John Hathorne was born on August 5, 1641, in Salem, Massachusetts. His family was held in high esteem in the Salem community and Hathorne himself became a thriving merchant and politician. Hathorne served as the judge in the Salem witch trials and assumed the role of chief interrogator. Hathorne, along with Jonathan Corwin, were responsible for issuing warrants to arrest those accused of witchcraft. Transcripts reveal that his tone was often accusatory and that his religious convictions were transparent while serving the court. Unlike the manner of judges we are accustomed to today, Hathorne was biased was acted as a prosecutor, rather than an impartial agent of the court.
Hathorne died on May 10, 1717 in Salem, reportedly the only participant of the Salem witch trials not to repent his actions in the trials.
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