Mecom so that she would not have to worry about money. Writing and involvement in politics Although Jane Mecom and Benjamin Franklin corresponded for six decades following his departure from their childhood home, letters written by Mecom before 1758 are lost. Prior to that date, the only record of her writing is a slim book that she made to chronicle her life. Mecom named her chronicle "Book of Ages." Mecom's letters to Franklin from 1770 to 1774 are lost, but a letter from November 1774 shows Mecom's involvement in both Franklin's career and the political situation in America at the time. Her interests in politics had grown substantially in her later life. Her distaste for Britain grew substantially, as well, so much so that she considered removing the "crown" stamp from her soaps to replace them with the 13 stars. In the postwar period, Mecom's letters show her to have grown in commitment for the American cause. Later life When Benjamin Franklin died in 1790. His will stipulated that Mecom should continue to live as she had since 1784, in her Unity Street house, which was owned by Franklin until she died. Franklin's memoirs were released after his death, containing no mention of Mecom. He also arranged for an allowance of 50 pounds to be given to her each year, a sizable sum at the time. Jane died four years later on May 7, 1794, at 83, survived by her only remaining child, Jane Mecom. The house was demolished in 1939 to make room for a memorial to Paul Revere. There is no knowledge of where she is buried. She gave the majority of her papers to her granddaughter, Jenny Mecom. Jared Sparks collected and published the correspondence between Mecom and Franklin, although he heavily edited Mecom's letters to change her original spellings. Notes Sources Benjamin Franklin and Catherine Ray Greene: Their Correspondence 1755–1790 (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, 1949. W. G. Roelker, editor.) Jeremy A. Stern, "Jane Franklin Mecom: A Boston Woman in Revolutionary Times," Early American Studies – Vol. 4, Number 1, Spring 2006, pp. 147–191, link to abstract Jill Lepore, "The Prodigal Daughter," The New Yorker, July 8, 2013, available online External links Jane's Boarding House Soap-making anecdote 1712 births 1794 deaths Women in the American Revolution Benjamin Franklin Franklin family People from North End, Boston People of Massachusetts in the American Revolution