William Franklin (1731 - 1813)

           The illegitimate son of Benjamin Franklin
             His mother's name was never revealed.
   Some suggested that Deborah may have been his mother but
   that Ben took all the blame to protect her honor because
                  they were not yet married.
  Young William traveled with his father, attending school in
                           England.
    On September 4, 1762, William married Elizabeth Downes.
          They had one son, William Temple Franklin.
  Upon returning to America, William became Royal Governor of
                          New Jersey.
     When the Revolution began, William remained loyal to
                           England.
  With Ben in America and William in England, father and son
    found themselves on opposite sides of battle during the
                     American Revolution.
           This forever strained their relationship.
 Ben's Last Will and Testament left nearly none of his wealth to William, 
                        claiming that
  if William's England had won the war, Ben would have never
                   had any wealth to leave.
 

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