The property was originally established by Townshend Bishop when he was . Due to the rarity of such household goods, such artisans were esteemed. Thank you! Eventually the Nurse family homestead was sold to Phineas Putnam, a cousin of Rebecca's great-great grandson Benjamin, in 1784. in journalism. Three Sisters all accused of witchcraft. The Rebecca Nurse homestead still stands in Danvers, the new name of Salem Village, and is open to tourists. The next day, a grand jury indicted Nurse and John Willard for witchcraft. [2] Her husband was a "tray maker" by trade, who likely made many other wooden household items. Executed for Witchcraft, Salem 1692. Thomas Fisk. They are my 5th great grandparents. The controversy was a long one, going finally to the General Court for settlement. The accusers and spectators protested loudly when the verdict was announced. Research devoted solely to this person has either not yet taken place or it is currently in progress. Some children appear to be incorrect - have no sources that indicate that there were more children than these eight: John, Samuel, Francis, Benjamin, Mary Tarbell, Sarah Boden, Rebecca Preston and Elizabeth Russell, all named in Francis division of his estate. The daughter of William and Joanna Blessing Towne, Rebecca was born in Great . Although her exact resting place has never been confirmed her descendants erected a tall granite memorial in the family plot in 1885 at the Rebecca Nurse Homestead cemetery in Danvers (formerly Salem Village), Massachusetts. Also located at the homestead is the Nurse family cemetery and a replica of the Salem Village Meetinghouse. The abuses of the Salem witch trials contributed to changes in U.S. court procedures, including the guarantee of the right to legal representation, the right to cross-examine ones accuser, and the presumption of innocence instead of guilt. We suspect, from an examination of the charges brought against her at the courts, that she had several times severely rebuked the accusing girls for their folly and wickedness, when meeting in their circles. A second exam later that day stated that several of the observed physical abnormalities had changed; they attested that on Nurse, the "Excresence appears only as a dry skin without sense" at this later exam. In 1712, the Salem Towne church reversed the verdict of excommunication it had passed on her: "that it be no longer a reproach to her memory or an occasion of grief to her children".[12]. That was before Nurse and 21 others of the 33 who had been convicted were exonerated in 1711 by the state, which paid compensation to the families of the victims. The examining magistrates, John Hathorne and Jonathan Corwin, who normally regarded the guilt of the accused as self-evident, took a notably different attitude in Rebecca's case, as they also did in the case of her sister Mary Eastey. In Arthur Miller's The Crucible, Rebecca Nurse is a prominent and respected older woman in Puritan Salem, drawn into the witchcraft trials because of her and her husband's friction with the Putnams.Though she has the least stage time of any of the major characters, Rebecca is important because of the moral ideals she represents. Leave a message for others who see this profile. Since many Salem residents who criticized the witch trials and the people involved were often accused of being witches themselves, Nurses criticism made her even more of a target. Enter a grandparent's name. This is a cenotaph erected in Rebeccas memory. Shortly afterwards, the Towne family immigrated to Topsfield, Massachusetts. That night, Nurse's family removed her body and buried it secretly on their family farm. Sometime around 1644, she married Francis Nurse (or Nourse; 16181695), who was also born in England. She also had three brothers, Edmund (baptized June 1628), Jacob (baptized March 11, 1631 or 1632) and Joseph (born c. 1639). Knowing the families probably buried all the victims on the family property will give those with witch ancestry a better idea of where their ancestor now rests. If you take all the people associated with the trial the accused, judges, witnesses, jurors, court officers and you multiply that by nine or 10 generations, you get about one million people around the world that have a family connection, said Baker. Lewis, Jone Johnson. Ancestor charts showing the family relationships of Rebecca (Towne) Nurse (1621-1692) to other famous people. Gagnon, Daniel A., A Salem Witch: The Trial, Execution, and Exoneration of Rebecca Nurse. Rebecca Nurse was a 71-year-old grandmother and wife of a local artisan when she was accused of witchcraft during the Salem Witch Trials. (Years later, Noyes died of a brain hemorrhage; legend has it that he choked on his blood.) Sarah Cloyce: Accused in the Salem Witch Trials, Profile of Elizabeth How, Persecuted Salem Witch, Abigail Williams of the Salem Witch Trials, Mary Easty: Hanged as a Witch in Salem, 1692, Biography of Martha Corey, Last Woman Hung in the Salem Witch Trials, Biography of Elizabeth Parris, Accuser in the Salem Witch Trials, A Brief History of the Salem Witchcraft Trials, Rev. Nurse denied all of the accusations, stating during her examination on March 24: I can say before my Eternal Father I am innocent and God will clear my innocencyThe Lord knows I have not hurt them. Rebecca Nurse HomesteadWebsite: www.rebeccanurse.orgAddress: 149 Pine Street, Danvers, Mass, Salem Witch Trials MemorialAddress: Liberty Street, Salem, Mass, Proctors