John Higginson (1616 - 1708)

Born 6 Aug 1616 in Claybrooke, Leicestershire, England

Ancestors

Husband of Sarah (Whitfield) Higginson — married before 1646 in Guilford, New Haven, Connecticut

Husband of Mary (Blakeman) Higginson — married after 16 May 1676 in New England

Descendants

Died 9 Dec 1708 at age 92 in Salem, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Colony

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Biography

John Higginson immigrated to New England as a child during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640).

John Higginson is Notable.

John Higginson was involved in witch trials

Birth

John Higginson was born on 6 Aug 1616 in Claybrooke, Leicestershire, England, the son of Francis Higginson and Anne Herbert.^[1][2] He was baptized on 31 Aug 1616 in Claybrooke.^[3]

Immigration

At age 13, on 29 Jun 1629, he arrived at Salem, Massachusetts Bay Colony, along with his father, Rev. Francis Higginson, on board the Talbot,^[1] an advance ship of the Winthrop Fleet. The Talbot had departed London, England on 25 Apr 1629, including a passenger, who was showing symptoms of small pox. Two of the nine Higginson children, became infected, and on 19 May 1629, Mary, the 5-year old sister of John, died and was buried at sea.^[4][5]

Massachusetts Bay Colony

His father was a founder of the First Church in Salem, and John became one of its first members. His father was also the teacher of the congregation until dying the following year on 6 Aug 1630.^[6]

In 1631, his mother was living in Charlestown, Massachusetts Bay Colony. She was still there on 25 May 1636, when, John, was admitted freeman at 19 years of age.^[7]

“Saye-Brooke” Colony

That same year, 1636, he went to Saybrook Colony as chaplain at the Fort, ^[8] becoming one of the first settlers of the short-lived Colony (1635-1644) before it was sold to the Connecticut Colony in 1644.^[9][10] His arrival coincided with the outbreak of the Pequot War, which saw the Saybrook Fort under siege and subject to multiple attacks until the Pequots were defeated in 1638. As chaplain he would have administered to the wounded and buried the dead settlers, who were attacked by the Pequots as they sought food outside the fort.^{[11][12][2][13]} Also, as he had earlier learned “the Indian language,” he was called upon during negotiations and other significant Indian matters.^{[1][14][15][16]}

New Haven Colony

“In August, 1637, an exploring party bound for New Haven Colony (“Quinnipiac”) lead by a wealthy English Puritan named Theophilus Eaton departed from Boston. After exploring the Quinnipiac area, Eaton left seven men to winter at Quinnipiac. Eaton and John Davenport returned with a company of 500 followers on April 24, 1638.”^[17] His mother was said to be among the 500 followers.^[2]

By 1641, he had left the Fort and was teaching school, in Connecticut Colony at Hartford.

He is found next in New Haven Colony at Guilford as assistant to Rev. Henry Whitfield. By 1646, he had married the Rev. Whitfield’s daughter, Sarah Whitfield, in Guilford.^[3][2] In 1653, he became pastor of the church, located in the Henry Whitfield House, where he remained until 1659.

First Church in Salem, Massachusetts Bay Colony

In 1660, he left Guilford with his family, intending to return to England. However, “On account of bad weather, the vessel entered Salem harbor. While there he was invited to remain and become pastor of the church founded by his father. He was installed in August, 1660...” at age 44.^[2]

When he was 58, his first wife, the mother of all his children, died on 8 Jul 1675 in Salem.

After 1676, he married second wife, Mary (Blakeman) Atwater, from Stratford, Fairfield, Connecticut Colony. ^[3][2] They were probably living in the “South End of Boston.”^[18]

Around 1684, when he was 68 years old, the First Church in Salem, began a series of abortive attempts to replace him, ending tragically in November 1688, with Samuel Parris, the instigator of the Salem Witchcraft Trials.^[19][20]

By 1687, aged 71, he was included among “the elders of the old church.”^[21]

Opposition to Quakers

“Mr. Higginson engaged with no inconsiderable zeal in the famous controversy with the Quakers. He regarded their religious opinions and practices as dangerous to both Church and State ; and hence he did not hesitate to recommend the excommunication from the church of such members as had joined them. It is said, however, that he subsequently regretted the warmth of his zeal on this subject.”^[22]

