Samuel Peck was a cooper in Boston at the time of the Boston Tea Party in 1773, working at his business at Hallowell’s shipyard near the foot of Milk Street.
There are several revolutionary acts committed by Peck leading up to the “destruction of the tea.” Peck was a leading member of the North End Caucus, a political organization in Boston’s North End neighborhood. He also joined the Freemasons of St. Andrew’s Lodge in March of 1758, a group known for their revolutionary membership. When the ship Dartmouth arrived at Boston on November 30, 1773, carrying East India Company tea, Peck volunteered to guard Griffin’s Wharf to ensure no tea would leave the vessel.
One of his apprentices, Henry Purkitt, followed him to Griffin’s Wharf on December 16, 1773. His apprentices reportedly noticed red paint behind his ears shortly after the Boston Tea Party.
Samuel Peck died in Boston, MA, sometime after May 8, 1777, and before April 7, 1778.
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