1To Benjamin Franklin from Peter Collinson, 3 July 1753 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Received June the 30. 1753. On Board the London for Philadelphia One long Case Mark’d L 4 M C No. 1 which I promise to Deliver (Dangers of the sea Excepted) . paid Freight and primage 6 s. besides one Brown paper bundle of Books of which I cannot give the particulars for I am Just come to Town and To Morrow the Letters are taken away and I go out of Town by...
2To Benjamin Franklin from William Franklin, 12 July 1753 (Franklin Papers)
AD : American Philosophical Society On Sunday last, about 45 Minutes after 3 in the Morning, a Dwelling House, one of a continued Row on the West Side of Second-Street in this Town, was struck by Lightning, but, being at that Time untenanted, no Person was hurt. About 6 aClock the same Morning, I went to take a View thereof, and at that Time made some Notes of the Course which I observ’d the...
3Charter of the Academy of Philadelphia, 13 July 1753 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Bureau of Land Records, Department of Internal Affairs, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania With the Academy organized and functioning (see above, IV , 101), the trustees, thinking a charter would give the institution prestige and permanence, on June 9, 1752, directed one of their number, Tench Francis, then attorney general of the province, to prepare a draft to send to London for the approval...
4From Benjamin Franklin to Hugh Roberts, 16 July 1753 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : R. Sturgis Ingersoll, Penllyn, Pa. (1956) By a Vessel yesterday from London I receiv’d the enclos’d from the Agent Rd. Patridge, which please to communicate to the Speaker. I had a delightful Journey hither, and have felt but one hot Day since my Arrival. On the Road I often thought of you and wish’d for your Company, as I pass’d over some of the best punning Ground perhaps in the...
5To Benjamin Franklin from Peter Collinson, 20 July 1753 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society It is a great pleasure to Mee to receive so many repeated Instances of my Dear friends regard for Mee, In his Sundry favours of Aprill 17: May 9 June 1. I omitted in a Hurry in mine by Shirley to tell you that your £60 Bill on Lane is accepted and shall be applyed as you have Directed. I know not who Mr. Blair Is or where he Dwells Elce should Inquire after...
6From Benjamin Franklin to William Franklin, 23 July 1753 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I am pleas’d to learn by yours of the 12th that you have taken a circumstantial Account of the Appearances at Trumbles’s House, which you think sufficient to establish my new Hypothesis of the Direction of Lightning. Mr. Kinnersley has sent me a Pane of the Glass with a Letter in which he mentions his Suspicions that the Stroke was upwards. I now write him...
7To Benjamin Franklin from Harvard College: Degree of Master of Arts, 25 July 1753 (Franklin Papers)
DS : American Philosophical Society Franklin’s first academic honor was from Harvard. On July 23, 1753, the President and Fellows recommended him to the Overseers for the degree of master of arts, citing his “great Improvements in Philosophic Learning, and particularly with Respect to Electricity, Whereby his Repute hath been greatly advanc’d in the learned World, not only in Great-Britain,...
8General Post Office: Appointment of Franklin and Hunter, 10 August 1753 (Franklin Papers)
MS Order Book: General Post Office, London Ordered that Mr. Benjamin Franklin, of Philadelphia, in Pensylvania, and Mr. William Hunter of Williamsburgh, in Virginia, be appointed Deputy Postmasters and Managers of all His Majesty’s Provinces and Dominions, on the Continent of North America, in the stead of Elliott Benger Esqr: Deceased, to commence this day, at an Allowance or Salary of £600...
9To Benjamin Franklin from Peter Collinson, 12 August 1753 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I have much to say but am on the Eve of marrying My Daughter and many Orders in hast from Abroad that I can only add a few Lines to Informe you that your bill of 60 pound is Accepted, and I Intend to pay Osbourn £50. The remainder is for your Disposal when I can find time to Lett you know the Ballance. Your Impartial Account of the state of the Germans came...
10From Benjamin Franklin to Thomas Clap, 20 August 1753 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Miss S. Berenice Baldwin, Woodbridge, Conn. (1959) I arrived here well (Thanks to God) on Friday about Noon, and had the Pleasure of hearing from my Family, that all were well at home. I see the Proposal of Purchasing from the Six Nations is mention’d in the Boston Papers, which I wish had not been done, as it may give Notice to the French, and put them on taking some preventive...
