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Palfrey, John Gorham

educator, journalist, clergyman, congressman, lecturer, author, was born May 2, 1796, in Boston, Mass. He was ordained a unitarian preacher in 1818; was subsequently, for a number of years, editor of the North American Review; was professor of sacred literature in Harvard college from 1830 to 1838. During the years 1842 and 1847 he was a member of the general court; and was elected secretary of the commonwealth of Massachusetts. He was a member of congress from 1847 to 1849.

In 1861 he was appointed postmaster of Boston. His literary reputation rests upon his History of New England, a painstaking work. Other works by him are, Lectures on the Jewish Scriptures; and The Relation between Judaism and Christianity. He died April 26, 1881, in Cambridge, Mass.