Richard Franck (captain) facts for kids
Richard Franck (born around 1624, died 1708) was a captain in the Parliamentary army and a writer. He is best known for his travel book about Scotland, which also talks a lot about fishing!
Richard Franck's Life Story
Franck was born and went to school in Cambridge, England. When the First English Civil War started, he moved to London. He supported the Parliament, which was one side fighting in the war, and he became a captain in their army.
Around 1656 or 1657, Franck left England to travel around Scotland. After his trip, he came back to Nottingham, where he lived for many years. About 1690, he traveled to New England (which is now part of the United States). He wrote his second book while he was there. By 1694, he was back in London, living in an area called the Barbican.
Richard Franck's Books and Adventures
Franck is most famous for his book called Northern Memoirs. It's written in a very fancy and old-fashioned style. The book is like a conversation between Franck (who calls himself Arnoldus), his servant Agrippa, and a friend named Aquila.
Northern Memoirs was written in 1658, but it wasn't published until 1694. The most interesting part of the book is the descriptions of the places Franck visited in Scotland. He traveled to many towns like Carlisle, Dumfries, Glasgow, Stirling, Perth, Forfar, and even Loch Ness. He also explored areas like Sutherlandshire and Caithness, and visited cities such as Cromarty, Aberdeen, Dundee, St. Andrews, Edinburgh, and Berwick. He then made his way back home through Morpeth.
Franck was the first person to write about salmon fishing in Scotland. He was also a very skilled angler (someone who fishes with a rod and line), especially when it came to trout fishing with fake flies. He had even read another famous fishing book called Compleat Angler. Franck once had a discussion with the author of that book, Isaak Walton, about whether a certain plant called pickerel weed could create pike fish. Franck was also the first angler to mention the fish called a burbot in his writings. He even praised the salmon found in the River Thames in London.
Franck's second book was called 'A Philosophical Treatise of the Original and Production of Things'. He wrote this book in America when he was alone. It was published in London in 1687. This book was also written in a very complex style, similar to Northern Memoirs. It's also possible that Franck wrote another book called 'The Admirable and Indefatigable Adventures of the Nine Pious Pilgrims'. This book was also written in America and published in 1708.
