Page "David Franks (aide-de-camp)" Paragraph 1

He was living in Quebec with his parents when the American Revolution broke out.

A Jew, Franks in 1775 was president of the Shearith Israel congregation of Montreal, the oldest Jewish congregation in Canada, but then less than a decade old.

Franks ' congregation should not be confused with a similarly-named congregation in New York.

According to the late historian Jacob Rader Marcus, Franks publicly defended the right of a protester to compare King George III of England to the Pope and call him a fool, and Franks was jailed and held for 16 days.

The experience converted him to the colonists ' cause, and, when an army led by Benedict Arnold and Richard Montgomery invaded Canada in 1775, Franks joined the American forces.

He was appointed paymaster of the Continental Army in Quebec and apparently expended his own funds to pay the salaries of the American volunteers.

Franks was promoted to major and was assigned as Arnold's aide-de-camp.