Peabody, John

John Peabody was born on 22 February 1768, in Newbury, Massachusetts, to David Peabody and Mary Gaines. He married Anne Little in his hometown on 20 March 1791 and had ten children. 

Peabody moved to Newburyport, Massachusetts, in 1796 and began conducting business under the co-partnership of Peabody & Waterman. Their company owned a shop in town. As a merchant, Peabody sold general goods (e.g., salt, sugar, or alcohol), but primarily specialized in imported fabrics and clothing from Europe and India. This business venture was short-lived, as it was dissolved on 30 April 1802; however, John Peabody maintained ownership of the shop and continued his work as a merchant. In October 1805, a cargo ship carrying some English goods destined for Peabody’s shop was shipwrecked. Peabody’s cargo—valued at $6,500—though greatly damaged, was later recovered.  

Despite the setback to his business, Peabody’s personal wealth continued to climb steadily after the incident. In Newburyport, by 1810, he owned a minimum of five stores, more than 1,000 acres of land, a $25,000 mansion, and $30,000 in other assets. In 1811, a fire swept through the city and destroyed five of his stores. Peabody auctioned off his remaining assets in the years following this loss. By 1815, he had permanently moved to Georgetown in the District of Columbia. 

Peabody owned a shop in Georgetown that sold imported clothing materials. One notable customer was Emily Mason, who purchased a variety of canton crepes, linen, cambric, and ribbons from Peabody on 20 April 1816. In addition to running his shop, Peabody owned auction rooms where he routinely hosted sales and performed as auctioneer. In 1826, he created John Peabody & Co. and opened a second shop in Washington, D.C. 

John Peabody died on 25 February 1827 in Washington, D.C. 

By Brandan Culbert