1689 Boston Revolt

In the period leading to the 1689 Boston Revolt, he was outspoken in his opposition to the Dominion of New England and its leaders, Sir Edmund Andros and Edward Randolph. Meeting Sir Edmund Andros, he famously told him, “The New Englanders’ right to the land was based on God’s gift to Adam…” ^[23] “Felt says Mr. Higginson was one of the most zealous and earnest in opposing the claims of Andros and Randolph. Randolph wrote from prison, July 23, 1689, All things are carried by a furious rabble animated by a crafty minister.”^[1]

Salem Witch Trials

“In respect to the witchcraft delusion, he seems to have stood neutral, with the single exception that he concurred with Mr. Noyes, his colleague, in the excommunication of a person who had been charged with being under this Satanic influence.” ^{[22][24][25][26]}

John Higginson Sr. provided testimony in support of Sarah Buckley on 2 January 1692/3.^[27] John "was involved with questioning 4-year-old Dorothy Good on March 26 after the toddler had been sent to prison by John Hathorne. Joining Hathorne and Jonathan Corwin in her examination, one might think Higginson was concerned for the child’s welfare. He was also present, along with Beverly’s Reverend John Hale, to observe the questioning of Mary Warren in Salem jail on May 12. Later, after the witchcraft trials were over, Higginson would write the introduction to Hale’s Modest Enquiry into the Nature of Witchcraft."^[28][29] John's former home is now the site of the Salem Witch Museum.

His Daughter Arrested for Witchcraft

On 6 Jun 1692, his daughter, Anne (Higginson) Dolliver, was examined before “Majr Gedney: Mr. Hawthorne Mr. Corwin.” There are no official records of the results of her examination; some secondary sources state she was imprisoned, others suggest she was released.^[30] She was, however, insane for the rest of her life.

Recent research notes that Ann was probably living with her father, and given that her brother John Jr. was the Essex County Justice of the Peace, these strong connections appear to have protected Ann in spite of her arrest.^[31] One expert notes she had been imprisoned, but was released and back living with her father. Since Salem town owed John Sr. L400, John had the town agree to support his daughter Ann after his death. Ann would relocate to Rehoboth and board with fellow witch suspects Edward and Sarah Bishop, and the Salem selectmen sent her yearly maintenance through 1723.^[32]

Death

He died on 9 Dec 1708, "in his 93d year," at Salem, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Colony.^[2].

Eulogy by Cotton Mather

On 10 Jan 1708, the Rev. Cotton Mather, delivered a sermon, recalling his life, “first a Chaplain and Preacher at Say-Brook; then a School-Master at Hartford; And after that a Minister at Guilford; but finally succeeded his Father, and made the People of Salem to know the Joyful Sound for a whole Jubilee of Years…” He also praised his books, Our Dying Saviours Legacy of Peace…and The Everlasting Gospel. He further described his mind during the last two years of his life, “…there were times in which the Door was a little shut, and Curtains drawn over the Windowes.”^[33]

Will

His will, dated 2 Aug 1705, and proved 30 Dec 1708, mentions wife, Mary, and children, Nathaniel, Thomas, Anna Dolliver, and John…He asks friends, Corwin, Noyes and Sewall, overseers,…”that they would over see ye singular case of my Daughter Dolliver she being non compos mentis & alienated from all her relations….making ye agreem’t wth ye Select men or Towne…ab’t her maintenance during her life…"^[34]

