gerville settlers lived at the head of
Oromocto Island in Upper Maugerville. The descendants of the Perleys
in the province are so numerous and so highly respected that it will
be needless to try to follow further their history.

PEABODY.

The founder of the Peabody family in America was Lieutenant Francis
Peabody of St. Albans, Herefordshire, England, who came to America in
April, 1635, in the ship "Planter," Capt. Nicholas Travice. The same
vessel brought the first of the Perleys, Beardsleys and Lawrences to
this continent. Lieut. Francis Peabody was then about 21 years old. He
lived a year or two at Lynn, Mass., and then removed to Hampton in Old
Norfolk County, where he married a daughter of Reginald Forster and
had a family of seven sons and six daughters.

Captain Francis Peabody, who came to the St. John river in 1762, as a
prime mover in the establishment of the township of Maugerville, seems
to have been a native of Rowley. By reason of his rank and character,
and the active part he took in the settlement of the River St. John,
he may justly be regarded as the most influential person on the river
while he lived. He served with honor in the old French war, and is
mentioned in Parkman's "Wolfe and Montcalm," (Vol.I., p. 428.) He was
one of the magistrates appointed under the first commission of the
peace for the county of Sunbury, August 11th, 1766, and was the first
collector of customs at the River St. John. The names of Richard,
Samuel, Stephen and Oliver Peabody appear in the list of Maugerville
grantees of 1765. Of these Richard was a brother of Captain Francis
Peabody[126] and seems not to have become a permanent settler; the
others were sons of Capt. Peabody. Samuel the eldest, has been
frequently referred to in these chapters. He was a man of parts--a
farmer, surveyor, mast contractor, ship-builder, trader and mill
owner. He died at his residence, parish of Lincoln, in 1824, at the
age of 82 years. Descendants of Stephen Peabody lived for some years
in the parish of St. Mary's, York County. Francis Peabody, the third
son, went to Miramichi where he became a prosperous merchant and a
very influential citizen. The youngest son, Oliver, married, Dec. 31,
1789, Hulda Tapley of Maugerville, removing to Woodstock, N. B., with
his family about 1812, where his descendants still reside and are
enterprising and successful farmers. Oliver Peabody died in 1819, but
his widow survived for more than thirty years.