| Putnam family | |
|---|---|
| Earlier spellings | Puttenham, Putenham |
| Place of origin | England |
| Traditions | Puritan |
The Putnam family of prominent old colonial Americans was founded by Puritans John and Priscilla (Gould) Putnam in the 17th century, in Salem, Massachusetts. Many notable individuals are descendants of this family, including those listed below.
John Putnam was born about 1580 and came from Aston Abbotts, Buckinghamshire, England. He was married to Priscilla Gould and they settled in Salem. They were the parents of seven children: Elizabeth, Thomas, John, Nathaniel, Sara, Phoebe, and John. Their eldest son, Thomas, was the father of Thomas Putnam and Deacon Edward Putnam, who were involved in the Salem witch trials and were partially responsible for the executions of those convicted of witchcraft.[1]
- ^ Putnam, Eben (1891), A History of the Putnam Family in England and America. Recording the Ancestry and Descendants of John Putnam of Danvers, Mass., Jan Poutman of Albany, N. Y., Thomas Putnam of Hartford, Conn, Volume 1, Salem Press Publishing and Printing Company, retrieved October 4, 2007