Storyteller Brings Framingham's Trumpeting 'Paul Revere' to Life

On the evening of April 18, 1775, a nine-year old descendant of slavery from Framingham was chosen to help alert Colonists from Needham to Dedham with blasts from his trumpets.

Abel Benson’s trumpet was most likely passed down from his grandfather, Nero Benson, the head of a slave family owned by Framingham’s first minister, according to the Framingham History Center.

Sunday afternoon, before a standing room only crowd at Edgell Memorial Library, storyteller Libby Franck brought Framingham's "Paul Revere" to life.

Upon learning of Abel’s not-so-well-known midnight ride, Franck researched his family from their roots in Africa to Abel’s grandson Charles, whose journal is featured in Mariner of Color in the Age of Sail.

Abel was also a fiddler and he most likely played with Thomas Nixon, Jr. whose tune book is a treasured item in the Framingham History Center's collection.

In the audience yesterday was a woman, who was a descendant of Abel Benson, according to Franck.

Laura Asson, a Framingham State University music major, studied Nixon's book and performed period music for the audience Sunday afternoon.

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Thanks to Kevin Cummings of Cummings Photography for the photos and video from Sunday's Framingham History Center event, produced by Jennifer Toth.


Editor's Note: Originally posted at 1:30 a.m. on April 14. Updated with additional photos.