The Curious Clarinets of Benjamin Franklin

By now, you should know that there are several unsolved mysteries of clarinet history.

One that has particularly intrigued me is a musical glitch in the matrix, involving none other than Benjamin Franklin.

Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) was an American multi-hyphenate – he was a diplomat, writer, scientist, and more. (He also had some witty quotes and one-liners!)

Franklin wrote his autobiography (which he called his memoirs) between 1771 and 1790, the year of his death.

Here’s a quote from his memoirs (page 194):

While at Bethlehem, I inquir’d a little into the practice of the Moravians: some of them had accompanied
me, and all were very kind to me. I found they work’d for a common stock, eat at common tables, and slept in common dormitories, great numbers together. In the dormitories I observed loopholes, at certain distances all along just under the ceiling, which I thought judiciously placed for change of air. I was at their church, where I was entertain’d with good musick, the organ being accompanied with violins, hautboys, flutes, clarinets, etc.

This quote describes a visit to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in 1756. Nothing peculiar here, right?

Except that there is no record of the clarinet in America before 1758!

According to Jane Ellsworth in this article, “…in 1758 an advertisement appeared in the New York Gazette and Weekly Postboy, seeking musicians, including clarinetists, to play in General Lascell’s regimental band,
stationed at Amboy.”

So, why was Benjamin Franklin mentioning clarinets when they didn’t exist in America for a couple more years? Also, if clarinets weren’t yet in America, how did he know what one even sounded like? Musical glitch in the matrix, or something else?

Most likely, Benjamin misremembered the details in his memoirs. Because these were written in the last few decades of his life, it’s likely that he made a simple mistake with the year or other minor details.

As for being familiar with the clarinet, Benjamin Franklin was well-travelled and spent a good portion of his life in Europe. (Fun fact: he was the first American ambassador to France!)

So, there you have it – the curious case of Benjamin Franklin’s clarinets, solved!