Ledge MemorialAddress: 7 Pope Street, Salem, Mass, Site of the Salem Witch Trials ExecutionsAddress: Proctors Ledge, wooded area between Proctor Street and Pope Street, Salem, Mass. Rebecca Nurse is a central character in Arthur Miller's play The Crucible. Rebecca (Towne) Nurse migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1620-1640). Twenty women and men were executed following the trials 19 were hanged, one was crushed to death and another five died in jail. "The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane", Hyperion, 1401340903. Privacy Policy | ContactMe 2010-2023 FamousKin.com. Upham, Charles (1980). Nurse filed a petition protesting the verdict, pointing out she was "hard of hearing and full of grief.". She died June 28, 1749 in her 90th year. What an interesting and in depth article. Nurse's trial was featured in an episode of the CBS radio program "CBS Is There," which aired on July 28, 1947. Today with the focus on tourism, there is much more interest in being a descendant.. The place of the executions is a great connector to the past, said Marilynne Roach, a Watertown author and scholar who was part of the Gallows Hill Project. There is certainly a headstone for her in the family cemetery today, though it was erected long after the execution, in July 1885. We cannot imagine the cause of the alleged complaint of witchcraft. In 1957, Massachusettsformally apologized for the trials, but It wasn't until 2001 that the last 11 of those convicted were fully exonerated. Just finding out that Rebecca Nurse is also a grandmother of mine . I have a book written in 1930 by Charles Sutherland Tapley all about the family and the trial. Rebecca and Francis frequented the Salem Village meeting house and Francis was quite active in the community becoming well respected in Salem Village; he was often asked to serve as mediator to help settle matters. Lewis, Jone Johnson. Christopher Child, senior genealogist at New England Historic Genealogy Society in Boston also traces his family to Rebecca Nurse through her brother. We hear lots of family legends about connections to important historical events. 2008 - 2023 INTERESTING.COM, INC. Salem Witchcraft. Are we never to point out errors which common sense should have prevented in the first place? First Lady of President Calvin Coolidge. She was the wife of Francis Nurse, with several children and grandchildren, and a well-respected member . She expressed great remorse for her role against Rebecca and her two sisters, Mary Eastey and Sarah Cloyce, in particular: ; Salem citing his usual copious sources.[6]. One particular point was emphasized, and the jury requested a second chance of deliberation (a legal practice used in those days). Then we are related in some way because her brother Edmund is my 8th great-grandfather! I am working on cleaning up this line. So WHY was it left on this page for years? Rebecca Towne Nurse (or Nourse) (February 21, 1621 - July 19, 1692) was executed for witchcraft by the government of the Province of Massachusetts Bay in New England in 1692, during the Salem Witch Trials. It would be more interesting I believe. Biography of Rebecca Nurse, Victim of the Salem Witch Trials. The statements had no effect on the courts decision and Nurse was hanged at Proctors Ledge on July 19, along with Sarah Good, Elizabeth Howe, Susannah Martin and Sarah Wildes. This fact, along with the lack of reports of any gallows being built for the witch trial executions, and no debris being found at the site led researchers to conclude the convicted witches were hanged from trees. Mary Towne and her family moved to America around 1640. This was taken from the book. The map below shows the places where the ancestors of the famous person lived. However, the family of Rebecca Nurse, according to legend, got to her body, removed it from the ditch in Salem and buried it in secret on the family farm in Salem Village (now Danvers, Massachusetts) .. Several years after her execution, it was agreed that she had been innocent of being a witch. Wrong username or password. On Aug. 25, 1706, Ann Putnam Jr. publicly apologized "for the accusing of several persons of a grievous crime, whereby their lives were taken away from them, whom, now I have just grounds and good reason to believe they were innocent persons" She named Nurse specifically. Rebecca Nurse. His Salem State University biography states, This tragedy shapes his commitment to social justice and human rights.. Keenan and Child plan to see the play, and Baker will be a guest speaker following the performance Oct. 18 at 7:30 p.m. On Sunday, Oct. 20, there will be a special descendants performance at 2:30 p.m., followed by a post-show conversation with Roach and Rachel Christ, director of education at the Salem Witch Museum. in Great Yarmouth, England , United States, Died on July 19, 1692 She was fully exonerated fewer than twenty years later. [citation needed]. This lack of a response, probably due to Rebeccas partial deafness, was unexpected. My mother had told me to ask him about the new linage information, so I did. Francis Nurse died on Nov. 22, 1695, two years after the trials had ended. The dispute culminated in John Putnam and members of his family meeting the Eastys and the Townes on the disputed land where they got into a heated argument. Executed for witchcraft in the Salem witch trials, Born on February 21, 1621 Benjamin born January 22 1666; died in 1748; married first Tomasin/Tamesin/Thamesin Smith on February 21, 1688. She was fully exonerated fewer than twenty years later. this site was amazing it helped me so much on my project thank you !!!!! My great grand father 9th removed, William Russell b.1647, England, d.22 Dec 1733, Essex Co. Mass. in Danvers (Salem Village), Massachusetts, This form allows you to report an error or to submit additional information about this family tree: Rebecca NURSE (1621), Biography from Wikipedia (see original) under licence CC BY-SA 3.0. This so-called incriminating statement refers to when Nurse called accused witch Goody Hobbs one of us during her trial. 