To Benjamin Franklin from ——— Desegray, 16 April 1777
From ––– Desegray9
AL: American Philosophical Society
Ce 16 Avril [1777?1].
M. Desegray, Neg[ocian]t de St. Malo, logè à Paris à l’hôtel de Nock, ruë de Richelieu, No. 154, est venu pour presenter ses Respects à Son Excellence, et pour luy remettre la lettre cy jointe. Il la prie de vouloir bien, s’il veut faire reponse à cette lettre, l’envoyer chez luy à l’hôtel susdit, ou de luy faire sçavoir si et quand il pourra venir la prendre à Passy.
Notation: DeSegray.
9. The senior member of the St. Malo house of Desegray, Beaugeard fils & Cie., which later corresponded extensively with the commissioners as their unofficial agent in St. Malo. A letter from the firm of April 8, 1778 (APS), indicates that it had connections with Schweighauser.
1. A later year is unlikely. In the first sentence Desegray seems to be introducing himself, and BF would have known who he was as soon as the commissioners began to use the firm in July, 1777.