Benjamin Franklin Papers

To Benjamin Franklin from Richard Bache, 6 November 1768

From Richard Bache

ALS: American Philosophical Society

Philada. 6th Novr. 1768.

Honored Sir

I did myself the Pleasure of writing you the other day by Sparks. I do not know that you will thank me for adding to the Number of your Correspondents, but the Sense I have of my Duty, prompts me to pay this Respect to you.

I forgot to acquaint you in my last, that Mr. Bayard of Newyork, sent to me two Exemplifications of his Majesties Commission, appointing you with Mr. Allen and several others, Commissioners to settle the Line between Newyork and New Jersey.4 I served Mr. Allen with one, the other waits for you here; The Notice of the time for your Meeting, is in July next when I hope you will be here.

I purpose making another Trip to Jamaica this Winter, as I find some of my Friends here expect it, this and some other good Reasons have determined me;5 I should be happy in being honored with a Line from you whilst there, My stay there I hope will not be much, if any, longer than before, I shall endeavour to make it as short as I possibly can, consistent with my Interest. Sally joins me in Duty to you. I am Honored sir Your Affectionate Son

Richd. Bache

[Note numbering follows the Franklin Papers source.]

4For Col. William Bayard, a prominent New York merchant, see above, p. 125. William Allen, Chief Justice of Pennsylvania, was BF’s old political enemy; see above, III, 296 n and later vols. For the attempt, in which BF never did participate, to settle the border dispute between New York and New Jersey, see above, XIV, 196–201.

5Bache’s motives for returning to Jamaica, like the motives for his trip the previous winter (above, p. 23), remain obscure. He was deeply involved in the financial affairs of his brother, Theophylact, a New York merchant trading with the West Indies, for whom see DAB and above, XIV, 174. It is a reasonable conjecture that this involvement, even though Richard was no longer his brother’s partner, accounted for the trips.

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