Sarah Franklin Bache (September 11, 1743 – October 5, 1808), sometimes known as Sally Bache, was the daughter of

Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin ( April 17, 1790) was an American polymath who was active as a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher, and political philosopher. Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the leading int ...

and Deborah Read. She was a leader in relief work during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

and frequently served as her father's political hostess, like her mother before her death in 1774. Sarah was also an important leader for women in the pro-independence effort in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...

. She was an active member of the community until her death in 1808.

Early life and education

Born Sarah Franklin and known as "Sally" throughout her life, she was the only surviving child of her parents, Deborah Read and

. Their son Francis Franklin died of smallpox at age four. Also in their household was her older half-brother

William Franklin William Franklin (22 February 1730 – 17 November 1813) was an American-born attorney, soldier, politician, and colonial administrator. He was the acknowledged illegitimate son of Benjamin Franklin. William Franklin was the last colonial Go ...

, her father's illegitimate son whom her parents raised from infancy. When Sarah was born in 1743, Benjamin Franklin was thirty-seven and intently focused on furthering his career and wealth. Growing up, Sarah did not have a very close relationship with her father. Franklin's reserved nature towards his daughter may have been partially due to the previous loss of Francis. But Franklin was also deep into his experimentation with electricity by the time Sarah was a young child, and by her early teenage years, he had left for

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

. Franklin would begin to consider men and women as more intellectually equal later in his life, but he did not take this approach to his own children and grandchildren. It was not unusual for men during this time to take a more aloof approach towards their daughters' education than towards their sons' education. Daughters were typically given the education they would need to be good housewives as that would be their most important job. The education Sarah received was thus typical for women of her status during the 18th century. She was taught reading, writing and arithmetic, as well as spinning,

knitting Knitting is a method by which yarn is manipulated to create a textile, or fabric. It is used to create many types of garments. Knitting may be done by hand or by machine. Knitting creates stitches: loops of yarn in a row, either flat or i ...

, and

embroidery Embroidery is the craft of decorating fabric or other materials using a needle to apply thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as pearls, beads, quills, and sequins. In modern days, embroidery is usually seen ...

. Franklin also had Sarah enrolled in dance school. When Franklin traveled to Europe in Sarah's early adolescence, he left Deborah Read to take care of the "Education of my dear child." It is also possible that Sarah learned French. Benjamin Franklin once gave Sarah a copy of Samuel Richardson's ''Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded'' in a French translation to "help her with her French. She must have already read it in English."

Marriage and family

Sarah married

Richard Bache Richard Bache (September 12, 1737 – April 17, 1811), born in Settle, West Riding of Yorkshire, England, immigrated to Philadelphia, in the colony of Pennsylvania, where he was a businessman, a marine insurance underwriter, and later served as ...

on October 29, 1767. At the time, Bache was a merchant in Philadelphia and New York. Sarah's family was concerned about this match, particularly her half-brother William. He wrote a letter to their father that said if Sarah married Richard Bache the couple would always be dependent on him for financial assistance. Dr. Franklin replied that he trusted his wife's judgment of the situation and told his wife to be frugal with their money. The marriage went on without the knowledge of Sarah's father and for the next year he denied the fact that he had a son-in-law at all. Though he was not initially pleased with the marriage between his daughter and Bache, Franklin received his son-in-law "with open arms" when they finally met in 1771. After the couple married, they lived in the Franklin's house in Philadelphia along with Sarah's mother. When Deborah Read died in 1774 of a stroke, the couple still lived in the house. The couple had eight children together: *

Benjamin Franklin Bache Benjamin Franklin Bache (August 12, 1769 – September 10, 1798) was an American journalist, printer and publisher. He founded the ''Philadelphia Aurora'', a newspaper that supported Jeffersonian philosophy. He frequently attacked the Federalis ...

(1769–1798; died during the Philadelphia yellow fever epidemic). A publisher, he was jailed and awaiting trial under the Sedition Act at the time of his death. Married to Margaret Hartman Markoe. The couple had four children. Her mother died in 1790. *William Franklin Bache (May 31, 1773 – 1814), married Catherine Wistar. Their son was

Benjamin Franklin Bache (surgeon) Benjamin Franklin Bache (February 7, 1801 – November 1, 1881) was a surgeon in the United States Navy before and during the Civil War. He was a great-grandson of the Revolutionary War statesman and author, Benjamin Franklin. Bache was born in ...

. *Sarah Franklin Bache (December 1, 1775 – August 17, 1776) *Eliza Franklin Bache (September 10, 1777 – 1820) married John Harwood. Their son was

Andrew A. Harwood Andrew Allen Harwood (October 9, 1802 – August 28, 1884) was an admiral in the United States Navy. Early life and education Andrew Allen Harwood was born on October 9, 1802 in Settle Farm, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. He was the son of John Ed ...

. *

Louis Franklin Bache Louis Franklin Bache (October 7, 1779 – October 4, 1819) was the son of Richard Bache and Sarah Franklin Bache, the daughter of the American statesman Benjamin Franklin and his wife Deborah Read. Bache served as a lieutenant colonel in the Pennsy ...

(October 7, 1779 – October 4, 1818), married Mary Ann Swift and had three children. He also had one child with his second wife, Esther Egee. He was a Lt. Col. in the Pennsylvania State Militia Volunteers during the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It be ...

. Assigned by Pennsylvania Gov. Snyder to defend the City of Philadelphia against the British. *Deborah Franklin Bache (October 1, 1781 – February 12, 1863) married

William J. Duane William John Duane (May 9, 1780 – September 27, 1865) was an American politician and lawyer from Pennsylvania. Duane served a brief term as United States Secretary of the Treasury in 1833. His refusal to withdraw Federal deposits from the Se ...