Children of John Higginson and Sarah Whitfield

1. John Higginson, b. 1646, Guilford, New Haven, Connecticut Colony^[35][2][34]
2. Nathaniel Higginson, b. 1 Oct 1652, Guilford, New Haven, Connecticut Colony; 1670, Graduated A.M., Harvard College; d. November 1708, London, England, “smallpox”^[36][2][34]
3. Sarah Higginson, b. 1636?, Guilford, New Haven, Connecticut Colony ^[2]
4. Ann Higginson, b. 1652, "aged 46 in 1698,” In 1692, Ann (Higginson) Dolliver was accused of witchcraft and imprisoned. ^[2][34]
5. Thomas Higginson, b. abt. 1660, "38, in 1698, Salem, Massachusetts Bay Colony; living at Salem, 1687 and 1689; at Guilford, 1690-1692; sailed in a privateer for Arabia, probably before 1696. He was left a legacy in his father's will, if alive,"^[2][34]
6. Francis Higginson, b. 9 Jun 1660, Salem, Massachusetts Bay Colony ^[2]
7. Henry Higginson, b.18 Jan 1662, Salem, Massachusetts Bay Colony ^[2]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} “A History of the Plantation of Menunkatuck and of the Original Town of Guilford, Connecticut : Comprising the Present Towns of Guilford and Madison : Steiner, Bernard Christian. 1867-1926 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming.” Internet Archive. Baltimore : Steiner, January 1, 1897. https://archive.org/details/historyofplantat00steiuoft/page/27/mode/1up.
2. ↑ ^{2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13} “Descendants of the Reverend Francis Higginson, First ‘Teacher’ in the Massachusetts Bay Colony of Salem, Massachusetts and Author of ‘New-Englands Plantation’ (1630) : Higginson, Thomas Wentworth, 1823-1911 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming.” Internet Archive. [Cambridge? Mass.] : Priv. print, January 1, 1970. https://archive.org/details/descendantsofrev00higg/page/6/mode/2up?view=theater.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, Volumes I-III. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2010), (Originally Published as: New England Historic Genealogical Society. Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, Volumes I-III, 3 vols., 1995). https://www.americanancestors.org/DB393/i/12107/934/23895293
4. ↑ Anderson, Robert Charles, and Robert Charles Anderson. The Winthrop Fleet: Massachusetts Bay Company Immigrants to New England, 1629-1630. Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2012. p. 23.
5. ↑ “Essex Institute Historical Collections.” Google Books. Google. Accessed March 19, 2021. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Essex_Institute_Historical_Collections/iPkWAAAAIAAJ?q=&gbpv=1#f=true.
6. ↑ “Magnalia Christi Americana: : Mather, Cotton, 1663-1728 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming.” Internet Archive. Hartford: Published by Silas Andrus. Roberts & Burr, Printers, January 1, 1970. https://archive.org/details/magnaliachris01math/page/66/mode/2up?q=Higginson%2B.
7. ↑ “Descendants of the Reverend Francis Higginson, First ‘Teacher’ in the Massachusetts Bay Colony of Salem, Massachusetts and Author of ‘New-Englands Plantation’ (1630) : Higginson, Thomas Wentworth, 1823-1911 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming.” Internet Archive. [Cambridge? Mass.] : Priv. print, January 1, 1970. https://archive.org/details/descendantsofrev00higg/page/2/mode/2up?view=theater.
8. ↑ “Saybrook Fort & the Pequot War.” Battlefields of the Pequot War RSS. Accessed March 20, 2021. http://pequotwar.org/archaeology/overview-siege-and-battle-of-saybrook-fort/.
9. ↑ “History of Old Saybrook.” Old Saybrook Historical Society, June 2, 2020. https://saybrookhistory.org/history-of-old-saybrook/.
10. ↑ “Manual of the Congregational Church of Old Saybrook, Connecticut 1888 : Old Saybrook, Connecticut. Congregational Church : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming.” Internet Archive. Deep River, Connecticut, C.A. Kirtland, January 1, 1888. https://archive.org/details/manualofcongrega00olds/page/4/mode/1up?view=theater.
11. ↑ “Winthrop's Journal : ‘History of New England’, 1630-1649 : Winthrop, John : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming.” Internet Archive. New York : Scribner, January 1, 1970. https://archive.org/details/winthropsjournal00wint/page/192/mode/2up?q=Saybrook.
12. ↑ The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1847-. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2018.) https://www.americanancestors.org/DB202/i/11713/94/23502770
13. ↑ Barbour, Lucius Barnes, 1982, Families of Early Hartford, Connecticut, Genealogical Publishing Co. Inc., Baltimore, Maryland and Connecticut Society of Genealogists, Inc., Glastonbury, Connecticut pp.703 Online at: Ancestry.com.
14. ↑ The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1847-. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2018.) https://www.americanancestors.org/DB202/i/11707/281/236478805]
15. ↑ “Winthrop's Journal : ‘History of New England’, 1630-1649 : Winthrop, John : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming.” Internet Archive. New York : Scribner, January 1, 1970. https://archive.org/details/winthropsjournal00wint/page/186/mode/1up?q=Higginson.
