Benjamin Franklin (abt. 1720 - abt. 1751)

Born about 1720 in Spotsylvania, Virginia Colony

Ancestors

Husband of Patience (Sumpter) Franklin — married about 1734 in Albemarle County, Virginia Colony

Descendants

Died about 15 Aug 1751 at about age 31 in Albemarle, Virginia Colony

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Biography

Benjamin Franklin was born about 1713 in Essex or Spotsylvania County, Virginia. ^[1]He has been sometimes referred to as "John Benjamin Franklin", but all records just reference him as "Benjamin Franklin."

He was the son of Lawrence Franklin and Martha Mathews (Mathias) ^[2] and was married in 1734 in Albemarle County to Patience Sumpter ^[1]

They had four daughters: ^[3]

1. Dorcus born 1734 in Albemarle County, Virginia died 1800 in Albemarle County. Married Claudius Buster about 1761 in Albemarle County, Virginia. ^[4]
2. Patience Ann born 1735 in Albemarle County, Virginia died 1801 in Albemarle County. Married John Dowell Jr. about 1757 in Albemarle County, Virginia. ^[5]
3. Elizabeth born 1739 in Albemarle County, Virginia died 1808 in Garrard, Knox County, Kentucky. Married Capt. Richard Ballinger about 1755 in Albemarle County, Virginia. ^[6]
4. Mary Ann born 1741 in Albemarle County, Virginia, possibly died about 1838, location unknown. Married John Newman in 1758 in Newmansville, Greene, Tennessee. ^[7]

He was the overseer for the estate of Reverend Robert Rose of Essex and Albemarle Counties. ^[8]

Benjamin died about 16 August 1751 (his will was written the previous day). In his will, he named his wife and daughters: ^[3]

In the name of God Amen. This 15th day of August In the year of our Lord 1751 Benjamin Franklin of St. Ann's Parish in Albemarle County in the Colony of Virginia Planter being very sick and weak in body but of perfect mind and memory thanks be given to God therefore calling unto mind the mortality of my Body and knowing it is appointed for all men once to die do make & ordain this my last will & Testament That is to say principally & first of all I give & Recommend my soul into the hands of God that gave it & for my Body I recommend it to the Earth to be buried in a Christian Like & Decent manner at the discretion of my Executors nothing Doubting but at the general resurrection I shall receive the same again by the mighty power of God & as touching such worldly goods wherewith it hath pleased God to Bless me with In this life I give devise & dispose of the same in the following manner & form. Imprimis it is my will & I do order that in the first place all my just debts & funeral charges be paid & satisfied Item I give & Bequeath unto Patience my beloved wife the First part of my whole Estate &c. Item I give & Bequeath unto my four daughters (viz.) Elizabeth, Anne, Mary, Dorcas all the remainder of my Estate to be equally divided amongst them & to have & receive their part at the Day of their marriage or when they come of age which shall first happen to be paid them by my exrs. hereafter to be named I likewise will & ordain my Exrs. to sell one hundred acres of land belonging to me lying in Orange County for money & the same to be divided between my wife & children as aforesd, I do further will & ordain that all the Increase of my Negro Woman Charity shall be equally divided as aforesaid lastly I will & ordain that my whole Estate shall be left in the hands of my wife until the children come to age Except she should waste or Suffer any part thereof to be wasted I will & ordain that my Exrs. shall then take my children's parts out of her hands & the same keep for the use of my children as aforesaid I likewise constitute make & ordain my only estate exrs. of this my last will & Testament my Beloved wife, Ambrose Porter, & Rubin Franklin I. And I do hereby utterly disallow Revoke & Disannull all & every other former Testaments wills by me in any wise before by me made ratifying & confirming this to be my last will & Testament. In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand & seal the Day & year above written. Signed Sealed & published pronounced & Declared by the said Benj.n Franklin as his last will & Testament In the presence of us the Subscribers Benjamin Franklin Phillip Davis George (x) Mounroe Thos (T) Lillie

Probate was on 17 August 1751:

Presented unto Albemarle Co Court by Patience Franklyn Executrix Reuben Franklyn Executor. Proved by the oaths of Philip Davis & George Munroe ... Certificate granted for obtaining a probate ... giving security on which they (Patience & Reuben) with James Jones & Philip Davis their securities entered into & acknowledged their bond Test. John Nicholas Clerk

The inventory of his estate was made on 12 November 1751 ^[9]

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Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Edmund West, comp.. Family Data Collection - Individual Records [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2000. (http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=4725&h=5025015&ssrc=pt&tid=82703078&pid=46479336753&usePUB=true)
2. ↑ Benjamin was probably named after his maternal grandfather Benjamin Mathis. Benjamin Franklin was mentioned in the will of his grandfather when he died in Essex county, Virginia in 1722. See attached Will of Benjamin Mathis
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Will of John Benjamin Franklin & page 2
4. ↑ Source number: 19809.000; Source type: Electronic Database; Number of Pages: 1; Yates Publishing. U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004.(http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=7836&h=1184455&ssrc=pt&tid=82703078&pid=46480581037&usePUB=true)
5. ↑ Source number: 8911.448; Yates Publishing. U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004.(http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=7836&h=432187&ssrc=pt&tid=82703078&pid=46480581089&usePUB=true)
6. ↑ Source number: 530.000; Source type: Electronic Database; Yates Publishing. U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004.(http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=7836&h=432326&ssrc=pt&tid=82703078&pid=46480581139&usePUB=true)
7. ↑ Source number: 8911.448; Yates Publishing. U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004.(http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=7836&h=432187&ssrc=pt&tid=82703078&pid=46480581158&usePUB=true)
8. ↑ Franklin Family Researchers United Vol 6, April 1993, Page 26-27 http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ffru/Docs/FFRU_back/vol06.pdf, original source "The Diary of Robert Rose : a view of Virginia by a Scottish colonial parson, 1746-1751," edited by Ralph Hammett Fall, Verona, Virginia : McClure Press, 1977
9. ↑ Inventory of the estate of John Benjamin Franklin