| Authorised form of name | Franklin; Benjamin (1706 - 1790) |
| Dates | 1706 - 1790 |
| Nationality | British |
| Place of birth | Milk Street, Boston, Massachusetts |
| Date of birth | 17 January 1706 |
| Place of death | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Date of death | 17 April 1790 |
| Dates and places | Burial:
Christ Church burial ground, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Research field | Electricity |
| General physics |
| Oceanography |
| Meteorology |
| International scientific cooperation |
| Activity | Education:
LLD (1759, St Andrews)
Career:
Worked with his father, a tallow chandler; apprenticed to his brother James, a printer who started a newspaper about 1709; went to London and worked in a printing office in Bartholomew Close (1724-1726?); returned to Philadelphia and established a printing house; bought the Pennsylvania Gazette (1729); began publishing 'Poor Richard's almanac' (1732); Clerk of the Assembly (1736); Postmaster of Philadelphia (1737); Postmaster General for the colonies (1754); experimented on electricity (1749 and 1752) and suggested the use of lightning conductors; was sent to Great Britain (1757 and 1764-1775); received the Freedom of St Andrews; sent to Paris (1776); returned to Philadelphia (1785); elected President of the State of Pennsylvania; delegate to the Convention which framed the Constitution of the United States; retired from pub
|
| Membership category | Fellow |
| Date of election | 29/05/1756 |
| Royal Society activity | Medals and prizes:
Copley Medal 1753 for his curious experiments on electricity |
| Sources | Sources:
Bulloch's Roll; DAB; DSB
References:
Esmond Wright, 'Benjamin Franklin After 200 Years', review of Claude A Lopez, ed., The Papers of Benjamin Franklin vol 27, in NR 1990 vol 44 pp 269-279, plate
Frank R Freemon, 'American Colonial Scientists Who Published in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society' in NR 1984-85 vol 39 pp 191-206
William P Griffith, 'Priestley in London' in NR 1983-84 vol 38 pp 1-16
Bernard Bailyn, '1776: The British Dimension' in NR 1976-7 vol 31 pp 179-199
R V Jones, 'Benjamin Franklin' in NR 1976-7 vol 31 pp 201-225, plate
R W Home, 'Some Manuscripts on Electrical and Other Subjects Attributed to Thomas Bayes, FRS' in NR 1974-5 vol 29 pp 81-90
Paul A Tunbridge, 'Franklin's Pointed Lightning Conductor' in NR 1973-4 vol 28 pp 207-219
John R Levene, 'Benjamin Franklin, FRS, Sir Joshua Reynolds, FRS, PRA, Benjamin West, PRA and the Invention of Bifocals' in NR 1972-3 vol 27 pp 141-163, plate
J D Holland, 'An Eighteenth-Century Pioneer - Richard Price, DD, FRS (1723-1791)' in NR 1968 vol 23 pp 43-64
John Thomas, 'Josiah Wedgwood's Portrait Medallions of Fellows of the Royal Society' in NR 1963 vol 18 pp 45-53, plate
F M Beatty 'The Scientific Work of the the Third Earl Stanhope' in NR 1954-55 vol 11 pp.202-221
D McKie, 'A Note on Priestley in America' in NR 1953 vol 10 pp 51-59
Jessie M Sweet, 'Benjamin Franklin's Purse' in NR 1952 vol 9 pp 308-309
Albert C Seward, 'The Dedication of the Franklin Institute of the State of Pennsylvania in Honour of Benjamin Franklin' in NR 1938 vol 1 pp 55-60
Patricia Fara, 'Letters from a scientific emperor', review of Neil Chambers, 'The letters of Sir Joseph Banks: a selection 1768 - 1829' in NR 2002 vol 56 pp 264-265
R W Home, 'The Royal Society and the Empire: the colonial and Commonwealth Fellowship. Part 1. 1731-1847' in NR 2002 vol 56 pp 307-332
R W Jones, 'Dalton's unfortunate choice' in NR 2003 vol 57 pp 15-33
