Nathaniel Saltonstall
Col. Nathaniel Saltonstall [note 1] c. 1639 – May 21, 1707 was a judge for the Court of Oyer and Terminer, a special court established in 1692 for the trial and sentence of people, mostly women, for the crime of witchcraft in the Province of Massachusetts Bay during the Salem Witch Trials. He is most famous for his resignation from the court, and though he left no indication of his feelings toward witchcraft, he is considered to be one of the more principled men of his time.[1]
Early life
Saltonstall was born in Ipswich, Massachusetts, in about 1639,[2] to Richard Saltonstall (1610–1694) and Murial (née Gurdon) Saltonstall (1613–1688), a daughter of Brampton Gurdon. He was the grandson of Sir Richard Saltonstall who led a group of English settlers up the Charles River to settle in what is now Watertown, Massachusetts, in 1630.[3] His grandfather was a nephew of Richard Saltonstall, the Lord Mayor of London.[4]
He graduated from Harvard College in 1659, beginning the family tradition of higher education at this university.[3]
Career
In 1668, Saltonstall began his career in town affairs when he was appointed town clerk. Robert Moody quotes that, according to a single surviving record book, he was "firm and effective in law enforcement, and yet, where allowed discretion by law, humane and flexible".[1] His involvement in judicial affairs and apparent good reputation made him eligible to serve in the Salem Witch Trials, and he was appointed a judge along with six other men on May 27, 1692.[5] There is no evidence, however, of his attendance at any of the examinations. Indeed, he resigned from the Court of Oyer and Terminer around June 8, 1692, the same time as Bridget Bishop's trial and sentence for witchcraft. Presumably, he was "displeased with the handling of the Bishop case",[6] and for some time afterward remained "very much dissatisfied with the proceedings".[6]
In addition to town judiciary service, he was a member of the local militia, responsible in part for frontier defense against Native Americans, and he reached the rank of colonel.[7]
Personal life
On December 29, 1663, he wed Elizabeth Ward (1647–1714), who was 18 years old, and acquired from her father, John Ward, the estate later known as the Saltonstall Seat. Among their children were:[8]
- Gurdon Saltonstall (1666–1724), later the governor of Connecticut.[3]
- Elizabeth Saltonstall (1668–1726), who married Rev. Roland Cotton.[3]
- Col. Richard Saltonstall (1672–1714), who married Mehitabel Wainwright.[8]
- Nathaniel Saltonstall (1674–1739), who married Dorothy Frizel.[9]
Saltonstall died on May 21, 1707, in Haverhill, Massachusetts, at around 68 years of age.[10]
References
- ^ a b Moody, Robert. The Saltonstall Papers, Vol. I: 1607-1789, pp. 48-50.
- ^ Moody, Robert E. (1967). "Records of the Magistrates' Court at Haverhill, Massachusetts, Kept by Nathaniel Saltonstall, 1682-1685". Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society. 79: 151–186. ISSN 0076-4981. JSTOR 25080641.
- ^ a b c d Browning, Charles Henry (1969). Magna Charta Barons and Their Descendants: With the Story of the Great Charter of King John. Genealogical Publishing Com. p. 284. ISBN 978-0-8063-0056-6. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
- ^ "Saltonstall, Richard (SLTL603R)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
- ^ Vennocki, Joan (October 2, 2019). "A judge who hunted for truth, not witches". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
- ^ a b Roach, Marilynne K. The Salem Witch Trials. 166.
- ^ Date, Terry (October 25, 2018). "Standing up for the truth: Haverhill judge's untold story of the Salem Witch Trials bound for the stage". Salem News. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
- ^ a b Browning, Charles Henry (1969). Americans of Royal Descent: Collection of Genealogies Showing the Lineal Descent from Kings of Some American Families ... Genealogical Publishing Com. p. 361. ISBN 978-0-8063-0054-2. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
- ^ Mackenzie, George Norbury (1917). Colonial Families of the United States of America: In which is Given the History, Genealogy and Armorial Bearings of Colonial Families who Settled in the American Colonies from the Time of the Settlement of Jamestown, 13th May, 1607, to the Battle of Lexington, 19th April, 1775. Grafton Press. p. 412. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
- ^ "Nathaniel Saltonstall (1639-1707)". Haverhill Citizens Hall of Fame. 16 October 2018. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
- ^ Also spelled Nathanial Saltonstall, Nathanael Saltonstall, or Nathanael Saltonſtall.
External links
- Col Nathaniel Saltonstall at Find a Grave
- Link to Salem News article on a 2018 play depicting Saltonstall's life called “Saltonstall: One Man’s Stand Against the Salem Witch Trials”
- v
- t
- e
court officials
- Jonathan Corwin
- Bartholomew Gedney
- John Hathorne
- Joseph Herrick
- George Herrick
- John Richards
- Nathanial (or Nathaniel) Saltonstall
- Samuel Sewall
- William Stoughton
- Waitstill Winthrop
- William Griggs
- Thomas Barnard
- George Burroughs (convicted of witchcraft and hanged)
- Francis Dane
- John Hale
- John Higginson
- Deodat Lawson
- Cotton Mather
- Increase Mather
- William Milbourne
- Nicholas Noyes
- Samuel Parris
- Edward Payson
- Samuel Phillips
- Samuel Willard
and public figures
- Thomas Danforth
- James Russell
- William Phips
- Thomas Brattle
- Robert Calef
- Thomas Maule
- Benjamin Abbot
- Ebenezer Babson
- William Barker Sr.
- Thomas Barnard
- James Best Jr.
