Benjamin Pickman Papers

Benjamin Pickman (1763-1843) was born into a successful merchant family in Salem to Benjamin (1740-1819) and Mary (Toppan) Pickman. He  graduated from Harvard in 1784, studied law for a few years, and married Anstiss Derby, the daughter of Salem merchant Elias Hasket Derby. From about 1790-1796 Benjamin and his brother William acted as agents for Elias Hasket Derby. Benjamin also developed his own merchant business. Between 1789 and 1822 he was the sole or partial owner of thirty three mercantile vessels and partial owner of the whaling vessels Bengal and Catherine.

Benjamin was prominent in political and civic affairs: Representative to the General Court (1797-1799), Massachusetts state senator (1802-1805), member of the Governor's Council (1805), first president of the Salem National Bank (1803), colonel in the Salem Regiment (by 1808), and Representative to Congress (1809). Benjamin was also president of the directors of the Theological School of Cambridge, and was a member of many local literary and historical societies. He welcomed and entertained President Monroe on his 1817 visit to Salem. In 1843, Benjamin died following an accident in which his carriage overturned.