The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin Characters

Benjamin Franklin’s son and the addressee of Part One of the Autobiography. In Parts Three and Four, William is a companion of Franklin’s on diplomatic missions. Later, he served as governor of Pennsylvania.

Franklin’s mother, Josiah’s second wife, a woman with a strong bodily constitution and an industrious nature.

Franklin’s brother, a printer, to whom Franklin was apprenticed. A strict master who beat Franklin, James did not get along with Franklin for much of his life because Franklin broke his terms of service to him. Eventually Franklin and James reconciled, and Franklin adopted James’s son after James's death.

Franklin’s boyhood friend who helped him to escape from Boston for Philadelphia. He was a drunk who became indebted to Franklin, encouraged him to break into Vernon’s money, and never paid Franklin back.

A printer in New York and the father of Franklin’s future rival printer in Philadelphia, Andrew Bradford, to whom he recommended Franklin as a worker.

Franklin’s first employer in Philadelphia, a bad, but well-established printer and later business rival whose poor conduct as deputy postmaster served as a counterexample for Franklin when he later took the same position.

Royal Governor of Pennsylvania when Franklin first arrived there. Keith was on the surface a very respectable man who took an early interest in Franklin, but Keith proved to be scoundrel, promising Franklin to set him up in business but failing to deliver on his promises.

The man who replaced Sir William Keith as governor.

An influential man and friend of Governor Keith who later became Franklin’s friend and supporter.

Governor of New York who took an interest in Franklin, whom he considered a promising youth.

Franklin’s brother whose Friend, Vernon, entrusted Franklin a considerable sum of money.

Friend of Franklin’s brother John. Vernon entrusted Franklin with a considerable sum of money. Franklin spent it and was very anxious about paying Vernon back.

One of Franklin’s early, bookish friends in Philadelphia. He went with Franklin to England, abandoning his wife and child, adopted Franklin’s name as a pseudonym. He was a poor poet, but eventually became a much admired prose stylist.

One of Franklin’s early, bookish friends in Philadelphia, a harsh critic of James Ralph’s poetry who later became a lawyer in the West Indies.

One of Franklin’s early, bookish friends in Philadelphia. Franklin calls him “the best of the set,” unfortunately Watson died young and in Franklin’s arms.

A scrivener who employed Charles Osborne and Joseph Watson.

Famous lawyer who became friends with Franklin and supported him.

Quaker merchant Franklin met on his first trip to London. He and Franklin became fast friends and Denham employed Franklin as a clerk before he (Denham) died.

Royal printer in London who ignored Franklin.

Printer in London who employed Franklin.

Printer in London who employed Franklin.

Franklin’s fellow workman at Watts’s whom he taught to swim.

A gentleman who wished Franklin to instruct his children in swimming.

Londoner with a large library who became Franklin’s friend and lent him many book.

London surgeon who admired Franklin’s pamphlet, “A Dissertation on Liberty and Necessity, Pleasure and Pain.”

Author, and the director of a club in London.

A man who promised to take Franklin to see Isaac Newton, but failed to do so.

A collector of curiosities in London who befriended Franklin.

A milliner who was the mistress of James Ralph.

Scoundrel lawyer in cahoots with Governor Keith to ruin Andrew Hamilton.

Franklin’s longtime employer and sometime friend in Philadelphia, a poor printer but a decently intelligent man.

A workman of Franklin’s at Keimer’s who later went into partnership with Franklin but was a worthless partner and a drunk.

Hugh Meredith’s father who provided Franklin and Hugh with half the money they needed to start their press, but never provided the money in full, plunging Franklin into debt.

Workman of Franklin’s at Keimer’s.

Workman of Franklin’s at Keimer’s, Keimer’s apprentice and, briefly, Franklin’s rival printer.

Oxford scholar and workman of Franklin’s at Keimer’s. Webb was an indentured servant.

A wild Irishman who worked for Franklin at Keimer’s but soon ran away.

Ms. Read’s first, abusive husband.

Son of Andrew Hamilton. He later became governor.

Governor Keith’s secretary.

Passenger on Franklin’s ship from New York to Amboy whose life Franklin saved.

Franklin’s brother-in-law, a merchant, who encouraged him to return to Boston and get the blessing of his family to set up as a printer in Philadelphia.

