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Salem, located at the mouth of the Naumkeag river at the site of an ancient Native American village and trading center, was first settled by Europeans in 1626, when a company of fishermen from Cape Ann led by Roger Conant arrived. Conant's leadership had provided the stability to survive the first two years, but he was immediately replaced by John Endecott, one of the new arrivals, by order of the Massachusetts Bay Company. These "New Planters" and the "Old Planters" agreed to cooperate, in large part due to the diplomacy of Conant and Endicott. In recognition of this peaceful transition to the new government, the name of the settlement was changed to Salem, a hellenized form of the word for "peace" in Arabic سلام (salaam) and Hebrew שלום (shalom). Samuel Skelton was the first pastor of the First Church of Salem, which is the original Puritan church in North America.
Salem included much of the North Shore, including Marblehead. Most of the accused in the Salem witch trials lived in nearby "Salem Village", now known as Danvers, although a few lived on the outskirts of Salem. Salem Village also included Peabody and parts of present-day Beverly. Middleton, Topsfield, Wenham and Manchester-by-the-Sea were once parts of Salem.
William Hathorne was a prosperous businessman in early Salem and became one of its leading citizens of the early colonial period. He led troops to victory in King Philip's War, served as a magistrate on the highest court, and was chosen as the first speaker of the House of Deputies. He was a zealous advocate of the personal rights of freemen against royal emissaries and agents.
1630 (Signified A Desire To Take The Oath)
- Allen, William
- Archer, Samuel
- Balch, John
- Clerke, William
- Conant, Roger
- Gott, Charles
- Graves, Thomas
- Harwood, Henry
- Herrick, Henry
- James, William
- Leach, Lawrence
- Palfrey, Peter
- Phillips, George
- Sharp, Samuel
- Skelton, Samuel
- Trask, William
- Williams, Roger
- Woodbury, John
18 May 1631
- Agar, William
- Allen, William
- Balch, John
- Clarke, William (same as Clerke, William above)
- Conant, Roger
- Dixe, Anthony
- Gott, Charles
- Graves, Thomas
- Herrick, Henry
- Horne, John
- Johnson, Francis
- Leach, Lawrence
- Moore, John
- Moulton, Robert
- Mowry, Roger
- Noddle, William
- Palfrey, Peter
- Phillips, George
- Skelton, Samuel
- Williams, Roger
- Woodbury, John
6 March 1631-2
- Black,John
3 July 1632
- Moore, John
- Sharp, Samuel
- Stileman, Elias
4 March 1632-3
- Curtis, William
- Harwood, Henry
- White, John
5 November 1633
- Holgrave, John
- Weston, Francis
14 May 1634
- Barney, Jacob
- Brackenbury, Richard
- Dent, Francis
- Dixy, William
- Eborne, Thomas
- Goldthwaite, Thomas
- Gyles, Edward
- Hale, Thomas
- Hathorne, William
- Lowthrop, Jeffry
- Massy, Jeffry
- Norton, George
- Raymond, Richard
- Williams, George
- Wolfe, Peter
- Wray, Daniel
3 September 1634
- Davenport, Richard
- Fogg, Ralph
- Hardy, John
- Maverick, Moses
- Sibley, John
4 March 1634-5
6 May 1635
- John Blackleach
- Cotty, Robert
- Legg, John
2 September 1635
- Adams, Richard
- Bishop, Townsend
- Scruggs, Thomas
- Verrin, Philip
3 March 1635-6
- Batter, Edmond
- Peter, Hugh
17 April 1637
- Browning, Thomas
