William Franklin: Son of a Patriot, Servant of a King

William Franklin, born in 1730, was the illegitimate son of Benjamin Franklin. He traveled to England with his father in 1757 and married there; upon his return he was appointed governor of New Jersey. He performed his duties well and was highly regarded by the assembly that worked under him. Skemp describes Franklin as a great conciliator, able to appreciate both sides of every argument. He knew the colonists opposed increased taxation and the sending of British troops to Boston, but he also knew how much England needed the colonies and how they couldn't afford to totally antagonize them; he tried to walk the middle ground between the two sides. It became more and more difficult for him to succeed in this tack, and after Lexington and Concord, his days as governor became numbered.According to Skemp Franklin was vain, ambitious, authoritarian, and stubborn when it came to principles. He could be fiercely loyal, as he was to the Crown, which he believed could best serve the colonists. Rather than flee as many other royal governors did when hostilities seemed imminent, Franklin stuck it out, trying to persuade the assembly to deal with England and to reject the Continental Congress. This failed, of course, and in June 1776, he was arrested and imprisoned in Connecticut. Released in 1778, he went to British-held New York and became a leader of a loyalist group that fought against the Americans. After the war he fled the country for England, where he died in 1813.The relation between Ben and William is an interesting one that has intrigued historians over the years. They were very close at first, but opposing views regarding Crown and country separated them; their shared vanity and unyieldiness to principle is what probably made the separation permanent. Skemp is an excellent writer and writes a very clear account of her subject's life. Included is an excellent annotated bibliography. Highly recommended.