Item #30749 KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS THAT WE THE CORPORATION BY THE NAME STYLE AND TITLE OF "THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE OF THE STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA FOR THE PROMOTION OF THE MECHANIC ARTS" ARE HELD AND FIRMLY BOUND UNTO GEORGE M. DALLAS, BAYSE NEWCOMB, JOSIAH RANDALL, JAMES HARPER, THOMAS KITTERA, SAMUEL BADGER AND JOHN STEELE ALL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA ESQUIRES TRUSTEES FOR AND ON BEHALF AND FOR THE BENEFIT OF "THE GRAND LODGE OF PENNSYLVANIA AND MASONIC JURISDICTION THEREUNTO BELONGING" IN THE SUM OF FORTY THOUSAND DOLLARS LAWFUL SILVER MONEY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TO BE PAID TO THE SAID... TRUSTEES AFORESAID...WE DO BIND OURSELVES AND OUR SUCCESSORS AND EVERY OF THEM FIRMLY BY THESE PRESENTS. SEALED WITH THE COMMON SEAL OF OUR SAID CORPORATION. DATED THE SIXTEENTH DAY OF OCTOBER IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD ONE THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED AND THIRTY FIVE. 1835. THE CONDITION OF THE ABOVE OBLIGATION IS SUCH THAT IF THE ABOVE-BOUNDEN THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE...[SHALL PAY THE TRUSTEES] THE JUST AND FULL SUM OF TWENTY THOUSAND DOLLARS...ON THE FIRST DAY OF JANUARY [1836] TOGETHER WITH INTEREST THEREON AT THE DATE OF FIVE PER CENTUM PER ANNUM [BEING MONEYS BELONGING TO THE GRAND LODGE AFORESAID AND PART OF THE PURCHASE MONEYS PROCEEDING FROM THE SALE MADE OF THE MASONIC HALL AND LOT IN CHESTNUT STREET TO THE CORPORATION AFORESAID] WITHOUT ANY FRAUD OR FURTHER DELAY THEN THE ABOVE OBLIGATION TO BE VOID OR ELSE TO BE AND REMAIN IN FULL FORCE AND VIRTUE. [signed] JAMES RONALDSON| PRESIDENT F. I. Franklin Institute.
KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS THAT WE THE CORPORATION BY THE NAME STYLE AND TITLE OF "THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE OF THE STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA FOR THE PROMOTION OF THE MECHANIC ARTS" ARE HELD AND FIRMLY BOUND UNTO GEORGE M. DALLAS, BAYSE NEWCOMB, JOSIAH RANDALL, JAMES HARPER, THOMAS KITTERA, SAMUEL BADGER AND JOHN STEELE ALL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA ESQUIRES TRUSTEES FOR AND ON BEHALF AND FOR THE BENEFIT OF "THE GRAND LODGE OF PENNSYLVANIA AND MASONIC JURISDICTION THEREUNTO BELONGING" IN THE SUM OF FORTY THOUSAND DOLLARS LAWFUL SILVER MONEY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TO BE PAID TO THE SAID... TRUSTEES AFORESAID...WE DO BIND OURSELVES AND OUR SUCCESSORS AND EVERY OF THEM FIRMLY BY THESE PRESENTS. SEALED WITH THE COMMON SEAL OF OUR SAID CORPORATION. DATED THE SIXTEENTH DAY OF OCTOBER IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD ONE THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED AND THIRTY FIVE. 1835. THE CONDITION OF THE ABOVE OBLIGATION IS SUCH THAT IF THE ABOVE-BOUNDEN THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE...[SHALL PAY THE TRUSTEES] THE JUST AND FULL SUM OF TWENTY THOUSAND DOLLARS...ON THE FIRST DAY OF JANUARY [1836] TOGETHER WITH INTEREST THEREON AT THE DATE OF FIVE PER CENTUM PER ANNUM [BEING MONEYS BELONGING TO THE GRAND LODGE AFORESAID AND PART OF THE PURCHASE MONEYS PROCEEDING FROM THE SALE MADE OF THE MASONIC HALL AND LOT IN CHESTNUT STREET TO THE CORPORATION AFORESAID] WITHOUT ANY FRAUD OR FURTHER DELAY THEN THE ABOVE OBLIGATION TO BE VOID OR ELSE TO BE AND REMAIN IN FULL FORCE AND VIRTUE. [signed] JAMES RONALDSON| PRESIDENT F. I.

KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS THAT WE THE CORPORATION BY THE NAME STYLE AND TITLE OF "THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE OF THE STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA FOR THE PROMOTION OF THE MECHANIC ARTS" ARE HELD AND FIRMLY BOUND UNTO GEORGE M. DALLAS, BAYSE NEWCOMB, JOSIAH RANDALL, JAMES HARPER, THOMAS KITTERA, SAMUEL BADGER AND JOHN STEELE ALL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA ESQUIRES TRUSTEES FOR AND ON BEHALF AND FOR THE BENEFIT OF "THE GRAND LODGE OF PENNSYLVANIA AND MASONIC JURISDICTION THEREUNTO BELONGING" IN THE SUM OF FORTY THOUSAND DOLLARS LAWFUL SILVER MONEY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TO BE PAID TO THE SAID... TRUSTEES AFORESAID...WE DO BIND OURSELVES AND OUR SUCCESSORS AND EVERY OF THEM FIRMLY BY THESE PRESENTS. SEALED WITH THE COMMON SEAL OF OUR SAID CORPORATION. DATED THE SIXTEENTH DAY OF OCTOBER IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD ONE THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED AND THIRTY FIVE. 1835. THE CONDITION OF THE ABOVE OBLIGATION IS SUCH THAT IF THE ABOVE-BOUNDEN THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE...[SHALL PAY THE TRUSTEES] THE JUST AND FULL SUM OF TWENTY THOUSAND DOLLARS...ON THE FIRST DAY OF JANUARY [1836] TOGETHER WITH INTEREST THEREON AT THE DATE OF FIVE PER CENTUM PER ANNUM [BEING MONEYS BELONGING TO THE GRAND LODGE AFORESAID AND PART OF THE PURCHASE MONEYS PROCEEDING FROM THE SALE MADE OF THE MASONIC HALL AND LOT IN CHESTNUT STREET TO THE CORPORATION AFORESAID] WITHOUT ANY FRAUD OR FURTHER DELAY THEN THE ABOVE OBLIGATION TO BE VOID OR ELSE TO BE AND REMAIN IN FULL FORCE AND VIRTUE. [signed] JAMES RONALDSON| PRESIDENT F. I.

[Philadelphia: 1835]. Broadside, 10" x 16". Entirely in elegant ink manuscript. A few very small edge chips [a letter or two affected at outermost edges]. Folds repaired on verso with archival tape. Blindstamp of the Franklin Institute in the bottom blank margin featuring a bust profile of Benjamin Franklin. Signed by James Ronaldson as President of Franklin Institute. Docketed with the Prothonotary on verso. Very Good.

The Franklin Institute of the State of Pennsylvania for the Promotion of the Mechanic Arts, the name later shortened to The Franklin Institute, was founded in 1824. Its main purpose was to honor Benjamin Franklin and advance the use of his inventions, and to train artisans and mechanics in the fundamentals of science.
In 1835, the Masonic Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania agreed to convey to the Franklin Institute the Masonic Hall and lot. This document is part of the purchase agreement. [Wahl: THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE... A SKETCH OF ITS ORGANIZATION AND HISTORY. Philadelphia: 1895. Pages 9-10; Lyte: REPRINT OF THE MINUTES OF THE GRAND LODGE OF FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS OF PENNSYLVANIA. VOL. VI. 1829 TO 1839. Philadelphia: 1901. Pages 229-265].
James Ronaldson [1768-1841] was the first president of the Franklin Institute; he served from 1824 to 1841. A Scotsman who settled in Philadelphia in 1794, he partnered with Andrew Binney in 1796 to build one of the first type foundries in the United States. In 1806, he and Binney bought the type-foundry materials and tools that Benjamin Franklin shipped from France in the 1780's. The business made them wealthy. He later became the President of the Louisville Canal Company. Ronaldson was a friend of Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson. [Frazer: THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE; ITS SERVICES AND DESERTS. Philadelphia: 1908. Pages 251-2; Knight: KNIGHT'S AMERICAN MECHANICAL DICTIONARY... VOL. III. New York: 1877. Page 2674.]. Item #30749

Price: $600.00

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