Sarah Franklin Bache Papers
1768-1807
(.2 linear feet)

B B1245

© American Philosophical Society
105 South Fifth Street * Philadelphia, PA 19106-3386
 American Philosophical Society 105 South Fifth Street Philadelphia, PA 19106-3386
Table of contents Abstract
Sarah Franklin Bache (1743-1808), a Revolutionary War patriot and daughter of Benjamin Franklin, led an active public life according to the standards of womanhood in the late eighteenth century. As the daughter of Benjamin Franklin she had an unusual access, for a woman, to the political life in revolutionary Philadelphia. Although her primary role was of caretaker of her family and home, Bache played an active role in the Revolution through her relief work and as her father's political hostess.

The Sarah Franklin Bache papers consist of incoming and outgoing correspondence ranging from 1768 to 1807 mostly of a personal nature to and from friends and relatives. The correspondence of her relatives includes her nephew William Temple Franklin, her brother William Franklin and her children.
Background note
Sarah Franklin Bache was born in Philadelphia on 11 September 1743 to Benjamin Franklin and Deborah Read. Sarah, known as Sally throughout her life, had a typical education for a girl of her status in eighteenth-century Philadelphia. She had a great love of reading and music and was considered a skilled harpsichordist.

On 29 October 1767 Sally married Richard Bache in spite of her family's misgivings about his financial situation. It was Franklin's wish that Sally not marry Bache until his financial situation stabilized out of fear that Bache was only marrying for money. Nevertheless, Sally was devastated and Deborah Franklin allowed the wedding to take place against Franklin's wishes. It was not until Sally gave birth to her first child and Franklin met Bache that he truly accepted the marriage. Bache never became a successful businessman even though Franklin gave the couple several loans and helped them set up several stores in Philadelphia. Franklin was forced to support Sally and her family that included eight children for the rest of his life.

Throughout her life, Sally was interested in political matters and thought of herself as a committed Whig. She closely followed the events leading up to the Revolution and through her relief work supported the war by helping to raise money for the Continental Army. She is best known for her involvement in the Ladies Association of Philadelphia. She took over leadership of the association in 1780 and supervised the sewing of 2,200 shirts or the American soldiers.

In 1785 Benjamin Franklin returned to Philadelphia and spent his remaining years in the care of Sally and her family. When Franklin died he left most of his estate to Sally and her husband, including a miniature portrait of Louis XVI surrounded by diamonds, which she sold, against his wishes, to finance a trip to London. In 1794 the family moved to a farm outside of Philadelphia on the Delaware River, but Sally missed the city and returned in 1807 for medical treatment. She died the following year.


Scope and content
The Sarah Franklin Bache papers are a significant resource for the study of the life of Sarah Franklin Bache the daughter of Benjamin Franklin and the study of the life of the Franklin family. The collection consists of incoming and outgoing correspondence to and from Sarah Franklin Bache between 1768 and 1807 regarding her everyday activities and her personal affairs.

The papers reflect her life a young married women, her growing family, and the health and life of her children. The papers also touch on the health and whereabouts of her father, including condolences on his death. Her trip abroad taken after her father's death is also represented through her letters.

In addition, her correspondence illustrates important events in Philadelphia history, such as the Revolution and the Yellow Fever epidemic of 1793. A particular letter to George Washington reflects her relief work, more specifically her hand in the sewing of 2,200 shirts for American soldiers. There are a few letters concerning the yellow fever epidemic of 1793 in which there is discussion on the number of friends and relative that died as a result of the disease.

Administrative information
Restrictions
None.

Provenance
Accessioned, 1968.

Preferred citation
Cite as: Sarah Franklin Bache papers, American Philosophical Society.

Processing information
Recatalogued by Leigh McCuen, 2002.

Additional information
Related material
See also the Benjamin Franklin Papers (B F85), the Benjamin Franklin Bache Papers, 1779-1793 (B B122), and the Bache Family Papers, 1770-1923 (B B121)

Added entries
Subjects
  • Bache, Richard, 1737-1811
  • Franklin, Benjamin, 1796-1790
  • Franklin, William, 1731-1813
  • Philadelphia (Pa.)-History--Revolution, 1775-1783.
  • Yellow fever--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia--18th century.

    • Contributors
  • Bache, Richard, 1737-1811
  • Bache, Sarah Franklin, 1743-1808
  • Chaumont, Jacques-Donation Leray de, 1725-1803.
  • Franklin, William, 1731-1813
  • Greene, Catherine Ray, 1731-1794
  • Hewson, Mary Stevenson, 1734-1795
  • Hill, Henry, 1732-1798.
  • Murray, Judith Sargent, 1751-1820
  • Washington, George, 1732-1799

    		•
    Contact information
    American Philosophical Society
    105 South Fifth Street
    Philadelphia, PA 19106-3386
    [http://www.amphilsoc.org/]

    ©2002


    Detailed inventory

    		 Hewson, Mary Stevenson.
    ALS to Bache, Sarah Franklin     		1768 February 24 2p.

    		Hewson, Mary Stevenson.
    ALS to Bache, Sarah Franklin     		1772 August 29 3p.

    		Hall, Florence.
    ALS to "My dear Couz."[Bache, Sarah Franklin]     		1775 May 25 4p.

    		Mrs. S. Peters.
    ALS to Bache, Sarah Franklin     		1778 April 25 1p.

