Background
William Hathorne was born in 1607 in Binfield, England, the oldest son of William and Sara Hathorne.
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William Hathorne
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In 1630, William Hathorne emigrated to America in John Winthrop’s company, and settled in Dorchester. Six years later he removed to Salem, which was his home for the rest of his life. From 1634, when he first secured admission to the highly select circle of freemen of the Massachusetts Bay Company, to 1679, when he withdrew from active participation in public affairs, Hathorne held a prominent place in the colony. One writer ranked him, next to Endicott, the most important personage in the early history of Salem.
Although a merchant, Hathorne had a liking for office holding, and for the influence and prestige which accompany a political career. In 1634 he was chosen to the board of ten selectmen of Dorchester, and in 1635 he became a deputy in the General Court. The next year he was one of the assessors in Dorchester. After his removal to Salem, he again became, in 1637, a member of the General Court. In 1644, when for the first time the deputies met separately, Hathorne became speaker, a place which he held for six years. In spite of his active political life, he found time to acquire a military record.
In May 1646 he became the captain of a militia company in Salem, and ten years later a major; he saw active service in King Philip’s War. For four years, 1650 - 1653, he was one of the eight commissioners of the Confederacy of New England. On various occasions he was selected to serve on important commissions with other equally conspicuous political leaders of the colony. In 1646, he went with Gov. Thomas Dudley and Daniel Denison to treat with D’Aulnay at St. Croix. From 1662 to 1679 he was a member of the Board of Assistants, or Council.
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William Hathorne was married to Anne Hathorne.
