Founding father's Scottish links

The ceremony will take place in St Andrews

The links between a Scottish town and one of the founding fathers of the United States of America are to be celebrated with a permanent memorial.

Benjamin Franklin was awarded the freedom of St Andrews almost 250 years ago.

He was also awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from St Andrews University in the same year to recognise his experimental work on electricity.

Franklin was later to play a major role in the foundation of the United States of America

Professor Keith Brown

Franklin went on to become a world-renowned scientist, philosopher, printer, writer, inventor and statesman.

Now his links with St Andrews will be marked with the unveiling of a plaque in the town's North Street.

The ceremony will be part of a European tour being carried out by 60 Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) to recognise Franklin's journeys.

He received the honorary degree and freedom of the burgh in 1759.

The university's Professor Keith Brown said Franklin had travelled to Fife to attend the ceremony in person.

Strong links

He later wrote that Scotland "would be the country I should choose to spend the remainder of my days in" had he not had so many other commitments.

"Franklin was later to play a major role in the foundation of the United States of America and, to this day, the university maintains very strong links with North America," said Professor Brown.

The scientist was among the men who signed the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States, and had a hand in drafting both documents.

Benjamin Franklin paid a personal visit to Fife

DAR's president general Linda Tinker-Watkins explained that Franklin had spent 16 years in London after being appointed as an envoy in 1757.

He was chosen as a representative of the Pennsylvania Assembly to press King George III and the parliament to approve the assembly's request to tax the lands of William Penn.

Mrs Tinker-Watkins said that the DAR's objectives included preserving the history of the founding of the United States.

She said: "The current programme is focused on the first envoys of the United States, Benjamin Franklin and John Adams.

"These two men represented the colonies, and later the United States, to many countries in Europe including England, France and The Netherlands."

She added that it would be a "pleasure and honour" to present the plaque in St Andrews on Wednesday.