Peabody, Joseph
Joseph Peabody (December 9, 1757 – January 5, 1844) was a merchant and shipowner who dominated trade between Massachusetts and the Far East for a number of years.
He was born in Middleton and during the Revolutionary War he enlisted on a privateer, and made his first cruise in Derby's "Bunker Hill".
He was promoted to a command for Messrs. Gardner of Salem and soon earned enough to buy his first vessel, "Three Friends". He retired from the sea in 1791 and engaged actively in commerce.
In his early years, it was said he owned 83 vessels. His vessels made 38 voyages to Calcutta, 17 to Canton, 32 to Sumatra, 47 to St. Petersburg and 30 to other ports of Europe.
See Also
Captain Joseph Peabody, East India merchant of Salem (1757-1844) : a sketch of his life Whitehill, 1962.
