During all this period, there was a variety of minor controversies among themselves, causing greater or less disturbance.  Joseph Hutchinson, who had given a site out of his homestead-grounds for the meeting-house, had no patience with their perpetual wranglings.  He fenced up his lands around the meeting-house lot, leaving them an entrance on the end towards the road.  They went to court about it, and he was called to account by the usual process of law.  The plain, gruff old farmer, who seems all along to have been a man of strong sense and decided character, filed an answer, which is unsurpassed for bluntness of expression.  It has no language of ceremony, but goes to the point at once.  It has a general interest as showing, to how late a period the inhabitants of this neighborhood were exposed to Indian attacks, and what means of defence were resorted to by the Village worshippers.  The document manifests the contempt in which he held the complainants, and it was all the satisfaction they got.

     “Joseph Hutchinson his answer is as followeth:—­

     “First, as to the covenant they spoke of, I conceive it is
     neither known of by me nor them, as will appear by records
     from the farmer’s book.

“Second, I conceive they have no cause to complain of me for fencing in my own land; for I am sure I fenced in none of theirs.  I wish they would not pull down my fences.  I am loath to complain, though I have just cause.

“Third, for blocking up the meeting-house, it was they did it, and not I, in the time of the Indian wars; and they made Salem pay for it.  I wish they would bring me my rocks they took to do it with; for I want them to make fence with.

“Thus, hoping this honored Court will see that there was no just cause to complain against me, and their cause will appear unjust in that they would in an unjust way take away my land, I trust I shall have relief; so I rest, your Honor’s servant,

     JOSEPH HUTCHINSON.”

     [Nov. 27, 1686.]

The next minister of Salem Village brought matters to a crisis.  Samuel Parris is stated to have been a son of Thomas Parris, of London, and was born in 1653.  He was, for a time, a member of Harvard College, but did not finish the academic course, being drawn to a commercial life.  He was engaged in the West-India business, and probably lived at Barbadoes.  After a while, he abandoned commerce, and prepared himself for the ministry.  There was at this time, and long subsequently, a very particular mercantile connection between Salem and Barbadoes.  The former husband of the wife of Thomas Putnam, Sr.,—­Nathaniel Veren,—­as has been stated, had property in that island, and was more or less acquainted with its people.  Perhaps it was through this channel that the thoughts of the people of the Village were turned towards Mr. Parris.  From a deposition made by him a few years afterwards in a suit at law between him and his parishioners, we learn some interesting facts relating to the negotiations that led to his settlement.