From Humble Beginnings, Proctor Became Respected Businessman and Politician

Abstract

The son of Gershom and Emily Holland Proctor, John Newton Proctor entered the employment of William Gere after attending the Gaines Academy. Marrying Frances Orcelia Gere, the daughter of his business associate, Proctor became a respected local politician while his son-in-law, William P. L. Stafford, became entangled in one of the most controversial murder trials in local history.