No one attended a school alone. For example, John Wise, a classmate of Salem's new pastor Paris at Harvard, had not suffered the early death of his father as Paris had. After graduating, he became a pastor in Ipswich, Massachusetts, as well.
America had many cities that shared names with places in Britain. Ipswich in New England, for instance, had the same name as Ipswich in Scotland. Located northeast of Boston, it bordered the coast and salt marshes, with streams and wetlands nearby. In short, it was a fine place for illegal immigration and smuggling.
Many European immigrants retained the habits they had developed while living in Europe. The English and Irish, for example, enjoyed tea, and tea imported from India was subject to customs duties.
Setting aside the background of the Boston Tea Party, which sparked the American Revolutionary War, Ipswich officials had reason to believe that the townspeople were collaborating with smugglers and sheltering fugitives wanted within the country. Pastor John Wise protested the government's abuse of power. He was eloquent, bold, and charismatic, and locals regarded him as a hero. People were happy to go to church and listen to his sermons.
Having arrived in the New World, they naturally could not continue Europe's old struggle between religious and secular authority. John Wise was imprisoned by the government and was not released until the public protested.
Logically, someone with a criminal record like that should have had his life ruined. There were many people at the bottom of American society who had made minor mistakes and ended up with records.
American prisons were not so bad, really. At the very least, they had roofs that kept out the wind and rain, along with three free meals a day. That was far better than becoming homeless and sleeping