John Winthrop comes close to bankruptcy.

Winthrop is brought near financial ruin by James Luxford, the steward of Winthrop’s farm in Medford, who contracted loans in Winthrop’s name and forged checks to place Winthrop in debt. Also accused of bigamy at the time, Luxford is jailed, pilloried, and has his ears cut off in May 1640. He then moves to Plymouth.