St. John's Church, Wapping, London. |
The nature of John's mercantile work meant that the family was frequently moving. From Salem they moved to Boston, and afterword lived in several towns in Connecticut, including New Haven, Hartford, Stratford, and finally Wethersfield, where he passed away on 23 August 1683. John also traveled frequently to London and to the West Indies on business, often accompanied by his son, John Jr. Two of John Sr.'s other sons, Benoni and Solomon, were also fond of travels on the high seas; but according to Julius Gay's Farmington Papers (privately printed, 1929), unlike their father, their "business trips" often earned them such titles as as "privateer," "pirate," and "pretender."
John Winthrop the Elder |
"I could patiently have born, and waited for deliverance, and not have come to this place, but I believed I might please God in this voyage; the whole need not a physician; Christ came to call sinners to repentance."John's wealth, influence, and well-known philanthropy made him such friends as John Winthrop the Elder (also my 12th-great-grandfather, but in another line), founder of the Massachusetts Bay Colony; John Winthrop the Younger, Colonial Governor of Connecticut; and the Reverends John Cotton and Increase Mather, incredibly influential religious leaders. These friends in high places allowed John to become an influential colonist in his own right. And it was this influence, bought at a steep price with his prosperity, that might well have saved his life in 1662.
An artist's depiction of the Katherine Harrison trial. |
In 1662 there were two "diabolical possessions" of Wethersfield residents that resulted in the first widespread witch panic in New England history (to read more about this witch panic, see this article). John and Elizabeth were both accused of witchcraft during this year, but it is not clear who accused them or why. Fortunately for them, accusations were as far as it ever went. They were never formally charged with witchcraft, and in fact they went on to bring slander suits against several people in the community the following year. It was undoubtedly John's wealth, influence, and reputation for piety that saved them, when so many others did not have the same defenses at their disposal. One of these unfortunate souls, Katherine Harrison, was actually accused of witchcraft by John and Elizabeth (among many others) six years later. Katherine found guilty, very narrowly escaped execution, and was exiled to the Colony of New York. It is difficult for us to understand through a 21st-century lens why they would do such a thing when they themselves knew firsthand how dangerous it was to be accused of witchcraft; but it was a very different time from ours, and a difficult one to live in. People are sometimes pushed to do crazy things in the face of widespread panic.
It is clear that prosperity was a double-edged sword for John and Elizabeth Blackleach: it brought them material comfort and influence within their community, but it also could have ruined their lives on more than one occasion.
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My descent from John and Elizabeth Blackleach is as follows:
12th great-grandfather
John Blackleach 1626-1703
Son of John Blackleach
Elizabeth Blackleach 1659-1710
Daughter of John Blackleach
Mary Harris 1689-1746
Daughter of Elizabeth Blackleach
William Walter 1717-1796
Son of Mary Harris
William Walter 1744-1793
Son of William Walter
Clark Walter 1767-1854
Son of William Walter
Medad Walter 1790-1865
Son of Clark Walter
Jay Clark Walter 1831-1909
Son of Medad Walter
Amzi Walter 1861-1920
Son of Jay Clark Walter
Mary Ellen Walter 1888-1952
Daughter of Amzi Walter
Clara May Schofield 1906-1989
Daughter of Mary Ellen Walter
Arthur Ray "Jack" Quinn 1939-1986
Son of Clara May Schofield
Lora Marlene Quinn 1961-
Daughter of Arthur Ray "Jack" Quinn
Allison Quinn Kessinger
You are the daughter of Lora Marlene Quinn