The prominent old colonial American and

Puritan The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to purify the Church of England of Catholic Church, Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should become m ...

Putnam family founded by John and Priscilla (Gould) Putnam in the 17th century, in

Salem, Massachusetts Salem ( ) is a historic coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, located on the North Shore of Greater Boston. Continuous settlement by Europeans began in 1626 with English colonists. Salem would become one of the most significant seaports tr ...

. Many notable individuals are descendants of this family, including those listed below. John Putnam was born about 1580 and came from

Aston Abbotts Aston Abbotts or Aston Abbots is a village and civil parish in Buckinghamshire, England. It is about north of Aylesbury and south-west of Wing. The parish includes the hamlet of Burston and had a population of 426 at the 2021 Census. Manor "A ...

Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (), abbreviated Bucks, is a ceremonial county in South East England that borders Greater London to the south-east, Berkshire to the south, Oxfordshire to the west, Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-ea ...

, England. He was married to Priscilla Gould and they settled in Salem. They were the parents of seven children: Elizabeth, Thomas, John, Nathaniel, Sara, Phoebe, and John. Their eldest son, Thomas, was the father of

Thomas Putnam Thomas Putnam ( – , 1699) was a member of the Putnam family and a resident of Salem Village (present-day Danvers, Massachusetts) and a significant accuser in the notorious 1692 Salem witch trials. His father, Lt. Thomas Putnam Sr. (1615–1 ...

and Deacon Edward Putnam, who were involved in 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 ...

and were partially responsible for the executions of those convicted of witchcraft.

Notable members

Albigence Waldo Putnam Albigence Waldo Putnam (born in Marietta, Ohio, 11 March 1799; died in Nashville, Tennessee, 20 January 1869) was a United States lawyer and historian. Biography He studied law, practised in Mississippi, and in 1836 settled in Nashville, Tennessee ...

(1799–1869), historian * Ann Putnam, Jr. (1679–1716), accuser at

Salem Witchcraft 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 ...

Brenda Putnam Brenda Putnam (June 3, 1890 – October 18, 1975) was an American sculptor, teacher and author. Biography She was the daughter of Librarian of Congress Herbert Putnam and his wife Charlotte Elizabeth Munroe. Her older sister Shirley and s ...

(1890–1975), sculptor *

Carleton Putnam Carleton Putnam (December 19, 1901 – March 5, 1998) was an American businessman and writer who was an advocate for racial segregation. He graduated from Princeton University in 1924 and received a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from Columbia Law Sch ...

(c. 1902–1998), aviator, activist & author *

David Putnam David Endicott Putnam (December 10, 1898 – September 12, 1918) was an American flying ace of World War I. He was known as the “Ace of Aces,” for thirteen confirmed kills, and thirty cumulative unconfirmed. He was shot down by German ace Geor ...

(1898–1918), World War I air ace *

Frederic Ward Putnam Frederic Ward Putnam (April 16, 1839 – August 14, 1915) was an American anthropologist and biologist. Biography Putnam was born and raised in Salem, Massachusetts, the son of Ebenezer (1797–1876) and Elizabeth (Appleton) Putnam. After leavin ...

(1839–1915), American anthropologist, Harvard University * George Putnam (1889–1960), great-great-grandson of Judge Samuel Putnam, founder of

Putnam Investments Putnam Investments is a privately owned investment management firm founded in 1937 by George Putnam, who established one of the first balanced mutual funds, The George Putnam Fund of Boston. As one of the oldest mutual fund complexes in the Unite ...

; his son George Putnam, retired chairman Putnam Investments; and grandson

George Putnam III George Putnam III is the editor and founder of ''The Turnaround Letter'', a newsletter published by New Generation Research, Inc. which deals with investment opportunities related to distressed securities, bankruptcies and turnarounds.

, Chairman,

* George D. Putnam (born 1948), screenwriter *

George Haven Putnam George Haven Putnam A.M., Litt.D. (April 2, 1844 – February 27, 1930) was an American publisher, soldier, and writer. He was the president of G. P. Putnam's Sons for its first 52 years, from 1872. Biography The eldest son of publisher George Pal ...

(1844–1930), book entrepreneur & publishing-family member *

George Palmer Putnam George Palmer Putnam (February 7, 1814 – December 20, 1872) was an American publisher and author. He founded the firm G. P. Putnam's Sons and '' Putnam's Magazine''. He was an advocate of international copyright reform, secretary for many yea ...

