1To Benjamin Franklin from William Henly, 29 January 1771 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I think myself highly honour’d by your very obliging favour, and return you my sincerest thanks for your improvement of my Electrometer. I shall take the first opportunity to make that addition to my Apparatus, and am well satisfied ’twill remove the objection at once. I will now beg leave to assure you Sir that if I have been able to produce any...
2To Benjamin Franklin from William Henly: Account of an Experiment, 7 October 1771 (Franklin Papers)
AD (incomplete): American Philosophical Society; remainder printed in the Royal Society, Philosophical Transactions ..., LXIV (1774), 402–3 The experiment described below was part of a series that Henly undertook in 1771–72 to test Franklin’s theory about the path of the lightning discharge. The theory was under attack from Benjamin Wilson, who held that the discharge, given several...
3To Benjamin Franklin from William Henly, [April? 1772] (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I have this day repeated in the most accurate manner I was able, my experiment with the Bladder gilded with leaf brass, and suspended on an arm of wood turning freely on a needles point. The following is the result of many trials. After giving the bladder a strong spark from the knob of a positively charged bottle; on presenting towards it a smooth round...
4To Benjamin Franklin from William Henly, [after 4 May 1772] (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society This letter poses a problem of dating that we are unable to solve. The internal evidence is as ample as it is conflicting: some of it points to 1772 and some to 1773. The whole tone of the opening paragraph suggests that the Purfleet magazine had not yet been protected by lightning rods, and that Benjamin Wilson’s “scheme” for doing so was being actively...
5To Benjamin Franklin from William Henly, [June?] 17, [1772?] (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Having Received an Account from Dr. Priestley that he could not verify my Experiment of ascertaining the direction of the Electric Matter in its passage through flame, I took the Liberty to call at your House with my Apparatus, in order to shew it you both positively and negatively, but I found you was gone into the Country. I then call’d and shew’d it to...
6To Benjamin Franklin from William Henly, [28 October? 1772] (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I have this morning received the [enclosed] Letter from a friend at Lewes, and though it may contain nothing that is new or very material, yet I take the liberty of sending it to you thinking it may employ a few leisure minutes if you have any such. I this morning left at Mr. Nairnes a drawing for an instrument to shew your beautiful experiments with the...
7To Benjamin Franklin from William Henly, [26 November? 1772] (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I have Received your very obliging favour, and take the first opportunity of returning you my most sincere thanks for the trouble I have given you. I have done very little in Electricity since I had the pleasure of seeing you, one appearance however I beg leave to trouble you with, as I have never met with one of the kind before. Having charged my 6 Gallon...
8To Benjamin Franklin from William Henly, 28 November 1772 (Franklin Papers)
AD and draft: American Philosophical Society; printed in the Royal Society, Philosophical Transactions …, LXIV (1774), 403–6. The Description and use, of a new Conductor for Experiments in Electricity , contrived by Mr. H——and executed by Mr. Edward Nairne. A. A Tube of Glass 2 feet in length, 2 Inches diameter. B. C. Balls with a ferril of Brass (2 Inches long, to each) which are to be...
9To Benjamin Franklin from William Henly, [30 December 1772] (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I send you herewith the paper of your experiments, and shall think myself under great obligation for the addition. I am quite at a loss what to think or say about the Bell. The effects are so contrary to the notions I [had] entertained of Electricity; and yet I scarse know how to disbelieve my Friends relation, for though by his Letter he appears to be no...
10To Benjamin Franklin from William Henly, [1772?] (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Historical Society of Pennsylvania I think myself exceedingly obliged to you for your intended favour of a Visit some Evening, but hope you will so far oblige me as to give me previous notice by a Line, when I shall with a high pleasure accommodate my time to your convenience. I am with the utmost Respect Sir your obedient and Humble Servant Addressed: To / Dr. Franklin This was the year...
11To Benjamin Franklin from William Henly, 18 April 1773 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society This letter poses a remarkable problem of dating, and we cannot solve it. Henly’s date is all too clear, and could not have been a slip: April 18 was a Sunday in 1773. Yet he makes a number of references that seem inapplicable to that year, and are definitely applicable to 1774. They were all related to the continuing controversy with Benjamin Wilson over...