Roger Conant (Salem)

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For other persons named Roger Conant, see Roger Conant (disambiguation).

Statue of Roger Conant, founder of Salem, Massachusetts.

Roger Conant (c. 1592 – 1679) was the leader of the company of fishermen who founded Salem, Massachusetts (then called Naumkeag) in 1626. He was later supplanted by the governor sent by the Massachusetts Bay Company, John Endicott. He nevertheless remained in high standing with the community, giving long service as a juror and member of the Board of Selectmen, with duties including the establishment of boundaries for new communities.

[edit] Early life

Roger Conant was baptized in East Budleigh, Devonshire, England on April 9, 1592. He was the eighth and youngest child of Richard Conant and Agnes Clark. Some sources say that he served an apprenticeship in London as a salter.

[edit] Later life

He married Sarah Horton in 1618 in London. In 1623 he sailed on the ship Anne to the Plymouth Colony with his brother Christopher, his wife, and his son Caleb. In 1624, he removed to Nantasket because he was uncomfortable with the strictness of the Puritans.

In 1626, he founded Salem, Massachusetts and was its first governor, but in 1627 he was replaced by John Endicott. He died on November 19, 1679 in Salem, and is today memorialized in statue across from the Salem Common.