J L Heilbron 'Benjamin Franklin in Europe: electrician, academician, politician' NR 2007 Vol 61 pp353-374 |
| Virtual International Authority File | http://viaf.org/viaf/56609913 |
| Royal Society code | NA7974 |
| Reference number | Title | Date |
| IM/001540 | Franklin, Benjamin | nd |
| IM/001541 | Franklin, Benjamin | nd |
| M/242 | Franklin, Benjamin | 1956 |
| MM/4/84 | Letter from Henry Cavendish, William Watson, Benjamin Franklin and J Robertson, to the Royal Society | 18 November 1773 |
| MM/11/41 | Notes from the minutes of meetings of the Purfleet Magazine Committee | 1772 |
| EC/1756/04 | Franklin, Benjamin: certificate of election to the Royal Society | |
| IM/005839 | Franklin, Benjamin | 2001 |
| IM/005852 | Franklin, Benjamin | nd |
| MM/4/2 | Letter from Benjamin Franklin, Philadelphia, to the Royal Society | 29 May 1754 |
| P/0046 | Portrait of Franklin, Benjamin | 1782 |
| IM/005853 | Franklin, Benjamin | nd |
| M/079 | Franklin, Benjamin | |
| NLB/5/846 | Copy letter from Herbert Rix, to Mr B F Stevens, 4 Trafalgar Square, W.C. | 2 November 1891 |
| NLB/64/648 | Copy letter from Francis Alexander Towle, Assistant Secretary of the Royal Society; to A.H. Heusser Esq. Paterson, New Jersey USA | 24 May 1923 |
| L&P/6/26 | Letter, 'Of the solar spots' from Humphry Marshall to Benjamin Franklin | 3 May 1773 |
| L&P/8/37 | Letter, 'On the hot-air balloon' from Benjamin Franklin to Joseph Banks | 8 October 1783 |
| L&P/2/343 | Letter, 'Of an electrical kite' from Benjamin Franklin to Peter Collinson | 3 October 1752 |
| L&P/3/223 | Letter, 'Extract of a letter sent from Philadelphia' from Benjamin Franklin to Peter Collinson | 23 September 1756 |
| L&P/5/12 | Paper, 'Account of Dr Priestley's new experiments in electricity drawn up by Benjamin Franklin' | 1768 |
| L&P/3/72 | Paper, 'Electrical experiments' by Benjamin Franklin | 14 March 1755 |
| L&P/4/392 | Letter, 'Thermometric observations at Derby' from John Whitehurst to Benjamin Franklin | 5 February 1767 |
| L&P/4/153 | Letter, 'On electrical experiments' from Ebenzer Kinnersley to Benjamin Franklin | 12 March 1763 |
| L&P/6/32 | Letter, 'Diagrams of sunspots' from Humphry Marshall to Benjamin Franklin | 1773 |
| IM/001539 | Franklin, Benjamin | nd |
| L&P/8/36 | Letter, 'On the hydrogen balloon' from Benjamin Franklin to Joseph Banks | 30 August 1783 |
| L&P/6/22 | Letter, 'An aurora' by I L Winn to Benjamin Franklin | 22 January 1774 |
| MS/426/537 | Copy letter from W [William] Sharpey, Secretary of the Royal Society; to Edwin Canton | 28 April 1855 |
| L&P/3/70 | Letter, 'Extract of a letter concerning electricty and Beccaria's book' from Benjamin Franklin to M Deliband | 29 June 1755 |
| IM/001543 | Franklin, Benjamin | 2001 |
| EL/M3/36a | Letter, from Joseph Morgan to Benjamin Franklin | 11 October [1738] |
| IM/005680 | Franklin, Benjamin | nd |
| IM/004127 | Franklin, Benjamin to Canton, John | 2000 |
| MS/391/108 | Bond of John Winthrop to the Treasurer of the Royal Society | 11 December 1766 |
| L&P/6/60 | Letters, 'Of oil on waves' from William Brownrigg and Benjamin Franklin to each other | 27 January 1773 |
| M/078 | Franklin, Benjamin | |
| NLB/5/1044 | Copy letter from Herbert Rix, to Clarence W Bowen, 25 Broadway, New York [USA] | 18 December 1891 |
| IM/005851 | Franklin, Benjamin | October 1891 |
| IM/001542 | Linnaeus, Carl | 1792 |
| L&P/2/307 | Letter, 'Of electricity from the clouds, anent the experiments of Franklin' from Jean Antoine Nollet to William Watson | 6 June 1752 |
| L&P/2/212 | Paper, 'Account of Benjamin Franklin's book, Experiments and Observations on Electricity' by William Watson | 1751 |
