To Benjamin Franklin from Jonas Green, 25 July 1747
From Jonas Green9
ALS: American Philosophical Society
Annapolis, July 25. 1747.
Dear Sir,
You will receive by this Mail two Packets from Barbadoes, which came inclosed to me from Mr. Ja. Bingham.1 One of them incloses the W. India Monthly Packet, which Mr. Bingham wrote me word he sent open that I might have a sight of it. They came by Capt. Seager. Our Assembly added this Session 5 Pounds in each County to my Salary, but added to the Work likewise, which I am well content with; They give me now 260 Pounds our Currency a Year:2 And we are very busy in dispatching the Public Work. I wish I could get another Hand. The Assembly has hinder’d me from Time to go to the Courts to collect my Money, otherwise should have got you a Bill by this Time; But as soon as the Public Work is done, or sooner, I will get you a good Bill. I wish I could get another parcel of Paper from Philadelphia; a very favorable opportunity now offers; Mr. Daniel Rawlings3 is gone up the Bay in a Schooner, and brings down Goods from Philadelphia, and would bring some Paper for me. He went up yesterday. If you could send me such a parcel as before I’ll get you a large Bill of £40 or 45 Sterling, and send [it]. I likewise want some Varnish, (a Bottle by the post,) and 4 or 5 Pound of Lampblack per Rawlings. My Paper sinks fast; we now use 3 or 4 Reams a Week. I have about 450 or 460 good Customers for Seal’d Papers, and about 80 unseal’d. The Virginian’s Speech made a deal of Laughter here; and was well approved of by some in that Colony; how the Baronet himself lik’d it I have not heard.4 We have had a Severe Hot Spell of Weather; and I have been a little troubled with Fevers; but they are, I hope, gone from me. We are all well. I hope you are so too. Our hearty Respects to yourself and Mrs. Franklin, not forgetting Miss Sally. I rejoice to see that our brave Countrymen are to be rewarded for their Expence in taking Cape Breton.5 I am, Dear Sir, Your obliged Friend and humble Servant
Jonas Green
Addressed: To Mr. Benjamin Franklin Post Master at Philadelphia
Endorsed: Jonas Green July 30. 47
9. Jonas Green (1712–1767), born in Boston; learned his trade from his father Timothy, who settled as a printer in New London, Conn., 1714. Young Green worked for a time for his brother in the firm of Kneeland and Green of Boston, and he issued at least one book over his imprint—Judah Monis’ Hebrew grammar, the first published in America, 1735. For three years he was a journeyman in Philadelphia, working with both BF and Bradford. Settling at Annapolis, 1738, he became official printer for Maryland and published, after 1745, the Maryland Gazette, of which Thomas (Printing, II, 156) said that typographically it was as good as any printed in America. He was postmaster of Annapolis, held several minor political appointments, was a vestryman of St. Anne’s Parish, and had an active social life, being secretary of his Masonic lodge and a member of the Tuesday Club with Dr. Alexander Hamilton. DAB; Lawrence C. Wroth, A History of Printing in Colonial Maryland (Baltimore, 1922), pp. 75–84.
1. Not identified.
2. The text of the act increasing Green’s compensation is in Arch. of Md., XLIV, 663–4.
3. A Daniel Rawlings was sheriff of Calvert Co., 1748.
4. Green reprinted BF’s Verses on the Virginia Capitol Fire (see above, pp. 135–40) in Md. Gaz., June 16.
5. Soon after the capture of Louisbourg in 1745, Massachusetts, followed by the other New England colonies, petitioned the Crown for repayment of their expenses in the expedition. After extended inquiry the Privy Council issued an order, Jan. 15, 1747, approving the requests. Acts of the Privy Council, Colonial Series, 1745–1766 (London, 1911), pp. 10–11.