1To Benjamin Franklin from William Strahan, [October 1767–1774] (Franklin Papers)
AL : American Philosophical Society Mr. Strahan presents his best Compliments to Dr. Franklin—hears by his Daughter that he is going into the Country tomorrow, and therefore would be glad to see him tonight if he is disengaged. If the Dr. is not going abroad; will call on him about 8. If he is, will be glad that he would call in New Street. Addressed: To / Dr. Franklin / Craven Street There is...
2From Benjamin Franklin to Mary Stevenson, [1767–1770] (Franklin Papers)
Fragment of draft: American Philosophical Society [ First part missing ] and a Train of various Amusements daily interfering, I as continually put off Writing till to-morrow; when I receiv’d the second Letter, I propos’d answering both together to-morrow; the same of the third; and now what a shameful Fault has this Procrastination led me into! a Fault which even my Polly with all her...
3Incoming Philadelphia Mail, 1767–1768 (Franklin Papers)
Printed forms with MS insertions: American Philosophical Society Among the Franklin Papers is a record of letters received in the Philadelphia Post Office by Postmaster Thomas Foxcroft between May 12, 1767, and April 21, 1768. The record consists of a group of twenty-one sheets printed on both sides in the manner prescribed for Post Office Form “C” by Benjamin Franklin and William Hunter in...
4From Benjamin Franklin to Sir John Pringle, [1767?] (Franklin Papers)
Draft: American Philosophical Society I have attentively perused the Remarks of Capt. Coats, relative to Voyages into Hudson’s Bay, the Geography of the Country, and his Reasons for believing a Western Sea to be not far distant, put into my Hands by Dr. Hamilton and I cannot but think the Work of too great Importance to be kept longer in Obscurity, as the Information it contains would be...
5To Benjamin Franklin from Thomas Cumming, 30 December 1767 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Thos. Cumming presents his best Respects to his worthy Friend Doctor Franklin, and begs Leave to introduce to his Notice the Bearer, who is canvassing for the Place of Library-Keeper to the Royal Society. The Doctor will be presented with a Book of that Gentleman’s, which if it has been already read by the Doctor, Cumming may save himself the Trouble of...
6From Benjamin Franklin to William Franklin, 29 December 1767 (Franklin Papers)
MS not found; extract reprinted in part from The Pennsylvania Chronicle, And Universal Advertiser , March 7–14, 1768, and in part from William Temple Franklin, ed., Memoirs of the Life and Writings of Benjamin Franklin, LL.D. F.R.S. &c ., II , The Private Correspondence (quarto edition, London, 1817), 149–50. The paragraphs printed here form the second of two documents that William Temple...
7To Benjamin Franklin from William Trent, with List of Traders’ Losses and Benjamin Franklin’s Certificate, 1 October … (Franklin Papers)
ALS (Trent) and ADS (Franklin): Yale University Library In March 1766, Colonel Croghan took the liberty of inclosing you a Letter from himself to Messrs. Mildred & Roberts of London And therein desired, That they would deliver to you, All the Accounts belonging to the Indian Traders who had lost by the Depredations of the French and Indians and also the Vouchers attending them. Colonel Croghan...
8From Benjamin Franklin to Deborah Franklin, 24 December 1767 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I wrote you largely by this Packet, but omitted mentioning two Things I want you to send me per first Ships, for two of my Friends here. One is, Miller’s German Newspapers for two or three Months back; and to be continued. The other a Lump of that Sort of Stone we make Steps and Cheeks of Cellar doors of, at Philadelphia. Your Care in these Particulars will...
9From Benjamin Franklin to Isaac Hunt, 24 December 1767 (Franklin Papers)
Transcript: Historical Society of Pennsylvania I received yours of Octo. 10 and perceive with concern that you are still persecuted as a heretic in politics. It is remarkable that the objection to you as a libeller should come from that person who is himself one huge, living, walking talking libel against all the worthy characters that come in his way. You ask me my advice on the occasion. The...
10From Benjamin Franklin to Jane Mecom, 24 December 1767 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I have received yours of Oct. 23. and condole with you most affectionately in the Affliction you must have suffered by the Loss of so valuable and so amiable a Child. The longer we live we are expos’d to more of these Strokes of Providence: but tho’ we consider them as such, and know it is our Duty to submit to the Divine Will, yet when it comes to our Turn...