11Pennsylvania Assembly Committee: Report on Suspending Clause in Legislation, 3 September 1753 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in Votes and Proceedings of the House of Representatives , 1752–1753 (Philadelphia, 1753), pp. 34–7. On September 1, 1753, the House appointed Evan Morgan, Franklin, Hugh Roberts, Mahlon Kirkbride, George Ashbridge, Peter Worrall, David McConnaughy, Joseph Armstrong, Moses Starr, and James Burnside a committee to consider the clause which Governor Hamilton insisted upon in his message...
12Pennsylvania Assembly: Reply to the Governor, 5 September 1753 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in Votes and Proceedings of the House of Representatives , 1752–1753 (Philadelphia, 1753), pp. 38–40. After considering the report of a committee on the suspending clause, which Governor Hamilton insisted upon as a condition for approving the £20,000 money bill (see immediately above), the House appointed Evan Morgan, Franklin, Hugh Roberts, Mahlon Kirkbride, and George Ashbridge to...
13Pennsylvania Assembly Committee: Report on the Governor’s Message, 11 September 1753 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in Votes and Proceedings of the House of Representatives , 1752–1753, pp. 43–7. On September 7 Governor Hamilton returned to the Assembly the Bill for Striking Twenty Thousand Pounds, with a long message rebutting the arguments the House had raised in its reply of September 5 (see above, p. 29). In particular, he pointed out that in 1746 the Assembly had not objected in principle to...
14Pennsylvania Assembly Committee: Report on the Proprietors’ Answer, 11 September 1753 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in Votes and Proceedings of the House of Representatives , 1754–1755 (Philadelphia, 1755), pp. 46–51. In August 1751 the Assembly sent a representation to the Proprietors asking them to reconsider their refusal to share in the expenses of Indian treaties (see above, IV , 188). On May 23, 1753, the Assembly asked the governor if he had yet received an answer. He sent it to them the next...
15To Benjamin Franklin from Yale College: Degree of Master of Arts, 12 September 1753? (Franklin Papers)
Draft: Yale University Library; also copy: Yale University Library Six weeks after receiving a master’s degree from Harvard (see above, p. 16), Franklin was similarly honored by Yale. The resolution of the Corporation, September 12, 1753, read: “by his ingenious Experiments and Theory of Electrical Fire [he] has greatly merited of the Learned World.” Praeses et Socii Academiae Yalensis in novo...
16To Benjamin Franklin from Peter Collinson, 15 September 1753 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society As no Ship will Sail from Hence in a Month or 3 Weeks I take this oppertunity to Send by the Way of New York. I thank you for your Letter by Mr. Smith who has been Several times With Mee and by all that I can Judge and haveing your approbation I have recommended Him to Mr. Penn. What Effects it will have I cannot Saye but to Strengthen It. I hope the...
17To Benjamin Franklin from Charles Woodmason: Poetical Epistle, 20 September 1753 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in Gentleman’s Magazine , XXIV (1754), 88. *By the application of a rod of iron, or a wire, the effect of thunder and lightening is prevented. †The steeple and organ of St. Philip’s church at Charles Town, have been twice damaged by lightning. Charles Woodmason (b. c. 1720), came from England to South Carolina, 1752, settling as a planter and merchant beyond the Peedee River, where he...
18James Hamilton: Commission to Treat with the Indians, 22 September 1753 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in Minutes of the Provincial Council of Pennsylvania , V (1851), 658–9. The renewal of the French advance into the Ohio Valley was signalized in June 1752 by the attack on the Indian town of Pickawillany. Awakening slowly to the threat, the Pennsylvania Assembly the following May voted £200 to the Twightwees as a condolence, and £600 to the other tribes on the Ohio for “the Necessities...
19Memorandum: Preliminary Conference with the Indians, 26 September 1753 (Franklin Papers)
AD : American Philosophical Society Peters, Norris, and Franklin were commissioned on September 22 to meet the Indians at Carlisle and they proceeded to the westward immediately. They reached the house of Conrad Weiser, the province interpreter, on the Tulpehocken on September 24 and, setting out next morning and making all speed, they covered sixty miles and rode into Carlisle on the...
20To Benjamin Franklin from Elizabeth Douse: Mortgage Deed, 27 September 1753 (Franklin Papers)
Transcript: Suffolk County Registry of Deeds, Boston Franklin’s eldest sister Elizabeth (C. I ) inherited from her first husband Joseph Berry a house and lot on Unity Street, Boston, and continued to live there with her second husband Richard Douse. On August 22, 1748, Richard and Elizabeth Douse mortgaged the property to Benjamin Franklin as security for a debt of £60 Pennsylvania currency....
