1To Benjamin Franklin from Deborah Franklin, 9 August 1759 (Franklin Papers)
Extract: Associates of the Late Rev. Dr. Bray Extract of a Letter from Mrs Franklin in Philadelphia, to B F. in London, dated Aug. 9. 1759 “I went to hear the Negro Children catechised at Church. There were 17 that answered very prettily indeed, and 5 or 6 that were too little, but all behaved very decently. Mr. Sturgeon exhorted them before and after the Catechising. It gave me a great deal...
2To Benjamin Franklin from Deborah Franklin, 8 January 1765 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I donte think the Packit will sail at the time but I write lest it shold and I shold be found wantting in my Duty and you be displesd. In the firste plase Salley is Come home Shee traveled the coldest day I ever felte or that I ever remember and staid at the ferry [?] house till the next day then walked over one halef of the river and then in the bote the...
3To Benjamin Franklin from Deborah Franklin, 10–21 February 1765 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I am set down to Confab a littel with my dear child as it Semes a Sorte of a hollow day for we have an ox arosteing on the river and moste pepel semes plesd with the a fair but as I partake of none of the divershons I stay at home and flatter myselef that the next packit will bring me a letter from you. By the laste packit thair was a letter from mr....
4To Benjamin Franklin from Deborah Franklin, 7–12 April 1765 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Aprill 7 this day is Cumpleet 5 munthes senes you lefte your one House. I did reseve a letter from the Capes senes that not one line. I due supose that you did write by the Jan packit but that is not arived as yit. Miss Wikeof Came and told me that you was arived and was well that her Brother had wrote her he had seen you mr. Neet has wrote that you was...
5To Benjamin Franklin from Deborah Franklin, August 1765 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society 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. Rhodes come in and then Mr. whortons Eldeste Son 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...
6To Benjamin Franklin from Deborah Franklin, 22 September 1765 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I have reseved yours by Capt. Friend and one which was to a Cume by N yorke and by the packit and yisterday by Capt. Cotin they all give me pleshuer indead and I love to hear from you I am so verey poor a writer that I donte undertake to say aney thing a bought the dis[order] in this porte of the world but to me it semes we air verey wicked and so is the...
7To Benjamin Franklin from Deborah Franklin, [6–13 October? 1765] (Franklin Papers)
AL (fragment): American Philosophical Society This document begins close to the upper margin of a leaf, without date or salutation but with “(5),” possibly a part of the original writing, at the top. The paper is in Deborah Franklin’s hand, but there is no signature. The writing occupies the whole of one rather large page, with the paragraph beginning “Salley is still att Burlinton” written...
8To Benjamin Franklin from Deborah Franklin, [8?–13 October 1765] (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society In this letter Deborah Franklin was slightly more generous with periods than in the document immediately above, but the same problem recurs here of determining where she intended some of her sentences to end. The editors have therefore again surrounded their inserted periods and their substituted initial capital letters with brackets in order not to deprive...
9To Benjamin Franklin from Deborah Franklin, 3 November 1765 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society The dredfull firste of November is over; and not so much disorder as was dreded I am a shamed of maney of our sittisons but I think you air informed by better handes than I am. I am to one [own] I did not write by the laste packit all thow I did in quier when it wold saile the poste Came in after darke and wente in a quator of an ower so I Cold not write as...
10To Benjamin Franklin from Deborah Franklin, 12 January 1767 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society laste nighte Mr. Brown Came and asked me if I had any Commans to you I sed I all ways have he sed he shold saile this day by the way of Dublin I Cold a wishe he Coud a Stayde tell the Poste had Cum in as I heard the Packit is Cume in to N Yorke. I am so impashente tell the poste cumes in I send you the 2 bills endorsed by Septeymus Robinson but the Paper...
