JUDGE JOHN HATHORNEBy: Greg Vecchi

Birth/Death John Hathorne was born on August 5,

1641 in Salem, Massachusetts to William Hathorne and Anne Smith

John Hathorne died on May 10, 1717 in Salem

Childhood/Family Life John Hathorne was the third son and fifth

child born to William Hathorne and Anna Hathorne

Grew up in Salem, Massachusetts

Education Law school Was very intelligent

Career Was a noted Salem merchant and

politician His political skills got him a position as a

judge

Religious Practices Very religious Puritan He served on a committee to find a a

replacement for Salem minister George Burroughs in 1686.

Involvement In Salem Witch Hysteria

One of the leading judges in the Salem witch trials

When accusations of witchcraft began to circulate in Salem Village, he and Jonathan Corwin were called to interrogate both of the accusers and accused to determine if there was cause for a trial

He was harsh and was convinced that the accused were guilty

Rebecca Nurse Cross-Examination

 The examination opened with Hathorne turning his attention not to Nurse, to Abigail Williams. Williams reported to the magistrates that Nurse has afflicted her on several occasions.

Shortly after this statement, Ann Putnam launched into a grievous fit and before Rebecca Nurse even began to testify, the tone of the examination had been set.

Later Life In the 1690s he followed in his father's

military footsteps and became involved in colonial military activities 

Great-Great-Grand Child He was the great-great-grandfather

of Nathaniel Hawthorne, author of many things including The Scarlet Letter and The House of the Seven Gables. His literature, set in Salem, contains allusions to the witch trials. Hawthorne was ashamed at his ancestor's lack of remorse over the trials, so he changed the spelling of his last name from “Hathorne” to "Hawthorne" in an effort to separate himself from the judge

Works Cited UMKC. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Oct. 2012.

<http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/      ftrials/salem/sal_bhat.htm>. 

IATA Virgina. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Oct. 2012. <http://www2.iath.virginia.edu/      salem/people/nursecourt.html>.