Peter Chardon Brooks

Peter Chardon Brooks (January 6, 1767 – January 1, 1849) was a merchant and politician from Massachusetts. He was recognized as the wealthiest individual in New England at the time of his death. A significant portion of his wealth was derived from insuring vessels involved in the trans-Atlantic slave trade.

Brooks was born in North Yarmouth, Massachusetts Bay, on January 6, 1767. His parents were Reverend Edward Brooks and Abigail Brown. In 1769, his family relocated to Medford, Massachusetts, his father’s hometown. During his childhood, Brooks worked on the family farm. Following his father’s death in 1781, Brooks, then 14 years old, was apprenticed to a trade in Boston. He undertook a daily walk of approximately seven miles to the city for his apprenticeship.

In 1789, Brooks entered the marine insurance business, where he competed in areas including shipping involved in the trans-Atlantic slave trade. He accumulated considerable wealth through this enterprise and was noted for maintaining precise financial records. He adopted financial principles such as avoiding borrowing, abstaining from speculation, and charging the legal rate of interest. Brooks retired from active business in 1803 and assigned himself to settle outstanding risks until 1806. Subsequently, he served as the president of the New England Insurance Company, the first chartered insurance company in Massachusetts, a role he held for several years.

During his retirement in Medford, Brooks pursued agricultural interests, notably planting extensive orchards and numerous trees around his estate. His public service included membership in both branches of Massachusetts legislature, participation in the Boston City Council, and involvement in the Massachusetts Constitutional Convention of 1820–1821. During his legislative tenure, he contributed to efforts suppressing lotteries prevalent in the state. He was a benefactor to various charitable and benevolent organizations, often making donations without seeking recognition.

In his personal life, Brooks married Ann Gorham on November 26, 1792. Ann was born in 1771 and died in 1830. She was the daughter of Nathaniel Gorham, who served as the 14th President of the Continental Congress, and sister to Benjamin Gorham, a U.S. Representative from Massachusetts. Together, they had thirteen children, with several surviving into adulthood, including:

- Edward Brooks (1793–1878), who married Eliza Root Gorham.

- Ann Gorham Brooks (1797–1864), married Nathaniel Langdon Frothingham.

- Peter Chardon Brooks Jr. (1798–1880), married Susan Oliver Heard.

- Sidney Brooks (1799–1878), married Frances Dehon.

- Charlotte Gray Brooks (1800–1859), married Edward Everett.

- Abigail Brown Brooks (1808–1889), married Charles Francis Adams Sr.

Brooks died on January 1, 1849, in Boston, Massachusetts. At that time, he was estimated to have held the largest estate in Boston, valued at approximately two million dollars. He was initially buried at the Salem Street Burying Ground in Medford but was later reinterred in a family plot at Oak Grove Cemetery in close proximity to his estate.

His descendants include notable figures such as the historians Peter Chardon Brooks Adams and Henry Adams. Brooks was also the great-grandfather of Charlotte Everett Hopkins, a philanthropist, and the great-great-grandfather of Leverett Saltonstall, a Massachusetts governor and senator. His lineage extends further to Dr. Patrick Graves Jackson, who is married to Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown-Jackson.

Brooks’ name has been associated with the town of Chardon, Ohio, which was named in his honor. His legacy reflects significant wealth accumulation and influence within American history, with his estate considered among the largest of his era.