Thomas putnam biography
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Thomas Putnam was the father of afflicted girl Ann Putnam, Jr, and many historians consider him to be a major influence in the Salem Witch Trials.
Putnam himself accused and testified against 43 people while his daughter testified against 62 people. Many historians believe the Putnam family used the witchcraft hysteria in Salem as a way to get revenge against their neighboring rivals and enemies.
Thomas Putnam&#;s Early Life:
Thomas Putnam was born on January 12, , into a wealthy, third-generation Salem family that owned a substantial amount of land in Salem Village and Essex County. Putnam was a sergeant in the local militia and had previously fought in King Phillip&#;s war.
In he married Ann Carr, of Salisbury, who also came from a wealthy family. They had 10 children together, including their eldest child, Ann Putnam, Jr, who was born in
In January of , Ann Putnam, Jr., and the other &#;afflicted girls&#; began displaying strange symptoms: barking like a dog, suffering seiz
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Thomas, Ann (Sr.), and Ann (Jr.) Putnam Home, Site(s) of
Three principal accusers during the Salem witch trials in were members of the Putnam family: Sergeant Thomas Putnam (), his wife Ann (Carr) Putnam (), and their oldest daughter Ann Jr. (). At the time of the trials, the Putnam clan owned hundreds of acres in the western part of Salem Village, on and around Hathorne Hill (originally settled by William Hathorne, father of Court of Oyer and Terminer judge John Hathorne). Thomas and his family were living in a house on the southwest side of the hill, while his brother Edward and his half-brother Joseph both lived nearby.
Thomas Putnam (Jr.) was from the third generation of Putnams in Salem Village. He was the eldest son of Thomas Putnam (Sr.), who himself was the eldest son of John Putnam, one of the founders of Salem Village who had arrived from England in the s. The Putnams were a powerful and wealthy family, yet by the s, Thomas Putnam was seeing his prospects
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*BEFORE removing or adding data, PLEASE be considerate of those who have spent countless hours merging duplicates for this family, as well as adding further information and history. Please document any changes with primary sources or published information. Thank you! (A descendant) ************** From the History of the Putnam Family in England and America: "Thomas Putnam, eldest son of John and Priscilla Putnam, baptized at Aston Abbots, Co. Bucks, England, 7 March ; died at Salem by, 5 May ; married first, at Lynn, Massachusetts, 17th, 8 mo., , (*Old Style Date, March is the first month), Ann, daughter of Edward and Prudence (Stockton) Holyoke. The Holyoke family were one of the most prominent and aristocratic families in the colony. Mrs. Ann (Holyoke) Putnam died 1 Sept. (1st, 7 mo, ). Lt. Thomas married, second, at Salem, 14th, 9 mo. , Mary Veren, widow of Nathaniel Veren,