Benjamin Franklin Papers
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https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Franklin/01-19-02-0037

To Benjamin Franklin from David Hall, 3 February 1772

From David Hall

ALS: Historical Society of Pennsylvania

Philada: February 3, 1772

Dear Sir,

Your last kind Letter to me, was dated June 11, 1770. in Answer to mine of the 17th. of March preceding.8 What Money I have since received on our Company Account is as follows, viz.

For the Gazette, from February 17, 1770 to Jany. 28, 1772 £358 13s.
By Cash received for Work done, as credited in the Ledger, in the above mentioned Time 181 17s. 10½d.
£540 10s. 10½d.

and I have paid on your Account to Mrs. Franklin the following Monies as by her Receipts and Orders will appear.

1771
Jany. 25. For purchasing a Bill of Exchange for £30 Ster. £50
Augt. 16. By Cash paid Ballance of an Account from the Estate of the late Mr. William Branson9 against you, by Order 7 19s. d.
By my Part of Eleven Years and three Quarters Gazette, discounted in Mr. Branson’s Account against you 2 18s. 9d.
Octr. 18. By Cash paid Mrs. Franklin 24
29. By Ditto paid Robert Erwin1 by Mrs. Franklins Order 7 12s.
 
Novr. 29. By Ditto paid Mrs. Franklin for the purchasing a Lot of Ground for you of Mr. Parker2 100
By Sundries had in the Shop 6 13s. 2d.
£199 3s. d.

I should be glad of the Pleasure of a Letter from you soon, and to know whether you can now fix the Time of your setting out for Philadelphia. I should be glad it was quickly, as Mr. Parker is now no more, and I want much to have our Partnership settled, as far as it can be done, and to endeavour to fall upon some Method, in order to get in the outstanding Debts, which must amount to a great Deal, if it was possible to get them anything like collected. It is an Affair, I think, worthy of your looking after and taking some Pains to accomplish.

My Family, at present, all in very good Health. My Wife as well as can be expected. I did not think she would have got over the Loss of our only, and much loved, Daughter; but it has pleased God to support her under that heavy Affliction; and I really think she is better in her Health now than she has been for Some Years past.3 Mrs. Franklin Mrs. Bache, and Child, are all well; I suppose you will hear from them by this Packet. My Compliments to Mr. Bache. I am glad to know by those who have seen you lately, that you enjoy a good State of Health, the Continuence of which shall be always my most sincere Wish. You may beleive me to be, Dear Sir, Yours most affectionately,

David Hall.

Benjamin Franklin Esqr.

Addressed: To / Benjamin Franklin Esqr. / At Mrs. Stevens’s in Craven Street / London / By Pennsylvania Packet / Capt. Osborne / Q.D.C.

Notation: Letter from D. Hall to B. Franklin dated Febry 3d. 1772

[Note numbering follows the Franklin Papers source.]

8Hall had written to try to get a settlement of their accounts, and BF had put him off; see above, XVII, 99–101, 172, and for the full accounts, XIII, 99–104. BF’s reply below, March 20, brought the settlement no nearer.

9A well-to-do Philadelphia merchant, who had been interested in mining and ironworks and whose son-in-law, Lynford Lardner, was the Penn’s receiver general; see Thomas A. Glenn, “An Old Pennsylvania Coat-of-Arms,” PMHB, XXIV (1900), 179; XXXIII (1909), 370–1; W. A. Newman Dorland, “The Second Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry,” ibid., XLVIII (1924), 282.

1Presumably the same man who was a crony of Joseph Fox, BF’s old political ally: Anne H. Cresson, “Biographical Sketch of Joseph Fox …,” ibid., XXXII (1908), 191–2. He may or may not have been the Erwin identified above, VI, 375 n.

2See above, XVIII, 262–3.

3For Mrs. Hall’s ongoing ill health see above, XVII, 101. Her “only” daughter had been the only unmarried one, Deborah, who died on Nov. 1, 1770: Edward L. Clark, A Record of the Inscriptions … of Christ Church … (Philadelphia, 1864), p. 55.

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