Henry Franklin was born in 1804 as Bill Budd. He was the son of two slaves Jared and Ann Franklin who were owned by John Ross Key, the father of the "Star-Spangled Banner" composer Francis Scott Key. After Francis was married, he moved to Georgetown, and brought along Jared as a coachman after his father sold Jared to him. Francis eventually sold Jared to Adam Good so he can be with his future wife Ann, a slave to Adam Good.
Fun Fact #1: Adam Good owned a tavern in Taneytown, Maryland where it was visited by George Washington.
Fun Fact #2: Ann was the daughter of a cook who prepared excellent meals for guests at Good's tavern, including George Washington. She was known as "Mammy Dianny."
Adam Good's home was the place where Jared and Ann had their children Henry and Harriet. When Henry turn nine years old, he was sold to Abraham Shriner while his mother and sister were sold to Philip Wampler and his father sold to Joseph Engle. His family ended up having a bittersweet ending: Joseph Engle had set Jared free after serving him faithfully for 10 years. Ann was able to earn enough money from her owner Philip Wampler, and she was set free. Philip wanted to take their daughter Harriet with him to Drayton, Ohio, so he promised to Jared he'll own his daughter by the end of six years and then she'll be set free.
"At the expiration of that time her father went for her a distance of five hundred miles, walking-all the way, and accompanied by his daughter also walked the whole distance back, except fifteen miles which they rode in a farmer's wagon--a journey of a thousand miles on foot, performed under the feeling of parental love to secure the companionship and care of his child!"
- Friends' Intelligencer and Journal, Volume 55 (1898)
Henry, meanwhile, lived with his owner Abraham for 24 years where he was well taken care of. He was frequently promised freedom when he turns 35, but he was afraid something that would prevent his freedom. Instead of waiting until he turns 35, he decided to take the matter into his own hands: he decided to head up North and escape.
It was the year 1837 he escaped. It was during that time he was given the opportunity to visit his father by his owner for a few days. He and three others went from Adams County to Kimberton, reaching all the way to his end point at Quakertown where he reached the home of Richard Moore, a member of the Religious Society of Friends who cared and assisted runaway slaves.
Fun Fact #3: After Henry settled in Quakertown, his family was able to collect their earnings and moved to Quakertown to live near him. Henry's home in Quakertown is still standing on 131 South Main Street.
Richard employed Henry as a carter. Henry lived with Richard for seven years, and faithfully performed the duties required. Henry was responsible for carting coal from the Lehigh River. At daylight, Richard had to hide the runaway slaves to avoid capture. When the night falls into complete darkness, Richard would set up the wagon for Henry and the other escaped slaves to use on their journey to freedom. He and the other runaway slaves were covered with straw.
"Alfred Moore was quite confident that one of the slaves thus carried north by Henry Franklin was Parker, the principal hero in the Christiana tragedy. This brave Franklin, who was thus instrumental in aiding so many slaves to secure their freedom..."
- Edward Hicks Magill, 11
Prior to leaving Maryland, Henry was engaged to a free woman named Ann Brooks. After he escaped, Ann received word about his whereabouts. When the two reunited, they got married. Unfortunately, Ann's life was cut short, and Henry ended up marrying another woman. They had several children together at his own home he established.
Fun Fact #4: Henry received a special invitation to visit New York abolitionist Gerrit Smith at his home in Peterboro. He was offered a carriage ride as transportation.
"At his residence, in company with James G. Birney, Col. Cochran, and others, he found there was no distinction made on account of color. The next morning, as he availed himself of the toilet appliances and looked around upon the richly furnished chamber with its beautiful curtains, his thoughts recurred to his former conditions and surroundings, with the 'tow underclothes and negro cloth, and he wondered what Mrs. Shriner would say if she saw him now.' It is due to him to state that during his life he never became too much elated with the various kindnesses and attentions shown him, but always strove to receive these with humility and thankfulness; and at the close of the war when the slaves were released from thraldom he remarked that 'he hoped his people would accept the great gift of freedom in the right spirit and appreciate it in the proper way.'"
- Friends' Intelligencer and Journal, Volume 55 (1898)
Henry moved to Philadelphia in 1864 and was employed a year later by Joseph Johns, curator of the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, as a janitor and messenger. He gained trust and confidence from the managers there, and remained working there ever since.
Fun Fact #5: Henry was esteemed and trusted by James L. Claghorn, officer of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and the Philadelphia School of Design for Women. Claghorn wanted to send his collection of engravings to the Expositions of New York and Cincinnati in 1874. He only allowed his collection to be sent if Henry accompanies them as a caregiver.
Towards the end of the Civil War, Henry returned to his former owner's old home in Maryland, not knowing Abraham Shriner was dead. But, his wife and her two daughters warmly welcomed him back. Henry and Mrs. Shriner wrote correspondence to each other until Mrs. Shriner died in 1885.
Fun Fact #6: His life was written in a book by Hannah M. Levick in 1887 called A Sketch of Henry Franklin and Family. It was written two years before Henry Franklin died.
The Meredith House
The Meredith House was originally built and occupied by one of the members of the Evans family, one of the original settlers of Gwynedd. Thomas Evans divided his land along Swedesford Road into equal shares for his four sons. One of his sons Owen was given 306 acres in 1715 where the Meredith house is currently located. There's no exact date to when the home was built, but the shape of the roof is called a gambrel roof, also known as the "Dutch roof." It's more common during the 17th and 18th century in America. I would assume the home was built after Owen Evans was granted land from his father.
In 1776 Caleb Foulke (1736-1811), descendent from the original members of the Foulke family and settlers of Gwynedd, purchased the Owen Evans home during the time of British occupation in Philadelphia.
Fun Fact #7: Caleb's brother Jesse owned the Foulke Mansion after their father died. The mansion was occupied by their cousin Sally Wister when she and her family escaped Philadelphia. It was said that General William Smallwood also stayed at the Foulke Mansion as well as at Caleb's home for breakfast.
A decade later Dr. Joesph Meredith (1768-1820) bought the property in 1814. Dr. Meredith studied medicine with his uncle Dr. Hugh Meredith in Bucks County, and began his own practice all over Montgomery County: Gwynedd, Montgomery, Hatfield, Franconia, Towamencin, Worcester, and Whitpain Townships. He married Rachel Foulke, another descendent from the original members of the Foulke family, in 1803. They had four children: Hannah, Dr. Charles, Margaret, and Edward.
Fun Fact #8: Dr. Antrim Foulke, nephew of Rachel Foulke, was 21 years old when he began studying medicine with Dr. Joseph Meredith.
Henry Franklin's son, Henry, Jr. (1859-1884), was raised by Dr. Joseph Meredith's daughter, Margaret Meredith, to be nicely trained. He was fond of studying, and learned three foreign languages. He was exceptional in French, and ended up traveling to France in 1883. From there, he became a salesman in the house of Howard & Co. in Paris, and was respected by that firm and friends around him. In 1884, he died at the age of 25 after the "seeds of consumption were sown in him." Many paid respects to him.
It is unknown if Henry Jr. was raised at the original Meredith House, but it seems that Margaret Meredith owned a house not too far away from the home she was raised in. It could be that Henry Jr. was raised at Margaret's home, not the original homestead.
Bibliography
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