text:  Franklin's son William was illegitimate, but that never stopped Benjamin from being the father his son deserved. Indeed, William wasn't told about his bastard child's status until he was 19, old enough to absorb such a thing. William had all the advantages that any son of Ben Franklin could imagine. He had classes for everything, from Latin to dance, horsemanship to the art of conversation. William even moved to London to train for a life in the law.