George Peabody & the Sisters of Salem

John Peabody was the first Peabody to immigrate to the New World in order to avoid repression of freedom in England. He was followed some years later by his son, Lieutenant Francis Peabody, the settler who would develop the land and produce generations of Peabodys. After living in several different areas, Francis finally settled in Topsfield where he purchased a small farm and raised fourteen children: six girls and eight boys, the oldest boys being John, Joseph, William, Isaac, Jacob, and Nathaniel.

Francis Peabody was a farmer; in addition, he planted an orchard and built a mill for grain. A successful man, he purchased more parcels of land adjoining his as well as in neighboring communities for use by his sons and his sons-in-law. His property grew, and he prospered. Francis' sons were farmers as their father and they provided well for their large families in like manner. The Peabody's were a privileged clan, involved with the community, and well known in eastern Massachusetts.
By the third generation, they became successful doctors, ministers, military men and business men. The Peabodys were scattered, and some did not acquire wealth. As a result, some families were more financially stable than others. By 1795, 400 Peabody children had been born.

Thomas Peabody, father of George Peabody, was a fifth generation descendant of Lieutenant Francis Peabody (4-David, 3-David, 2-John, 1-Lieut. Francis) and did not inherit any wealth from his ancestors. He was a farmer and purchased a farm in Danvers (now Peabody) in the early 1790s, where he would raise a large family of eight children. His son, George, would become the famous American philanthropist, giving millions of dollars to build libraries, museums, and schools, as well as fund housing for the working poor in London. Almost all of his philanthropies still exist today.

Nathaniel Peabody, the son of Dr. Jacob Peabody of Topsfield, was also a fifth generation descendant of Lieutenant Francis Peabody by his son Isaac. He was also born into a poor family, and decided to study medicine with a local doctor in Billerica. Nathaniel did not become famous in his own right, but through the careers and marriages of his three famous daughters, Elizabeth, born in Billerica in 1804, Mary (Mrs. Horace Mann), born in Cambridgeport in 1806 and Sophia (Mrs. Nathaniel Hawthorne), born in 1809. Their mother, Elizabeth Palmer, herself from an impoverished family, taught her daughters about art, accomplishment and education that would be the mark of their careers.
Although living in neighboring towns, it is assumed that George Peabody was not acquainted with his distant relatives, and did not know them. He and the Peabody sisters appear to be sixth generation cousins.

Source: The Peabody Influence by Edwin P. Hoyt