11To Benjamin Franklin from Deborah Franklin, 2[0–25] April 1767 (Franklin Papers)
AL : American Philosophical Society I did reseve your Dear littel letter by the packit it gave me much pleshuer to hear that your dear armes air so much better and that our Dear littel Salley is so much better my love to her tell her I ofen have talked of her. Thank good mrs. Stephenson for takeing Cair of her. I did thinke her mother was dead as you had not sed aney thing of her poor dear...
12To Benjamin Franklin from Deborah Franklin, 1 May 1767 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society This minnit Capt. Folkener Cume to bid fairwell. Salley is in her Room a writeing and I only Say Mr. [David] Potts is not Come down. I shall Send the Bill as Soon as I Can. I have maid a present of my watch to Salley and we have given Capt. Folkner the chain to have it put to write. when you See Mr. and Mrs. Strahan and your young wife my love to them to...
13To Benjamin Franklin from Deborah Franklin (I), 16 May 1767 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I hear that Capt. Sparkes is to saile to morrow or next day. I set down to chatt a littel to you, and in close a letter, which I had sente to N yorke but the vesill was gon. I wente up to see our Children att Burlinton on Satterday and Billey Come doune with me on munday and returnd yisterday and Salley wente up with him and I expeckte her down this day or...
14To Benjamin Franklin from Deborah Franklin (II), [16 May 1767] (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society on thusday I reseved yours with one inclosed to Salley with the Ring. Yours is dated March 17. You cante thing what pleshuer thees dear littel letters give to me as I know you thinke of me ofen. The Bairer of this is mr. Franses the Eldest son of your old friend mr. Franses. He has bin in quite distres senes yisterday was week on a Counte of the faileor of...
15To Benjamin Franklin from Deborah Franklin, 3 July 1767 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Sir John the bairer of this will tell you shold you be in London that I am as well as yousal. Salley who is att Burlinton ever senes wensday was verey well when shee set ought and I hearde ones from her mabey shee writes from thair to you. Billey and Mrs. Franklin was verey well I heard on thusday. This is Satterday the 4 of July our friend forster Came to...
16To Benjamin Franklin from Deborah Franklin, [13–18 October? 1767] (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I have reseved all your letters down to July 3d the laste by mr. Nevese whare in you say that by the packit you shall anser all mine and your friends letters by Folkener Friend and the Packit but that is arived and no letter from you to aneybodey which is verey surpriseing to them I say that I thinke you have wrote but by sum mistake thay was not put on...
17To Benjamin Franklin from Deborah Franklin, [21–22 January 1768] (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society yister day I had the pleshuer to reseve yours Dated November the 17 I had not hearde one worde abought you senes the later end of Auguste which was neare five munthes but I shall not dwell on that at this time. You reseded I hope all our letters wrote in September and ocktober and those from Mr. Bache and Salley and mine all so and I thinke you was told...
18To Benjamin Franklin from Deborah Franklin, 20[–23] May 1768 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I have wrote to you by Capt. Folkner this is to go by Capt. Storrey by Folkner. I send the watch to be dun what Mrs. Stephenson and you pies all thow I menshoned a Wat[ch?] chaine by Capt. Sparkes I leve it an have no choyce of my one [own] and I know that Salley will be plesed with what is chose for her. This day I deliverd E Browns Close to Mr. Town to...
19To Benjamin Franklin from Deborah Franklin, 31 August 1769 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I have but time to tell you that yister day our Dear littel Boy was Caireyed to Christe Church and was baptised by the Name of Benj Franklin. His Unkill and Ante stood for him Mr. Banton as procksey for you and I was well aneuef to stand for my selef. I have the pleshuer to tell you that Salley is thank to god as well as we have resen to expeckte her to be...
20To Benjamin Franklin from Deborah Franklin, 4 October 1769 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society The preceding letter from Deborah, written on August 31, suggests that she had recovered her mental powers after her previous illness. Her spelling, syntax, and punctuation (or rather lack of it) were as always sui generis , and she remarked on her “in Conneckted staet”; but the sequence of her ideas was no more confused than usual, and she talked of the...
