A landowning Protestant with property in and around Carrickfergus, Franklin was a leading opponent of the Catholic King James II and his Irish deputy the Earl Tyrconnell.
[1] As the growing rebellion developed into the War of the Two Kings, the Council raised regiments of Protestant volunteers who formed the Army of the North.
[2] He was one of the leaders of a failed attempt to seize Carrickfergus from its Irish Army garrison in February 1689[3] After the heavy defeat suffered by the Army of the North at the Break of Dromore, Franklin went to London where he appealed to Parliament for support for the Irish Protestants.
His house in Carrickfergus was chosen as William of Orange's residence in 1690 when the King landed at the town before beginning the campaign that led to his victory at the Battle of Boyne.
[5] It is believed he later settled in the Limerick/Clare area due to mentions of his support for a more avid Protestant ascendancy in the south of Ireland.