Jurat in Curia. “We veryly beleive that John Proctor the prifoner att the barr has many times afflected and tormented the affore faid parfons by acts of witchcraft.” Jurat in Curia. “Ann and Mary Walcott and Abigail Williams were feveral times and grevioufly tortured at the examination of Rebekah Nurfe wife to Francis Nurfe.” Jurat in Curia. These three words, which were inscribed in history over four hundred times, belong to one man only. “Jurat in Curia.” Signed: “Thomas Putnam.”
Thomas Putnam, born in 1653, was a third generation member of Salem Village, Massachusetts Bay Colony. He was the eldest son to Ann Putnam and Thomas Putnam Sr., one of Salem’s wealthiest residents, in a family of eight children. After Ann died, Thomas Putnam Sr. had another child with who became Mary Putnam. This last child, Joseph, was born when Thomas…show more content… Salem was, by the time, divided into two distinct parts: Salem Town and Salem Village. Salem Town was a prosperous port town at the center of trade with London, for most of these living in Salem Town were wealthy merchants. Salem Village, on the other hand, was actually part of Salem Town but was set apart by its economy, class, and character. Residents of Salem Village were mostly poor farmers who made their living cultivating crops in the rocky terrain.
Ever since the 1660’s, Salem Village began the process of trying to separate itself from the larger nearby community of Salem Town. The Putnam family supported this effort whole-heartedly. They believed that the thriving economy of Salem Town, and more specifically, thriving merchants, made people too individualistic However, not all of Salem Village's residents supported this idea, which would eventually split the settlement into two factions. Thomas Putnam was the head of the group who supported the independence of Salem Village. Opposing him and his followers were the powerful Porter
