Benjamin Franklin Stevens

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Benjamin Franklin Stevens (February 19, 1833 - March 5, 1902), like his brother Henry Stevens was a bibliographer, was born at Barnet, Vermont, was educated at the university of Vermont.

In 1860 became associated with his brother in London. For about thirty years he was engaged in preparing a chronological list and alphabetical index of American state papers in English, French, Dutch and Spanish archives, covering the period from 1763 to 1784, and he prepared more than 2000 facsimiles of important American historical manuscripts found in European archives and relating to the period between 1773 and 1783.

He also acted as purchasing agent for various American libraries, and for about thirty years before his death was United States despatch agent at London and had charge of the mail intended for the vessels of the United States navy serving in Atlantic or European stations. He died at Surbiton, Surrey, England, on the 5th of March 1902.

His principal publications include:

  • Campaign in Virginia, 1781: an Exact Reprint of Six Rare Pamphlets on the Clinton-Cornwallis Controversy, with ... Manuscript Notes by Sir Henry Clinton
  • a Supplement containing Extracts from the Journals of the House of Lords (1888)
  • Facsimiles of Manuscripts in European Archives Relating to America, 1773-1783, with Descriptions, References and Translations (25 vols, 1889-1898)
  • General Sir William Howe's Orderly Book at Charlestown, Boston and Halifax (1890)
  • Columbus: His Own Book of Privileges (1893)

This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.