1411To Benjamin Franklin from Joseph Smith, 8 December 1770 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Thy several favours of the 19th of March 10th. and 12th. April and 11th of June have been duly received and communicated to the Committee of Correspondence and by them laid before the House of Assembly at a late sessions at Amboy where they gave very general satisfaction. In answer to that part of thy Letter of 19th March respecting Sherwoods Accounts I may...
1412To Benjamin Franklin from Benjamin Gale, 10 December 1770 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Your Favor per Mr. Bayard, dated 10th Aprill Last, Inclosing a Gold Medal granted me by the Society of Arts, for an Improvement on the Drill plow, I duely receivd, the 10th July, the receipt of which, (with my gratefull returns of Thanks for Your Care in transmitting the same) I should before this time have Acknowledged, but have been prevented by frequent...
1413To Benjamin Franklin from Noble Wimberly Jones, 13 December 1770 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society By Capt. Thomas Hall I did myself the pleasure of writing you and then inclosed two Bils of Exchange in part to recompence your kindness and discharge the ammount of the Mace and Gouns for which you have Sir the sincere and greatful thanks of the Assembly. I inclose the second of each of the Bills of same tenor and date which wish safe. I have now the...
1414To Benjamin Franklin from Noble Wimberly Jones, 13 December 1770 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Convinced of your good inclinations to every species of mankind, emboldens me to trust you’l excuse my thus troubling you. Mr. Cornelius Winter the gentleman by whom you’l receive this has been employ’d on the Estate of the late worthy Rector of this Parish by the Trustees of the said Estate as Instructor &c to the Negroes thereon agreable to the Will of...
1415To Benjamin Franklin from Thomas Crowley, 17 December 1770 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society On Wednesday last when I scribled a few Lines to accompany the Return of one of the Pamphlets which you was kind enough to Lend me I was then about mounting my Horse, then waiting for me, in Company with a Friend, to Ride about twenty Miles to attend the Funeral of an Intimate Friend, who died suddenly a few Days before; I had not then lookd into the other,...
1416To Benjamin Franklin from the Massachusetts House of Representatives Committee of Correspondence, 17 December 1770 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Maine Historical Society The House of Representatives of this Province after appointing you their Agent at the Court of Great Britain, directed us to correspond with you in the Recess of the Court upon matters that concern the Interest of the Province. In general there is nothing that will more promote the true Interest of this Province as well as Great Britain herself than a happy...
1417To Benjamin Franklin from Richard Price: On the Effect of the Aberration of Light on the Time of a Transit of Venus … (Franklin Papers)
Printed in the Royal Society, Philosophical Transactions , LX (for 1770; London, 1771), 536–9. I Cannot doubt but that the observation made by your ingenious friend in the paper you sent me is right. The aberration of Venus must, I think, affect the phases of a transit, by retarding them, and not by accelerating them. This retardation is 55½″; for that is the time nearly which Venus, during a...
1418To Benjamin Franklin from Anthony Tissington, 29 December 1770 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society By this Letter my Wife sends best Compliments to you and Mrs. Stevenson, and by this days Carrier (Clarks Wagon which will be at the Ax in Aldermanbury next Saturday) a Turkey which she hopes will come to hand Sweet and good. In July I left you in London; in August went into Scotland; in September into South Wales to Swansey; have been upon the move most of...
1419To Benjamin Franklin from Samuel Cooper, 1 January 1771 (Franklin Papers)
ALS (draft): British Museum In my last of Novr [15] I mention’d the Uses I had made of the Sentiments you were pleas’d to communicate to me, and the Effect they had upon the leading Men of our House of Commons. I did this with much Caution as that no Disadvantage can acrue to you from any Quarter. The same Caution I shall ever use respecting my Friends on your Side the Water who are so good as...
1420To Benjamin Franklin from James Bowdoin, 2 January 1771 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Massachusetts Historical Society I take this opportunity by my Son to express my own Pleasure, and the general Satisfaction at your appointment as Agent for the House of Representatives. The Council have recommended to their Agent Mr. Bollan to consult and cooperate with you for the best interest of the Province: which as it has distinguished itself in the great cause of American Liberty...
