Capt. John Higginson II was born 1646 in Guilford, Hartford County, Connecticut to John Higginson (1616-1708) and Sarah Whitfield (1620-1675) and died 23 March 1719 Salem, Essex County, Massachusetts of unspecified causes. He married Sarah Savage (1653-1713) 9 August 1672 in Salem, Essex County, Massachusetts.
Biography
Salem Witch Trials
1876 illustration of the courtroom; the central figure is usually identified as being Mary Walcott
Hysteria over witchcraft had crossed over much of Europe around the 16th century, but in the late 17th century it surged again, this time including many of the American Colonies. Nowhere did it reach such a level of excitement as in the Colonial town of Salem, Massachusetts in the years of 1688-1692 in an episode called the Salem Witch Trials that tarnished the otherwise fine reputation of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
Maine, Indian Land Speculation, and the Essex County Witchcraft Outbreak of 1692 By Emerson W. Baker and James Kences from Maine History, volume 40, number 3, Fall 2001 (pp. 159-189).
"In June 1688 Harlackenden Symonds sold Coxhall [Maine] to 38 men from Ipswich and other Essex County towns. Many of these men would have some tie to the witchcraft outbreak. Six of the proprietors were kinsmen of witches. Three proprietors testified against witches while four signed petitions supporting the accused. Some proprietors had multiple ties to the trials. For example, proprietor Thomas Higginson was the son of Salem's esteemed minister, Reverend John Higginson. His brother, Captain John Higginson was a court officer during the witch trials, and his sister, Ann Higginson Dolliver was an accused witch. Proprietors were also the alleged victims of witchcraft. ..."
Children
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Mary Higginson (1673-1739) | |||
| John Higginson (1675-1718) | 20 August 1675 Salem, Essex County, Massachusetts | 26 April 1718 Salem, Essex County, Massachusetts | Hannah Gardner (1676-1713) Margaret Sewall (1687-1736) |
| Thomas Higginson (1677-1678) | |||
| Joseph Higginson (1680-1761) | |||
| Nathaniel Higginson (1680-1720) | |||
| Sarah Higginson (1682-1750) | |||
| Elizabeth Higginson (1684-1734) | |||
| Margaret Higginson (1686-1688) | |||
Siblings
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| John Higginson (1646-1719) | 1646 Guilford, Hartford County, Connecticut | 23 March 1719 Salem, Essex County, Massachusetts | Sarah Savage (1653-1713) |
| Sarah Higginson (1651-1776) | |||
| Nathanil Higginson (1652-1708) | |||
| Anna Higginson (1656-1738) | |||
| Thomas Higginson (1658-) | |||
| Francis Higginson (1660-1685) | |||
| Henry Higginson (1661-1685) | |||
References
- Capt John Higginson - GENI