To Benjamin Franklin from ——— Olivier Baronne de Mahuet, 24 January 1778: résumé
From ——— Olivier Baronne de Mahuet4
ALS: American Philosophical Society
<Pont-à-Mousson in Lorraine, January 24, 1778, in French: I am sending you, open, a letter that I beg you to forward to Salem. It concerns, you will see, a relative that I believe I have there, and I should be glad to know how he stands and what he is doing; I hope you can get the letter to M. André Olivier. The bearer is the marquis de Potterat,5 captain of cavalry in the régiment d’Orléans; I am obliged to him for this opportunity to write a person as respected and famous as you.>
4. For her husband’s family see the Dictionnaire de la noblesse, XII, 749–51. Her maiden name was Olivier; her putative relation must have been Andrew Oliver, son of the former Governor and a lawyer and judge and amateur scientist (1731–99). He was living quietly in Salem while the rest of the family was going into exile as Loyalists: DAB.
5. For Pierre-Claude Poterat see the Dictionnaire de la noblesse, XVI, 216.