1857.Roach, Marilynne K. The Salem Witch Trials: A Day-By-Day Chronicle of a Community Under Siege. I am a descendent of Rebecca Nurse as well. Rebecca (Towne) Nurse Family Tree along with family connections to other famous kin. Famous Kin of Mitt Romney . Back then it wasnt a big deal in my family, or in Salem. In the original Broadway production in 1953 she was played by Jean Adair, who died shortly afterwards. 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. It is no coincidence that we see witch hunt in the news today, Baker said. Nurse, to be sure, was only indirectly interested in the suit. She expressed great remorse for her role against Rebecca and her two sisters, Mary Eastey and Sarah Cloyce, in particular: Help Rebecca Nurse Homestead Celebrate Rebeccas 400th Birthday! [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. In 1712, Salem Church reversed Nurse's excommunication. In addition, Rebecca Nurse often criticized the afflicted girls for dabbling in fortune-telling prior to the witch trials, according to the book An Account of the Life, Character, & c. of Reverend Samuel Parris: It had been said that Rebecca Nurse was an object of special hatred to Parris, but this we have failed to discover. With the discovery of Proctors Ledge and what likely happened on it, genealogists with a connection to the witch trials have a more complete picture of what really happened to their ancestors than they did in the past, and this is always one of the most important parts of genealogy. I will be taking a trip to Salem this September as a tribute to my beloved 9th great-grandmother. Biden claims he had an ICU nurse who would whisper in his ear and BREATHE on him to make sure there was a 'human connection' President Joe Biden awkwardly gushed about the good treatment he . By 1852, Crumpler had moved to Charlestown, Massachusetts to begin her medical career as a nurse. Many historians believe that the Putnam family was behind the accusations against Nurse. Topsfield in the Witchcraft Delusion. The Historical Collections of the Topsfield Historical Society, vol. In this way, she probably incurred the displeasure of Ann Putnam and her mother her principle accusers. 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. What an interesting and in depth article. They told Rebecca openly that if she was innocent, they prayed that God would show her innocence, for "it is a sad thing to see church members accused". Anyone who is a descendant is invited to leave the familys story on the productions website. The inscription on the monument reads: Rebecca Nurse, Yarmouth, England 1621. Geo A. Kimball, 1892.Mays, Dorothy A. Just finding out that Rebecca Nurse is also a grandmother of mine . [3], 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. According to the book Women in Early America, Nurses conviction and execution marked the beginning of the end of the Salem Witch Trials. Shortly afterwards, the Towne family immigrated to Topsfield, Massachusetts. 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. Im a descendant if Rebecca Nurse too via her son John and grandson Benjamin Nourse. By dint of her respectability, many members of the community testified on her behalf, including her family members. So over 300 years and half a country away, these two families have shared an almost 20 year friendship that turned into a loving and respectful relationship. I am an innocent person.. Mary Towne Eastey (1634-1692) - (daughter) Executed by hanging on 22 Sept 1692 at Salem witch trials. [1] Rebecca had three sisters, Susan (baptized October 26, 1625; died July 29, 1630), Mary (baptized August 24, 1634; executed 1692) and Sarah. Rebecca Nurse was born on Feb. 21, 1621 (some sources give this as her baptism date), in Yarmouth, England, to William Towne and Joanna Blessing. I am working on cleaning up this line. Visit this site's About page to find out more about Rebecca. Nurse filed a petition protesting the verdict, pointing out she was "hard of hearing and full of grief.". Mom or Mary Ellen has two sistersShirley and Quincy they all live in California. Thomas Fisk. Knowing where the site of the hangings took place means descendants of those involved in the trials can visit it and honor their ancestors there. It has been 89% photographed. She was accused and arrested on April 8. Looking at old maps to discover where family farms were once located and where that property is today will give descendants at least a general idea of the resting places of their witch trial victim ancestors. We were fortunate enough to visit the homestead this Summer. Visitors walk by the Salem Witch Memorial. . During October, tourists flock to the North Shore city from around the world to celebrate the contemporary idea of witchcraft tied to Halloween. This so-called incriminating statement refers to when Nurse called accused witch Goody Hobbs one of us during her trial. The daughter of William (c. 15981672) and Joanna a Towne (c. 1595/991682) (ne Blessing), Rebecca Nurse was born in Great Yarmouth, England in 1621. Im an 8th grader currently working on my project focused on the Salem Witch trials and your article helped me so much! Could she get a "Notable Sticker" or is there some reason you don't want to do that? 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. They raised their family in Salem village (modern day Danvers, Massachusetts). New York: Frederick Ungar Publishing Co., 2 vv., v. 1 p.80, v. 2 pp. Famous descendants of rebecca nurse nr , Elizabeth Russell, Samuel Nurse, Benjamin Nurse, Sarah Bowden, Rebecca Preston, Mr. . All but one of their children were married by 1692. 