Deborah Read

Deborah Read
Deborah Read Franklin circa 1759
Born	February 14, 1708(1708-02-14)
Died	December 24, 1774(1774-12-24) (aged 66)
Spouse	Benjamin Franklin

Deborah Read Franklin (February 14, 1708 – December 24, 1774) was the spouse of Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, and a prominent inventor, printer, thinker, and revolutionary.

Life Before Second Marriage

Franklin proposed to fifteen-year-old Read in 1724 when he was seventeen years old, but her mother would not consent to the marriage, citing Franklin's pending trip to England and financial instability. While Franklin was away in England, having been stranded there by Sir William Keith's failure to follow through on promises of support, Read married John Rogers, who fled soon after. Because of this, Benjamin and Deborah were not free to marry formally. John Rogers disappeared into history, after spending Deborah's dowry, incurring much debt, and using the marriage to further his own schemes. Shortly after John Rogers was found and stabbed to death.

Marriage to Benjamin Franklin

When Franklin returned, he and Deborah began a common-law marriage in 1730. They had two children together: Francis Folger Franklin^[1] (October 20, 1732 - November 21, 1736), who died of smallpox at age four, and Sarah Franklin Bache (September 11, 1743 – October 5, 1808), called Sally. Together they also raised William Franklin, Franklin's illegitimate son and future Colonial Governor of New Jersey.

Later life

Benjamin Franklin did not leave London to visit Deborah even after she wrote to him in November 1769 saying her illness was due to “dissatisfied distress” because of his prolonged absence.^[2] She did not accompany him on his frequent trips to Europe due to a fear of ocean travel. In spite of their separations, they remained loyal and supportive partners on to another for half a century. In the late 1760s and early 1770s, Deborah suffered a series of strokes that slurred her speech and memory.

Death

Deborah Read Franklin died of a stroke on December 24, 1774, while Benjamin was on an extended trip to England.

References

1. ^ Francis Folger Franklin
2. ^ November 1769 Letter from Deborah Read to Benjamin Franklin, franklinpapers.org

External links

Biography portal

• Deborah Read at Find a Grave
• Deborah Read Rogers from the Franklin Institute

Persondata
Name	Read Franklin, Deborah
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	February 14, 1708
Place of birth
Date of death	December 24, 1774
Place of death