Person:Mary Franklin (25)

Benjamin Franklin mentions his sister Mary twice in his personal papers. In a letter to his sister Sarah Davenport in June? 1730, Benjamin writes, "I am sorry to hear of Sister Macom's Loss, and should be mighty glad of a Line from her; and from Sister Homes, who need be under no Apprehensions of not writing polite enough to such an unpolite Reader as I am; I think if Politeness is necessary to make letters between Brothers and Sisters agreeable, there must be very little Love among 'em."

In a letter written from Philadelphia, June 19, 1731 to his sister Jane Mecom, Benjamin Franklin writes, "But what gives me the greatest concern, is the account you give me of my sister Homes's misfortune: I know a cancer of the breast is often thought incurable: yet we have here in town a kind of shell made of some wood, cut at a proper time, by some man of great skill (as they say,) which has done wonders in that disease among us, being worn for some time on the breast. I am not apt to be superstitiously fond of believing such things, but the instances are so well attested as sufficiently to convince the most incredulous.

This if I have enough interest to procure, as I think I have, I will borrow for a time and send it to you, and hope the doctors you have will at least allow the experiment to be tried, and shall rejoice to hear it has the accustomed effect."

Despite this treatment, Mary Franklin Homes died later in 1731.

1. ↑ The Papers of Benjamin Franklin
   171, 201, 1959.