| AP/4/19/1 | Letter, regarding paper on torpedoes from John Walsh to [Benjamin] Franklin | 12 July 1772 |
| L&P/2/198 | Letter, 'Of electrical experiments' from Benjamin Franklin to Peter Collinson | 4 February 1751 |
| AP/8A/8 | Unpublished paper, 'An explanation of several electrical phenomena' by T [Thomas] Exley | [1813] |
| L&P/2/387 | Letter, 'Of the transit of Mercury over the Sun at Antigua 6 May 1753' from William Shervington to Benjamin Franklin | 20 June 1753 |
| L&P/4/411 | Letter, 'Of a new electrical machine [electrometer] and of some experiments made with it' from Timothy Lane to Benjamin Franklin | 1767 |
| AP/8A/8/2 | Unpublished drawings, electrical conductors and charged corpuscles by [Thomas Exley] | [1813] |
| AP/8A/8/1 | Unpublished manuscript, 'An explanation of several electrical phenomena' by T [Thomas] Exley | [1813] |
| L&P/2/238 | Letter, 'Of the effects of lightning' from Benjamin Franklin to Peter Collinson | 29 June 1751 |
| AP/4/19/2 | Letter, regarding trip to Île de Ré and experiments on torpedoes from John Walsh to [Benjamin] Franklin | 27 August 1772 |
| L&P/3/422 | Paper, 'Remarks on Beccaria's letter (L&P/3/420)' by Benjamin Franklin | 1760 |
| L&P/3/278 | Letter, 'Of electricity in paralytic cases' from Benjamin Franklin to John Pringle | 21 December 1757 |
| AP/4/19 | Letters, 'Of the electric property of the torpedo' from John Walsh to Benjamin Franklin | July 1772 - July 1773 |
| AP/4/19/3 | Letter, 'Of the electric property of the torpedo' from John Walsh to Benjamin Franklin | 1 July 1773 |
| L&P/6/94 | Letter, 'Of a machine for raising water in use at Culton in Cheshire' from John Whitehouse to Benjamin Franklin | 1775 |
| L&P/4/97 | Letter, 'On the aurora' from John Bartram to Benjamin Franklin | 12 November 1757 |
| L&P/5/205 | Letter, 'Observation of the transit of Mercury, giving times observed by J Winthrop' from Benjamin Franklin to Nevil Maskelyne | 12 February 1770 |
| L&P/5/169 | Letter, 'Of the transit of Venus and the aberration of light' from John Winthrop to Benjamin Franklin | 6 September 1769 |
| L&P/5/106 | Paper, 'Report on preserving St Paul's Cathedral from the effects of lightning' by the Royal Society Committee | 7 June 1769 |
| L&P/3/420 | Letter, 'Of electrical experiments' from Giovanni Battista Beccaria to Benjamin Franklin | 17 December 1759 |
| L&P/5/295 | Letter, 'On electrical phenomena' from Thomas Ronayne to Benjamin Franklin | 15 February 1772 |
| L&P/5/304 | Letter, 'Of a new electrometer by William Henley; and of several experiments made by him' from Joseph Priestley to Benjamin Franklin | 26 October 1770 |
| L&P/6/52 | Letter, 'Of stilling the waves with oil' from Benjamin Franklin to William Brownrigg | 7 November 1773 |
| L&P/5/166 | Letter, 'On the appearance of lightning on a mainmast conductor' from Captain I L Winn to Benjamin Franklin | 1 February 1770 |
| MC/17 | Volume 17 of miscellaneous correspondence regarding business matters, sent to the Royal Society | 1897-1899 |
| MM/5/39 | Memorial from the Royal Society to King George III concerning the Transit of Venus of 1769 | c.1768 |
| MC/21 | Volume 21 of miscellaneous correspondence regarding business matters, sent to the Royal Society | 1906 |
| MC/21/413 | Letter from [John William] Mallet, University of Virginia, Charlottsville, to Francis Darwin, Foreign Secretary of the Royal Society, London | 20 March 1906 |
| MC/33/63 | Letter from R. Hingston Fox, 36 Devonshire Place, W, to The Secretary, Royal Society | 18 November 1918 |