Franklin Road?

[Penny Tray]

Does anyone know the origin of FRANKLIN as in Franklin Road, Saltcoats?

[wellparkno9]

what about Benjamin???

[Penny Tray]

He crossed my mind Wellpark but I was struggling to think where a connection with Saltcoats would come in, but on the basis of every day being a school day, I now note -

• Franklin travelled to Scotland twice, first in 1759 and then again in 1771.

• Franklin was highly respected by the great Scottish Enlightenment philosophers, David Hume and Lord Kames. He corresponded with them regularly and met with both on several occasions. When Franklin toured Scotland in 1771, he stayed at David Hume’s home in Edinburgh.

• Franklin received an honorary degree from the University of St. Andrews in 1759.

• Franklin was honored by the Philosophical Society of Edinburgh in 1759 and elected to the Royal Society of Edinburgh as an honorary fellow in 1783.

There was also a 'Kilmarnock Franklin Society'.

Quite clearly he was well thought of in Scotland, and could quite easily have merited Franklin Road being called after him.