Benjamin Perrott Homer (1761-1838)

He was an East India Merchant and private underwriter. He retired in about 1815, when he built 37 Beacon Street at the corner of Walnut Street where he lived until his death. His daughter-in-law, Nancy Bradford DeWolf, sold the house in 1857 for $70,000 to James Lawrence. He had suffered significant losses towards the end of his life in the Financial Panic of 1836-37, and by one bank alone he lost $95,000. At the same time, his iron chest in another bank was looted and he lost the equivalent of about $100,000 in bonds, which was never recovered. He married Abigail, daughter of David Pearce who owned a fleet of over 50-ships. They had nine children of whom only three lived to adulthood: (1) Mary, married Thomas Dixon (2) Fitz-Henry, married Nancy Bradford DeWolf, of Bristol, Rhode Island (3) Georgiana, married Philo Strong Shelton.