Representative Peleg Coffin

Peleg Coffin Jr. (November 3, 1756 – March 6, 1805) was an American financier, insurer, and politician from Nantucket and Boston, Massachusetts. He was born in Nantucket in the Province of Massachusetts Bay to a whaling family; his parents were Peleg Coffin and Elizabeth (Hussey) Coffin. His father, a mariner, was lost at sea about a month after his birth, an event that left a lasting imprint on his early life and later professional interests. Raised in a prominent island community whose economy was centered on maritime trade and whaling, Coffin grew up in an environment that exposed him to the risks and opportunities of seafaring commerce from an early age.

Details of Coffin’s formal education are not extensively documented, but his subsequent career in finance, insurance, and public office indicates a solid grounding in business practices and public affairs. Moving from Nantucket to Boston, he became part of the commercial and political life of Massachusetts in the decades following the American Revolution. His familiarity with maritime enterprise and the hazards faced by shipowners and sailors helped shape his later role as a pioneer in marine insurance.

Coffin’s early professional life was closely tied to the maritime economy. Drawing on his family’s whaling background and his understanding of the dangers of ocean trade, he founded and headed the New England Marine Insurance Company. Through this work he became a notable figure in the emerging American insurance industry, providing financial mechanisms to manage the risks of shipping and commerce in the post-Revolutionary period. His success as a financier and insurer enhanced his standing in Boston’s business community and provided a platform for his entry into public service.

Coffin began his political career in the Massachusetts General Court. He served as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1783–1784 and again in 1789, participating in the state’s early efforts to stabilize its finances and legal framework after independence. He also served in the Massachusetts Senate from 1785 to 1787, from 1789 to 1792, and again from 1795 to 1796. In these legislative roles he was involved in shaping state policy during a formative era for both Massachusetts and the new nation. Although specific party affiliations from this period are not always clearly recorded—he is listed in some records as of unknown party—his service reflected the evolving, often fluid political alignments of the early republic.

Coffin extended his public career to the national level when he sought election to the United States House of Representatives. He was an unsuccessful candidate for Massachusetts’ 6th congressional district in 1791, but remained active in politics and was subsequently elected to represent Massachusetts in the 3rd United States Congress. He served one term in the U.S. House of Representatives from March 4, 1793, to March 3, 1795, representing Massachusetts’ 3rd district. As a member of the Unknown Party representing Massachusetts, he contributed to the legislative process during this single term in office. His service in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history, as the federal government under the new Constitution was still taking shape, and he participated in the democratic process while representing the interests of his constituents in Massachusetts.

After his term in Congress, Coffin continued to play an important role in Massachusetts state government. He served as Treasurer and Receiver-General of Massachusetts from 1797 to 1801, overseeing the state’s finances at a time when fiscal stability and the management of public debt were central concerns. In this capacity he was responsible for receiving and disbursing public funds, managing revenue, and helping to maintain the credit and financial integrity of the Commonwealth. His combined experience in finance, insurance, and legislation made him a key figure in the state’s financial administration.

Peleg Coffin Jr. spent his later years in Boston, where he remained associated with the city’s commercial and political circles. He died on March 6, 1805. Through his work as a financier and insurer, his leadership in the New England Marine Insurance Company, and his service in the Massachusetts legislature, the United States House of Representatives, and as Treasurer and Receiver-General of Massachusetts, Coffin played a notable role in the economic and political development of Massachusetts and the early United States.