1421To Benjamin Franklin from John Hawkesworth, 5 January 1771 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society The Bearer, Mr. Ackland, is a Candidate for the Afternoon Preacher-ship at the Foundling Hospital: and I earnestly recommend him to your Assistance; in this I am not only countenanced by your Friendship, but prompted by Duty. Mr. Ackland is a worthy and ingenious Man, and a most excellent Preacher, and to serve him in his profession is to promote rational...
1422To Benjamin Franklin from John Foxcroft, 14 January 1771 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Yours of Novr. 7th. I have just receiv’d for which you have my sincere thanks. This will be Deliver’d to you by my Brother whom I beg you will take most cordially by the hand as I do assure you that you will find on being well acquainted with him that he’ll merit every Act of Friendship which you will please to conferr upon him, this sudden Voyage is owing...
1423To Benjamin Franklin from Jonathan Williams, Sr., 19 January 1771 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I received your kind favour of the 7 and 9 Novr by Which We are [ torn ] happy to find our Sons and Brother Safe arival and of the kind Reception thay have from you and Good Mrs. Stevensons kind offer of Service to Whom our Respects. By the next post I Shall Send to Mr. Pease for the Bond you mention and Shall Recover the money as Soon as Possible then...
1424To Benjamin Franklin from Thomas Life, 24 January 1771: résumé (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society <Basinghall St., Jan. 24, 1771. Talked with Mr. Jackson on the 21st about the Georgia acts, and agreed to wait on him with Franklin on the 30th. Wants to talk with Franklin first, and if convenient will call on him at noon on Saturday next, the 26th; if inconvenient, please set any time except the 28th.> For the London solicitor see above, X , 369 n. See...
1425To Benjamin Franklin from a Committee of the Library Company of Philadelphia, 25 January 1771 (Franklin Papers)
LS : American Philosophical Society We are appointed by the Directors of the Library Company of Philadelphia, to inform you that your Favour of the 7th July 1769 was received and laid before them by Mr. Charles Thomson, but the Confusion, which necessarily arose from the Union of the several Libraries, gave them so much Employ as to put it out of their Power to answer your Letter, so soon as...
1426To Benjamin Franklin from Thomas Fitzmaurice, 26 January 1771: résumé (Franklin Papers)
AL : Historical Society of Pennsylvania <Pall Mall, Saturday evening, Jan. 26, 1771, a note in the third person. If Franklin is disengaged tomorrow, should be glad of his company in Pall Mall for dinner and the evening, where he will meet a friend or two. Had hoped to deliver the invitation in person this morning, but was prevented.> For the younger brother of Lord Shelburne see above, X , 348...
1427To 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...
1428To Benjamin Franklin from William Knox, 29 January 1771 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Inclosed I send you the Plan of the Lands in Georgia claimed by Sir Wm. Bakers Representatives which you desired in your Letter which was delivered to me yesterday. I also inclose the several Papers which came with it to my hands as I imagine they may contain some information which you may think useful. I have kept no Copies of them, neither would I give...
1429To Benjamin Franklin from Isaac Garrigues, 31 January[?] 1771 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I Received your Note of winsday Noon. But you may be assured I never Received your letter in Answer to mine of Sunday Morning or I should not have attemted to have given you Trouble the second time. I likewise wonder much I never received it. I thank you worthy Sir for all favours and have been very uneasy since receiveing the Note Yesterday—as you are...
1430To Benjamin Franklin from Thomas Life, 2 February 1771: résumé (Franklin Papers)
AD : American Philosophical Society <A long and chatty bill running from November, 1770, to February 2, 1771, for services in connection with BF ’s Georgia and Pennsylvania agencies. The principal entries for Georgia, in November, January, and February, are (1) for attending BF to consult on various papers sent him by the Assembly and on its act for governing slaves, for accompanying him in...
