The verdict was not surprising as Nurse was well-liked in Salem and 39 people had risked their lives to sign a petition in support of her. The list of descendants of Nurse includes former presidential candidate Mitt Romney, "Scrubs" actor Zach Braff and "I Love Lucy" star Lucille Ball. . Yet I see notes on WikiTree from people declaring they "cleaning up" the descendants' line. Ancestor charts showing the family relationships of Rebecca (Towne) Nurse (1621-1692) to other famous people. In 1957, Massachusettsformally apologized for the trials, but It wasn't until 2001 that the last 11 of those convicted were fully exonerated. In the early 1850s, there was no formal school where one could become licensed as a nurse (the first one opened in 1873), so . She was born on February 21, 1621 and her birthplace is England. These sources are attached to each ancestor so that you can personally judge their reliability. Its a legacy that speaks to the need for the rule of law and the impartiality of the judiciary.. Yes, I know it is an artifact. T > Towne | N > Nurse > Rebecca (Towne) Nurse, Categories: English Immigrants to America | Salem, Massachusetts | Salem Witch Trials | Accused Witches of New England | Death by Hanging | Nurse Homestead Cemetery, Danvers, Massachusetts | Salem Witch Trials Memorial, Salem, Massachusetts | Puritan Great Migration | Notables, WIKITREE HOME | ABOUT | G2G FORUM | HELP | SEARCH. She expressed great remorse for her role against Rebecca and her two sisters, Mary Eastey and Sarah Cloyce, in particular: "I desire to be humbled before God for that sad and humbling providence that befell my father's family in the year about '92; that I, then being in my childhood, should, by such a providence of God, be made an instrument 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. In doing my family tree I have found that I am a descendent of Rebecca Nurse. Rebecca Nurse is my 10th great grandmother. Sometimes we are assisting someone looking for a connection to a different event and they get surprised to find their ancestors were connected to the witch trials.. Salem has had historical amnesia. 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. When the verdict not guilty was, the honoured court was pleased to object against it, saying to them, that they think they let slip the words, which the prisoner at the bar spake against her self which were spoken in reply to Goodwife Hobbs and her daughter, who had been faulty in setting their hands to the devils book, as they have confessed formerly; the words were what, do these persons give in evidence against me now, they used to come against us. After the honoured court had manifested their dissatisfaction of the verdict, several of the jury declared themselves desirous to go out again, and thereupon the hounored court gave leave; but when we came to consider the case, I could not tell how to take her words, as evidence against her, till she had a further opportunity to put her sense upon them, if she would take it; and then going into court, I mentioned the aforesaid, which by one of the court were affirmed to have been spoken by her, she being then at the bar, but made no reply, nor interpretation of them; whereupon these words were to me principal evidence against her. After emigrating to Salem MA, two additional children, Joseph and Sarah were born. Mary was convicted and executed, but Sarah managed to survive. 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. Geneanet. She and the Putnam family had fought in court several times over land. Mary Towne Eastey (1634-1692) - (daughter) Executed by hanging on 22 Sept 1692 at Salem witch trials. 2008 - 2023 INTERESTING.COM, INC. This made them wonder if any of the other accused witches were possibly innocent. [13] In 1892, the community erected a second monument recognizing the 40 neighbors, led by Israel and Elizabeth (Hathorne) Porter, who took the risk of publicly supporting Nurse by signing a petition to the court on her behalf in 1692. By dint of her respectability, many members of the community testified on her behalf, including her family members. Just change it when you see it. St. Nicholas Church at Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England, https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/640804/nurse-homestead-cemetery, Site of Salem Witch Trial Hangings Discovered: Why Its Important to Genealogists, https://www.freereg.org.uk/search_records/5818f6cee93790ec8b81a8b3, https://archive.org/details/salemwitchcraftw02upha_0/page/268, https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QG1K-FSRB, https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QG1K-ZTS2, https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QG1K-S45M, http://salem.lib.virginia.edu/n12.html#n12.4, https://www.mass.gov/doc/resolves-of-1957-chapter-145/download, https://malegislature.gov/Laws/SessionLaws/Acts/2001/Chapter122, https://ancestralfindings.com/site-of-salem-witch-trial-hangings-discovered-why-its-important-to-genealogists, The Salem Witchcraft Papers (SWP No. Married Rebecca Nurses daughter Elizabeth Nurse, b. Great Yarmouth, Great Yarmouth Borough, Norfolk, England. , i hope you will like it about rebecca towne nurse family tree please comment if we missed anything here, please let us know. Rebecca Towne Nurse of Salem Village, Massachusetts was probably the most famous of the "witches" of the Salem Witchcraft Hysteria.. Rebecca was one of three sisters accused and imprisoned for witchcraft. The Rebecca Nurse homestead is still a museum. Mom is Mary Ellen, a very fair shinned, blue eyed redhead (copper) and an extremely pretty lady, mom is an artist. Nicholas Noyes the minister who accompanied the accused persons to their deaths, was a distant uncle, as I am descended from his sister Hannah Noyes. A deposition written by Thomas Putnam, signed on May 31, detailed accusations of torment of his wife, Ann Putnam Sr., by Nurse's and Corey's "specters," or spirits, on March 18 and 19. Goodcursed the presiding clergyman, Nicholas Noyes, from the gallows, saying "if you take away my life God will give you blood to drink." Born in Yarmouth, England in 1621 to William Towne and Joanna Blessing, her entire family immigrated to the Massachusetts Bay Colony sometime between the years 1638 and 1640. in Great Yarmouth, England , United States, Died on July 19, 1692 Home > Mitt Romney Genealogy > Famous Kin. The name Rebecca literally means to tie up, a noose, or frequently translated secured. However, Rebecca and her sister Mary Towne Easty were hanged. Two years ago I took my family to see the Nurse home on Pine street. https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/640804/nurse-homestead-cemetery. Rebecca Nurse is my 8th great grandmother. I would love to hear from anyone else who shares some of these ancestors. In the original Broadway production in 1953 she was played by Jean Adair, who died shortly afterwards. On July 3, the Salem Church excommunicated Nurse. Greenwood Press, 2008. Our job was to make sure no one ever forgets the victims.. Her trial and death are elements of the Doctor Who novel The Witch Hunters. I have always been interested in the Salem Witch Trials now I know why! This is a brief summary of my line back to Rebecca (Towne) Nurse: Sarah Craggen (?