Franklin’s father-in-law, sometime landlord, and one of the first men he saw in Philadelphia.

Franklin’s fiancé and then wife, an industrious and good woman to whom Franklin attributes much of his success in life.

Franklin’s mother-in-law who, early on, discouraged him from marrying her daughter.

Acquaintance of Franklin who brought him his first customer.

One of the original members of the Junto.

One of the original members of the Junto.

One of the original members of the Junto.

One of the original members of the Junto.

One of the original members of the Junto.

One of the original members of the Junto who lent Franklin money to set up his own printing house.

One of the original members of the Junto who lent Franklin money to set up his own printing house.

Governor of Massachusetts when Franklin set up shop with Hugh Meredith.

Friend of Franklin’s in London who later worked for him in Philadelphia.

Family of boarders who lived with Franklin and tried to set up an engagement between Franklin and the daughter of a relation of theirs.

Quaker man and friend of Franklin’s who read part of Part One of Franklin’s Autobiography and wrote a letter to persuade him to finish it.

Friend of Franklin’s who wrote him a letter urging him to finish his book.

Talented Irish preacher Franklin supported. Hemphill presented stolen sermons as his own.

Postmaster General who took Franklin as his Philadelphian Deputy.

Talented Irish travelling preacher who raised money to build an orphanage in Georgia.

The man whom Franklin established as the overseer of his college.

The man Franklin suggested to serve as colonel of the Philadelphia militia.

Governor of New York who lent Franklin cannons for his militia.

Quaker man who wrote in favor of defensive war.

One of the founders of the Dunkers who thought it best that they not codify their beliefs in writing.

Governor of Pennsylvania who offered Franklin a patent on the stove he invented.

Attorney General employed with Franklin in drawing up the constitution of Franklin’s academy.

Friend of Franklin’s whom he took as a partner around the time he established his academy.

Landed British gentry who disputed with the Assembly in Pennsylvania over taxes.

Franklin’s friend whom he helped with his plan to build Philadelphia’s first public hospital.

Presbyterian minister whom Franklin refused to help raise subscriptions for a new meeting house.

Speaker of the House for the Pennsylvania Assembly who accompanied Franklin to a peace meeting with the Six Nations Native Americans.

One of the delegates who went with Franklin to Albany to propose a peace treaty with the Six Nations.

One of the delegates who went with Franklin to Albany to propose a peace treaty with the Six Nations.

The Governor of Philadelphia after James Hamilton. He was in constant dispute with the Assembly.

Governor who succeeded Mr. Morris in Pennsylvania and continued the same disputes with the Assembly.

The solicitor from Massachusetts who came to Pennsylvania to ask for monetary aid with defense.

A brave man but poor general to whom Franklin sent aid during the French and Indian War.

A colonel of General Braddock’s. He was persnickety and a coward.

A man briefly called to replace Braddock as the British general during the French and Indian War.

Man who took over command of Franklin’s troops on Pennsylvania’s northwestern frontier.

Englishman who made a gift of a glass tube for electrical experiment to Franklin’s library.

An English friend of Franklin’s who was a member of the Royal Society.

A neighbor of Franklin’s whom he set up as a demonstrator of electrical experiments.

Frenchman who translated Franklin’s papers on electricity into French.

French scientist who performed Franklin’s experiments for the king of France.

An inept buffoon of a general who replaced Shirley in the French and Indian War.

Virginia merchant who took Franklin to meet Lord Granville, President of the British Council.

President of the British Council.

A rival of Franklin’s and the solicitor of the proprietary governors.

Leading French theoretician on electricity who wrote a book challenging Franklin’s scientific ideas.

First man in Philadelphia to place a streetlamp at his door.

Man who kept an inn near Burlington, he befriended Franklin and admired his literariness.

Former workman of Bradford’s in Philadelphia. He had been an ingenious man and talented poet before his untimely death. Franklin later took his son as an apprentice.

Franklin’s grandfather on his mother’s side.

Franklin’s cousin, a cutler, to whom he was briefly apprenticed.

Franklin’s grandfather on his father’s side.

Franklin’s uncle, a man very similar to Franklin himself.

Franklin’s uncle.

A famous educator (at the time) who instructed Franklin after he left grammar school.