William Franklin
| William Franklin | |
|---|---|
| |
| First appearance | A Lesson in Electricity |
| In-story stats | |
| Known ability | None |
| Nickname | Will |
| Gender | |
| Age | 82 (at death) |
| Date of birth | 1731 |
| Place of birth | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Date of marriage | September 4, 1762 |
| Date of death | December 13, 1813 |
| Home | Philadelphia, PA |
| Residence | The Franklins' home |
| Occupation | Governor |
| Significant other | Elizabeth Downes (deceased) |
| Parent | Benjamin Franklin (deceased) |
| Grandparents | Josiah Franklin (paternal grandfather, deceased), Abiah Folger (paternal grandmother, deceased), Thomas Franklin (paternal great-grandfather, deceased), Jane White (paternal great-grandmother, deceased), Peter Folger (paternal great-grandfather, deceased), Mary Morrill (paternal great-grandmother, deceased) |
| Guardian | Deborah Franklin (deceased) |
| Child | William Temple Franklin (deceased) |
| Grandchildren | Ellen Franklin (deceased), a grandson (deceased) |
William Franklin is the son of one of America's Founding Fathers, Benjamin Franklin.
Character History
Graphic Novel:A Lesson in Electricity
One night in 1752, William Franklin is awoken by his father, who asks him if it isn't wonderful that the bells he had set up to be rung by his lightning rod were ringing.
Several nights later, William proceeds outside with his father during stormy weather to test the theory of conservation of charge using the kite experiment. Will gets a kite into the stormy skies and hands the string of the kite to his father. Lightning strikes the kite just as the skies appear to clear up. However, instead of the lightning being totally diverted by a key Benjamin attached to the string, Benjamin ends up shocked and flung to the ground. William asks his father to let him help him back to his feet, but Benjamin refuses until after he discharges himself by touching his cat.
Trivia
- In real life, William Franklin was the illegitimate son of Benjamin Franklin, his real mother's identity being unknown. He was born in 1731 and died December 13, 1813. He had a half-brother, Francis Folger Franklin (who died of smallpox at age four), and half-sister, Sarah Franklin Bache.
- William Franklin's real life history includes becoming the last Colonial Governor of New Jersey. He married Elizabeth Downes on September 4, 1762, and had one son, William Temple Franklin, who may or may not have been illegitimate, and who, by mutual decision, was raised by his father, Benjamin Franklin.
See Also
- For other uses of William, see William (disambig).
- For other uses of Franklin, see Franklin (disambig).
External Links
- William Franklin -- Wikipedia
