| Edward Bancroft | |
| Date of Birth | January 9, 1744 |
| Date of Death | September 8, 1821 |
| Place of Birth | Westfield, Massachusetts |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Scientist,Writer, Double agent of the American Revolutionary War |
Edward Bancroft (January 9, 1744 – September 8, 1821) was an American physician and double agent in the American Revolution. Events 475 - Byzantine Emperor Zeno is forced to flee his capital at Constantinople. Year 1744 ( MDCCXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Events 70 - Roman forces under Titus sack Jerusalem. 1264 - The Statute of Kalisz Year 1821 ( MDCCCXXI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year Westfield is a city in Hampden County, in the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, United States. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A scientist, in the broadest sense refers to any person that engages in a systematic activity to acquire Knowledge or an individual that engages in such practices A writer is anyone who creates a written work although the word usually designates those who write creatively or professionally as well as those who have written in many different forms A split album featuring performances by bands The KGB and Alien Spy that was produced in 1997 In this article the inhabitants of the thirteen colonies that supported the American Revolution are primarily referred to as "Americans" with occasional references to "Patriots" Events 475 - Byzantine Emperor Zeno is forced to flee his capital at Constantinople. Year 1744 ( MDCCXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Events 70 - Roman forces under Titus sack Jerusalem. 1264 - The Statute of Kalisz Year 1821 ( MDCCCXXI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A split album featuring performances by bands The KGB and Alien Spy that was produced in 1997 In this article the inhabitants of the thirteen colonies that supported the American Revolution are primarily referred to as "Americans" with occasional references to "Patriots"
Born in Westfield, Massachusetts, he worked as a spy for Benjamin Franklin when he was secretary to the American Commission in Paris. Westfield is a city in Hampden County, in the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, United States. Benjamin Franklin ( April 17 1790 was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States of America. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city However, he was also a spy for the British who would report on American and French dealings. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland
Contents |
Biography
Early life
Edward Bancroft was born on January 9, 1744, in Westfield, Massachusetts. Events 475 - Byzantine Emperor Zeno is forced to flee his capital at Constantinople. Year 1744 ( MDCCXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Westfield is a city in Hampden County, in the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, United States. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States. His father died when Edward was only two years old, and Edward's mother was forced to carry for the family. She remarried five years later, and Edward moved to Connecticut to live with his stepfather David Bull. Connecticut ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. In his time living at Connecticut, Bancroft notably studied under Silas Deane. Silas Deane ( December 24 1737 &ndash September 23 1789) was a delegate to the American Continental Congress and At the age of 16, Bancroft was apprenticed to a physician. A physician, medical practitioner or medical doctor who practices Medicine, and is concerned with maintaining or restoring human Health Bancroft later fled his master (to whom he owed a debt), though Bancroft would later return and repay the debt. Debt is that which is owed usually referencing Assets owed but the term can cover other obligations
On July 14, 1763, Bancroft traveled to British Guiana, becoming a medical chief at one of the plantations. Events 1223 - Louis VIII becomes King of France upon the death of his father Philip II of France. Year 1763 ( MDCCLXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a British Guiana was the name of the British Colony on the northern coast of South America, now the independent nation of Guyana. [1] He soon expanded his practice to multiple plantations and wrote a study of the local environment. Fundamentally a plantation is usually a large Farm or estate, especially in a tropical or semitropical country on which Cotton, Tobacco Of note is his discovery that the Torpedo Fish discharged electricity. Electric rays (order Torpediniformes) are Fish that have a rounded body and a pair of organs capable of producing an Electric discharge, varying [2] However, Bancroft grew tired of South America and left in 1766. Year 1766 ( MDCCLXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a He then spent one year traveling between North America and South America before traveling to London. South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom.
