Nicholas Noyes, son of Nicholas and Mary Cutting Noyes, was born at Newbury, Massachusetts. He graduated from Harvard in 1667, and shortly thereafter he was called to preach at Haddam, Connecticut. In 1675 Noyes was appointed to go forth with the army during King Philip's War and was at the Swamp Fight at South Kingston, Rhode Island. Six years later, the General Court granted him 200 acres for good service during the war, upon the condition that he agree to settle or stay in Connecticut for four years, but instead in October 1682 Noyes answered the call of the First Society at Salem, Massachusetts, to become the assistant to their pastor, John Higginson. Noyes was installed as minister after Higginson's death in December 1708 and remained in Salem for the rest of his life.

As a minister of Salem Town, Noyes took an active part in the prosecution of the so-called witches in...