Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1851-06-17
miscellaneous.
BENJAMIy FRANKLIN.

The Printing Office at which BENJAMIN
Franklin formerly wrought as a journeyman
printer, No rs, Great Queen street. is i'm
mediately adjoining the entrance to Lin
colD' inn fields, at that angle which forms
the site of Newcastle house. The whole Of
this neighborhood is rich ia bygone associa
tions. Linct In sim fields, says Mr.. Gun
bingham, were irequented as any other va
cant space suited to idle sport, as St.
George Shields in Southwark. and Tothill-
fields in Westminster, have been Ia our day.
Here Lilly, the astrologer, when servant at
Mr.. Wright's, at the corner over against
Strandbridge, spent his idle hours in bowl
ing with Wat the cobler, Dick the black
smith, and some such companions and here
Blont tells us, in lis Law Dictionary"
(1670, that he had seen the game played BY
idle persons Of "the wheel Of fortune -
Before Lincoln's inn flds was rallied in they
used to break horses on this spot; and
through those fields, in the reign Of Charles
H., Thomas Sadler, well known thief, at.
tended by his confederates, made his mock
procession at night with the mace and purse
of Lord Chancellor Finch, which they had
stolen from the Chancellor's closet in Great
Queen street, immediately adjoining. Sad
Ter was executed at Tyburn for this theft,
March 16. 1861. Here, "evcn in the place
where they used to meet and conferre of their
traitorous practices" were Bellard, Babing-
ton, and their aecomplices beheadcd, on the
Goth and 21st Of September. 1866, seven on
the FIRST day and seven on the second, aud
here, July II, 1858, William Lord Russell
was executed" Newcastle. house was so
called from j Ohm Holes Duke Of Newcastle,
who died in I'LL, aud was succeeded by his
nephew, the well known leader in the Pei
ham Administration. Great Queen street
in the time of the Stuarts was one of the
grandest and most fashionable parts Of the
town. Among the persons of note who form
erly resided here, Leigh Hunt mentions the
famous Lord Herbert of Cherbury, Lord
Bristol. Lord Chancellor Fitzroy, and the
Conway and paulet families; Sir Godfrey
Kneller, the painter, and kadcliff. the ply
stefan indeed, the places of interest are so
numerous, to mention them is not possible ir
the present space. The house selected for
our notice is. however, that to which the
most lasting Importance will be attached,
from its having been the place of humble Ia
bour of the Afterwards great Statesman and
philosopher, Benjamin Franklin.
Franklin having wrought twelvemonth at
Mr. Palmer's (in bartholomew close) he re-
moved to the house now in the occupation OF
Messrs. Cox, the printers it was at that
time the residence of Mir. Watts. Franklin
during this period lodged with widow lady
who lived in Duke street, opposite the Cath
Ole Chapel, where be practised the strictest
frugality, paying rent during part Of the
time) OF Is. a week. Half an anchovy, a
small slice Of bread aud butter. for his land
lady and himself, with half pint of ale be-
tween them, commonly furnished their sup
per. Speaking OF thss part Of his prosperous
life Franklin says :-"On my entrance |
worked at first as pressnlan, conceiy.ng that
l had need of bodily exercise. to which had
been accustomed in America, where the
printers work alternately as compositors and
at the press. drank nothing but water !;
the other workmcn, to the number of about
fifty, were great drinkers of beer My ex-
ample prevailed with several of them to re-
nounce their abominable practice of bread
and cheese with beer. They procured. like
me- from neighboring house, good basin
OF warm cruel, in which was small slice OF
butter, with toasted bread and nutmeg. which
was a much better breakfast and did not
cost more than pint OF beer-namely, three
halfpencc--and. at the same time, preserved
| the head clearer Those who continued to
gorge themselves with beer frequently lost
their credit with the publican from their hay-
ing neglected to ay their score They had
| then recourse t. lne to become security for
them, their hight, as they used TO caA it, sbe-
ing out. attended at the table every Sat
urday night to make up the little sums which
had made myself answerable tor, and
which sometimes amounted to near 30s per
week.
When Franklin came to England after
wards, as the agent Of Massachusetts, he
went into this office, and, going up to par
ticular press thus addressed the two work
men ;-"Come, my friends, we will drink to-
gether; it is now forty years since worked
hike you at this press, as Journeyman prin-
ter" This press is now deposited with the
Philosophical Society Of Philadelphia. The
sum Of money received for this relic is now
appropriated to the relief of one unfortunate,
called the "Fraukhn Pensioner," TO which a
disabled person of any country is eligible if
there be vacancy still, although the sum
received on this account has been put to so
excellent purpose, many will regret that
we have not ourselves preserved this memo
rial Of one, the whole tenor OF whose life was
perpetual lecture against the idle, the ex-
trayagant, and the proud. Franklin's man