21From Benjamin Franklin to Peter Collinson, September 1753 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Massachusetts Historical Society In my former Paper on this Subject, wrote first in 1747, enlarged and sent to England in 1749, I considered the Sea as the grand source of Lightning, imagining its luminous Appearance to be owing to Electric Fire, produced by Friction between the Particles of Water and those of Salt. Living far from the Sea I had then no opportunity of making Experiments...
22From Benjamin Franklin to James Bowdoin, 18 October 1753 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : J. William Middendorf, Jr., Ruxton, Md. (1955) I recollect that I promis’d to send you Dr. Brownrigg’s Treatise on Common Salt. You will receive it herewith. I hope it may be of use in the Affair of your Fishery. Please to communicate it to Capt. Erwin, Mr. Pitts, Mr. Boutineau, or any other of your Friends who may be desirous of seeing it. Since my Return from Boston, I have been to our...
23From Benjamin Franklin to Cadwallader Colden, 25 October 1753 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : New-York Historical Society This last Summer I have enjoy’d very little of the Pleasure of Reading or Writing. I made a long Journey to the Eastward, which consum’d 10 Weeks; and two Journeys to our Western Frontier: One of them to meet and hold a Treaty with the Ohio Indians, in Company with Mr. Peters and Mr. Norris. I shall send you a Copy of the Treaty as soon as ’tis printed. I...
24From Benjamin Franklin to Samuel Johnson, 27 October 1753 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Columbia University Library I herewith send you Twelve of the Noetica’s. Ten are bound as you desired; which are all I have of that best Paper, the other two are more ordinary. I hope they will go safe to hand. My sincere Respects to good Madam Johnson and your valuable Sons. With great Esteem and Regard, I am, Dear Sir, Your most humble Servant Addressed: To The Revd. Dr Saml Johnson...
25From Benjamin Franklin to William Strahan, 27 October 1753 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Yale University Library I have your Favour of June 27, and am quite surpriz’d at the Conduct of Mr. Harris. He is return’d to Maryland as I hear, a Parson! I have now received Bower’s 2d Vol. and shall send to the Trenton Library to enquire after Crito and Delaresse. The Sum was £25 to which I limited the Books, &c. to be sent my Nephew Benja. Mecom. But if you have sent to the Amount of...
26Treaty of Carlisle, 1 November 1753 (Franklin Papers)
A Treaty held with the Ohio Indians, at Carlisle, In October, 1753. Philadelphia: Printed and Sold by B. Franklin, and D. Hall, at the New-Printing-Office, near the Market. MDCCLIII . (Yale University Library) November 1, 1753. A Treaty , &c. To the Honourable James Hamilton , Esq; Lieutenant-Governor, and Commander in Chief, of the Province of Pennsylvania, and Counties of New-Castle, Kent...
27From Benjamin Franklin to Thomas Clap, 8 November 1753 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Yale University Library The first Intimation I find of the New Airpump, is in a Piece of Mr. Watson’s, read to the Royal Society, Feb. 20. 1752 where describing some Experiments he made in Vacuo, he says, “The more compleat the Vacuum, caeteris paribus, the more considerable were the Effects; and here I should not do Justice to real Merit, were I silent in regard to Mr. Smeaton. This...
28To Benjamin Franklin from Samuel Mix: Deed, 8 November 1753 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: New Haven Land Records, Office of the Town Clerk, New Haven, Conn. At about the time when Franklin was ordering a press and type from England for a printing office in New Haven, he bought a lot in the town from Samuel Mix. Presumably his purpose was to provide a site for the printing house in which he planned to install his nephew James Franklin, Jr. (see above, p. 82). The plot occupied...
29To Benjamin Franklin from James Bowdoin, 12 November 1753 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Massachusetts Historical Society I received your Favour of the 18th Ult. accompanied with Dr. Brownrigg’s Treatise on Salt which I shall comunicate to the Gentlemen you mention. According to your desire I send you our Law for regulating the Trade with the Indians. Our Indians formerly (as yours now) made great Complaints of the Abuses they suffer’d from private Traders, which induced the...
30From Benjamin Franklin to William Strahan, 16 November 1753 (Franklin Papers)
MS not found; reprinted from extract in Merwin Sales Company, Catalogue No. 557 (1914), p. 16. I wrote to you via Bristol and desired you to bespeak some Letter and a Press for me. I desired Mr. Hall to look out for such a Bill for me, but he has not been able to procure one at any reasonable rate. Among the lost [long?] list of type is 300 lb. long Primer with Figures and Signs sufficient for...