- James Best Sr.
- Elizabeth Booth
- John Bly Sr. and Rebecca Bly
- Thomas Boreman
- Thomas Chandler
- Nathaniel Coit
- Mary Daniel
- John DeRich
- Joseph Draper
- John Emerson
- Ralph Farnum Sr.
- Hannah Foster
- Joseph Fowler
- Mary Fuller
- Mary Herrick
- John Howe
- Elizabeth Hubbard
- Joseph Hutchinson
- John Indian
- Nathaniel Ingersoll
- Thomas and Mary Jacobs
- Henry Kinney
- Margaret Wilkins Knight
- Mercy Lewis
- Abigail Martin Jr.
- Jeremiah Neale
- Sarah Nurse
- Betty Parris
- Edward Payson
- Samuel and Ruth Perley (or Pearly)
- Samuel Pickworth
- Thomas Preston
- Ann Putnam Jr.
- Ann Putnam Sr.
- Edward Putnam
- Hannah Putnam
- John Putnam Jr.
- John Putnam Sr.
- Jonathan (or Johnathan) Putnam
- Nathaniel Putnam
- Thomas Putnam
- Nicholas Rist
- Margaret Rule
- Susannah Sheldon
- Mercy Short
- Martha Sprague
- Timothy Swan or Swann
- Christian Trask
- Peter Tufts
- Moses Tyler
- Jonathan Walcott
- Mary Walcott
- Richard Walker
- Mary Warren
- Joseph Whipple
- Bray Wilkins
- John Wilkins
- Samuel Wilkins
- Abigail Williams
- Daniel Wycom or Wicom or Wycombe
- Frances Wycom or Wycome or Wycombe
- Arthur Abbot
- Nehemiah Abbot Jr.
- John Alden
- Abigail Barker
- Katerina Biss
- Edward Bishop
- Edward Bishop III
- Mary Black
- Anne Bradstreet
- Dudley Bradstreet
- John Bradstreet
- Mary Bridges Sr.
- Sarah Bridges
- Sarah Buckley
- John Busse (or Buss)
- Andrew Carrier
- Richard Carrier
- Sarah Carrier
- Thomas Carrier Jr.
- Bethiah Carter Jr.
- Bethiah Carter Sr.
- Rachel Clinton
- Sarah Cloyce
- Elizabeth Colson
- Mary Colson
- Francis Dane
- Phoebe Day
- Elizabeth Dicer
- Rebecca Dike
- Ann Dolliver
- Mehitable Downing
- Mary Dyer
- Daniel and Lydia Eames
- Rebecca Blake Eames
- Esther Elwell
- Martha Emerson
- Joseph Emons
- Thomas Farrar Sr.
- Abigail Faulkner Jr.
- Abigail Faulkner Sr.
- Dorothy Faulkner
- Elizabeth Fosdick
- Eunice Frye
- Dorothy Good
- Mary Green
- Sarah Noyes Hale (wife of John Hale)
- Elizabeth Hutchinson Hart
- Margaret Hawkes
- Sarah Hawkes Jr.
- Dorcas Hoar
- Deliverance Hobbs
- William Hobbs
- Elizabeth Johnson Sr.
- Stephen Johnson
- Rebecca Jacobs
- Jane Lilly (or Lillie)
- Mary Marston
- Sarah Morey
- Sarah Murrell
- Robert and Sarah Pease
- Joan Penney (or Penny)
- Sarah Phelps
- Lady Mary Phips
- Mary Post
- Susannah Post
- Margaret Prince
- Elizabeth Proctor
- Sarah Proctor
- William Proctor
- Sarah Davis Rice
- Sarah Rist
- Sarah Root
- Susanna Rootes
- Abigail Rowe
- Mary Rowe
- Elizabeth Scargen
- Ann Sears
- Abigail Somes
- Sarah Clapp Swift
- Mary Harrington Taylor
- Margaret Thacher
- Job Tookey
- Margaret Toothaker
- Mary Toothaker
- Hannah Tyler
- Mary Lovett Tyler
- Hezekiah Usher II
- Rachel Vinson
- Mary Whittredge (or Witheridge)
- Sarah Wilson Jr.
- Sarah Wilson Sr.
- Edward Wooland
accused others
- Mary Barker
- William Barker Jr.
- William Barker Sr.
- Sarah Bibber
- Mary Bridges Jr.
- Sarah Churchwell
- Deliverance Dane
- Rebecca Eames
- Abigail Hobbs
- Margaret Jacobs
- Mary Lacey Jr.
- Mary Lacey Sr.
- Joanna Tyler
- Martha Tyler
- Mercy Wardwell
- Sarah Wardwell
- Mary Warren
- Candy
- Tituba
- Bridget Bishop
- George Burroughs
- Martha Carrier
- Martha Corey
- Mary Eastey
- Sarah Good
- Elizabeth Howe
- George Jacobs Sr.
- Susannah Martin
- Rebecca Nurse
- Alice Parker
- Mary Ayer Parker
- John Proctor
- Ann Pudeator
- Wilmot Redd
- Margaret Scott
- Samuel Wardwell
- Sarah Wildes
- John Willard
- John Durrant
- Lydia Dustin
- Ann Foster
- Mercy, infant child of Sarah Good
- Sarah Osborne
- Infant child of Elizabeth Scargen
- Roger Toothaker
otherwise fled
- John Alden
- Daniel Andrew
- Mary Bradbury
- Elizabeth Cary
- Phillip and Mary English
- Edward Farrington
- Mary Green
- George Jacobs Jr.
- Ephraim Stevens