-?) [4] Thirty-nine of the most prominent members of the community signed a petition on Nurse's behalf. Rebecca(Preston) then had 1715.Charles A Towns of Park Ridge , IL, who is collecting records of the descendants of William and Joanna Blessing Towne, parents of Rebecca Nurse, now has a record of 15,203 descendants of Rebecca Nurse and believes that these are at least 30,000 descendants of this worthy woman. During October, tourists flock to the North Shore city from around the world to celebrate the contemporary idea of witchcraft tied to Halloween. Rebecca Nurse (February 21, 1621-July 19, 1692) was a victim of the notorious Salem witch trials, hanged as a witch at 71 years of age. I think they may be deleted, Mr. Putnam, please :-) Thanks. Ann Putnam Jr's Apology: The controversy was a long one, going finally to the General Court for settlement. 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. She appears to have been an amiable and exemplary woman, and well educated for the times in which she lived. Rebecca was christened 21 on February 1620/21 in Norfolk, England, the daughter of Joanna (Blessing) and William Towne. They raised their family in Salem village (modern day Danvers, Massachusetts). However, after the not guilty verdict was read in court, the afflicted girls began having fits and cried out against Nurse, according to the book The Salem Witch Trials: A Reference Guide: When Thomas Fiske, the jury foreman, announced the verdict the afflicted children raised such an outcry that Chief Justice William Stoughton asked Fiske to reconsider. In this way, she probably incurred the displeasure of Ann Putnam and her mother her principle accusers. My maternal great grandfather was (Joseph) Josiah Nourse, his wife, Edith Sprague Please reply. Rebecca Towne Nurse (21 Feb 1621 19 Jul 1692) was executed for witchcraft by the government of the Province of Massachusetts Bay in New England during the Salem Witch Trials in 1692. Mary married John Tarbell at Salem, on October 25, 1678. Ck out: Salem Witch Trials in History and Literature. Rebecca Towne (1621-1692) 2. She is my 10 great grandmother on my mothers paternal side of the family. Benjamins grandmother was Sarah Nourse, great great grandaughter of Rebecca. From Wikepedia: I cant tell you how much horror and shame I have felt knowing what my ancestors did. ", The Nurse family accepted Ann's apology and were reconciled with her:[10] by contrast, they never forgave Samuel Parris, the village minister, whom they held personally to blame for their bereavement "none can know what we suffered by the loss of such a mother" and they did not rest until Parris was removed from office in 1697. [citation needed]. In response to their outbursts Nurse stated, "I have got nobody to look to but God. As with any good genealogical research, if you discover a link to your own family tree, consider it a starting point for further research. this site was amazing it helped me so much on my project thank you !!!!! She is my ninth great grandmother, Im 62. Having a family connection to the witch trials is not unusual. [4], This occurred during a time when the Massachusetts colony was seized with hysteria over witchcraft and the supposed presence of Satan within the colony. display: none; Twenty women and men were executed following the trials 19 were hanged, one was crushed to death and another five died in jail. Nurse, a member of Salem Church, was known for her piety but also for occasionally losing her temper. On July 3, just days after Nurse was convicted, she was taken to the church and publicly excommunicated, according to the book Salem-Village Witchcraft: 1692, July 3 After sacrament, the elders propounded to the church, and it was, by unanimous vote, consented to, that our sister Nurse, being a convicted witch by the court, and condemned to die, should be excommunicated; which was accordingly done in the afternoon, she being present.. If he doesnt appear soon I can take care of this. The court asked the jury to reconsider the verdict; they found her guilty after reviewing the evidence and discovering that she had failed to answer one question put to her (perhaps because she was nearly deaf). Michele, c'mon You know that's an artifact of early wikitree formatting. . The young wife . Thank you for visiting rebecca towne nurse family tree page. John Nurse (1673-1747) 4. Often the "afflicted" would break into fits and claim Nurse was tormenting them. An Undergraduate Course, University of Virginia"As land became scarcer, quarrels regarding boundaries between the settlement to become known as Topsfield and Salem went on for a century. (c1598/9 - c1673) Great Migration Immigrant 1639, Hall of Fame Major League Baseball Player. Rebecca Towne was born in 1621 in England and moved to Salem, MA circa 1635 with her family. ", Tradition has long said that the sons of convicted and executed witch Rebecca Nurse came back to the execution site under cover of darkness and removed their mothers body for burial in the family cemetery. His Salem State University biography states, This tragedy shapes his commitment to social justice and human rights.. On April 3, Nurse's younger sister, Sarah Cloyce (or Cloyse), came to Nurse's defense. Rebecca Nurse (February 13, 1621 July 19, 1692) was a woman who was accused of witchcraft and executed by hanging in New England during the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Mary Eastey was born Mary Towne to William Towne and Joanna Towne ( ne Blessing) in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England. in journalism. The play focuses on the true story of Haverhill Judge Nathaniel Saltonstall, who served on the court and questioned the fairness of the trials. Rebecca was portrayed by actress Shirley MacLaine in the 2002 CBS miniseries, Salem Witch Trials. You are the (8? 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