16. ↑ “A History of the Old Town of Stratford and the City of Bridgeport, Connecticut : Orcutt, Samuel, 1824-1893 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming.” Internet Archive. [New Haven, Conn. : Press of Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor], January 1, 1886. https://archive.org/details/historyofoldtown01orcu/page/12/mode/1up?q=Higginson.
17. ↑ Society of Colonial Wars in the State of Connecticut - 1638 The Quinnipiac Indians. Accessed March 22, 2021. https://www.colonialwarsct.org/1638_quinnipiac_indians.htm.
18. ↑ The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1847-. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2018.) https://www.americanancestors.org/DB202/i/11632/41/143480360
19. ↑ “Salem Witchcraft : with an Account of Salem Village, and a History of Opinions on Witchcraft and Kindred Subjects : Upham, Charles Wentworth, 1802-1875, Author : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming.” Internet Archive, January 1, 1970. https://archive.org/details/salemwitchcraftw01upha_0/page/287/mode/1up?q=Parris.
20. ↑ “An Account of the Life, Character, Etc., of the Rev. Samuel Parris : Fowler, Samuel Page, 1800-1888. [from Old Catalog] : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming.” Internet Archive. Salem [Mass.] W. Ives and G. W. Pease, printers, January 1, 1970. https://archive.org/details/anaccountlifech00fowlgoog/page/n2/mode/2up.
21. ↑ “Salem Witchcraft : with an Account of Salem Village, and a History of Opinions on Witchcraft and Kindred Subjects : Upham, Charles Wentworth, 1802-1875, Author : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming.” Internet Archive, January 1, 1970. https://archive.org/details/salemwitchcraftw01upha_0/page/273/mode/1up?q=Higginson.
22. ↑ ^{22.0 22.1} “Annals of the American Pulpit, or, Commemorative Notices of Distinguished American Clergymen of Various Denominations : from the Early Settlement of the Country to the Close of the Year Eighteen Hundred and Fifty-Five : with Historical Introductions : Sprague, William Buell, 1795-1876 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming.” Internet Archive. New York : Robert Carter & Brothers, January 1, 1970. https://archive.org/details/00839292.1348.emory.edu/page/n121/mode/1up?q=Higginson.
23. ↑ Lewis, Theodore B. "A Revolutionary Tradition, 1689-1774: "There Was a Revolution Here as Well as in England." The New England Quarterly 46, no. 3 (1973): 424-38. Accessed March 23, 2021. doi:10.2307/364201.
24. ↑ “Salem Witchcraft : with an Account of Salem Village, and a History of Opinions on Witchcraft and Kindred Subjects : Upham, Charles Wentworth, 1802-1875, Author : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming.” Internet Archive, January 1, 1970. https://archive.org/details/salemwitchcraftw02upha_0/page/194/mode/1up.
25. ↑ “Rev. John Higginson of Salem, Mass : Green, Samuel A. (Samuel Abbott), 1830-1918 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming.” Internet Archive. [Boston : s.n.], January 1, 1896. https://archive.org/details/revjohnhigginson00gree/page/n5/mode/2up.
26. ↑ “THE LONG HISTORY.” The First Church in Salem. Accessed March 23, 2021. http://www.firstchurchinsalem.org/the-long-history.
27. ↑ Bernard Rosenthal, Records of the Salem Witch-Hunt, (New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2009, p. 735.
28. ↑ https://salemwitchmuseum.com/locations/reverend-john-higginson-home-site-of-salem-witch-museum/
29. ↑ https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/evans/N00872.0001.001?rgn=main;view=fulltext
30. ↑ People Accused of Witchcraft in 1692. Accessed March 22, 2021. http://www.17thc.us/primarysources/accused.php?id=49&pg=2.
31. ↑ Bernard Rosenthal, Records of the Salem Witch-Hunt, (New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2009, p. 390.
32. ↑ Marilynne K. Roach, The Salem Witch Trials, A Day-by-Day Chronicle of a Community Under Siege, 2002, p.526-7.
33. ↑ The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1847-. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2018.) https://www.americanancestors.org/DB202/i/11708/159/23547250
34. ↑ ^{34.0 34.1 34.2 34.3 34.4} Essex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1638-1881.Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2014. (From records supplied by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Archives.) https://www.americanancestors.org/DB515/i/13767/13243-co15/30223861
35. ↑ The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1847-. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2018.) https://www.americanancestors.org/DB202/i/11662/203/236800593
36. ↑ The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1847-. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2018.) https://www.americanancestors.org/DB202/i/11616/34/245502655

See also:

• Wikipedia: John Higginson (minister)
• Find A Grave: Memorial #54906489
• Saxbe, William B. "Sarah (Gerrish) King (1714-1798) of Salem, Massachusetts, and Her Descent from Nine Puritan Ministers." New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Vol. 175 (2012). pp. 24-27. Online at americanancestors.org.
• "Rev. John Higginson's Advice to His Children, Called His Dying Testimony." Essex Institute Historical Collections. Google Books. Google. Accessed March 19, 2021. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Essex_Institute_Historical_Collections/iPkWAAAAIAAJ?q=&gbpv=1#f=true.