21To Benjamin Franklin from Deborah Franklin, 20–27 November 1769 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society yisterday I reseved yours dated September the 9 whare in you was so kind as to sende me Sir John Pringels advise to me all I am much obliged to you and to so worthey a good man as Sir John but I muste tell you as well as I Can my disordor was for this reson my distres for my dear Debbeys misforten and hers being removed so far from her friend and such a...
22To Benjamin Franklin from Deborah Franklin, 13–14 December 1769 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society this day mr. Foxcrofte tells me that this poste is to take the letters in the 2d packites which I did not get my letter that I ansers your qustons I can only say that I had not one line in the Ocktober packit nor have not heard only mr. Comes that he heard that you was well in ocktober for wich I was verey glad. I am to tell you that I am much better then I...
23To Benjamin Franklin from Deborah Franklin, 13–15 June 1770 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Mrs. James Manderson Castle, Wilmington, Del. (1955) this afternoon I heard Capt. Friend is to Saile to morrow and I Cold not let him go with oute a line or two to let you know that I am much as I have bin for sume time. I have not heard that Sister is a rived as yit but it gives me much trubel. My King bird is verey well att this time all thow he has bin verey ill with a Sever Cold...
24To Benjamin Franklin from Deborah Franklin, 16 August 1770 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society yisterday I reseved yours of June the 10. I am verey Sorrey to thinke I shold not have it in my power to atend on you. When will it be in your power to Cume home? How I long to see you but I wold not say one word that wold give you one momentes trubel. I will then tell you that as to my helthe I am as well as I ever expeckte to be and I thinke better then I...
25To Benjamin Franklin from Deborah Franklin, 11 October 1770: Four Letters of Introduction (Franklin Papers)
ALS : (1) Historical Society of Pennsylvania; (2) and (4) American Philosophical Society; (3) Yale University Library In early October, 1770, four young men left Philadelphia together for London, two to study law and two to seek ordination in the Church of England. All were family friends of the Franklins, and for each Deborah wrote a note of introduction to her husband. The notes were written...
26To Benjamin Franklin from Deborah Franklin, 14 October 1770 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Pennsylvania Historical Society I have bin so much taken up of Laite I Cold write only a line or two which I desired Billey to in close in his letter to you, to tell you that when he and mrs. Franklin is in town I am much taken up; the laste I got Mr. Beach to excues me to you for we had Several friends in the house and this day I am told Folkner Sailes on Satter day. So I muste write...
27To Benjamin Franklin from Deborah Franklin, 30 March 1771 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I have reseved yours of Jan the 2 and was much plesed to hear that you was well in helth which is a graite pleshur to me to hear. I have bin impashent to hear that Capt. Folner was Cume or Capt. Sparkes that I moute hear from you by sum bodey hough you had seen you. I had not knone that the packit was to go tell a week longer or I had mis understood by the...
28To Benjamin Franklin from Deborah Franklin, [14?–]16 May 1772 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society but be fore I can say aney thing I muste Stop to tell who I am writeing to I tell him to Grand papah so then he is gon so I am to tell you that this morning Capt. Loxley is arived but I have not had a letter as yit I have not a lowed my selef the libertey to make complaintes to you of aney Sorte but this has bin the moste malleycoley winter that I ever knew...
29To Benjamin Franklin from Deborah Franklin, 30 June 1772 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I reseved by the packit which was to a cume by Capt. Laxly I am verey glad to hear that you continew well. I hope your friend Dr. Small is Safe a rived and is well my compleymantes to all that I am obliged to love and respeckt. You may see what blunders by the scratchin oute that I am not capabel of writin so I shall only say that I find my selef growing...
30To Benjamin Franklin from Deborah Franklin, [6 August 1772] (Franklin Papers)
AL : American Philosophical Society I reseved yours by the packit it gives me much pleshuer to hear that you air well and happey. I was in hopes that a packit or a vesill wold [have?] arived before this wente as I saw it in the papers as I was in hopes that wold in forme when you intend to returne agen to your one [own] home. I cante write to you as I am so verey unfitt to expres my selef and...