Pickman, Benjamin, 1763-1843

Benjamin Pickman (1763-1843) was the son of Benjamin (1740-1819) and Mary (Toppan) Pickman. He attended Dummer Academy and, in 1784, graduated from Harvard College. In 1789, he married Anstiss Derby, daughter of Elias Hasket and Elizabeth (Crowninshield) Derby. Following his father's wishes, Benjamin studied law in the offices of William Pyncheon of Salem and Theophilus Parsons of Newburyport until 1787, when he abandoned law for commerce. From about 1790 to 1796, Benjamin and his brother William Pickman (1774-1857) acted as agents for Elias Hasket and John Derby. Benjamin also developed his own mercantile business. Between 1789 and 1822, he was the sole or partial owner of thirty-three mercantile vessels that voyaged to the West and East Indies, the Far East, India, and Europe. He was also partial owner of two whaling vessels, the ships 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.