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John pursued careers in commerce and agriculture in Guyana, Baltimore, and Louisiana.
In 1801 the partnership of Bradford & Palfrey, ship chandlers, was formed. The agreement with Gamaliel Bradford was to
run for three years. Grief stricken after Mary's death, John left Boston and entered trade in South America for a short while.
Sailing from there he came to Louisiana immediately after it's acquisition from France in 1804 and settled in St. Martin Parish.
His plantation in the Isle L'Abbaye area near St. Martinville in the Attakapas was called by him "Forlorn Hope", perhaps as
a grim joke! In his attempts to raise cotton and other crops there until his death on Oct of 1843, he was never very successful...which
bore out the adequacy of the name of his plantation.
John moved to New Orleans in 1803 after pursuing several business ventures in Boston and South America. Initially employed
as a ship chandler, Palfrey later managed his brother-in-law's plantation near New Orleans. He assumed control of this plantation
in 1809, but bankruptcy forced him to sell in 1810. Palfrey settled on bayou l'Albaye near St. Martinville. Four of his five
sons eventually settled in LA: Edward and Henry William in 1810; George and William Taylor in 1815. Eldest son John Gorham
remained in Boston.
A letter to John from his son W.T. Palfrey (Washington 7th, May 1818). John Palfrey, Esq., Attakapas: My dear Father, Since
my last to you nothing has transpired to render this long or interesting except that the day before yesterday I was presented
to the great Sachem (President James Monroe) of the Nation, who received me kindly and wrung my hand very cordially and moreover,
observed that I resembled my Grandfather Palfrey very much with whom he was intimately acquainted. He talked of Attakapas
and Louisiana in general and seemed very glad to see me. He is not a tall man, very plain in his dress and very affable in
his manner and has a most amiable cast of countenance which by no means belies his character. I was introduced by Mr. Lee
who after taking leave of the President showed me all the apartments which I assure you were magnificently furnished.......
You will no doubt be glad to hear of your old friend and kinsman Col. Freeman who has been extremely polite to me - who I
visit every day. He was glad to see me and enquired very particularly after you and your affairs commends my determination
of remaining with you. He has a good salary and lives very comfortably with his small wife who is shaped as near as I can
describe like a tobacco Hogshead. However, she is very domestic, good woman and therefore suits Col. he tells her sometimes
as in praise that she is the only wife he will have occasion for while she is living.
Gorham has no doubt written you on the subject of being unanimously elected pastor of the Brattle Square church it must be
a source of great satisfaction to you as well as the rest of us. Today is Friday, on Monday I go to Baltimore where I shall
sail to Boston as soon as possible and am in hope of being present at his ordination.
Aunt Lee & family are well and desire to be remembered to you. Aunt is going to write you soon thru my persuasion, but
complains bitterly of your neglect in that respect. I find that every body complains of you the same way. I suppose that by
this time my house is in pretty good repair. I understand that a branch of the State Bank is to be established in St. Martinsville
which I suppose will enhance the value of property. I think that by selling that property of mine one of these days you can
increase your force on the plantation so as to get your cotton to market as soon as other people. However, we will talk of
that when we are together. You have received my letter I suppose containing my determination of making Attakapas my permanent
residence. I hope you approve of it...
Judge Johnson has set off for the Northward, he desired his respects to you. Mr. Reuben Kemper is here and desires the same
thing - I find him a very fine man. Remember me to all friends. Your affectionate Son, S/Wm. Taylor Palfrey.
In 1789 he sailed for Demerara (now British Guiana) where he remained for three years. In 1792 he took advantage of a three-month
visit to Boston to propose marriage to Mary Sturgis Gorham, whom he had known since school days. The proposal accepted, Palfrey
lost no time in returning to Demerara to seek the fortune needed for the proper establishment of a household. He purchased
some slaves and was on the point of switching from commerce to planting when unstable conditions in the sugar market, the
result of war in Europe, prompted him to abandon the South American coast. In August 1794 he returned to Boston, pleased to
find his sister Susan has married. In the winter of 1798 John became an employee of Thomas H. Perkins, one of Boston's richest
merchants, however, he was soon off on his next voyage that lasted over a year.
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