Arrival at London
Once he arrived at London, Bancroft became a physician's student [3] at St. Bartholomew's Hospital. St Bartholomew's Hospital, also known as Barts, is a hospital in Smithfield in the City of London, England. He also published a book entitled Natural History of Guiana in 1769. This book attracted the attention of Paul Wentworth, New Hampshire's colonial agent in London, and Bancroft was hired to survey Wentworth's plantation in Surinam, in the hopes that Wentworth would be able to increase his profit. New Hampshire ( is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. Bancroft revisited Surinam for a couple months to observe Wentworth's plantation, and then returned back to London.
After he returned to London, Bancroft encountered another colonial agent in London, Benjamin Franklin. Benjamin Franklin ( April 17 1790 was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States of America. Bancroft and Franklin became friends, and Bancroft became a spy for Franklin.
Spying for Franklin
While Franklin was in London, Bancroft was used as a spy in order to support Franklin's colonial goals. However, evidence as to whether Bancroft continued spying after Franklin left London is less clear, although most agree that Bancroft maintained his position as a colonial spy. [4] For example, when the Committee for Secret Correspondence sent Silas Deane, Bancroft's former teacher, to Paris to France, a letter sent by Franklin to Deane instructs Deane to meet with Bancroft. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics.
Interestingly, just one day after Deane arrived in France on June 7, 1776, he sent Bancroft a letter asking him to come to France. Events 1099 - The First Crusade: The Siege of Jerusalem begins Year 1776 ( MDCCLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a In the letter, Deane said that the meeting was about procuring goods for Indian trade, and Deane enclosed 30 pounds for travel expenses. The Pound Sterling ( symbol £; ISO code: GBP) subdivided into 100 pence (singular penny) is the Currency Bancroft met with Deane on June 8, and Bancroft learned that Deane's purpose in France was to establish French aid to the colonies. Events 68 - The Roman Senate accepts emperor Galba. 536 - St Silverius becomes Pope (probable While Bancroft declined the invitation to attend negotiations, he served as Deane's assistant and interpreter. The meetings would later result in France's sending supplies to be used by the colonists.
Deane also informed Bancroft that colonial leaders hoped to inspire a war against England (specifically, a Bourbon-Prussian coalition). England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The House of Bourbon is an important European Royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty. The Kingdom of Prussia (Königreich Preußen was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918 and from 1871 was the leading state of the German Empire, comprising A coalition is an alliance among individuals during which they cooperate in joint action, each in their own Self-interest. The colonists hoped that this would force England to attend to other matters besides the colonies. Deane and other colonists were of the belief that the French would enter such a coalition, and for a time it looked as if this might happen. This coalition never came to be, but it greatly troubled Bancroft. On July 26, 1776, Bancroft left France and headed back to London. Events 657 - Battle of Siffin. 811 - Battle of Pliska; Byzantine Emperor Nicephorus Year 1776 ( MDCCLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Before leaving, he agreed to Deane that he would spy for the colonists through using his contacts in England. [5]
Spying for the British
Bancroft, although having previously worked as a spy for Benjamin Franklin, was not a radical promoter of rebellion, and the possibility of a French war against England scared him. Extremism is a term used to describe the actions or ideologies of individuals or groups outside the perceived political center of a society or otherwise claimed to violate Rebellion is a refusal of obedienceIt may therefore be seen as encompassing a range of Behaviours from Civil disobedience and mass Nonviolent resistance Although he agreed to Deane that he would spy for the colonists, he had his reservations. Bancroft did not want to see what he thought would be the end of Britain and separation between Britain and the colonies. [6] Paul Wentworth, recently recruited by the British Secret Service, was able to arrange a meeting between Bancroft, William Eden (chief of the British Secret Service), and Lords Suffolk and Weymouth, and Bancroft agreed to be a double agent for the British. The Secret Intelligence Service ( SIS) colloquially known as MI6 is the United Kingdom 's external Intelligence agency. Henry Howard 12th Earl of Suffolk and 5th Earl of Berkshire, KG, PC ( 16 May 1739 – 7 March 1779) was a British Thomas Thynne 1st Marquess of Bath 3rd Viscount Weymouth KG (1734-1796 English politician was the elder son of Thomas Thynne 2nd Viscount Weymouth (1710—1751 Soon, Bancroft's friend Franklin arrived at Paris to negotiate French aid for the colonies. Bancroft was ordered to associate himself with Franklin. Once arriving at Paris, Franklin appointed Bancroft as the Secretary to the American Commission. For his spying, Bancroft was given a pension of 200 pounds (later on increased to 500 pounds,and then 1000). [7]
Bancroft's reports dealt with interactions between the French and the Americans. Bancroft turned over his spy reports in the following manner: he would address a letter to "Mr. Richards" and sign it "Edward Edward. " The letter would be about gallantry, but in between the lines Bancroft would write his reports in special ink. Every Tuesday, once he had completed his letter, he would place it in a bottle, tie a string around the bottle, and place the bottle in a hole in a certain box tree after 9:30 PM[8]. Buxus is a Genus of about 70 species in the family Buxaceae. Common names include box (majority of English-speaking countries or boxwood An English official would pick the message up and replace it with orders. Bancroft would later on return that night to recover his bottle. It is said that, through this method, King George III received the French-American Treaty just two days after it was signed[9]. George III (George William Frederick 4 June 1738 George III's long reign was marked by a series of military conflicts involving his kingdom much of the rest of Europe and places The Franco-American Alliance (also called the Treaty of Alliance) was a pact between France and the Second Continental Congress, representing In addition, Bancroft was often sent on spying missions to London by Franklin and Deane, and was able to report to people such as Lord Suffolk.
Franklin's Knowledge of Bancroft's Spying
There is some debate as to whether Benjamin Franklin knew that Bancroft was a British spy. Franklin wrote that, even though he suspected one associate of being a spy, as long as he did not provide the suspect any private information, there was nothing to be worried about and the spy need not be dismissed. [10] Even if Franklin had discovered the true occupation of Bancroft, he never revealed it explicitly in any of his remaining writings. Whether or not Franklin did know that Bancroft was a spy, what is clear is that Bancroft was able to get a huge amount of information regarding American-French relations. However, even with this knowledge, the British were unable to stop France from allying with the Americans.
Life after Revolutionary War
At the end of the American Revolutionary War, Bancroft received English and French patents giving him the right to import yellow oak-bark. In this article the inhabitants of the thirteen colonies that supported the American Revolution are primarily referred to as "Americans" with occasional references to "Patriots" A patent is a set of Exclusive rights granted by a State to an inventor or his assignee for a fixed period of time in exchange for a disclosure of an In Economics, an import is any good (eg a Commodity) or Service brought into one country from another country in a legitimate fashion The Chinkapin Oak ( Quercus muhlenbergii) is an Oak in the white oak group ( Quercus sect This trade made Bancroft a rich man. In 1794, Bancroft published "Experimental Researches Concerning Permanent Colors," a book he updated in 1813. Year 1794 ( MDCCXCIV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Year 1813 ( MDCCCXIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common
Bancroft's occupation as a double-agent stayed hidden until 1891, when British papers were disclosed to the public. Year 1891 ( MDCCCXCI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common
Notes
- ^ Bancroft's Early Life http://www.fas.org/irp/ops/ci/docs/ci1/ch1c.htm
- ^ http://itp.nyu.edu/~nql3186/electricity/pages/bancroft.html
- ^ Bancroft at London http://www.fas.org/irp/ops/ci/docs/ci1/ch1c.htm
- ^ Bancroft's Spying for Franklin http://www.fas.org/irp/ops/ci/docs/ci1/ch1c.htm
- ^ CI Reader Volume 1 Chapter 1
- ^ CI Reader Volume 1 Chapter 1
- ^ CI Reader Volume 1 Chapter 1
- ^ CI Reader Volume 1 Chapter 1
- ^ CI Reader Volume 1 Chapter 1
- ^ CI Reader Volume 1 Chapter 1
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