MEMOIRS OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN. To William Franklin, Esq., Governor of to be to recall all the circumstances of it; New Jersey. TWYFORD,* 1771. you and to render this remembrance more durable to record them in writing. In thus employing myself I shall yield to the inclination so natuDEAR SON,-I have ever had a pleasure in ral to old men, of talking of themselves and obtaining any little anecdotes of my ancestors. their own actions; and I shall indulge it withYou may remember the enquiries I made out being tiresome to those, who, from respect among the remains of my relations, when you to my age, might conceive themselves obligwere with me in England, and the journey I ed to listen to me, since they will be always undertook for that purpose. Imagining it free to read me or not. And lastly, (I may as may be equally agreeable to you to learn the well confess it, as the denial of it would be becircumstances of my life, many of which lieved by nobody,) I shall perhaps not a little are unacquainted with, and expecting the en-gratify my own vanity. Indeed, I never heard joyment of a few weeks' uninterrupted lei- or saw the introductory words "Without vanisure, I sit down to write them. Besides, there ty I may say," &c., but some vain thing immeare some other inducements that excite me to diately followed. Most people dislike vanity in this undertaking. From the poverty and ob- others, whatever share they have of it themscurity in which I was born, and in which I selves, but I give it fair quarter, wherever I passed my earliest years, I have raised mymeet with it, being persuaded that it is often self to a state of affluence and some degree of productive of good to the possessor, and to celebrity in the world. As constant good for- others who are within his sphere of action: tune has accompanied me even to an advanc- and therefore, in many cases, it would not be ed period of life, my posterity will perhaps be altogether absurd, if a man were to thank desirous of learning the means, which I emGod for his vanity among the other comforts of life. ployed, and which, thanks to Providence, so well succeeded with me. They may also deem them fit to be imitated, should any of them find themselves in similar circumstances. -This good fortune, when I reflect on it, which is frequently the case, has induced me sometimes to say, that if it were left to my choice, I should have no objection to go over the same life from its beginning to the end: requesting only the advantage authors have, of correcting in a second edition the faults of the first. So would I also wish to change some incidents of it for others more favourable. Notwithstanding, if this condition was denied, I should still accept the offer of re-commencing the same life. But as this repetition is not to be expected, that which resembies most living one's life over again, seems The seat of Dr. Shipley, Bishop of St. Asaph. And now I speak of thanking God, I desire with all humility to acknowledge that I attri bute the mentioned happiness of my past life to his divine providence, which led me to the means I used, and gave the success. My belief of this induces me to hope, though I must not presume, that the same goodness will still be exercised towards me, in continuing that happiness or enabling me to bear a fatal reverse, which I may experience as others have done; the complexion of my future fortune being known to him only, in whose power it is to bless us, even in our afflictions. Some notes, one of my uncles (who had the same curiosity in collecting family anecdotes) once put into my hands, furnished me with several particulars relative to our ancestors. From these notes I learnt that they lived in the same village, Ecton in Northamptonshire on a freehold of about thirty acres, for at least three hundred years, and how much longer could not be ascertained.* This small estate would not have sufficed for their maintenance without the business of a smith, which had continued in the family down to my uncle's time, the eldest son being always brought up to that employment; a custom which he and my father followed with regard to their eldest sons. When I searched the registers at Ecton, I found an account of their marriages and burials from the year 1555 only, as the registers kept did not commence previous thereto. I however learnt from it, that I was the youngest son of the youngest son for five generations back. My grandfather Thomas, who was born 1598, lived at Ecton, till he was too old to continue his business, when he retired to Banbury in Oxfordshire, to the house of his son John, with whom my father served an apprenticeship. There my uncle died and lies buried. We saw his grave stone in 1758. His eldest son Thomas lived in the house at Ecton, and left it with the land to his only daughter, who with her husband, one Fisher of Wellingborough, sold it to Mr. Isted, now lord of the manor there. My grandfather had four sons, who grew up: viz. Thomas, John, Benjamin, and Josiah. Being at a distance from my papers, I will give you what account I can of them from inemory: and if my papers are not lost in my absence, you will find among them many more particulars.