Who was William Franklin's mother?

Answer 1

It is not known who his mother was, but it has been speculated that it was Benjamin Franklin's wife, Deborah. The reason for covering this up would be the fact they were not married when William was born, and Ben wanted to take all of the blame, so as not to allow any dishonor to come to Deborah. Other evidence suggests his mother was a prostitute.

However, William Franklin's illegitimacy was revealed by a contemporary in the pamphlet _What's Sauce for the Goose is Sauce for the Gander_. The same author supplied a name for the mother, which arguably should have the benefit of the doubt. He named Barbara, "a useful servant," in the Franklin household, whom Franklin treated like a slave. This may be read to imply that Barbara was non-White, and that there was some kind of connection here that promoted the Franklin interest. All in all, rather embarrassing for the great man, and no wonder that it is not often mentioned.