Of all the great things Franklin did - he always signed his name - B Franklin printer. H Everhart printer is glad he got to see Ben's London digs.
When you think of Ben Franklin you usually think of his life in Boston and Philadelphia. Most people do not realize that he spent 16 years in London as an agent for Pennsylvania - Massachusetts - and Georgia.
Some people call his home on 36 Craven Street the first American Embassy. Franklin rented 3 rooms there and entertained the rich and famous there. He did speak to Parliament and successfully lobbied to repeal the Stamp Act - the law that got the rebels upset enough to throw the tea overboard in Boston.
Franklin's wife Deborah never came to London with him. She was afraid of the ocean.
The house remind me of our apartment at 12 Bedford Place. There were rooms on 4 floors including the basement. The tour was different - a young lady dressed in 1700s clothes spoke during a video presentation in each room. She would answer back and forth like a conversation. By her manor - it left me with the impression that she was Ben's girlfriend.
Ben left England in 1775 - after the war started. He found his wife Deborah had died - the reason he did not get any mail for 6 months.
When the war was over - he went to France for 20 years - representing America there.
In Britain - when a famous person dies - they put a round blue sign on the house. Ben was the first foreigner to get his sign.
Here's Ben's sign.
Ben Franklin lived here.
Craven Street is just south of Trafalgar Square - halfway to the river.
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