† Thomas, my eldest uncle, was bred a smith under his father, but being ingenious, and en couraged in learning (as all my brothers were) by an esquire Palmer, then the principal inhabitant of that parish, he qualified himself for the bar, and became a considerable man in the county; was chief mover of all public-spirited enterprizes for the county or town of Northampton, as well as of his own village, of which many instances were related of him: and he was much taken notice of, and patronized by lord Halifax. He died in 1702, the 6th of January; four years to a day before I was born. The recital which some elderly persons made to us of his character, I remember, struck you as something extraordinary, from its similarity with what you knew of me. "Had he died," said you, "four gives a lively account. Some think we are of a French extract, which was formerly called Franks; some of a free line; a line free from that vassalage which was common to subjects in days of old; some from a bird of long red legs. Your uncle Benjamin made inquiry of one skilled in heraldry, who told him there is two coats of armour, one belonging to the Franklins of the north, and one to the Franklins of the west. However, been worth while to concern ourselves much about these things, any further than to tickle the fancy a our circumstances have been such as that it hath hardly little. The first that I can give account of, is my great grand father, as it was a custom in those days among young men too many times to goe to seek their fortune, and in his travels he went upon liking to a taylor; but he kept such a stingy house, that he left him and travelled farther, and came to a smith's house, and coming on a fasting day, being in popish times, he did not like there the first day; the next morning the servant was called up at five in the morning, but after a little time came a good toast and good beer, and he found good * Perhaps from the time, when the name of FRANK-housekeeping there; he served and learned the trade of LIN, which before was the name of an order of people, was assumed by them for a surname, when others took Furnames all over the kingdom. As a proof that FRANKLIN was anciently the common name of an order or rank in England, see Judge Fortescue. De laudibus Legum Anglie, written about the year 1412, in which is the following passage, to show that good juries might easily be formed in any part of England. a smith. In queen Mary's days, either his wife, or my grand. mother, by father's side, informed my father that they kept their bible fastened under the top of a joint-stool that they might turn up the book and read in the bible, that when any body came to the dore they turned up the stool for fear of the aparitor, for if it was discover. ed, they would be in hazard of their lives. My grand father was a smith also, and settled at Eton in North "Regio etiam illa, ita respersa refertaque est posses-amptonshire, and he was imprisoned a year and a day soribus terrarum et agrorum, quod in ea, villula tam parva reperiri non poterit, in qua non est miles, armiger, vel pater-familias, qualis ibidem Frankleri vulga riter nuncupatur, magnis ditatus possessionibus, nec non libere tenentes et alii valecti plurimi, suis patrimoniis sufficientes ad faciendum juratam, in forma præ notata "Moreover, the same country is so filled and reprenished with landed menne, that therein so small a thorpe cannot be found wherein dweleth not a knight, an es quire, or such a householder, as is there commonly called a Franklin, enriched with great possessions; and also other freeholders and many yeomen able for their livelihoodes to make a jury in form aforementioned."-Old Translation.) Chaucer too calls his country gentleman, a Franklin; and after describing his good housekeeping, thus characterises him: "This worthy Franklin bore a purse of silk, Fix'd to his girdle, white as morning milk. Knight of the Shire, first Justice at th' Assize, To help the poor, the doubtful to advise. In all employments, generons, just, he proved; Renown'd for courtesy, by all beloved. Copy of an original letter, found among Dr. Franklin's papers, from Josiah to B. Franklin. LOVING SON,-As to the original of our name there is various opinions; some say that it came from a sort of title of which a book, that you bought when here, on suspicion of his being the author of some poetry that touched the character of some great man. He had only one son and one daughter; my grandfather's name was Henry, my father's name was Thomas, my mother's Northamptonshire, on the 18th of October, 15:18: married name was Jane. My father was born at Ecton or Eton, to Miss Jane White, niece to Coll White, of Banbury, and died in the 24th year of his age. There was nine children of us who were happy in our parents, who took great care by their instructions and pious example to but one child, which was married to one Mr Fisher, at breed us up in a religious way. My eldest brother had Wallingborough, in Northamptonshire. The town was lately burnt down, and whether she was a sufferer or not I cannot tell, or whether she be living or not. Her circumstances are now I know not. She hath no child, father dyed worth fifteen hundred pounds, but what her If you by the freedom of your office, makes it more likely to convey a letter to her, it would be acceptable to me. There is also children of brother John and sister Morris, but I hear nothing from them, and they write not to me, so that I know not where to find them. I have been again to about seeing. but have mist of being informed. We received yours, and are glad to hear poor Jammy is recovered so well. Son John received the letter, but is so busy just now that he cannot write you an answer, but will do the best he