John Alden (Capt.)
Encyclopedia
Captain John Alden Jr. was the son of John Alden Sr. and Priscilla Mullins, who settled in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620, arriving on the Mayflower
. He was a sea-captain, a merchant in Boston
, and a charter member of Rev. Samuel Willard
's Third Church
in Boston. His tombstone is preserved at the portico there after having been discovered during excavations where it had been dumped after the removal of the graves.
In addition to the troubles at Salem he was involved in a number of scandals and controversies. However the only one to bring much modern attention occurred in Salem, Massachusetts when he stopped there on his return home from Quebec
, where he had gone in February 1692 to ransom British prisoners captured in the Candlemas attack
on York, Maine
. He was subsequently accused of witchcraft during the Salem witch trials
in May 1692. He had been inclined not to make much of the matter, but was prevailed upon by some friends and broke out of jail. He escaped to Duxbury, where he stayed with friends until, as he later said, "the public had reclaimed the use of its reason". When he returned, he was cleared by proclamation.
Mayflower
The Mayflower was the ship that transported the English Separatists, better known as the Pilgrims, from a site near the Mayflower Steps in Plymouth, England, to Plymouth, Massachusetts, , in 1620...
. He was a sea-captain, a merchant in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, and a charter member of Rev. Samuel Willard
Samuel Willard
Reverend Samuel Willard was a Colonial clergyman. He was born in Concord, Massachusetts; graduated at Harvard in 1659; and was minister at Groton from 1663 to 1676, whence he was driven by the Indians during King Philip's War. The Reverend Willard was pastor of the Third Church, Boston, from...
's Third Church
Old South Meeting House
The Old South Meeting House , in the Downtown Crossing area of Boston, Massachusetts, gained fame as the organizing point for the Boston Tea Party on December 16, 1773. 5,000 colonists gathered at the Meeting House, the largest building in Boston at the time.-Church :The church, with its 56 m ...
in Boston. His tombstone is preserved at the portico there after having been discovered during excavations where it had been dumped after the removal of the graves.
In addition to the troubles at Salem he was involved in a number of scandals and controversies. However the only one to bring much modern attention occurred in Salem, Massachusetts when he stopped there on his return home from Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, where he had gone in February 1692 to ransom British prisoners captured in the Candlemas attack
Candlemas Massacre
The Candlemas Massacre took place in early 1692 during King William's War, when an estimated 150 Abenakis commanded by officers of New France entered the town of York , killing about 100 of the English settlers and burning down buildings, taking another estimated 80 villagers hostage,...
on York, Maine
York, Maine
York is a town in York County, Maine, United States at the southwest corner of the state. The population in the 2000 census was 12,854. Situated beside the Atlantic Ocean on the Gulf of Maine, York is a well-known summer resort. It is home to three 18-hole golf clubs, three sandy beaches, and...
. He was subsequently accused of witchcraft during the Salem witch trials
Salem witch trials
The Salem witch trials were a series of hearings before county court trials to prosecute people accused of witchcraft in the counties of Essex, Suffolk, and Middlesex in colonial Massachusetts, between February 1692 and May 1693...
in May 1692. He had been inclined not to make much of the matter, but was prevailed upon by some friends and broke out of jail. He escaped to Duxbury, where he stayed with friends until, as he later said, "the public had reclaimed the use of its reason". When he returned, he was cleared by proclamation.