- Dodge, William
- Porter, Nathaniel
17 May 1637
- Bartholomew, Henry
- Bounde, William
- Gardner, Thomas
- Grafton, Joseph
- Marshall, Edmond
- Olney, Thomas
- Pope, Joseph
- Skerry, Francis
2 November 1637
- Fiske, John
March 1637-8
- Bachiler, Joseph
- Flint, Thomas
- Gedney, John
- Haynes, James
- Moulton, James
- Skerry, Henry
- Spooner, Thomas
- Symonds, John
2 May 1638
- Tomkins, Ralph
15 March 1638-9
- Burcham, Edward
22 May 1639
- Alderman, John
- Felton, Benjamin
- Garford, Jarvas
- Laskin, Hugh
- Osborne, William
6 September 1639
- Lord, William
- Southwick, Lawrence
- Swinerton, Job
13:3:1640
- John Bachilor
- Robert Elwell
- John Fairfield
- Mark Formais
- Edward Norrice
- Thomas Ruck
- James Standige
- William Stevens
- Thomas Watson
2:4MO:1641
- John Baker
- William Browne
- Samuel Corning
- Thomas Davenish
- Philemon Dickenson
- Robert Fuller
- Thomas Gardner
- William Geares
- John Jackson
- Austen Kilham
- Francis Lawes
- John Marston
- Richard Pattingell
- Thomas Payne
- Jonathan or Sgt. John Porter
- Esdras Reade
- John Robinson
- Philip Veren
- Miles Ward
- Daniel Weld
- William Woodberry
18:3:1642
- Thomas Antrum
- Richard Bishop
- Joseph Boyce
- John Bulfinch
- Robert Button
- George Byam
- Ananias Conkling
- John Cooke
- Phineas Fiske
- William Fiske
- Allen Kenniston
- John Neale
- Thomas Putnam
- George Right
- Michael Shaflin
- Elias Stileman
- John Tomkins
- Benjamin Vermaes
- Thomas Wheeler
27:10:1642
- George Gardner
- Robert Gutch
- Robert Leoman
- Thomas More
- Richard Prence
- Walter Price
- William Robinson
- Thomas Tresler
28:12:1642
- Thomas Avery
- Edward Beachamp
- Thomas Edwards
- Henry Harwood
- John Kitchen
- Richard More
- Hugh Stayce
10:3MO:1643
- William Vincen
29:3:1644
- John Black
- Allen Convers
- Joseph Phippen
__:3MO:1645
- Thomas Barnes
26:3:1647
- Richard Curtice
1 July 1657
- Henry Rennolds
27 May 1663
- John Croade
- John Stratton
3 May 1665
- Christopher Babbidge
- James Browne
- William Browne, jr.
- Capt. George Corwin
- John Corwin
- Philip Cromwell
- Samuel Eburne, sr.
- John Endecott, brother of Zerubbabel and cousin to Joseph Porter (below)
- Zerubbabel Endecott, first cousin of Joseph Porter (below)
- Eliezer Hauthorne, son of William Hathorne (above), brother-in-law of Joseph Porter (below)
- Richard Hollingsworth
- Edward Humber
- Richard Leach
- Joseph Porter
- John Putnam
- Joshua Rea
- John Rucke
29 April 1668
- Samuel Archer
- John Dodge, sr. (of Bass River)
- William Dounton
- Ephraim Herrick
- John Ingersoll
- John Massey
- John Pease
- Nathaniel Stone
- Harry West
- Thomas West
- Peter Woodbury
19 May 1669
- Bartholomew Gidney
- John Gidney
- Joseph Grafton
- John Pickering
31 May 1671
- John Corwin
- Joseph Gardner
- Eliazer Gidney
- John Marston
- John Maskol
7 May 1673
- Charles Nicholate
12 May 1675
- Samuel Gardner
23 May 1677
- John Hathorne
- John Higginson, jr.
- Henry Keny, jr.
- Manasses Marston
- John Price
May 1678
- Peter Cloyce
- Isaac Foot
- Timothy Lindall
19 May 1680
- Robert Fuller
- John Grafton
- Zacke Marsh
- Joseph Phippen
- Thomas Putnam, jr.
- William Stacy
- Resolved White
11 May 1681
- Ezekiel Cheever
- Benjamin Gerrish
- John Leech
24 May 1682
- Anthony Buxton
- John Foster
- Peter Prescott