Judge John HathorneAugust 5 1641 - May 10, 1717

Sal FiorilloMs. DelGregoEnglish III CP11/8/11

Childhood/Family Life• He was the third son and fifth child born to

Major William and Anna Hathorne• Had 2 younger sisters

▫Ann and Elizabeth• Had 3 brothers who all died mysteriously

▫Eleazer, Nathaniel and William• Well-established Salem family

▫Ancestry in Salem led him to acquire positions of justice of the peace and county judge

• Father was most powerful magistrate in Salem• Grows up in highly religious community

Education

•No formal training in law•He did not need any training because of

his prestigous family•More religious training than anything else

Timeline of Career

•Had been deputy of the General Court, a member of the Court of Assistants and a Councilor▫Even with no formal training in law

•In 1680, becomes town selectman•In 1683, was elected Deputy

▫a member of the lower legislative chamber•In 1684, was elected magistrate, an

assistant to the governor ▫a member of the upper legislative chamber

Timeline of Career (cont.)

•In 1684, served as a judge, along with 6 others, in the trial against a man who had robbed Captain Corwin.

•In April 1690, Hathorne and Corwin were sent by Gov. Bradstreet to the eastern parts, particularly Maine, to maintain the settlements against the Indians.

Timeline of Career (cont.)

•In October 1691, Hathorne was named a Councilor or Assistant in the new charter.▫ This meant that he was one of 28 men who

were able to appoint a Governor, Deputy Gov. and Secretary of the Province.

•In 1692, his job as magistrate meant he had to try legal cases and pass sentence. ▫Magistrates were the highest legal

authority in the town.

Religious Practices

•Believed that the devil had the power to influence people to do harm in the community and in the church▫This belief influenced many of his decisions

as Judge

Involvement in the Salem Witch Hysteria• Hathorne allowed his strong

beliefs to influence him during his time as judge in the Salem Witchcraft Trials▫ This belief made him

assume guilt of most of those who answered his questions.

• Hathorne began his questioning in a severe tone, and he would then proceed to press the accused in an attempt to drive out a confession and more accusations

Involvement in the Salem Witch Hysteria• Even though these

methods were different than traditional methods, Hathorne used them throughout the trials

• His motives for such aggressive prosecution put many innocent people to death

Future Family

•Nathaniel Hawthorne, John Hathorne’s great-great-grandson changed the family name from Hathorne to Hawthorne ▫he felt guilty for sharing the blood of not

only a witchcraft judge (John Hathorne) but also of sadistic Puritan magistrate (William Hathorne)

Works Cited"Judge Hathorne.” Cry Innocent: The People vs. Bridget

Bishop. WordPress. 05 Nov. 2011. <http://cryinnocentsalem.com/additional-information/character-bios/john-hathorne/>.

Kirk, Devan. "Salem Witch Trials: John Hathorne." Institute for Advanced Technology in the Humanities. Spring 2001. 04 Nov. 2011. <http://www2.iath.virginia.edu/salem/people/j_hathorne.html>.

Linder, Douglas."John Hathorne." UMKC School of Law. 2009. 04 Nov. 2011. <http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/salem/SAL_BHAT.HTM>.