9 Jan 1656, Essex Co., Mass. Gallows Hill is a place of unspeakable sorrow. Rebeccas My 9th Great Grandmother. Please include para on the "Towne" Sisters, . Anderson in the "Great Migration Directory" lists a William Towne of unknown origin who immigrated to Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1635 and a William Towne of Great Yarmouth who immigrated to Salem in 1639 making it seem most likely that this family, known to have lived in Salem, were the 1639 immigrants. I was shocked to learn of her history. Thanks Ellen, that would be great as you mentioned that the Profile Manager hasn't been active for a while. She is a former faculty member of the Humanist Institute. [citation needed]. This work was adapted for films in 1957 and 1996; Nurse was portrayed by actresses Marguerite Coutan-Lambert and Elizabeth Lawrence, respectively. The family tree for Rebecca (Towne) Nurse should not be considered exhaustive or authoritative. I dont remember for sure) great granddaughter of Rebecca Towne Nurse, a witch. (should I say he was laughing at me expression). Oxford University Press, 2014.Fowler, Samuel P. An Account of the Life, Character, & c. of Reverend Samuel Parris. Both women were church members and respected, prominent members of the community. Ann Putnam Jr. Is my 2nd cousin 10x removed and Captain John Putnam was my 10 Great Grandfather. Salem, Mass., 1692. She is also mentioned in passing in Robin Cook's suspense novel Acceptable Risk. The Dowling Family Tree with over half a million relatives,contains thousands of pictures and over four thousand GeneaStars.We are all related! After all, all of Rebecca Nurses accusers, including Abigail Williams, Ann Putnam, Jr, Ann Putnam, Sr., Edward Putnam, Thomas Putnam, Henry Kenney, Mary Walcott, and Elizabeth Hubbard were either Putnam family members or friends of the family. [1] Rebecca had three sisters, Susan (baptized October 26, 1625; died July 29, 1630), Mary (baptized August 24, 1634; executed 1692) and Sarah. [2] and gives the couple the following children (sources added where found so far; these children are also detailed in Ames' "Nurse FamilyFive Generations" but again without primary sources usually listed[7]): [NOTE: Mary and Tamesin Smith were sisters that married Samuel and Benjamin Nurse, Mary & Tamesin were daughters of John and Margaret (Thompson?Buffum) Smith of Salem.}. Chicago, Illinois. I was wondering if one of the managers could add a few quick words to the effect that Rebecca Nurse was FALSELY accused of witchcraft by some of her neighbors. TOWNE Family Genealogy Rebecca TOWNE was born 21 February 1621 in England. Rebecca was portrayed by actress Shirley MacLaine in the 2002 CBS miniseries, Salem Witch Trials. "[9], In the end, the jury ruled Nurse not guilty. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/rebecca-nurse-biography-3530327. I want to visit the house at night or dark hours. Nurse was the subject of Lectures on Witchcraft by Charles W. Upham. W. Elliot Woodward, 1864.Kimball, Henrietta D. Witchcraft Illustrated. Yes, I know it is an artifact. S. Nancy Newton . Nurse was also the sister of accused witches, Mary Easty and Sarah Cloyce, and the daughter of suspected witch Joanna Blessing Towne. Anyone who is a descendant is invited to leave the familys story on the productions website. Her family emigrated to the Massachusetts Bay Colony, settling in Salem, although most of the Towne family would eventually move inland to Topsfield. However the jury had changed their verdict and sentenced Nurse to death on July 19, 1692. According to oral tradition, Nurse's family secretly returned after dark and dug up her body, which they interred properly on their family homestead. The following day, at the request of the Nurse family, Fiske gave a statement explaining why the jury changed their verdict to guilty: July 4, 1692. Mary Eastey was born Mary Towne to William Towne and Joanna Towne ( ne Blessing) in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England. Mom is Mary Ellen, a very fair shinned, blue eyed redhead (copper) and an extremely pretty lady, mom is an artist. I am a descendent of Rebecca Nurse as well. View all posts by Rebecca Beatrice Brooks. I truly believe it was "greed" and "land grab"I have both the Putnams & Towns in my tree. Meticulously researched, Gagnon traces the history and biography of Nurse and her family through their New World settlement; the dramatic . Allen was the principal, and he kept his promise to defend the title. Then I looked at him and said, Well I wonder how many people can say that they are ROYAL WITCHES? My two sons just about fell out of their chairs.it was a good day in my opinion. The play focuses on the true story of Haverhill Judge Nathaniel Saltonstall, who served on the court and questioned the fairness of the trials. 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