Edward Bancroft - London Years

London Years

In London, Bancroft studied medicine at St. Bartholomew's Hospital. During this period, he also published a book entitled Natural History of Guiana (1769). This book attracted the attention of Paul Wentworth, New Hampshire's colonial agent in London. He hired Bancroft to survey Wentworth's plantation in Surinam and make recommendations for more efficient operation. Bancroft spent two months in Surinam at Wentworth's plantation before returning to London. He was elected a fellow of the Royal Society in 1773 as " a gentleman versed in natural history and Chymistry, and author of the natural history of Guiana"

Bancroft now encountered another colonial agent in London, Benjamin Franklin, representative of Pennsylvania. Bancroft and Franklin became friends, and Bancroft agreed to become a spy for Franklin.