(1814–1872), book entrepreneur * George P. Putnam (1887–1950), publisher, author, explorer, & publishing-family member; husband of aviator

Amelia Earhart Amelia Mary Earhart ( , born July 24, 1897; disappeared July 2, 1937; declared dead January 5, 1939) was an American aviation pioneer and writer. Earhart was the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She set many oth ...

Gideon Putnam Gideon Putnam (April 17, 1763 – December 1, 1812) was an entrepreneur and a founder of Saratoga Springs, New York. He also worked as a miller and built the city's Grand Union and Congress Hotels. The Gideon Putnam Hotel in the Saratoga Spa ...

(1763–1812), entrepreneur * Harriet Putnam Fowler (1842–1901), author & poet *

Herbert Putnam George Herbert Putnam (September 20, 1861 – August 14, 1955) was an American librarian. He was the eighth (and also the longest-serving) Librarian of Congress from 1899 to 1939. He implemented his vision of a universal collection with strengt ...

(1861–1955), American library administrator & publishing-family member *

Israel Putnam Israel Putnam (January 7, 1718 – May 29, 1790), popularly known as "Old Put", was an American military officer and landowner who fought with distinction at the Battle of Bunker Hill during the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783). He als ...

(1718–1790), American General * Jake Putnam (born 1956), Emmy award winning journalist, author, US Osuna Cup Team, Senior Olympic tennis player *

James Jackson Putnam James Jackson Putnam (October 3, 1846 – November 4, 1918) was an American neurologist. Biography Born in Boston, Massachusetts and graduated from Harvard College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1866, Putnam went to Europe to study in the co ...

(1846–1918), neurologist *

Mary Corinna Putnam Jacobi Mary Corinna Putnam Jacobi (August 31, 1842 – June 10, 1906) was an esteemed American medical physician, teacher, scientist, writer, and suffragist. She was the first woman to study medicine at the University of Paris, and had a long career pr ...

(1842–1906), American physician *

Palmer Cosslett Putnam Palmer Cosslett Putnam (1900–1984) was an American consulting engineer and wind-power pioneer, the son of George Haven Putnam and Emily (Smith) Putnam (1865–1944). Putnam graduated from MIT in 1924 as a geologist after serving in the RA ...

(1900–1984),

Wind power Wind power or wind energy is mostly the use of wind turbines to electricity generation, generate electricity. Wind power is a popular, sustainable energy, sustainable, renewable energy source that has a much smaller Environmental impact of wi ...

pioneer and author, builder of the

Smith–Putnam wind turbine The Smith–Putnam wind turbine was the world's first megawatt-size wind turbine. In 1941 it was connected to the local electrical distribution system on Grandpa's Knob in Castleton, Vermont, US. It was designed by Palmer Cosslett Putnam and ma ...

* Brigadier General Paul A Putnam (1903-1982), American Brigadier General United States Marine Corps, Commander during the defense of wake Island during World War II *Justice Samuel Putnam (1768–1853), Massachusetts Supreme Court justice, who wrote the opinion in Harvard College v. Amory, which established the

Prudent man rule The prudent man rule is based on common law stemming from the 1830 Massachusetts court formulation, '' Harvard College v. Amory'' The prudent man rule, written by Massachusetts Justice Samuel Putnam (1768-1853), directs trustees "to observe how men ...

in US Law *

Robert Putnam Robert David Putnam (born 1941) is an American political scientist specializing in comparative politics. He is the Peter and Isabel Malkin Professor of Public Policy at the Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government. Putnam develo ...

(born 1941), American political scientist, Harvard University *

Rufus Putnam Brigadier-General Rufus Putnam (April 9, 1738 – May 4, 1824) was an American military officer who fought during the French and Indian War and the American Revolutionary War. As an organizer of the Ohio Company of Associates, he was instrumental ...

(1738–1824), American soldier *

Seth Putnam Seth Edward Putnam (May 15, 1968 – June 11, 2011) was an American musician who was the founder, vocalist and occasional guitarist of grindcore band Anal Cunt. He was known for his high-pitched screamed vocals and lyrics that either shock, of ...

