Naturalist; born in
Westfield, Mass., Jan. 9, 1744; was a pupil of
Silas Deane (q. v.) when the latter was a school-master.
His early education was not extensive.
Apprenticed to a mechanic, he ran away, in debt to his master, and went to sea; but returning with means, he compensated his employer.
Again he went to sea; settled in
Guiana, South America, as a physician, in 1763, and afterwards made his residence in
London, where, in 1769, he published a
Natural history of Guiana.
He became a Fellow of the
Royal College of Physicians, and Fellow of the Royal Society.
While
Franklin was in
England on a diplomatic mission,
Dr. Bancroft became intimate with him; and through the influence of the philosopher became a contributor to the philosopher became a contributor to the
Monthly review.
He was suspected by the
British government of participation in the attempt to burn the
Portsmouth dock-yards, and he fled to
Passy, France.
Soon afterwards he met Silas Deane, his old teacher, in
Paris.
and offered to assist him in his labors as agent of the Continental Congress.
His ways were sometimes devious, and
Mr. Bancroft, the historian, accuses him of being a spy in the pay of the
British government, and of making a dupe of
Deane.
After the peace,
Dr. Bancroft obtained, in
France, a patent for the exclusive importation of the bark of the yellow oak, for the dyers, and afterwards he obtained a similar patent in
England.
Dr. Bancroft never returned to
America.
He died in
England, Sept. 8, 1820.