11To Benjamin Franklin from James Parker, 24 December 1767 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society As no Packet has arrived here these two Months, nor any other Vessels lately from England, we have not had the Pleasure to hear from you since Sept. last. My last to you was per Capt. Eff. Lawrence by whom I told you the Issue of the Trial of the Office vers. Holt, was by the Auditors at New Haven, so far adjudged in Holt’s Favour, that he was to pay the...
12From Benjamin Franklin to William Franklin, 19 December 1767 (Franklin Papers)
MS not found; extract reprinted from William Temple Franklin, ed., Memoirs of the Life and Writings of Benjamin Franklin, LL.D. F.R.S. &c ., I (quarto edit., London, 1818), 125–6 note. The paragraphs printed here form one of two documents William Temple Franklin printed at widely separated points in his edition of his grandfather’s writings, both of which he said were letters to William...
13From Benjamin Franklin to Francis Hopkinson, 16 December 1767 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Associates of the Late Rev. Dr. Bray I received yours of Nov. 6. with the Account of your safe Arrival, which gave me and your Friends here great Pleasure. I have sent your Letter to Mr. Morgann, and by some Discourse I have had with him I am inclin’d to think you will find it no great Difficulty to agree for the Office when you see him on the Spot; and he is now preparing for the...
14American Longevity, [15 December 1767] (Franklin Papers)
Printed in The London Chronicle , Dec. 12–15, 1767. I have often heard it remarked, that our Colonies in North America were unhealthy and unfavourable to long life; and more particularly so upon their first settlement. In opposition to this groundless notion, I here send you two paragraphs taken from the Pensylvania Gazette of July 16, and the New-York Gazette of August 27, giving an account...
15From Benjamin Franklin to John Ross, 12 December 1767 (Franklin Papers)
MS not found; reprinted from William Temple Franklin, ed., Memoirs of the Life and Writings of Benjamin Franklin, LL.D F.R.S. &c ., Quarto Edition, II, printed with separate title as The Private Correspondence of Benjamin Franklin, LL.D. F.R.S. &c . (London, 1817), p. 148. I received your kind letter of October 18. I had before seen with great pleasure your name in the papers as chosen for the...
16From Benjamin Franklin to Thomas Wharton, 12 December 1767 (Franklin Papers)
Burned fragment of extract: New York State Library [ Burned ] hear of the Accident to the Boat On the [ burned ] being fully sensible of the Truth of What you [ burned ] concerning Indian Affairs And the Necessity of [ burned ] a Boundary, I shall urge this Point very [ burned ] On the Ministry. This extract, and one from BF ’s letter to Galloway of Dec. 1, 1767 (above, p. 332 n), were sent by...
17From Benjamin Franklin to Joseph Galloway, 1 December 1767 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Bibliotheque Municipale de Nantes I duly received your Favours of Augt. 22. and Sept. 20. and Oct. 8. and, within these few Days one of Feb. 14. recommending Mr. Morgan Edwards and his Affair of the Rhodeisland College, which I shall endeavour to promote deeming the Institution one of the most catholic and generous of the kind. I believe I before acknowledg’d the Receipt of the Bills you...
18To Benjamin Franklin from Jane Mecom, 1 December 1767 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I wrot to you Some time ago and Informed you of the Death of my Child and of the Helth of the Rest of my Famely. I have now a Twofold Benifit to Acknolidg and thank you for The Recipt of what you mention in yr [your] Last to me by Mr. Barrett. Mr. Winthrop come and Paid me five Giuenys and yr [your] Advancing so much for me when Capt. Freeman come I am not...
19From Benjamin Franklin to Lachlin MacLeane, [November 1767] (Franklin Papers)
Copy: American Philosophical Society Sir Wm. Johnson’s Letter of May 30, 1767 of which you have been so kind as to communicate an Extract to me, has no Relation to the propos’d Boundary Line between the English Colonies and the Indian Country. It is merely a Line of Division between the two Colonies of Pensilvania and Maryland, now running by Agreement of the two Proprietaries, and as it is to...
20From Benjamin Franklin to John Canton, 27 November 1767 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : The Royal Society After the Society was gone, my Lord Moreton said, (when I offer’d him the Paper) that it ought to have been deliver’d before and read to the Society: he however desir’d me to produce it to the Council. There the Reading of it was oppos’d as not being referr’d to them by the Society. But this was at last got over by Dr. Moreton’s proposing that the giving a Medal to Dr....
21From Benjamin Franklin to the Earl of Morton, [19–25 November 1767] (Franklin Papers)
Draft: American Philosophical Society In Obedience to your Lordship’s Commands I have look’d over that Part of Dr. Priestly’s Work that contains an Account of the Experiments made by him. I find There are a great Number of them, mostly quite new, and some I think very curious and important, well deserving for that Reason and for the great Pains and Expence he has been at in making them, the...
22From Benjamin Franklin to William Franklin, 25 November 1767 (Franklin Papers)
MS not found; reprinted from William Temple Franklin, ed., Memoirs of the Life and Writings of Benjamin Franklin, LL.D. F.R.S. &c ., Quarto Edition, II , printed with separate title as The Private Correspondence of Benjamin Franklin, LL.D. F.R.S. &c . (London, 1817), pp. 144–6; also [William Duane, ed.,] The Works of Dr. Benjamin Franklin , VI (Philadelphia, 1817), 255–7; MS extracts:...
23“F.B.”: On Smuggling, [24 November 1767] (Franklin Papers)
Printed in The London Chronicle , November 21–24, 1767; draft (incomplete): American Philosophical Society; transcript: American Philosophical Society This is Franklin’s first major statement on smuggling, although he had occasionally discussed the practice in his earlier correspondence. We do not know precisely when he wrote this paper, but we do know where he wrote it—at the country house of...
24To Benjamin Franklin from Lachlin MacLeane, 24 November 1767 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: American Philosophical Society Mr. Macleane presents his Compliments to Dr. Franklin, and sends him a Paragraph of a Letter from Sir Wm. Johnson relative to the Boundary Line behind Pensylvania. Mr. Macleane will do Himself the Pleasure of waiting on the Doctor some Day this Week. [ On the same page: ] Extract of a Letter from Sir Wm. Johnson to the Earl of Shelburne, dated Johnson Hall...
25To Benjamin Franklin from James Parker, 24 November 1767 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society No Packet having arrived here lately, that of August from England being the last, and this Opportunity being near I must scribble a few Lines to you. I sent you, per Capt. Miller, a Power to get any Wages that may be due to me. My last to you was per the Duke Packet, immediately after my Return from New-Haven: since which Mr. Ingersol has wrote Mr. Foxcroft...
26To Benjamin Franklin from the Earl of Morton, 23 November 1767 (Franklin Papers)
AL : American Philosophical Society Lord Morton’s Compliments to Dr. Franklin, desires the favor of his Company to Dinner on saturday next the 28th Inst.; and that he would be so good as to come about 12 o’Clock, that there may be time for Auditing the Accounts of the Society before dinner. Addressed: To / Dr. Franklin / Craven Street / Strand. This audit may have been connected with the...
27To Benjamin Franklin from Cadwalader Evans, 20 November 1767 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I received your very acceptable letter of Augst 5th. , and also Doctor Baker’s ingenuous investigation of the cause of the Devonshire colic; for which he deserves the thanks of that County in particular, and of all the world, where Wine, and Cyder, are drank. Gentlemen of the faculty, too often begin where they shou’d end; and instead of writing from...
28To Benjamin Franklin from Thomas Livezey, 18 November 1767 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Tho’ I have not the happyness of an Intimate Acquaintance with thee, yet time I hope will alter that Circumstance, and bring us better acquainted; I only know thee from Some of thy Writings, the Author of which I Greatly Esteem. As thou art one of the Agents for this Province in Great Britan, I Sent a Dozen of American wine by Caaptn. Falconer, the Last...
29To Benjamin Franklin from Thomas Wharton, 18 November 1767 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I wrote thee per Capt. Story, who sails in Company with Capt. Falkner, to which please to refer, the Chief Intent of this, is to Inclose thee, a Letter from Our friend Thomas Livezey, and to inform thee, that I have deliverd to Capt. Falkner 12 bottles of Wine, the Manufacture of Our Friend; having seald each Bottle and put a Mark on Each as below; hoping,...
30From Benjamin Franklin to Deborah Franklin, 17 November 1767 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I have this minute receiv’d Letters by the Packet of October, from Billy and some other Friends, but not a Line from you. I suppose therefore you have written by some other Vessel: I long to hear of your and Sally’s Welfare from your own Hands. I purpose writing to you fully to-morrow; but as I may be interrupted, I would not miss this Post, in hope it may...