One of my uncles furnished me with several particulars relating to our ancestors. From his notes I learned that the family had lived in the same village, Ecton, in Northamptonshire, for three hundred years, and how much longer he knew not (perhaps from the time when the name of Franklin, that before was the name of an order of people, was assumed by them as a surname when others took surnames all over the kingdom), on a freehold of about thirty acres, aided by the smith's business, which had continued in the family until his time, the eldest son being always bred to that business, a custom which he and my father followed as to their eldest sons. When I searched the records of Ecton, I found an account of their births, marriages, and burials from the year 1555 only, there being no registers kept in that parish at any time preceding. By that register I perceived that I was the youngest son of the youngest son for five generations back. My grandfather Thomas, who was born in 1598, lived at Ecton till he grew too old to follow business longer, when he went to live with his son John, a dyer at Banbury, in Oxfordshire, with whom my father served an apprenticeship. There my grandfather died and lies buried. We saw his gravestone in 1758. His eldest son Thomas lived in the house at Ecton, and left it with the land to his only child, a daughter. My grandfather had four sons that grew up, viz: Thomas, John, Benjamin, and Josiah. I will give you what account I can of them. IV. Queries 1. Who was Benjamin Franklin? Answer in a five-minute speech. 2. What is the difference between a biography and an autobiography? 3. Locate Ecton, Northamptonshire, Banbury, and Oxfordshire. 4. Point out all of the adjective phrases. 5. Does Franklin use simple, compound, or complex sentences, and in what proportion? 6. Make a list of the topics he discusses. Can you improve his order? 7. Are his sentences long or short? 8. Do they lack unity? 9. Can you find any metaphors or antitheses in the model? 10. Discuss the origin of the name Franklin. What is a surname? When did the English assume surnames? V. Composition Write an account of your own ancestors, choosing either your father's or your mother's family. Let the length be about the same as that of the model. The topics discussed should include the following: 1. Origin of surname. 2. European home. 3. Occupations. 4. My grandfather. 5. His sons.