Thomas Denham was a

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

merchant who plays an important role in ''

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin ''The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin'' is the traditional name for the unfinished record of his own life written by Benjamin Franklin from 1771 to 1790; however, Franklin himself appears to have called the work his ''Memoirs''. Although it had ...

'', as a father figure, friend, and benefactor who helps the young

Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin ( April 17, 1790) was an American polymath who was active as a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher, and political philosopher. Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the leading inte ...

during and after his first trip to

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

in 1724–1726. Upon their return to the

Colonies In modern parlance, a colony is a territory subject to a form of foreign rule. Though dominated by the foreign colonizers, colonies remain separate from the administration of the original country of the colonizers, the '' metropolitan state'' ...

in 1726, Denham employs Franklin as a clerk and bookkeeper in his newly opened shop (where the two also lived together), which was likely located at the current day address of 39 South Front Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Literary significance

Besides Franklin himself, Denham is one of the most principled characters introduced in Franklin's autobiography. As such, Denham plays a part in an emotional loss for Franklin, as well as helping facilitate the moral and psychological growth of the protagonist from youth to young adulthood, seeking virtue and fortune in the world. Many elements of the biography are familiar to the

bildungsroman In literary criticism, a ''Bildungsroman'' (, plural ''Bildungsromane'', ) is a literary genre that focuses on the psychological and moral growth of the protagonist from childhood to adulthood ( coming of age), in which character change is impo ...

, or coming-of-age story (a genre characterized by a number of formal, topical, and thematic features). In a Bildungsroman, the

protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a st ...

overcomes some emotional loss with difficulty, and gradually reaches maturity and respectability as they accept, and are accepted by, society. For example, Denham is esteemed for his loyalty, embodiment of Quaker sensibilities, and financial thrift. He is held in high regard to Franklin as an example of an honorable man that has also overcome "errata" in his past. Franklin reveals that Denham was at one time a merchant in

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

, but after failing in business there, and falling badly in debt, he migrated to America where he was able to make his fortune. Although his life in America may have meant that he had escaped his creditors, he returns to England and repays his creditors in an unusual manner that impresses Franklin:

There, by a close application to business as a merchant, he enhamacquired a plentiful fortune in a few years. Returning to England in the ship with me, he invited his old creditors to an entertainment, at which he thanked them for the easy composition they had favored him with, and, when they expected nothing but the treat, every man at the first remove found under his plate an order on a banker for the full amount of the unpaid remainder with interest.

During their time in England, Denham shows candor by telling Franklin rightly that Governor Keith had betrayed him and thus stranded him in England. Denham's initial kindness to Franklin is further cemented as permanent loyalty after Franklin helps him thwart a plot against one of his friends, Andrew Hamilton, the prominent Philadelphia lawyer. Denham encourages Franklin to find employment and save money so that they may return to America together. Upon returning to Philadelphia, Franklin works and lives with Denham until Denham's death in 1727, when Franklin again takes up his printing trade.Van Doren, Carl. ''Benjamin Franklin''. (1938). Penguin reprint 1991. Franklin describes the loss of Denham as follows:

Mr. Denham took a store in Water-street, where we opened our goods; I attended the business diligently, studied accounts, and grew, in a little time, expert at selling. We lodged and boarded together; he counseled me as a father, having sincere regard for me. I respected and loved him, and we might have gone on together very happy, but, in the beginning of February, 1726/7, when I had just pass'd my twenty-first year, we both were taken ill. My distemper was a pleurisy, which very nearly carried me off. I suffered a good deal, gave up the point in my own mind, and was rather disappointed when I found myself recovering, regretting, in some degree, that I must now, some time or other, have all that disagreeable work to do over again. I forget what his distemper was; it held him a long time, and at length carried him off. He left me a small legacy in a nuncupative will, as a token of his kindness for me, and he left me once more to the wide world; for the store was taken into the care of his executors, and my employment under him ended.

Notes

External links

Benjamin Franklin's ''Autobiography'', Library of Congress
*Iversen, Anniken Telnes (2009)
''Change and Continuity: The Bildungsroman in English''.
University of Tromsø, Munin. *J. A. Leo Lemay & P. M. Zall, eds., ''Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography: A Norton Critical Edition'' (NY: Norton, 1986). . (Used for most information in article, including quotes from ''Autobiography'' text, history of publication, and critical opinions. {{DEFAULTSORT:Denham, Thomas American merchants Year of birth missing Year of death missing Writers from Philadelphia