Benjamin Franklin Papers

Provincial Commissioners: Orders for Payment, 4 June 1764–20 October 1764

Provincial Commissioners: Orders for Payment

DS: Historical Society of Pennsylvania

As in previous supply acts, the measure passed on May 30, 1764, after so much controversy, named seven men—two councilors and five assemblymen—as provincial commissioners, a majority of whom “with the consent and approbation of the governor or commander in chief of this province for the time being, and not otherwise,” were empowered to expend the £55,000 appropriated. The men appointed were the same seven, including Franklin, who had served during the previous autumn under the terms of the £24,000 Supply Act of Oct. 22, 1763.6

On June 4 the commissioners issued their first order for payment after the passage of the new act, and they continued to sign similar orders from time to time through the summer and fall and until after Franklin had sailed for England in November. As has been done in previous volumes of this series, a list of all located orders for payment issued during the period when Franklin was present in Philadelphia is given here, showing the date, name of the payee, purpose for which payment was made, and the amount of each.7 As before, any order that Franklin failed to sign personally—usually because he was absent from the meeting at the time the order was drawn and signed—is indicated by an asterisk (*) following the date.

It will be seen that several entries relate, not to general military activities, but to expenses connected with the march of the Paxton Boys on Philadelphia in February or the maintenance of the Moravian Indians at the barracks there. Payments totaling £1145 18s. 7d. made during the period covered by this list can be clearly identified as relating directly to these matters.

Date Payee Purpose Amount
June £ s. d.
4 James Young To be applied to recruiting service 500 0 0
27* John Galbreath 9 muskets delivered during Feb. disturbance 11 5 0
27 Thomas Robinson Express services during Feb. disturbances 8 2 3
27 James Young To be applied to recruiting service 500 0 0
27 James Young To pay arrears due troops 8500 0 0
 
July
3 Joseph Fox To purchase clothing etc. for troops 5000 0 0
4* Robert Levers Provisions for troops 1000 0 0
6 John Nelson To repay cash borrowed by Col. Bouquet 500 0 0
16 Baynton & Wharton Sundries delivered during late Riot 158 4 0
17 David Deshler Medicines and attendance to 2 wounded children of Hans Sneider killed by Indians 19 15 2
17 James Young Recruiting service 1300 0 0
17 James Young Arrears and advance of pay for troops and officers 14,500 0 0
19 Isaac Howell and John Howard Support of sick and disabled French Neutrals 143 9 7
20 Job Chillaway Services under Col. Clayton 13 16 0
20 Joseph Fox Expences of clothing etc. 1000 0 0
20 Robert Levers Victualing troops, account settled 618 2 7
20 Joseph Shippen, Jr. Balance of account 8 1 0
27 Balsar Geerh Armourer at Ft. Augusta 75 0 0
27 Joseph Shippen, Jr. Premium for 4 scalps taken last fall 100 0 0
August
14* William Dunwick Repairing arms 80 0 0
14 James Ennis Victualing Pa. troops 200 0 0
14 Jacob Weiss Pasturage of Indian horses and cows 18 4 3
16 David Scott Pay and subsistence of 27 Cumberland Co. Rangers 169 0 0
16 Leonard Stoneburner Carrying stores to Harris’s Ferry and Reading 11 16 0
23* Robert Callender Provisions 1637 10 10
23* Joseph Fox Expenses for clothing etc. 400 0 0
23* Robert Levers Victualing troops 629 19 9
23* Wm. Norton and Th. Masterman Provisions for soldiers at barracks 27 18 7
23* Christian Voght Attendance on Cornelius Atkinson, wounded volunteer 15 0 0
23* James Webb Disbursements for Lancaster barracks 259 11 3
28 Col. James Burd Disbursements at Ft. Augusta 58 8 7
28 William Dunwick In full, repairing arms 110 7 4
28 Andrew McNair Delivering notices and attending 123 meetings of Commissioners, Jan. 16, 1761, to July 20, 1764 9 4 6
31* George Dods For wounds received at Munsey Hill fighting Indians 25 0 0
31 Reuben Haines Victualing Indians 85 10 0
September
6* John Hill Coffins for French Neutrals 3 15 0
18 Thomas Apty Services as an express 2 8 0
 
18 Joseph Fox Cloathing and Carriage account settled 561 13 2
18 Joseph Fox8 Provisions for Indians at barracks 781 13 9
18 John Hughes Expenses at Easton Treaty 4 6 4
18 John Little Entertainment of Paxton volunteers and Capt. Hoffman’s troops 36 5 10
18 John Montgomery To relieve Thos. McMurray, wounded by Indians 20 0 0
18 Richard Swan Collecting and caring for provincial arms 20 0 0
26 Jacob Weiss Medicine and attendance of sick Indians at barracks 46 13 6
October
11* Robert Levers Provisions for troops 400 0 0
20* James Cogly Subsistence and 2 horses to Indians going to the last Treaty 10 0 0
[Note numbering follows the Franklin Papers source.]

6See above, X, 363 n.

7See above, VI, 392–6, 437–40; VII, 3–5, 25–8; X, 362–4. All the pay orders listed here are also recorded in the accounts of the trustees of the Loan Office submitted to and approved by an auditing committee of the Assembly, Sept. 18, 1766. These accounts also show further payments from the proceeds of the Supply Act of May 30, 1764, made on order of the commissioners after BF’s departure but before May 8, 1765, when the unexpended balance stood at £156 15s. 6d. 8 Pa. Arch., VII, 5915–21. One pay order for a small sum which BF did not sign is included in the file and recorded in the Loan Office account as paid from the £55,000 Supply Act, although it was dated May 15, 1764, and paid the next day, two weeks before the act was passed, probably from a remaining balance of the £24,000 act of the previous October. The Loan Office account also includes one payment in July of £500 for which no original pay order has been located. Neither is included in the present list.

8Joseph Fox had been appointed barrackmaster when the Philadelphia barracks were built in 1758; he was therefore the officer responsible for feeding the Indians housed there.

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