To Benjamin Franklin from ——— Knight, [1757–1759]
From ——— Knight9
AL: American Philosophical Society
Dover-Street [1757–1759]1
Mr. Knight’s compliments to Mr. Franklin and Mr. William Franklin and desires the favor of their company at dinner on tuesday next the 27th.
Addressed: Craven-Street
9. Possibly Gowin Knight (1713–1772), F.R.S., whose work on magnetism BF had known and admired before going to England (see above, VI, 103, 177–8). He was appointed principal librarian of the British Museum upon its establishment in 1756. The date line of this note, however, militates against this identification, since from about 1750 to his appointment at the Museum Gowin Knight lived in Crane Court, Fleet Street, and thereafter apparently at the Museum in Montague House, Bloomsbury. DNB. Dover Street is off Piccadilly. No correspondence between BF and any other Mr. Knight has been found.
1. Certainly not later than 1762 because WF was included in the invitation, and probably not later than Feb. 12, 1759, because BF is called “Mr.,” not “Dr.”