Biography of 	PALFREY, Charles, Orleans Parish, Louisiana
Submitted by 	Mike Miller April 1998

**********************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm
**********************************************  

Palfrey, Charles, cashier Hibernia Bank & Trust Co. and Hibernia National 
bank, New Orleans--was born in New Orleans, La., Dec. 15, 1839; son of 
Robert Jenkins and Camilla (Davis) Palfrey, the former of whom was born 
in Boston, Mass., Dec. 27, 1798, and died in New Orleans, La., in Dec., 
1876.  He came to New Orleans in 1819, and there married Miss Camilla 
Davis, who was born in Baltimore, Md., in the year 1805 or 1806.  She 
died at Bailey Springs, Ala., in 1858.  To their union 10 children were 
born, of whom 2 survive at this time,  Mrs. Col. Edward Ivy and  Charles 
Palfrey, the subject of this sketch.  The name Palfrey is Welsh, and is 
that of an old New England family, one member of which was William 
Palfrey, who served as paymaster-general of the American army in the 
Revolutionary war.  He was born at Boston in 1741 and was appointed to 
represent the United States as consul-general to France.  He was known 
as a man of the most sterling integrity, and enjoyed an international 
reputation as a man in every way worthy to represent the American 
republic.  He lost his life at sea while in the public service.  Robert 
Jenkins Palfrey, the father, was a banker.  He was cashier of a branch 
of the Louisiana State bank, and when the city of New Orleans was 
entered by the Federals during the Civil war this bank was suspended.  
Charles Palfrey passed his boyhood in New Orleans, where he attended 
private and public schools and later the Jesuit college, following which 
he went to Bridgewater, Mass., and for 4 years attended a private school 
conducted by John A. Shaw, who was one of the originators of the public 
school system of New Orleans.  On his return from  the Bridgewater school
Charles Palfrey became an employe of a cotton factor firm in the year 
1855, and continued in commercial pursuits until 1882, when he was 
appointed cashier of the Hibernia National bank, which position he held 
until 1902, when he became cashier of the Hibernia Bank & Trust Co.  
During the Civil war Mr. Palfrey served 4 years in the Confederate army,
enlisting as a member of Dreux's 1st Louisiana battalion.  He later joined
 the fourth company of Washington artillery, and continued to serve with 
the command until the surrender.  After the war he became connected with 
the White league movement in Louisiana, as a second sergeant in Pleasant's 
Co. E., participated in the street fight in New Orleans Sept. 14, 1874, 
which terminated "Carpet Bag" government in Louisiana.  Mr. Palfrey is 
affiliated with the democratic party and is a Master Mason.  In 1866 
Charles Palfrey was married to Miss Elizabeth Robb Skillman, who was 
born at Quincy, Ill., but reared in the state of Kentucky.  Mr. and Mrs. 
Palfrey have 2 daughters, namely:  Alice Taylor, now Mrs. G. H. Stevenson,
and  Miss Edith Putnam Palfrey.


Source:  Louisiana: Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events, 
Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form (volume 3), 
pp. 342-343.  Edited by Alcée Fortier, Lit.D.  Published in 1914, by 
Century Historical Association.