Pennsylvania | Franklin’s copy of The Charters and Acts of Assembly

Pennsylvania

The Charters and Acts of Assembly of the Province of Pennsylvania. In Two Volumes. Philadelphia: Printed by Peter Miller and Comp., MDCCLXII (1762)

2 volumes in one, as issued, folio (370 x 240 mm). Separate title-page for second volume, section-title to Appendix, all three titles with woodcut vignette of the Penn arms, some page numerals in volume II with cancel slips, errata leaf laid down on front endpaper; lightly browned, a few leaves wrinkled, first title-page and front and rear endpapers and blanks inlaid with extensive marginal restoration not affecting any text. Modern brown morocco. Half blue morocco slipcase also containing the volume’s original calf covers.

Benjamin Franklin’s copy of The Charters and Acts of Assembly of the Province of Pennsylvania, signed by him on the title-page, “B. Franklin 1762.” Franklin’s relationship with the Assembly was long and fruitful. He served for many years as the body’s secretary, becoming a member in 1751. He famously spent several years in London as an agent for the Assembly, returning to America in November 1762 at the conclusion of his first mission. Back before Parliament during the heated debates on the repeal of the Stamp Act in 1766, Franklin’s diplomatic reputation was secured by the widespread publication of the Stamp Act debates. Several passages in the text have been underlined, and a few annotations made in the margins, but these were apparently done by a later owner, not Franklin.

The first volume contains “the Charters of the said Province, and the City, Boroughs and Towns thereof: The Titles of all the Laws of the said Province, since its first Establishment down to the Year 1700: The Acts of the said Assembly from the Year 1700 to 1743, now in Force; and the Royal Confirmations and Repeals of the said Acts,” while the second includes “the Acts … from the Year 1744 to 1759, now in Force: A Collection of all the Laws that have been formerly in Force within this Province, for Regulating of Descents and Transferring the Property of Lands, but are since expired, altered, or repealed: from the Establishment of the Province, down to this present Time.” Miller printed an octavo set of The Charters and Acts the same year as this folio edition.

In addition to Franklin's signature on the title-page, Jay Snider notes that the volume also "includes a doodle of a hand pointing to the first article of the Charter protecting religious freedom. From the ink and the frilly cuff it seems certain that this is contemporary and I am convinced it is in Franklin’s hand. This was his book and would have remained so until his death nearly 30 years later. Who else would have dared to draw in his book? The article itself was a subject he was keen about. Lastly, there are no other markings which would have been likely if someone was randomly annotating the book after Franklin’s death."

REFERENCES

ESTC W30308; Evans 9227; Hildeburn 1791; Sabin 59972; Wolf and Hayes, Library of Benjamin Franklin 2586

PROVENANCE

Benjamin Franklin (signature, 1762, on title-page) — W. Lewis (signature on title-page) — A. Ricketts (signature on errata leaf) — Sotheby’s New York, 12 November 1996, lot 25 (undesignated consignor)