Mr William Stoughton was one of Night's Black Agents, a witch hidden behind the mask of the Puritan rectitude. He was a guest character in the third season of Salem.
He was portrayed by Robert Picardo. [1]
Early Life[]
Member of the parish led by Increase Mather, Mr and Mrs Stoughton were proper Puritan, until, left the city, they discovered the delights of satanic arts. As acquaintance of Mather senior, Mr Soughton was also an old acquaintance of Cotton Mather. They even took part to Cotton's graduation party and were aware of the young man's dependence on potent spirits.
Personality[]
Soughton is a strange man, almost grotesque. His movements are reminiscent of a overexcited boy. His always smiling face suggests a hint of madness.
Physical Appearance[]
A middle-aged man with shoulder-length gray hair , lively black eyes, with a unshaven beard and a tanned face marked by wrinkles. William Stoughton wore classic Puritan clothing, and putting on a pair of glasses with a metal frame.
Throughout the Salem series[]
Season Three[]
William Stoughton made his appearance with his wife on a road trip to Boston, Massachusetts, aboard a horse-drawn carriage. It was in this way that they ran in Cotton Mather, who was fleeing from his wife's witchcraft through the thick woods of Salem. William Stoughton, remembering the old days spent in Boston in the parish run by the late Increase Mather, offered to give a lift to young Mather.While Cotton Mather settled on the back of the chariot, Mrs. Stoughton cast a spell that caused a quick drowsiness in the Reverend. The two turned out to be two witches hired by the Dark Lord along with other "Night's Black Agents." Once they brought Mather to the safe of their country cottage, the two spouses tied the priest to a table deciding on what to do. As Mr. Stoughton wanted to deliver him immediately, he was convinced by his wife to delay the delivery so that the reward would be more generous. William then went back into the woods, pretending to still be looking for Cotton Mather, only to return in time to the cottage to prevent his wife from killing the priest and making him into some delicious meat pies. Arguing with his wife, William Stoughton could not prevent being stabbed in the middle of his chest by Cotton Mather, dropping to the ground, probably dead. (Night's Black Agents)
Appearances[]
| Season Three | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Episode | Appearance Status | ||
| After the Fall | Absent | ||
| The Heart Is A Devil | Absent | ||
| The Reckoning | Absent | ||
| Night's Black Agents | Appears | ||
| The Commonwealth of Hell | Absent | ||
| Wednesday's Child | Absent | ||
| The Man Who Was Thursday | Absent | ||
| Friday's Knights | Absent | ||
| Saturday Mourning | Absent | ||
| Black Sunday | Absent | ||
Memorable Quotes[]
- Mr Stoughton (to Cotton): Are you back on the bottle, son?
- -- Night's Black Agents
- _______________________________
- Cotton Mather: But you attended my father's sermons faithfully.
- Mr Stoughton: Fine words your father always spoke. Fine words. But then we moved to the country and began to farm. Soon we learned the dark secrets that working the land brings.
- --Night's Black Agents
- _______________________________
- Mr Stoughton: Stop, my dear! Our Dark Lord wants him greatly, but he insists on having him alive...
- Mrs Stoughton: Alive? But he will taste horrid alive.
- Mr Stoughton: I'm not sure he intends on eating him.
- Mrs Stoughton: Not eat him? Nonsense. Surely as soon as the Dark Lord tastes my dish, he will give us even more!
- Mr Stoughton: Very risky, my dear. Very risky.
- Mrs Stoughton: William, are you questioning my cooking?
- Mr Stoughton: Of course not, but we mustn't risk angering him. You saw what he did to that Essex hag.
- Mrs Stoughton: Are you calling me a hag now?
- Mr Stoughton: Did I say hag? I did not say hag. No, no. I would never call you a crone or a hag!
- -- Night's Black Agents
- ________________________________
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- This character may be the in-universe representation of the historical William Stoughton, a colonial magistrate and administrator in the Province of Massachusetts Bay. He was in charge of the Salem Witch Trials, first as the Chief Justice of the Special Court of Oyer and Terminer in 1692, and then as the Chief Justice of the Superior Court of Judicature in 1693.
- Although in the past episodes, several witches survived much more serious injuries than those inflicted by Cotton Mather to William Stoughton, from the lack of mention of the character, and the way he fell to the ground, it's fair to assume that he was actually dead. Also, William Stoughton does not seem to be a witch at the same level as Mercy Lewis, or Tituba.