From Benjamin Franklin to Grey Cooper, 11 July 1769
To Grey Cooper
ALS: Mr. Albert M. Greenfield (1955)
Craven Street, Tuesday July 11. 1769
Dear Sir,
An Application being about to be made for a Grant of Lands in the Territory on the Ohio lately purchased of the Indians, I cannot omit acquainting you with it, and giving you my Opinion, that they will very soon be settled by People from the neighbouring Provinces, and be of great Advantage in a few Years to the Undertakers.4 As you have those fine Children, and are likely to have many more, I wish for their Sakes, you may incline to take this Opportunity of making a considerable Addition to their future Fortunes, as the Expence will be a Trifle.5 If therefore you will give me leave, I shall put your Name down among us for a Share (40,000 Acres). Your Neighbour Mr. Dagge6 will call upon you some Day and explain the Particulars more fully. I am to set out on Friday with Sir J. Pringle on a short Tour upon the Continent. Have you or Mrs. Cooper any little Commission that I can execute in France? With sincerest Esteem, and best Wishes for you and yours, I am, my dear Friend, Yours most affectionately
B Franklin
Grey Cooper Esqr
4. BF is referring to the petition of the newly-formed Grand Ohio Company for permission to purchase 2,400,000 acres, for which see above, pp. 166–8.
5. By his second wife Sir Grey eventually had four children, two sons and two daughters; how many were born by this time we do not know. Neither do we know when he accepted BF’s offer and paid £200 for a share, but he eventually did so; see Jack M. Sosin, Whitehall and the Wilderness … (Lincoln, Nebr., 1961), p. 200.
6. Presumably one of three men named Dagge who signed the petition to the crown; see above, p. 167 n.