William Hathorne

William Hathorne ( – 1681) was a New England politician, judge and merchant who was Commissioner for Massachusetts Bay and Speaker of the General Court. He arrived in America on the ship Arbella, and is the first American ancestor of author Nathaniel Hawthorne (who added the "w" to the spelling of his last name).

Early life Hathorne was the son of yeoman William Hathorne, of Binfield, Berkshire, and his wife, Sara. The family lived in "substantial", "comfortable circumstances." The elder William, in his will proved in 1651, left all his "lands, buildings and tenements" in Berkshire not to the by then absent eldest son, William, but to a younger son Robert, on condition that Robert give William one hundred pounds. The younger William Hathorne had gone to America in 1630, and rose to prominence there through his own talent and efforts.

Life in Massachusetts He was a prosperous merchant in Salem, Massachusetts, was admitted as a freeman in 1634, served as a deputy representing Salem for many terms and when the House of Deputies elected a speaker for the first time, he was the one chosen. He served in that capacity for several years thereafter and was Salem's commanding character of the time period.

Hathorne was a zealous advocate of the personal rights of freemen against royal emissaries and agents.

Hathorne served as a magistrate on the highest court, and received a grant of 640 acres for service to the state. He was elected assistant to the governor in 1662 and served until 1679. He was appointed as captain of the Salem military company on May 1, 1646, and led troops to victory in King Philip's War. He was commissioned as a major in 1656.

Author Nathaniel Hawthorne, who descended from these men, used his ancestors as inspiration for some of his most famous works. He was much interested in colonial history, good vs. evil, and the psychology of Puritan society. His classic novels The Scarlet Letter and The House of the Seven Gables, and the short story "Young Goodman Brown" reflect his studies.