AncestryandEarlyYouthinBoston

Twyford,[3]attheBishopofSt.Asaphs,1771.

EARSON:Ihaveeverhadpleasureinobtaininganylittleanecdotesofmy ancestors.YoumayremembertheinquiriesImadeamongtheremainsofmyrelationswhen youwerewithmeinEngland,andthejourneyIundertookforthatpurpose.Imaginingitmaybe equallyagreeabletoyoutoknowthecircumstancesofmylife,manyofwhichyouareyet unacquaintedwith,andexpectingtheenjoymentofaweeksuninterruptedleisureinmypresent countryretirement,Isitdowntowritethemforyou.TowhichIhavebesidessomeother inducements.HavingemergedfromthepovertyandobscurityinwhichIwasbornandbred,toa stateofaffluenceandsomedegreeofreputationintheworld,andhavinggonesofarthroughlife withaconsiderableshareoffelicity,theconducingmeansImadeuseof,whichwiththeblessing ofGodsowellsucceeded,myposteritymayliketoknow,astheymayfindsomeofthem suitabletotheirownsituations,andthereforefittobeimitated. Thatfelicity,whenIreflectedonit,hasinducedmesometimestosay,thatwereitofferedtomy choice,Ishouldhavenoobjectiontoarepetitionofthesamelifefromitsbeginning,onlyasking theadvantagesauthorshaveinasecondeditiontocorrectsomefaultsofthefirst.SoImight, besidescorrectingthefaults,changesomesinisteraccidentsandeventsofitforothersmore favourable.Butthoughthisweredenied,Ishouldstillaccepttheoffer.Sincesucharepetitionis nottobeexpected,thenextthingmostlikelivingoneslifeoveragainseemstobearecollection ofthatlife,andtomakethatrecollectionasdurableaspossiblebyputtingitdowninwriting. Hereby,too,Ishallindulgetheinclinationsonaturalinoldmen,tobetalkingofthemselvesand theirownpastactionsandIshallindulgeitwithoutbeingtiresometoothers,who,through respecttoage,mightconceivethemselvesobligedtogivemeahearing,sincethismayberead ornotasanyonepleases.And,lastly(Imayaswellconfessit,sincemydenialofitwillbe believedbynobody),perhapsIshallagooddealgratifymyownvanity.[4]Indeed,Iscarceever heardorsawtheintroductorywords,WithoutvanityImaysay,etc.,butsomevainthing immediatelyfollowed.Mostpeopledislikevanityinothers,whateversharetheyhaveofit themselvesbutIgiveitfairquarterwhereverImeetwithit,beingpersuadedthatitisoften productiveofgoodtothepossessor,andtoothersthatarewithinhissphereofactionand therefore,inmanycases,itwouldnotbealtogetherabsurdifamanweretothankGodforhis vanityamongtheothercomfortsoflife. GibbonandHume,thegreatBritishhistorians,whowerecontemporariesofFranklin,expressin theirautobiographiesthesamefeelingabouttheproprietyofjustselfpraise. AndnowIspeakofthankingGod,IdesirewithallhumilitytoacknowledgethatIowethe mentionedhappinessofmypastlifetoHiskindprovidence,whichleadmetothemeansIused andgavethemsuccess.Mybeliefofthisinducesmetohope,thoughImustnotpresume,that

