John Thorndike was one of the founders of the Mass Bay colony. John Thorndike's only son, Paul Thorndike, is insofar as I have found out, an ancestor of mine. The Thorndike family was living in the Salem area that would soon splinter off into the town of Beverly. John Thorndike's daughter and Paul Thorndike's sister, Elizabeth Thorndike, would marry John Proctor and be his second wife. Elizabeth Thorndike Proctor would be executed (though some sources say she was pardoned) as a witch and immortalized as a character in The Crucible. I am curious if I happen to share this connection with anyone. I believe I connect through the surnames Pride/Giffen, but have found too little documentaion to know for sure. The only information I have to go off of is Public member trees, with sources citing other public member trees. If you have any corrections or connections please let me know. (Date listed is birth year.)

John Thorndike 1603 married Elizabeth Stratton 1614

had Paul Thorndike 1643, married Mary Patch 1650

had Hannah Thorndike 1673, married William Pride 1673
(It seems to be difficult to find documentation of Hannah having a son named William.)
had Willian Pride 1704, married Margaret Fales 1711

had Ira Pride 1741, married Mary "Polly" Sarah Hewitt 1738

had Margaret Pride 1771, married George Giffen 1771

had George Giffen 1796, married Mary Harding 1807

had Georger Giffen 1838, married Elizabeth Robertson 1835.