can. Now with hearty love to, and prayer for you all I rest your affectionate father. Boston, May 26, 1739. JOSIAH FRANKLIN years later, on the same day, one might have supposed a transmigration." John, my next uncle, was bred a dyer, I believe of wool. Benjamin was bred a silk dyer, serving an apprenticeship in London. He was an ingenious man. I remember, when I was a boy, he came to my father's in Boston, and resided in the house with us for several years. There was always a particular affection between my father and him, and I was his godson. He lived to a great age. He left behind him two quarto volumes of manuscript, of his own poetry, consisting of fugitive pieces addressed to his friends. He had invented a short hand of his own, which he taught me, but not having practised it, I have now forgotten it. He was very pious, and an assiduous attendant at the sermons of the best preachers, which he reduced to writing according to his method, and had thus collected several volumes of them. He was also a good deal of a politician; too much so, perhaps, for his station. There fell lately into my hands in London, a collection he made of all the principal political pamphlets relating to public affairs, from the year 1641 to 1717; many of the volumes are wanting, as appears by their numbering, but there still remain eight volumes in folio, and twenty in quarto and in octavo. A dealer in old books had met with them, and knowing me by name, having bought books of him, he brought them to me. It would appear that my uncle must have left them here, when he went to America, which was about fifty years ago. I found several of his notes in the margins. His grandson, Samuel Franklin, is still living in Bos ton. Our humble family early embraced the reformed religion. Our forefathers continued Protestants through the reign of Mary, when they were sometimes in danger of persecution, on account of their zeal against popery. They had an English bible, and to conceal it, and place it in safety, it was fastened open with tapes under and within the cover of a joint stool. When my great grandfather wished to read it to his family, he placed the joint stool on his knees, and then turned over the leaves under the tapes. One of the children stood at the door to give notice if he saw the apparitor coming, who was an officer of the spiritual court. In that case the stool was turned down again upon its feet, when the bible remained concealed under it as before. This anec lote I had from uncle Benjamin. The family continued all of the church of England, till about the end of Charles II. reign, when some of the ministers that had been outed for their nonconformity, holding conventicles in Northamptonshire, my uncle Benjamin and my father Josiah adhered to them, and so continued all their lives: the rest of the family remained with the episcopal church. My father married young, and carried his wife with three children to New England, about 1682. The conventicles being at that time forbidden by law, and frequently disturbed in their meetings, some considerable inen of his acquaintance determined to go to that country, and he was prevailed with to accompany them thither, where they expected to enjoy the exercise of their religion with freedom. By the same wife my father had four children more born there, and by a second wife ten others-in ail seventeen; of which I remember to have seen thirteen sitting together at his table, who all grew up to years of maturity, and were married; I was the youngest son and the youngest of all except two daughters. I was born in Boston in New England. My mother, the second wife of my father, was Abiah Folger, daughter of Peter Folger, one of the first settlers of New England; of whom honourable mention is made by Cotton Mather, in his ecclesiastical history of that country, entitled Magnalia Christi Americana, as "a goodly and learned Englishman," if I remember the words rightly. I was informed he wrote several small occasional works, but only one of them was printed, which I remember to have seen several years since. It was written in 1675. It was in familiar verse, according to the taste of the times and people; and addressed to the government there. It asserts the liberty of conscience, in behalf of the Anabaptists, the Quakers, and other sectarians, that had been persecuted. He attributes to this persecution the Indian wars, and other calamities that had befallen the country; regarding them as so many judgments of God, to punish so heinous an offence, so contrary to charity. This piece appeared to me as written with manly freedom and a pleasing simplicity. The six last lines I remember, but have forgotten the preceding ones of the stanza; the purpose of them was, that his censures proceeded from good will, and therefore he would be known to be the author. "Because to be a libeller (said he) I bate it with my heart; From Sherburne* town, where now I dwell, It is Peter Folgier. My elder brothers were all put apprentices to different trades. I was put to the grammar school at eight years of age, my father intending to devote me as the tythe of his sons, to the service of the church. My early readiness in learning to read, (which must have been very early, and I do not remember when I could not read,) and the opinion of all my friends, that I should certainly make a good scholar, encouraged him in this purpose of * Sherburne in the island of Nantucket. his. My uncle Benjamin, too, approved of it, | after the authors of this transfer; we were and proposed to give me his short-hand vo- covered, complained of, and corrected by lumes of sermons to set up with, if I would learn short-hand. fathers; and though I demonstrated the ut.l.