My Heroes... Deborah Read Franklin

I don't know why I never really thought of Franklin as being married. What a surprise to learn his wife was older than he was. They became engaged, but Franklin went to England. He wrote only once, and she married someone else. The other man was a bounder and fortunately died. Franklin came home and married Deborah. From the sounds of it, they were happy together. She raised one of Franklin's illegitimate sons, born shortly before they married, as her own. Her son sadly died in infancy. They did have a daughter who survived. She'll be the subject of next week's post. Amazing.