1431To Benjamin Franklin from Joseph Sherwood, 12 February 1771 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : University of Pennsylvania Library Some Years ago there was a dispute between Lord Baltimore and the Penn’s Family, respecting as I understand the Boundaries of the two Provinces. I should be much obliged to thee to be Informed in what Year the Decree was made in that Cause, and the Names of the Parties, and indeed every other particular thou can inform me, relating to this Business,...
1432To Benjamin Franklin from Katherine French, 18 February 1771 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Your very valuable opinion is much desired upon the Work I now send for your perusal. A particular friend has requested this favor of me. He says, he thinks, you are not a Stranger to this performance, as it was shewed to you some time ago, in an incompleat state. By a Letter from the late Docr. Greg. Sharpe, which Letter I send you a Copy of, I conclude it...
1433To Benjamin Franklin from Mrs. William Deane, 1 March [1771–75] (Franklin Papers)
AL : University of Pennsylvania Library Mrs. Deane presents her Compliments to Dr. Franklin with many thanks to him, for the benefit she hopes, she has received, from the perusal of Richards Maxims , which are so Excellent they ought to be framed and hung up in every House. Mrs. Deane is much obliged to Dr. Franklin for his kind remembrance of her, and hopes he will Consider of the other...
1434To Benjamin Franklin from Katherine French, 1 March 1771 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I return you my Thanks for the unquestionable proof you have given of your approbation, of the Work I sent you. I made my friend extremely happy in shewing your Letter to him. When I am in possession of the other 5 sets Will dispatch them to your House. I was unwilling my friend Miss Jennings’s civil acknowledgement of your kind favor, should wait a moment,...
1435To Benjamin Franklin from Theodorus Swaine Drage, 2 March 1771 (Franklin Papers)
ALS (incomplete): American Philosophical Society In this long letter, from a man whom Franklin had sponsored for Anglican ordination almost two years before, the writer described his struggle to establish a missionary parish in the piedmont of North Carolina. The letter is in bad condition: the ink is faded, some of the pages are torn or stained, some clearly missing, so that the text as...
1436To Benjamin Franklin from Noble Wimberly Jones, 4 March 1771 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I take this oportunity to acquaint you that on the 22d. of last month our Assembly met with the same fate of that in Decr. 1768, the principal cause seemed to be their having Committed the deputy Secretary for refusing to give evidence to a Committee of the House on an information against the deputy surveyor general for taking double fees in his Office...
1437To Benjamin Franklin from Noble Wimberly Jones, 7 March 1771: résumé (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society <March 7, 1771. Encloses two issues of the Gazette dealing with the dissolution of the Assembly.> Presumably the weekly Ga. Gaz. ; no copies for 1771 appear to be extant.
1438To Benjamin Franklin from Michael Collinson, 9 March 1771 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Historical Society of Pennsylvania I return the Soliloquy which is indeed in too many Places but too wickedly entertaining and Pointed at the expence of the good old Gentleman, and the Allusion to 1715 &ca with the help of the Key which in Confidence you furnished Me with is palpable enough. I am very happy, my dear Sir, that I have it just still in my Power to oblige myself by...
1439To Benjamin Franklin from Robert Crafton, 11 March 1771 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I hope you (as an American) have not caught that epidemical Disorder, that infects our Senators on this Side the Atlantic: Law Makers should not be Law-Breakers! You and I, cum aliis, laid our wise Noddles together, and framed a wise Statute; that we and all other Persons under a certain Predicament therein express’d, should dine every Thursday at the Dog...
1440To Benjamin Franklin from [Susannah?] Jennings, 20 March 1771 (Franklin Papers)
AL : University of Pennsylvania Library Miss Jennings presents Her Compliments to Doctr. Franklin, she has used the permission He gave of shewing the list to Mr. Con way, and the enclosed Abstract of Doctr. Franklins Copy is a list of those kinds which Mr. Conway and self would be glad to have, at the same time Miss Jennings hopes if this Catalogue should appear unreasonably long, that Doctr....