Col. Nathaniel Saltonstall – 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 Witchcraft is the use of Magic (supernatural), magic by a person called a witch. Traditionally, "witchcraft" means the use of magic to inflict supernatural harm or misfortune on others, and this remains the most common and widespread meanin ...

in the

Province of Massachusetts Bay The Province of Massachusetts Bay was a colony in New England which became one of the thirteen original states of the United States. It was chartered on October 7, 1691, by William III and Mary II, the joint monarchs of the kingdoms of Eng ...

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.Moody, Robert. ''The Saltonstall Papers, Vol. I: 1607-1789'', pp. 48-50.

Early life

Saltonstall was born in Ipswich, Massachusetts, in about 1639, to Richard Saltonstall (1610–1694) and Murial (

née The birth name is the name of the person given upon their birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name or to the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a births registe ...

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 The Charles River (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ), sometimes called the River Charles or simply the Charles, is an river in eastern Massachusetts. It flows northeast from Hopkinton, Massachusetts, Hopkinton to Boston along a highly me ...

to settle in what is now

Watertown, Massachusetts Watertown is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, part of Greater Boston. The population was 35,329 in the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Its neighborhoods include Bemis, Coolidge Square, East Watertown, Watertown Sq ...

, in 1630. His grandfather was a nephew of Richard Saltonstall, the

Lord Mayor of London The Lord Mayor of London is the Mayors in England, mayor of the City of London, England, and the Leader of the council, leader of the City of London Corporation. Within the City, the Lord Mayor is accorded Order of precedence, precedence over a ...

. He graduated from

Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate education, undergraduate college of Harvard University, a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Part of the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Scienc ...

in 1659, beginning the family tradition of higher education at this university.

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". 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. 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",Roach, Marilynne K. ''The Salem Witch Trials.'' 166. and for some time afterward remained "very much dissatisfied with the proceedings". In addition to town judiciary service, he was a member of the local

militia A militia ( ) is a military or paramilitary force that comprises civilian members, as opposed to a professional standing army of regular, full-time military personnel. Militias may be raised in times of need to support regular troops or se ...

, responsible in part for frontier defense against Native Americans, and he reached the rank of

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

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: *

Gurdon Saltonstall Gurdon Saltonstall (27 March 1666 – 20 September 1724) was governor of the Colony of Connecticut from 1708 to 1724. He was born into a distinguished family and became an eminent Connecticut pastor and a close associate of Governor Fitz-John ...

(1666–1724), later the

governor of Connecticut The governor of Connecticut is the head of government of Connecticut, and the commander-in-chief of the U.S. state, state's Connecticut Military Department, military forces. The Governor (United States), governor has a duty to enforce state laws, ...

. * Elizabeth Saltonstall (1668–1726), who married Rev. Roland Cotton. * Col. Richard Saltonstall (1672–1714), who married Mehitabel Wainwright. * Nathaniel Saltonstall (1674–1739), who married Dorothy Frizel. Saltonstall died on May 21, 1707, in Haverhill, Massachusetts, at around 68 years of age.

References

External links

*
Link to ''Salem News'' article on a 2018 play depicting Saltonstall's life called “Saltonstall: One Man’s Stand Against the Salem Witch Trials”
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saltonstall, Nathaniel 1630s births 1707 deaths Government officials in the Salem witch trials Harvard College alumni Year of birth uncertain

Nathaniel Nathaniel is an English variant of the biblical Hebrew name A name is a term used for identification by an external observer. They can identify a class or category of things, or a single thing, either uniquely, or within a given context. ...