Which son of Mayflower passengers was accused of witchcraft in Salem?

John Alden Jr., the son of Mayflower passengers John and Priscilla Alden, was accused of witchcraft during the Salem crisis.

John Alden Jr. was a colonial merchant, sailor, soldier, and political figure. His parents were both associated with the Mayflower: John Alden was a crew member who remained in Plymouth, while Priscilla Mullins arrived as a passenger. Their son therefore belonged to one of the colony’s most prominent early families.

During the Salem proceedings in 1692, Alden was accused and imprisoned in Boston. He denied the charges and later escaped from custody. Some later accounts associated his flight with New York, but historians have also argued that he went south to Duxbury, where he had family connections. He was eventually cleared by proclamation in April 1693.

A common mix-up is confusing John Alden Jr. with his father, John Alden, the Mayflower figure. The father died in 1687, before the Salem accusations began; it was his adult son who was caught in the witchcraft panic. The accusation illustrates that social standing and famous ancestry did not guarantee safety.