-. ty of our work, mine convinced me that, that which was not truly honest could not be truly useful. I suppose you may like to know what kind of a man my father was. He had an excellent constitution, was of a middle stature, well set, and very strong: he could draw prettily, was a little skilled in music; his voice was sonorous and agreeable, so that when he played on his violin and sung withal, as he was accustomed to do after the business of the day was over, it was extremely agreeable to hear. He had some knowledge of mechanics, and on occasion was very handy with other tradesmen's tools; but his great excellence was his sound understanding and solid judgment in prudential matters, both in private and public affairs. It is true he was never employed in the latter, the numerous family he had to edueate, and the strictness of his circumstances keeping him close to his trade: but I remember well his being frequently visited by leading men, who consulted him for his opinion I continued however at the grammar school rather less than a year, though in that time I had risen gradually from the middle of the class of that year, to be at the head of the same class, and was removed into the next class, whence I was to be placed in the third at the end of the year. But my father, burthened with a numerous family, was unable, without inconvenience, to support the expense of a college education; considering, moreover, as he said to one of his friends in my presence, the little encouragement that line of life afforded to those educated for it, he gave up his first intentions, took me from the grammar school, and sent me to a school for writing and arithmetic, kept by a then famous man, Mr. George Brownwell. He was a skilful master and successful in his profession, employing the mildest and most encouraging methods. Under him I learnt to write a good hand pretty soon, but failed entirely in arithmetic. At ten years old, I was taken to help my father in his business of a tallow-chandler and soap-in public affairs, and those of the church he boiler, a business to which he was not bred, but had assumed on his arrival in New England, because he found that his dying trade, being in little request, would not maintain his family. Accordingly, I was employed in cut-quently chosen an arbitrator between contendting the wick for the candles, filling the moulds for cast candles, attending the shop, going of errands, &c. belonged to, and who shewed great respect for his judgment and advice: he was also much consulted by private persons about their affairs, when any difficulty occurred; and fre ing parties. At his table he liked to have, as often as he could, some sensible friend or neighbour to converse with, and always took care to start some ingenious or useful topic for discourse, which might tend to improve the minds of his children. By this means he turned our attention to what was good, just, and prudent, in the conduct of life; and little or no notice was ever taken of what related to the victuals on the table, whether it was well or ill dress ed, in or out of season, of good or bad flavour, preferable or inferior to this or that other thing of the kind, so that I was brought up in such a I disliked the trade, and had a strong inclination to go to sea, but my father declared against it; but residing near the water, I was much in it and on it. I learnt to swim well, and to manage boats; and when embarked with other boys, I was commonly allowed to govern, especially in any case of difficulty; and upon other occasions, I was generally the leader among the boys, and sometimes led them into scrapes, of which I will mention an instance, as it shows an early projecting pub-perfect inattention to those matters, as to be lic spirit, though not then justly conducted. There was a salt marsh which bounded part of the mill-pond, on the edge of which at high water we used to stand to fish for minnows; by much trampling we had made it a mere quagmire. My proposal was to build a wharf there for us to stand upon, and I shewed my comrades a large heap of stones, which were intended for a new house near the marsh, and which would very well suit our purpose. Accordingly, in the evening when the workmen were gone home, I assembled a number of my playfellows, and we worked diligently like so many emmets, sometimes two or three to a stone, till we had brought them all to make our little wharf. The next morning the workmen were surprised, on missing the stones which formed our wharf; inquiry was made quite indifferent as to what kind of food was set before me. Indeed I am so unobservant of it, that to this day I can scarce tell a few hours after dinner of what dishes it consisted. This has been a great convenience to me in travelling, where my companions have been sometimes very unhappy for want of a suitable gratification of their more delicate because better instructed tastes and appetites. My mother had likewise an excellent constitution: she suckled all her ten children. I never knew either my father or mother to have any sickness but that of which they died-he at 89 and she at 85 years of age. They lie buried together at Boston, where I some years since placed a marble over their grave, with this inscription: |