Col. Nathaniel Saltonstall (also spelled Nathanial Saltonstall; – May 21, 1707) was a judge for the Court of

Oyer and Terminer In English law, oyer and terminer (; a partial translation of the Anglo-French ''oyer et terminer'', which literally means "to hear and to determine") was one of the commissions by which a judge of assize sat. Apart from its Law French name, the ...

, a special court established in 1692 for the trial and sentence of people, mostly women, for the crime of

witchcraft Witchcraft traditionally means the use of magic or supernatural powers to harm others. A practitioner is a witch. In medieval and early modern Europe, where the term originated, accused witches were usually women who were believed to have us ...

in the

Province of Massachusetts Bay The Province of Massachusetts Bay was a colony in British America which became one of the Thirteen Colonies, thirteen original states of the United States. It was chartered on October 7, 1691, by William III of England, William III and Mary II ...

during the

Salem Witch Trials The Salem witch trials were a series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts between February 1692 and May 1693. More than 200 people were accused. Thirty people were found guilty, 19 of whom w ...

. 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 Ipswich is a coastal town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 13,785 at the 2020 census. Home to Willowdale State Forest and Sandy Point State Reservation, Ipswich includes the southern part of Plum Island. A reside ...

, in about 1639, to Richard Saltonstall (1610–1694) and Murial (

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

Gurdon) Saltonstall (1613–1688), a daughter of Brampton Gurdon. He was the grandson of Sir

Richard Saltonstall Sir Richard Saltonstall (baptised Halifax, England 4 April 1586 – October 1661) led a group of English settlers up the Charles River to settle in what is now Watertown, Massachusetts in 1630. He was a nephew of the Lord Mayor of London Ric ...

who led a group of English settlers up the

Charles River The Charles River ( Massachusett: ''Quinobequin)'' (sometimes called the River Charles or simply the Charles) is an river in eastern Massachusetts. It flows northeast from Hopkinton to Boston along a highly meandering route, that doubles b ...

to settle in what is now

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

in 1630. His grandfather was a nephew of

, the

Lord Mayor of London The Lord Mayor of London is the mayor of the City of London and the leader of the City of London Corporation. Within the City, the Lord Mayor is accorded precedence over all individuals except the sovereign and retains various traditional powe ...

. He graduated from

Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate college of Harvard University, an Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636, Harvard College is the original school of Harvard University, the oldest institution of higher lea ...

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 A clerk is a senior official of many municipal governments in the English-speaking world. In some communities, including most in the United States, the position is elected, but in many others, the clerk is appointed to their post. In the UK, a To ...

Robert Moody Robert Vaughan Moody, (; born November 28, 1941) is a Canadian mathematician. He is the co-discover of Kac–Moody algebra, a Lie algebra, usually infinite-dimensional, that can be defined through a generalized root system. "Almost simultaneou ...

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

around June 8, 1692, the same time as

Bridget Bishop Bridget Bishop ( 1632 – 10 June 1692) was the first person executed for witchcraft during the Salem witch trials in 1692. Nineteen were hanged, and one, Giles Corey, was pressed to death. Altogether, about 200 people were tried. Family life ...

'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 generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

, 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 rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

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. Born into a distinguished family, Saltonstall became an accomplished and eminent Connecticut pastor. A close associate of Gover ...

(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 state's military forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Connecticu ...

. * 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 Haverhill ( ) is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. Haverhill is located 35 miles north of Boston on the New Hampshire border and about 17 miles from the Atlantic Ocean. The population was 67,787 at the 2020 United States Cen ...

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 People of the Salem witch trials Harvard College alumni