Jane Franklin Mecom facts for kids

Jane Franklin Mecom (March 27, 1712 – May 7, 1794) was the youngest sister of Benjamin Franklin. She was one of his closest friends and someone he trusted deeply. Jane and Benjamin wrote letters to each other for 63 years. These letters lasted throughout Benjamin Franklin's life. Some of these important letters can still be read today.

Early Life and Family

Jane Mecom was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on March 27, 1712. Her father, Josiah Franklin, had seven children from an earlier marriage. Jane was the youngest of ten children born to Josiah's second wife, Abiah Folger.

Learning and Education

Jane never went to a public school. At that time, girls were not allowed to enroll in public schools in Boston. However, her famous brother, Benjamin Franklin, taught her to read and write. He taught her until she was 11 years old. In 1723, Benjamin left home to become a printer. He wanted to escape his apprenticeship to his brother. This left 11-year-old Jane to learn on her own. Benjamin first wrote to Jane in 1726. Their letters continued until Benjamin's death in 1790.

Marriage and Children

When Jane was 15, she married Edward Mecom. He was a 22-year-old saddler from Scotland. He was not able to read very well. Jane and Edward had 12 children together. Their first son, Josiah, was named after Jane's father. Sadly, he passed away before his first birthday.

Jane's children included Josiah, Edward, Benjamin, Ebenezer, Sarah, Peter, John, Josiah (a second son with the same name), Jane, James, Mary, and Abiah. Life was often hard for Jane. Her husband, Edward, struggled with money. This meant Jane often had to work to support her family. Many of her children became very sick and passed away. Only one of her children, her daughter Jane Collas, lived longer than she did. Edward Mecom passed away in 1765. He left Jane to manage on her own after 38 years of marriage.

Life and Work

To earn money, Jane made and sold soap. She also took in people who needed a place to stay. In the 1750s, she ran a boarding house in Boston. Members of the House of Representatives stayed there. This is likely where she started hearing about political issues. She began to share her thoughts on these topics in her letters to Benjamin Franklin.

In 1766, Jane and her daughters, Jenny and Polly, opened a small shop. They sold caps and bonnets. They made these items using materials sent from London. The shop faced problems when colonists stopped buying imported goods. This was because of the Townshend Act. Benjamin Franklin supported this boycott. Jane tried to reopen her business in 1768, but it failed again.

Political Views and Movements

By 1768, Benjamin Franklin strongly supported American independence. He believed in not buying British goods. At first, Jane was not sure about the strong feelings on both sides. But by 1769, her letters showed she supported American patriotism. She also believed in not importing British goods.

In 1769, Jane moved to Philadelphia. She returned to Boston in 1770. She missed much of the unrest and the Boston Massacre that happened there. When the British attacked Boston in 1775, Jane fled to Rhode Island. She stayed with Catherine Greene, the wife of Rhode Island's governor. Later, she moved to Philadelphia to live with Benjamin. This was the first time they had seen each other in 11 years. She returned to live with the Greenes in 1777. She stayed there until 1779, when it was safe to go back to Boston.

Benjamin Franklin even used Jane's homemade soaps to impress the French. He wanted to show them a simple, "homespun" American image. From 1780 to 1782, Jane and Benjamin did not exchange letters. However, Benjamin made sure Jane would have money. He set up a yearly payment for her.

Writing and Politics

Jane Mecom and Benjamin Franklin wrote to each other for 60 years. Sadly, many of Jane's early letters are now lost. Before 1758, the only record of her writing is a small book she made. She called it "Book of Ages." In this book, she wrote down important events in her life.

Jane's letters from 1770 to 1774 are also lost. But a letter from November 1774 shows her interest in politics. It also shows her involvement in Benjamin's career. Her interest in politics grew a lot as she got older. She also disliked Britain more and more. She even thought about taking the "crown" stamp off her soaps. Instead, she wanted to replace it with 13 stars, representing the American colonies. After the war, Jane's letters showed her strong support for the American cause.

Later Life

Benjamin Franklin passed away in 1790. In his will, he made sure Jane could continue to live in her Unity Street house. He owned the house, and she lived there until she died. He also arranged for her to receive 50 pounds each year. This was a lot of money at the time. Benjamin Franklin's memoirs were published after his death. However, they did not mention Jane.

Jane died four years later, on May 7, 1794. She was 83 years old. Her only surviving child, Jane Mecom, lived longer than her. The Unity Street house was torn down in 1939. A memorial to Paul Revere was built in its place. We do not know where Jane Franklin Mecom is buried.

Jane gave most of her papers to her granddaughter, Jenny Mecom. Later, a person named Jared Sparks collected and published the letters between Jane and Benjamin Franklin. He changed Jane's original spellings in her letters.