(1968–2011), American musician, from Newton, Massachusetts *

(1651–1699), landowner in Salem during the

William Lowell Putnam William Lowell Putnam II (November 22, 1861 – June 1923) (more commonly known as William Putnam, Sr.) was an American lawyer and banker. Putnam was the son of George and Harriet (Lowell) Putnam. He graduated from Harvard in 1882, and proc ...

(1861–1923), American jurist & banker

Family tree

*John Putnam (c 1580–1666) m. Priscilla Gould **Thomas Putnam (1614–1686) ***

(1652–1699), Salem witch trials accuser **** Ann Putnam, Jr. (1679–1716), Salem witch trials accuser ***Deacon Edward Putnam (1654–1747), Salem witch trials accuser ****Elisha Putnam (1685–1745) *****

(1738–1824), General ***Joseph Putnam (1669–1722) m. Elizabeth Porter (1673–1746) ****David Putnam (1707–1768) *****Israel Putnam (b. 1742) ******Daniel Putnam *******Benjamin Putnam ********Frederick Putnam *********David Putnam **********

(1898–1918), World War I ace *****William Putnam (b. 1749) ******Andrew Putnam *******George Putnam ********George Putnam *********

(1861–1923), lawyer and banker ****

(1718–1790), General **Nathaniel Putnam (1619–1700) ***Benjamin Putnam (1664–1715) m. Sarah Tarrant ****Nathaniel Putnam (1686–1754) *****Archelaus Putnam Sr. (b. 1718) ******Nathaniel Putnam (1746–1800) *******Nathaniel Putnam (1774–1849) ********Nathaniel Putnam (1802–1886) *********Abby Putnam Morrison (1848–) **********Lillian Morrison Tingue (1885–) ***********Grace Tingue Curran (1907–1988) ******Archelaus Putnam Jr. (1740–1800) *******Caleb Putnam (1763–1826) ********James Russell Putnam (1781–1841) *********James Mercier Putnam (1823–1887), instrumental in colonizing British Honduras **********James Henry Putnam (b. 1848), sugar plantation and railroad owner ***********Robert Emmet Putnam (1883–1959) ************ Richard Johnson Putnam (1913–2002), federal judge ************"Bobby" Emmet Putnam (1919–2009) *************Dr. Kimball Putnam Marshall (b. 1947), nationally recognized professor of business ****Tarrant Putnam (1688–1732) *****Gideon Putnam (1726–1811) ******Samuel Putnam (1768–1853), Massachusetts Supreme Court justice ****Daniel Putnam (b. 1696) *****Daniel Putnam ******Henry Putnam *******Henry Putnam ********

(1814–1872), book publisher m. Victorine Haven *********

(1842–1906), physician m.

Abraham Jacobi Abraham Jacobi (6 May 1830 – 10 July 1919) was a German physician and pioneer of pediatrics. He was a key figure in the movement to improve child healthcare and welfare in the United States and opened the first children's clinic in the country. ...

(1830–1919), physician *********

(1844–1930), book publisher ********** Bertha Putnam (1872–1960), historian ********** George P. Putnam (1887–1950), writer, explorer m.

(1897–1937), aviator **********

(1900–1984), engineer *********

John Bishop Putnam John Bishop Putnam (July 17, 1849 – October 7, 1915) was treasurer and a director of the book publishing firm founded by his father, G.P. Putnam & Sons. He was the father-in-law of Amelia Earhart, being the father of her husband, George P. Putna ...

(1849–1915), book publisher *********Irving Putnam, book publisher **********Edmund Whitman Putnam (1882–1941), book publisher, physician m. Ethel Wilson *********

(1861–1955), 8th

Librarian of Congress The Librarian of Congress is the head of the Library of Congress, appointed by the president of the United States with the advice and consent of the United States Senate, for a term of ten years. In addition to overseeing the library, the Libra ...

**********

(1890–1975), sculptor **John Putnam (1627–1710) ***James Putnam Sr. (1661–1727), bricklayer ****James Putnam Jr. (b. 1689), bricklayer *****Ebenezer Putnam ******Ebenezer Putnam II *******Ebenezer Putnam III ********

(1839–1915), naturalist ********* Eben Putnam (1868–1933), historian and genealogist

References

*Eben Putnam, A history of the Putnam family in England and America, 1908 *G. Andrews Moriarty Jr., A.M., LL.B., F.S.A.
The English Ancestry of John Putnam Of Salem, Massachusetts
{{DEFAULTSORT:Putnam Family American families