Edward Bancroft facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Edward Bancroft
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| Born |
Edward Bartholomew Bancroft
January 20, 1745 |
| Died | September 7, 1821 (aged 76) |
| Nationality | American, British |
| Occupation | Scientist, writer, doctor, and spy (double agent) during the American Revolutionary War |
| Spouse(s) |
Penelope Fellows
(m. 1771; died 1784) |
| Children | Edward Nathaniel Bancroft |
Edward Bartholomew Bancroft (born January 20, 1745 – died September 7, 1821) was an American doctor and scientist. He became a double agent during the American Revolutionary War. This means he secretly worked for both the United States and Great Britain. He did this while working as a secretary for the American team in Paris.
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Edward Bancroft's Early Life
Edward Bancroft was born in Westfield, Massachusetts, on January 20, 1745. His father passed away when Edward was only two years old. Five years later, his mother remarried.
Edward studied with Silas Deane, who was a schoolmaster. Deane later became an important politician and diplomat. Edward would work with him in Paris much later. When he was sixteen, Edward started training to be a doctor. After a few years, he left his training. He later returned and paid back what he owed in 1766.
Adventures in South America and London
In 1763, Edward Bancroft left New England. He traveled to Dutch Guiana, a place known for growing sugar. There, he worked as a doctor on plantations. He soon worked for many plantations and wrote about the local environment.
He studied electric eels and other fish. He found that these animals used electricity to stun their prey. This was a new idea at the time. In 1766, he left South America. He later published a book called An Essay on the Natural History of Guiana, in South America in London in 1769. Benjamin Franklin encouraged him to become a writer. Bancroft also wrote a lot about the chemistry of dyes. This was based on his work in Dutch Guiana.
In London, Bancroft's book caught the eye of Paul Wentworth. Wentworth hired Bancroft to check on his plantation in Surinam. Bancroft spent two months there. He also wrote a novel called The History of Charles Wentworth, Esq.
In 1771, Edward married Penelope Fellows. They had a son named Edward in 1772. They eventually had six more children. In 1773, Bancroft was chosen as a fellow of the Royal Society. This was because he was skilled in natural history and chemistry. He also became a member of the Medical Society of London in 1773. He earned his medical degree (M.D.) in 1774.
Spying for the Americans
In 1776, the American leaders sent Silas Deane to France. Benjamin Franklin told Deane to contact Bancroft. Franklin thought Bancroft would have useful information. Deane arrived in France in June 1776. He wrote to Bancroft in London, asking him to come to Paris. Deane offered him money for travel.
Bancroft met Deane in Paris in July. He learned that Deane's goal was to get help from France for the Americans against Britain. Bancroft helped Deane as an assistant and translator. Deane's talks led to France sending some supplies to the Americans.
Bancroft returned to London in July 1776. He promised Deane he would spy for the American colonies. In London, Bancroft sent copies of newspapers and letters to Deane. This kept the Americans informed about the British government. Bancroft sent his messages secretly in French diplomatic bags. This way, the London post office could not open them.
Working as a Double Agent for the British
Even though Bancroft worked for Franklin and Deane, he was not fully in favor of American independence. He was worried about a war between France and Britain. He had doubts about doing anything that might cause a bigger split between Britain and the American colonies.
In London, he met Paul Wentworth again. Wentworth had recently joined the British Secret Service. Wentworth helped Bancroft meet with important British officials. Bancroft agreed to become a spy for Britain. On August 14, 1776, Bancroft wrote a report. It detailed what Deane had done since arriving in France.
Soon after, Benjamin Franklin arrived in France to lead the talks. Bancroft was told to work closely with Franklin. Franklin then made Bancroft the secretary for the American Commission in Paris. Bancroft moved to Paris in March 1777, and his family joined him later. The British promised Bancroft a good payment for his spying.
Bancroft helped Franklin and Deane by copying letters and translating documents. He also helped arrange repairs and supplies for American ships in French ports. This gave him access to a lot of secret information. He then passed this information to the British.
Bancroft sent his secret reports in weekly letters. He used a special invisible ink. Every Tuesday night, he would put his letter in a bottle. He would then leave it in a hole in a specific box tree in Paris. A British official would pick up the message and leave new orders. Bancroft would return later to get the new orders. Through this method, the British King, George III, may have seen the French-American Treaty of Alliance just two days after it was signed. Bancroft was good at gathering information, but the British could not stop the alliance between France and America.
In December 1777, John Paul Jones arrived in France. He expected to get command of a ship called the Indien. Bancroft gave information to the British. Because of this, the British pressured the Dutch to cancel the ship's sale. However, Jones still had success with smaller ships. He raided towns in England and Ireland. He also captured two British warships. This happened even with Bancroft giving information to the British.
John Paul Jones and Bancroft became close friends. Jones even used Bancroft to communicate with Franklin. In 1777, Arthur Lee accused Bancroft of meeting with the king's advisors. In 1778, a sea captain said he saw a letter from Bancroft. This letter had details about the French treaty before it was signed. When Lee called Bancroft a traitor, Jones defended him. Jones later convinced the captain to take back his accusation.
Did Franklin Know?
Some historians wonder if Benjamin Franklin knew Bancroft was a spy. In a letter from 1777, Franklin wrote that he would not fire his valet even if he suspected him of being a spy. Some believe this hints at his suspicion of Bancroft. However, after the war, Franklin remained friends with Bancroft. He did not do this with other Loyalists, including his own son. Most historians believe Franklin was always loyal to the United States.
Life After the War
After the Revolutionary War, Bancroft got patents to bring black oak to Britain and France. This tree could be used to make a yellow dye called quercitron. He convinced John Paul Jones to invest a lot of money in this business. In 1789, Jones accused Bancroft of cheating him. Jones said Bancroft owed him money. Bancroft did make some small payments to Jones. But when Jones died in 1792, Bancroft still owed him a large sum.
In 1794, Bancroft published a book called Experimental Researches Concerning the Philosophy of Permanent Colors. He updated this book in 1814. He was also chosen as an honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1797.
Bancroft's wife, Penelope, died in London in 1784. Bancroft himself passed away on September 7, 1821, in Margate. People did not know Bancroft was a double agent until 1891. This was when British diplomatic papers were made public.
See also
- Intelligence in the American Revolutionary War
- Intelligence operations in the American Revolutionary War
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