1834 ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT LETTER HANDWRITTEN BY BENJAMIN FRANKLIN'S GRAND-DAUGHTER TO HIS NAVAL OFFICER GREAT GRANDSON

On offer is a wonderful, relic of Americana being an autographed stampless cover letter signed [ALS] by Deborah Duane, nee Bache. Duane [1781-1863] was the granddaughter of Benjamin Franklin and her mother was Sarah Franklin and her father was Richard Bache. This charming 7-3/4 x 9-1/2 letter dated 'Phil. July 15th, 1834' with a light red Phil postmark is written to her nephew Lieut. A. A. Harwood in Newport, Rhode Island. A lovely, personal letter, reading in part: "... Yours announcing the birth of your second son was duly received... I could not avoid a momentary regret, that he had not been a girl, not on his own account, but on that of sweet little Bess, for I do fear you will both spoil that 'dear stouter' ... Give my best love to Sarah, and tell her to jog your memory about a home in Newport for us..., " signed D. Duane. BIO NOTES: Deborah Bache married William John Duane (1780-1865) in 1805; he was Secretary of the Treasury (1833) under Andrew Jackson. ANDREW ALLEN HARWOOD (1802-1884) was a naval officer involved in the suppression of slave trade and piracy (1818-1823); he was the great-grandson of Benjamin Franklin (Deborah Duane was his aunt). The 1-1/4pp has folds, seal tear/ hole (no effect to text), otherwise VG. ; 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall; BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, SLAVE TRADE, PIRACY, AMERICANA, HANDWRITTEN, MANUSCRIPT, DOCUMENT, LETTER, AUTOGRAPH, DIARY, JOURNAL, LOG, KEEPSAKE, WRITER, HAND WRITTEN, DOCUMENTS, SIGNED, LETTERS, MANUSCRIPTS, HISTORICAL, HOLOGRAPH, WRITERS, DIARIES, JOURNALS, LOGS, AUTOGRAPHS, PERSONAL, MEMOIR, MEMORIAL, PERSONAL HISTORY, antiquité, contrat, vélin, document, manuscrit, papier Antike, Brief, Pergament, Dokument, Manuskript, Papier oggetto d'antiquariato, atto, velina, documento, manoscritto, carta antigüedad, hecho, vitela, documento, manuscrito, Papel, Women's Studies, Gender Studies,