Benjamin Franklin Stevens

Who was Benjamin Franklin Stevens?

Benjamin Franklin Stevens, like his brother Henry Stevens a bibliographer, was born at Barnet, Vermont, and was educated at the University of Vermont, where he was a member of the Sigma Phi society.

In the 1840s he followed his brother to London in the book export business. He formed his own company with Henry J. Brown in 1864, forming the Literary and Fine Arts Agents, B. F. Stevens & Brown, continued by Ralph A. Brown. 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: