The Late George Peabody.

Cromwell Argus, Volume I, Issue 10, 12 January 1870, Page 7

The Late George Peabody.

George Peabody, a descendant of the pilgrim fathers of a family formerly settled in Liecestershire, was born at Danverp, Massachusetts, U.S., Feb. 18, 1795. His father was in business, and the eon was apprenticed to a gfocer at Danvers, In 1812 he Was in partnership with his uncle, John Peabody, at Georgetown, and man' ager of the concetti, and at the same time saw active service as & Volunteer at Fort Warburton. Having subsequently been for some years a successful merchant in partnership with Mr Riggs at Baltimore, with branch houses at Philadelphia and New York, he came to England in 1837, and established himself in Londou as a merchant and money-broker in 1843. In this capacity his name has been a guarantee for many monetary transactions on the part of more than one of the United States • and in 1848 he largely contributed to the restoration of the credit of Maryland, Mr Peabody supplied at his own cost the arranging and garnishing of the United States department at the Great Exhibition of 1851 ; and he contributed to the expense of the American expedition, fitted out under Dr Kane to explore the Artie region, in search of Sir John Franklin, in 1852, He founded at Danvers, U.S., at the cosl of £25,000, an Institute which bears his name, and has given upwards of £IOO,OOO for a similar purpose in Maryland. On retiring from business with a large fortune in 1862, he, in a letter dated March 12 presentod the City of London with the munificent sum of £150,000, to be applied to the purpose of benefiting the working classes by tha erection of comfortable and convenient lodging-houses, and he gave for thesam> purpose an additional £150,000 in February 1866. The first block of buildings in Spitalfields, known as the Peabody Dwellings was opened in 1864. He presented to Havard University 150,000 dollars to establish a museum and Professorship of Archaeology and Ethnology, in October 1866, and the United States Congress passed a vote of thanks to him for his gifts to the people in March 1867.