Name/Title
[FRANKLIN IMPRINT]. By the Proprietaries. To Nicholas Scull, Surveyor GeneralDescription
[FRANKLIN IMPRINT]. By the Proprietaries. To Nicholas Scull, Surveyor General. [Philadelphia: Printed by Benjamin Franklin, 1748].
This is a variant of this early example of Franklin's printing, the first done in the first five years of his career. Nicholas Scull served as the Surveyor General of Pennsylvania from 1748 to 1761, dating this printing to between that time frame.
This land warrant form is signed by James Hamilton. It records the leasing of 100 acres of land in Northampton County to Henry Richey. The document, dated December 27, 1752, directs Nicholas Scull to survey the land. The survey is written in manuscript on the verso. Scull, along with George Heap crafted many of the early maps of Philadelphia and others.
James Hamilton became a member of the provincial council in 1746. He was commissioned by the sons of William Penn to serve as lieutenant governor of the Province of Pennsylvania, serving in that capacity until 1754, then again from 1759 to 1763, and briefly in 1771 and 1773.
Miller identifies this form as a product of Franklin's press "on the evidence of type and frequent entries in the shop books." He notes that there are at least seven versions of the form with variant type settings and occasional modifications in the text." Miller A203 lists:
Pennsylvania, Proprietaries. By Nicholas Scull, surveyor general. 200 Copies of land grants. 1.2.8. (BF and DH No. 1, p. 14, Nov 18, 1948)
Such early examples of Franklin's printing are very rare in the market. This is the second variant of this form in the collection.Other Names and Numbers
Other Numbers
Number Type
ReferencesOther Number
Miller A203: Pennsylvania, Proprietaries. By Nicholas Scull, surveyor general. 200 Copies of land grants. 1.2.8. (BF and DH No. 1, p. 14, Nov 18, 1948)