thesamegoodnesswillstillbeexercisedtowardme,incontinuingthathappiness,orenabling metobearafatalreverse,whichImayexperienceasothershavedonethecomplexionofmy futurefortunebeingknowntoHimonlyinwhosepoweritistoblesstousevenourafflictions. Thenotesoneofmyuncles(whohadthesamekindofcuriosityincollectingfamilyanecdotes) onceputintomyhands,furnishedmewithseveralparticularsrelatingtoourancestors.From thesenotesIlearnedthatthefamilyhadlivedinthesamevillage,Ecton,inNorthamptonshire,for threehundredyears,andhowmuchlongerheknewnot(perhapsfromthetimewhenthename ofFranklin,thatbeforewasthenameofanorderofpeople,[6]wasassumedbythemasa surnamewhenotherstooksurnamesalloverthekingdom),onafreeholdofaboutthirtyacres, aidedbythesmithsbusiness,whichhadcontinuedinthefamilytillhistime,theeldestsonbeing alwaysbredtothatbusinessacustomwhichheandmyfatherfollowedastotheireldestsons. WhenIsearchedtheregistersatEcton,Ifoundanaccountoftheirbirths,marriagesandburials fromtheyear1555only,therebeingnoregisterskeptinthatparishatanytimepreceding.By thatregisterIperceivedthatIwastheyoungestsonoftheyoungestsonforfivegenerations back.MygrandfatherThomas,whowasbornin1598,livedatEctontillhegrewtoooldtofollow businesslonger,whenhewenttolivewithhissonJohn,adyeratBanbury,inOxfordshire,with whommyfatherservedanapprenticeship.Theremygrandfatherdiedandliesburied.Wesaw hisgravestonein1758.HiseldestsonThomaslivedinthehouseatEcton,andleftitwiththe landtohisonlychild,adaughter,who,withherhusband,oneFisher,ofWellingborough,soldit toMr.Isted,nowlordofthemanorthere.Mygrandfatherhadfoursonsthatgrewup,viz.: Thomas,John,BenjaminandJosiah.IwillgiveyouwhataccountIcanofthematthisdistance frommypapers,andifthesearenotlostinmyabsence,youwillamongthemfindmanymore particulars. Thomaswasbredasmithunderhisfatherbut,beingingenious,andencouragedinlearning(as allmybrotherswere)byanEsquirePalmer,thentheprincipalgentlemaninthatparish,he qualifiedhimselfforthebusinessofscrivenerbecameaconsiderablemaninthecountywasa chiefmoverofallpublicspiritedundertakingsforthecountyortownofNorthampton,andhis ownvillage,ofwhichmanyinstanceswererelatedofhimandmuchtakennoticeofand patronizedbythethenLordHalifax.Hediedin1702,January6,oldstyle,[7]justfouryearstoa daybeforeIwasborn.Theaccountwereceivedofhislifeandcharacterfromsomeoldpeople atEcton,Iremember,struckyouassomethingextraordinary,fromitssimilaritytowhatyou knewofmine.Hadhediedonthesameday,yousaid,onemighthavesupposeda transmigration. Johnwasbredadyer,Ibelieveofwoollens,Benjaminwasbredasilkdyer,servingan apprenticeshipatLondon.Hewasaningeniousman.Irememberhimwell,forwhenIwasaboy hecameovertomyfatherinBoston,andlivedinthehousewithussomeyears.Helivedtoa greatage.Hisgrandson,SamuelFranklin,nowlivesinBoston.Heleftbehindhimtwoquarto volumes,MS.,ofhisownpoetry,consistingoflittleoccasionalpiecesaddressedtohisfriends andrelations,ofwhichthefollowing,senttome,isaspecimen.[8]Hehadformedashorthand ofhisown,whichhetaughtme,but,neverpractisingit,Ihavenowforgotit.Iwasnamedafter thisuncle,therebeingaparticularaffectionbetweenhimandmyfather.Hewasverypious,a greatattenderofsermonsofthebestpreachers,whichhetookdowninhisshorthand,andhad withhimmanyvolumesofthem.Hewasalsomuchofapoliticiantoomuch,perhaps,forhis

station.Therefelllatelyintomyhands,inLondon,acollectionhehadmadeofalltheprincipal pamphletsrelatingtopublicaffairs,from1641to1717manyofthevolumesarewantingas appearsbythenumbering,buttherestillremaineightvolumesinfolio,andtwentyfourinquarto andinoctavo.Adealerinoldbooksmetwiththem,andknowingmebymysometimesbuyingof him,hebroughtthemtome.Itseemsmyunclemusthaveleftthemherewhenhewentto America,whichwasaboutfiftyyearssince.Therearemanyofhisnotesinthemargins. ThisobscurefamilyofourswasearlyintheReformation,andcontinuedProtestantsthroughthe reignofQueenMary,whentheyweresometimesindangeroftroubleonaccountoftheirzeal againstpopery.TheyhadgotanEnglishBible,andtoconcealandsecureit,itwasfastened openwithtapesunderandwithinthecoverofajointstool.Whenmygreatgreatgrandfather readittohisfamily,heturnedupthejointstooluponhisknees,turningovertheleavesthen underthetapes.Oneofthechildrenstoodatthedoortogivenoticeifhesawtheapparitor coming,whowasanofficerofthespiritualcourt.Inthatcasethestoolwasturneddownagain uponitsfeet,whentheBibleremainedconcealedunderitasbefore.ThisanecdoteIhadfrom myuncleBenjamin.ThefamilycontinuedalloftheChurchofEnglandtillabouttheendof CharlestheSecondsreign,whensomeoftheministersthathadbeenoutedfornonconformity, holdingconventicles[9]inNorthamptonshire,BenjaminandJosiahadheredtothem,andso continuedalltheirlives:therestofthefamilyremainedwiththeEpiscopalChurch.