William Stoughton

E14821

William Stoughton was a colonial New England magistrate and politician best known for serving as chief justice during the Salem witch trials.


Statements (46)
Predicate Object
instanceOf colonial magistrate
person
politician
almaMater Harvard College
appointedBy King William III of England
Queen Mary II of England
birthDate 1631-09-30
birthPlace Dorchester, Massachusetts Bay Colony
built Stoughton Hall at Harvard College (original benefactor)
burialPlace Dorchester North Burying Ground
citizenship Massachusetts Bay Colony
countryOfGovernance Province of Massachusetts Bay
deathDate 1701-07-07
deathPlace Boston, Province of Massachusetts Bay
donatedTo Harvard College
educatedAt Harvard College
New College, Oxford
era Colonial America
ethnicGroup English colonists in North America
familyName Stoughton
givenName William
graduationYear 1650
historicalReputation controversial figure in American legal history
knownFor role in the Salem witch trials
signing death warrants for accused witches
languageSpoken English
legalDoctrineSupported use of spectral evidence in witchcraft trials
notableEvent oversaw executions of convicted witches in 1692
participatedIn Salem witch trials
partOf Massachusetts colonial government
positionHeld acting governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay
chief justice of the Special Court of Oyer and Terminer
chief justice of the Superior Court of Judicature of Massachusetts Bay
lieutenant governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay
member of the Governor's Council of Massachusetts Bay
precededBy William Phips
religion Puritanism
residence Boston, Province of Massachusetts Bay
Dorchester, Massachusetts Bay Colony
servedAs land speculator in New England
preacher in England
succeededBy Richard Coote, 1st Earl of Bellomont
termEndAsActingGovernor 1699
termEndAsLieutenantGovernor 1701
termStartAsActingGovernor 1694
termStartAsLieutenantGovernor 1692


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