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John Pedrick

Birth
Marblehead, Essex County, Massachusetts, USA
Death
1780 (aged 46–47)
Marblehead, Essex County, Massachusetts, USA
Burial
Marblehead, Essex County, Massachusetts, USA Add to Map
Memorial ID
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Near by, on the corner of Pickett Street, is the house once the home of Maj. John Pedrick, a prosperous merchant before the Revolution. His ships sailed to nearly every port in England, Spain, and the West Indies, and his transactions were with some of the largest mercantile houses of Europe. At one time, it is said, he owned twenty-five vessels engaged in the foreign trade.

The Revolutionary War, which proved so disastrous to the merchants of Marblehead, bore with especial severity upon Major Pedrick. Several of his vessels were destroyed by British cruisers in Massachusetts Bay, and many others rotted in port. But through it all he proved himself a zealous patriot, and a firm friend to his country. When his son was drafted as a soldier, he charged him not to accept a dollar from the government for his services, and provided him with money to meet his expenses. His daughters made a silk belt for their brother to wear, in which the gold and silver coins were quilted for safety.

In addition to his other losses, Major Pedrick suffered severely by the depreciation of Continental money. At a critical period of the war, he furnished the government with valuable military and naval stores, for which he was obliged to receive a large amount of paper money. In a short time this money became utterly worthless and the entire amount was lost.

THE HISTORY AND TRADITIONS of MARBLEHEAD. BY SAMUEL ROADS, JR. - 1880, Chapter XVII, page 344

Death record: John Pedrick, "in an advanced age," at the poorhouse, Jan. 12, 1807.
Near by, on the corner of Pickett Street, is the house once the home of Maj. John Pedrick, a prosperous merchant before the Revolution. His ships sailed to nearly every port in England, Spain, and the West Indies, and his transactions were with some of the largest mercantile houses of Europe. At one time, it is said, he owned twenty-five vessels engaged in the foreign trade.

The Revolutionary War, which proved so disastrous to the merchants of Marblehead, bore with especial severity upon Major Pedrick. Several of his vessels were destroyed by British cruisers in Massachusetts Bay, and many others rotted in port. But through it all he proved himself a zealous patriot, and a firm friend to his country. When his son was drafted as a soldier, he charged him not to accept a dollar from the government for his services, and provided him with money to meet his expenses. His daughters made a silk belt for their brother to wear, in which the gold and silver coins were quilted for safety.

In addition to his other losses, Major Pedrick suffered severely by the depreciation of Continental money. At a critical period of the war, he furnished the government with valuable military and naval stores, for which he was obliged to receive a large amount of paper money. In a short time this money became utterly worthless and the entire amount was lost.

THE HISTORY AND TRADITIONS of MARBLEHEAD. BY SAMUEL ROADS, JR. - 1880, Chapter XVII, page 344

Death record: John Pedrick, "in an advanced age," at the poorhouse, Jan. 12, 1807.


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