    		Franklin, William.
    ALS to Bache, Sarah Franklin     		1779 June 1 3p.

    		Bache, Sarah Franklin.
    ALS to Washington, George     		1780 December 26 1p.

    		Bache, Sarah Franklin.
    ALS to Franklin, William et al.     		[ca. 1782] 3p.

    		A. Potts.
    ALS to Bache, Sarah Franklin     		1783 March 3 2p.

    		Bache, Sarah Franklin.
    ALS to Chaumont, Jacques - Donation Leroy de     		1784 December 14 1p.

    		Greene, Catherine.
    ALS to Bache, Sarah Franklin     		1785 August 20 2p.

    		Oconner, Eliza Harriot.
    ALS to Bache, Sarah Franklin     		1787 June 14 1p.

    		A. Barry.
    ALS to Bache, Sarah Franklin     		1789 May 18 3p.

    		Baynton, John and Baynton, Susanna.
    ALS to Bache, Sarah Franklin     		1790 June 27 1p.

    		Newenham, Edward.
    ALS to Bache, Sarah Franklin     		1790 August 10 2p.

    		[Franklin, William].
    ALS to [?]     		1791 February 24 8p.

    		Simond, Frances.
    ALS to Bache, Sarah Franklin     		1792 May 1 2p.

    		Ferguson, Eliza.
    ALS to [Bache, Sarah Franklin]     		1792 May 12 2p.

    		Bache, Sarah Franklin.
    ALS to Bache, William     		1792 December 3 1p.

    		Bache, Richard.
    ALS to Bache, William     		1792 December 3 2p.

    		Currie, Mary.
    ALS to Bache, Sarah Franklin     		1793 March 6 1p.

    		Bass, P..
    ALS to Bache, Sarah Franklin     		1793 May 22 3p.

    		[Richard Bache's sister].
    ALS to Bache, Sarah Franklin     		1793 July 17 4p.

    		M[aria Stover].
    ALS to Bache, Sarah Franklin     		1793 October 7 4p.

    		Bryson, James.
    ALS to [Bache, Sarah Franklin]     		1793 October 25 2p.

    		Hoffner, Phoebe.
    ALS to Bache, Sarah Franklin     		1794 January 1 3p.

    		[A. Pole].
    ALS to Bache, Sarah Franklin     		1794 April 2 3p.

    		Bache, Sarah Franklin.
    ALS to Bache, William     		1794 June 29 2p.

    		M. Penn.
    ALS to Bache, Sarah Franklin     		1794 July 25 4p.

    		A. Pole.
    ALS to [Bache, Richard]     		1795 March 13 8p.

    		Murray, Judith Sargent.
    ALS to Bache, Sarah Franklin     		1795 June 19 3p.

    		Story, Mary.
    ALS to Bache, Sarah Franklin     		1796 January 2 3p.

    		[Richard Bache's sister].
    ALS to Bache, Richard     		1796 April 4 4p.

    		Bache, Sarah Franklin.
    ALS to Bache, William     		[1796] August 24 3p.

    		Hill, Henry.
    ALS to Bache, Sarah Franklin     		1798 July 23 2p.

    		Viny, Lucy.
    ALS to Bache, Sarah Franklin     		1798 July 24 3p.

    		Francis, Anne.
    ALS to Bache, Sarah Franklin     		1799 March 24 4p.

    		Lenox.
    ALS to Bache, Sarah Franklin     		1800 April 1 3p.

    		Latrobe, Mary E..
    ALS to Bache, Sarah Franklin     		1800 July 26 3p.

    		Bache, Sarah Franklin.
    ALS to Bache, William     		1801 May 13 3p.

    		Latrobe, Mary E..
    ALS to Bache, Sarah Franklin     		1801 September 5 2p.

    		Housbrooke, Theophilus.
    ALS to Bache, Sarah Franklin     		1803 June 18 4p.

    		Caldwell, E. H..
    ALS to Bache, Sarah Franklin     		1803 November 8 2p.

    		Simond, Frances.
    ALS to Bache, Sarah Franklin     		1804 December 7 2p.

    		Francis, Anne.
    ALS to [Bache, Sarah Franklin]     		1807 March 11 2p.

    		Mease, Isabella.
    ALS to Bache, Sarah Franklin     		May 1 2p.

    		Lenox, Mrs. Robert.
    ALS to Bache, Sarah Franklin     		August 25 4p.

    		Clifton, Anna Maria.
    ALS to Bache, Sarah Franklin     		August 26 1p.

    		F[rancis], A[nne].
    ALS to Bache, Sarah Franklin     		n.d. [Tuesday] 2p.

    		Wincheley, J..
    ALS to Bache, Sarah Franklin     		n.d. [Thursday Evening] 2p.

    		[?].
    ALS to Bache, Sarah Franklin     		n.d. [Saturday evening] 3p.

    		[Bache, Sarah Franklin].
    ALS to [Bache, William]     		n.d. 4p.

    		[Bache, Sarah Franklin].
    ALS to [?]     		n.d. 4p.

    		Hewson, Mary Stevenson.
    ALS to [Bache, Sarah Franklin]     		n.d. 2p.

    		Meade, H. C..
    ALS to [Bache, Sarah Franklin]     		n.d. 2p.

    		[?].
    ALS to [Bache, Sarah Franklin]     		n.d. 6p.

    		[?].
    ALS to [Bache, Sarah Franklin]     		n.d. 4p.