Roger Toothaker (November 27, 1634, England – June 1692, Province of Massachusetts Bay) was a farmer and folk-healer who came to Massachusetts from England shortly after he was born. He was one of the victims of the Salem witch trials who died in prison.
Background
Roger Toothaker was born in England in 1634. In 1635, as an infant, Toothaker traveled to the Massachusetts Bay Colony from London, sailing from August 21 to September 11 on the Hopewell, led by Captain Babb. In 1638, his father, Roger Toothaker, died, possibly in Plymouth on February 5. Later that year his mother Margaret married Ralph Hill on December 21 and they lived in Billerica. He served as an assistant to Samuel Eldred, and later became a physician although he had no formal medical training. In or around 1662 or 1663, his stepfather died. In 1665 he married Mary Allin, a midwife, and had eight children who survived infancy: Nathaniel, Martha, Allin, Roger, Sarah, Mary, Andrew, and Margaret.[1]
Toothaker, a farmer and folk-healer, claimed to specialize in detecting and punishing witches. For several years before the Salem witch trials began in 1692, Toothaker had reportedly bragged to locals that he had taught his daughter, Martha Emerson, wife of Joseph Emerson, his trade and that she had killed a witch.[2]
Salem witch trials
On May 18, 1692, Elizabeth Hubbard, Ann Putnam, Jr., and Mary Walcott accused Dr. Toothaker of witchcraft. Elizabeth was the servant of Dr. William Griggs, Dr. Toothaker's competitor. On May 28, Mary Toothaker, Margaret Toothaker (aged 9), Martha Carrier, and Elizabeth Jackson were arrested. John Willard of Salem, Thomas Farrar, Sr. (or Farrer) of Lynn, and Elizabeth Hart were arrested, along with Toothaker.
Toothaker was sent to Boston Prison where he remained until his death the following month at age 57. His body was examined and it was confirmed that he died of natural causes, although it is impossible to separate his death from his imprisonment, and likely illness and/or maltreatment and/or malnourishment.[1]
References
- 1 2 "Roger Toothaker profile". Retrieved 2007-02-14.
- ↑ Toothaker family profile, historyofmassachusetts.org; accessed September 12, 2015.
External links
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Magistrates and court officials | |
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Town physician | |
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Clergy | |
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Politicians and public figures | |
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Accusers |
- Benjamin Abbot
- Ebenezer Babson
- William Barker, Sr.
- Thomas Barnard
- Elizabeth Booth
- John Bly, Sr. and Rebecca Bly
- Thomas Boreman
- Thomas Chandler
- Nathaniel Coit
- John DeRich
- Joseph Draper
- Joseph Fowler
- Mary Fuller
- Mary Herrick
- John Howe
- Elizabeth Hubbard
- Joseph Hutchinson
- John Indian
- Nathaniel Ingersoll
- Thomas and Mary Jacobs
- Margaret Wilkins Knight
- Mercy Lewis
- Jeremiah Neale
- Sarah Nurse
- Betty Parris
- Edward Payson
- Samuel and Ruth Perley (or Pearly)
- John and Lydia Porter
- Thomas Preston
- Ann Putnam, Jr.
- Ann Putnam, Sr.
- Edward Putnam
- Hannah Putnam
- John Putnam, Jr.
- John Putnam, Sr.
- Jonathan (or Johnathan) Putnam
- Nathaniel Putnam
- Thomas Putnam
- Nicholas Rist
- Margaret Rule
- Susannah Sheldon
- Mercy Short
- Martha Sprague
- Timothy Swan
- Peter Tufts
- Moses Tyler
- Jonathan Walcott
- Mary Walcott
- Richard Walker
- Mary Warren
- Joseph Whipple
- Bray Wilkins
- John Wilkins
- Samuel Wilkins
- Abigail Williams
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Accused but survived (unindicted, acquitted or reprieved) |
- Arthur Abbot
- Nehemiah Abbot, Jr.
- Katerina Biss
- Edward Bishop
- Edward Bishop III
- Sarah Bishop
- Mary Black
- Anne Bradstreet
- Dudley Bradstreet
- John Bradstreet
- Mary Bridges, Sr.
- Sarah Bridges
- Sarah Buckley
- John Busse (or Buss)
- Andrew Carrier
- Richard Carrier
- Sarah Carrier
- Thomas Carrier, Jr.
- Bethiah Carter Jr.
- Bethiah Carter Sr.
- Rachel Clinton
- Sarah Cloyce
- Francis Dane
- Phoebe Day
- Elizabeth Dicer
- Rebecca Dike
- Ann Dolliver
- Mehitable Downing
- Mary Dyer
- Daniel and Lydia Eames
- Rebecca Blake Eames
- Esther Elwell
- Martha Emerson
- Joseph Emons
- Thomas Farrar, Sr.
- Abigail Faulkner, Jr.
- Abigail Faulkner, Sr.
- Dorothy Faulkner
- Elizabeth Fosdick
- Eunice Frye
- Dorothy Good
- Mary Green
- Sarah Noyes Hale (wife of John Hale)
- Elizabeth Hutchinson Hart
- Margaret Hawkes
- Sarah Hawkes, Jr.
- Dorcas Hoar
- Deliverance Hobbs
- William Hobbs
- Elizabeth Johnson, Sr.
- Stephen Johnson
- Rebecca Jacobs
- Jane Lilly
- Mary Marston
- Sarah Morey
- Sarah Murrell
- Robert and Sarah Pease
- Joan Penney (or Penny)
- Sarah Phelps
- Mary Post
- Susannah Post
- Margaret Prince
- Elizabeth Bassett Proctor
- Sarah Proctor
- William Proctor
- Sarah Davis Rice
- Sarah Rist
- Sarah Root
- Susanna Rootes
- Abigail Rowe
- Mary Rowe
- Elizabeth Scargen
- Ann Sears
- Abigail Somes
- Sarah Clapp Swift
- Mary Harrington Taylor
- Margaret Thacher
- Job Tookey
- Margaret Toothaker
- Mary Toothaker
- Hannah Tyler
- Joanna Tyler
- Mary Lovett Tyler
- Hezekiah Usher II
- Rachel Vinson
- Mercy Wardwell
- Sarah Wardwell
- Mary Whittredge (or Witheridge)
- Sarah Wilson, Jr.
- Sarah Wilson, Sr.
- Edward Wooland
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Confessed and accused others (in some cases later issuing retractions or recantations) | |
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Executed by hanging | |
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Pressed to death | |
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Born in prison | |
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Died in prison | |
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Escaped from custody or otherwise fled Salem or environs until the trials ended |
- John Alden
- Daniel Andrew
- Mary Bradbury
- Elizabeth Cary
- Phillip and Mary English
- Edward Farrington
- Mary Green
- George Jacobs, Jr.
- Ephraim Stevens
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