, a lawyer who was appointed as the 11th

United States Secretary of the Treasury The United States secretary of the treasury is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, and is the chief financial officer of the federal government of the United States. The secretary of the treasury serves as the principal a ...

. * Richard Franklin Bache (March 11, 1784 – March 17, 1848), married Sophia Durrell Dallas, the eldest daughter of Arabella Maria Smith and Alexander J. Dallas. Bache, Jr. became a politician in Texas. *Sarah Franklin Bache (September 12, 1788 – October 6, 1863), married

Thomas Sergeant Thomas Sergeant (January 14, 1782 – May 8, 1860) was a Pennsylvania lawyer, judge, and politician. He served as Secretary of State, Attorney General, and as an associate justice of the state Supreme Court. Biography and career Sergeant and ...

(1782–1860), who later was appointed as an associate justice of the

Pennsylvania Supreme Court The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania is the highest court in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Unified Judicial System. It also claims to be the oldest appellate court in the United States, a claim that is disputed by the Massachusetts Supreme Ju ...

and postmaster of Philadelphia. GrandParents of Margaret Mason Perry (of the Perry family of Rhode Island) who married

John La Farge John La Farge (March 31, 1835 – November 14, 1910) was an American artist whose career spanned illustration, murals, interior design, painting, and popular books on his Asian travels and other art-related topics. La Farge is best known for ...

Revolutionary War years

Sarah Bache was an ardent Patriot during the

. She did extensive relief work. While Benjamin Franklin was in France he received a letter from

François Barbé-Marbois François Barbé-Marbois, marquis de Barbé-Marbois (31 January 1745 – 12 February 1837) was a French politician. Early career Born in Metz, where his father was director of the local mint, Barbé-Marbois tutored the children of the Marquis d ...

in which he wrote, “If there are in Europe any women who need a model of attachment to domestic duties and love for their country, Mrs. Bache may be pointed out to them.” She raised money for the

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies (the Thirteen Colonies) in the Revolutionary-era United States. It was formed by the Second Continental Congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, and was establis ...

and is known for her involvement in the Ladies Association of

. In 1780, under her leadership, the group made 2,200 shirts for the soldiers in the Continental Army at the army's winter quarters at

Valley Forge Valley Forge functioned as the third of eight winter encampments for the Continental Army's main body, commanded by General George Washington, during the American Revolutionary War. In September 1777, Congress fled Philadelphia to escape the ...

. The women often met to work together at The Cliffs, a country estate owned by Samuel R. Fisher on the

Schuylkill River The Schuylkill River ( , ) is a river running northwest to southeast in eastern Pennsylvania. The river was improved by navigations into the Schuylkill Canal, and several of its tributaries drain major parts of Pennsylvania's Coal Region. It f ...

, two miles north of

. After her father's return in 1775 from a diplomatic mission to France, she frequently acted as his political hostess, as her mother had died in 1774. Sarah had to flee from Philadelphia twice during the war. The first time happened in the later months of 1776. The approaching British army forced Sarah to leave Philadelphia with her children and aunt,

Jane Mecom Jane Franklin Mecom (March 27, 1712 – May 7, 1794) was the youngest sister of Benjamin Franklin and was considered one of his closest confidants. Mecom and Franklin corresponded for sixty-three years, throughout the course of Ben Franklin's ...

. The family moved to

Chester County, Pennsylvania Chester County (Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Tscheschter Kaundi''), colloquially known as Chesco, is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is located in the Delaware Valley region of the state. As of the 2020 census, the population was 53 ...

but returned to Philadelphia after a short time. In September 1777 the family was again forced to take refuge away from Philadelphia, this time at a friend's home in

Bucks County, Pennsylvania Bucks County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 646,538, making it the fourth-most populous county in Pennsylvania. Its county seat is Doylestown. The county is named after the English ...

, and then in Manheim, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Sarah and her family remained there until Philadelphia was evacuated the next summer.

Later life and relationship with Benjamin Franklin

Bache loved music and reading, and was considered a skilled harpsichordist. Sarah Franklin Bache's relationship with her father was strained throughout her adulthood. After her marriage to Richard Bache without her father's knowledge, Benjamin Franklin had a detached attitude towards his only daughter. Evidence exists in ''The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin'' which "constructs an image of a strong, powerful, and savvy patriarch, written for a male audience." The autobiography hardly mentions Franklin's wife, Deborah Read, and fails to mention his daughter Sally at all. When the American Revolutionary War ended, Benjamin returned to

and lived with his daughter and her family for the remaining years of his life. Benjamin Franklin really enjoyed his grandchildren, particularly Benjamin Franklin Bache. When Franklin returned from England in 1775 he became enthralled by his young grandson. So much so that the following year Franklin took his young grandson back to Europe with him in spite of the protests made by Sarah. "She was no match for a father who thought he knew more about bringing up boys than anyone else on Earth." Sarah had to make do with the promise that her son would receive the best education possible during his time with his grandfather. When Benjamin Franklin died in 1790, he left most of his estate to Sarah and her husband. Among the items bequeathed to her was a small portrait of

Louis XVI Louis XVI (''Louis-Auguste''; ; 23 August 175421 January 1793) was the last King of France before the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution. He was referred to as ''Citizen Louis Capet'' during the four months just before he was ...

surrounded by diamonds, which she sold to finance a trip to London. In 1794, she and her family moved to a farm outside Philadelphia, to the north along the

Delaware River The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock, New York, the river flows for along the borders of New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware, before ...

. Sarah Franklin Bache died from

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...

on October 5, 1808 at age 65 and is buried in Christ Church Burial Ground at Fifth and Arch Streets in Philadelphia, the same resting grounds as her parents.

References

External links