt (plus a penny), shown in the second paragraph to have been £178 18s., N.Y. currency.
3. This much of the endorsement is in BF’s hand; the remainder is in DF’s.
4. Two similar bonds from Parker to BF survive in APS, one dated Aug. 1, 1765, for a debt of £65 12s. sterling, the other dated May 15, 1767, for £166 10s., “Current Money of Great Britain,” on both of which DF endorsed receipts for partial payment. After Parker’s death, July 2, 1770, the determination of the outstanding obligation on these three bonds caused friction between the families and a somewhat angry letter to BF from Parker’s daughter, Jenny Bedford, Feb. 2, 1773, APS.