John Dabney (1752–1819) was a postmaster, publisher, and bookseller in Salem, Massachusetts, in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He was born in Boston in 1752 to Charles Dabney and Elizabeth Gardner.[1] With Thomas C. Cushing, John Dabney published the Salem Mercury newspaper, 1787-1789.[2][3] In 1790 he married Abigail Mason Peale (1767-1834).[4] Beginning around 1790 he ran the "Salem Book-Store" which offered books for sale or short-term rental;[5][6] customers included William Bentley.[7] Dabney also served as Salem postmaster ca.1792-1815.[8][9][10] He belonged to the North Church in Salem[11] and the Essex Lodge of the Freemasons.[12] Dabney sold the contents of his shop at auction in 1818.[13][14] He died in 1819.[15]
^William Leavitt (August 1861), "History of the Essex Lodge of Freemasons", Historical Collections of the Essex Institute, vol. 3, no. 4, hdl:2027/uva.x000958981
^Valuable Catalogue of Books being the Extensive Library Belonging to John Dabney, Esq., consisting of between 6 and 7000 volumes in divinity, history, philosophy, travels, biography ... to be sold at auction ... by Jonathan P. Saunders, auctioneer, 1818
New-England Primer Enlarged. Salem: Printed by E. Draper, for John Dabney. 1791.
An Address to Farmers. Newburyport: Printed for Dabney. 1796.
Thomas Barnard, D.D. Minister of the North Church (1796). A Sermon, Delivered at Salem, on March 31, 1796. Salem: Printed by Blunt and March, for John Dabney.
Catalogs
Catalogue of Books, for Sale or Circulation, in Town or Country, by John Dabney, at his Book and Stationary Store, and Circulating Library, in Salem. J. Dabney. 1791.
Additional Catalogue of Books, for Sale or Circulation, in Town or Country, at the Salem Bookstore. Salem: J. Dabney. 1794.
Catalogue of Books. J. Dabney. 1801.
Catalogue of the Salem Book-store and Circulating Library. Salem: J. Dabney. 1813.
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