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. Login to find your connection. Genealogy and finding ancestry through DNA are popular, and many people are surprised when they find a family connection to the trials. She died June 28, 1749 in her 90th year. Are we never to point out errors which common sense should have prevented in the first place? 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. Salem, Mass., 1692. She knows its just for laughs, wow really idk what number she is to me but she is my great grandmother as well!!!! In 1885, the descendants of Rebecca Nurse placed a granite memorial at her grave at what is now known as the Rebecca Nurse Homestead cemetery, located in Danvers . Btw Salem is a fascinating place, I was there twice. 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. Her family emigrated to the Massachusetts Bay Colony, settling in Salem, although most of the Towne family would eventually move inland to Topsfield. [8] Such so-called "spectral evidence" was allowed into the trial to show that Satan was afflicting others in the community at the behest of the accused. The jury asked Rebecca to explain her remark that another accused witch, Deliverance Hobbs, was "of her company", the implication being that they had both signed a pact with the Devil. Nurse was accused of witchcraft by Ann Putnam, Jr, Ann Putnam, Sr, and Abigail Williams of Salem village, as well as several others, including Reverend Deodat Lawson of Boston, who claimed to have seen Nurses spirit tormenting Ann Putnam, Sr, at her home that March. In doing my family tree I have found that I am a descendent of Rebecca Nurse. [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. I found your ROYAL connections.King George I (and should I say, the worst King in history)..really dad you couldnt do better than that?. This was very helpful, thank you! Twenty women and men were executed following the trials 19 were hanged, one was crushed to death and another five died in jail. She was tried and convicted in the spring and summer of 1692 and executed on July 19. The Salem Witch Trails were something I read about in school, but never knew I would have such close ties to them. We need to confirm that Ira was son of Ebenezer of Framingham, Mass., then I think we can confirm the lineage back to Salem. This is so interesting! Today I learned that my boyfriend is the 10 Great Grandson of Rebecca Nurses brother Edmund. This is a cenotaph erected in Rebeccas memory. This page has been accessed 22,910 times. [15] In Howe's novel, Nurse is used as a character foil for the main character, Deliverance Dane. 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. She was accused by townspeople Mary Walcott, Mercy Lewis, and Elizabeth Hubbard as well as by Ann Putnam Sr., who "cried out" during the proceedings to accuse Nurse of trying to get her to "tempt God and dye." John Nurse born about 1645; his death, if this is the same man, appears in Reading, Massachusetts Vital Records on 26 Nov 1717. Thank you for visiting the site! this site was amazing it helped me so much on my project thank you !!!!! At some point in the mid 1700s they migrated to Nova Scotia where i was born. ABC-CLIO, Inc, 2004.Goss, K. David. Lewis, Jone Johnson. When I was a kid, I found information in my grandmothers attic that showed we were descended from Rebecca Nurse, one of the women executed. Rebecca Nurse (February 21, 1621July 19, 1692) was a victim of the notorious Salem witch trials, hanged as a witch at 71 years of age. According to local legend, Nurses son, Benjamin, secretly rowed a boat after nightfall to the execution site to claim his mothers body so he could give her a Christian burial at her home. I would love to hear from anyone else who shares some of these ancestors. Sometime around 1644, she married Francis Nurse (or Nourse; 16181695), who was also born in England. Youre welcome Kayla! According to oral tradition, Nurse's family secretly returned after dark and dug up her body, which they interred properly on their family homestead. He admits to being influenced by his connection to Rebecca Nurse. 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. 8th great-grandmother Francis Nurse (c1618 - 1695) Great . Of Nurse's two sisters who also were charged with witchcraft, Easty was hanged on Sept. 22 and Cloyce's case was dismissed in January 1693. i hope you will like it, Rebecca Towne Nurse Family Tree Check All Members List, Coretta Scott King Family Tree View Complete Tree. Memorial plaque located on Masonic Temple. Douglas Grundy / Three Lions / Getty Images. The Nurses officially remained members to the Salem Towne church until their deaths, despite being very active within the village community. Doing our family tree I found out Rebecca was my 8th great grandmother. [1] This farm still exists, and is today preserved as the Rebecca Nurse Homestead. It is believed that her family came and collected her body that evening, taking her home to be buried in an unmarked grave on the homestead. She was the wife of Francis Nurse, with several children and grandchildren, and a well-respected member of the community. In accordance with the procedures at the time, Mrs. Nurse, like others accused of witchcraft, represented herself since she was not allowed to have a lawyer. The PBS film Three Sovereigns For Sarah features Vanessa Redgrave as one of Rebecca Nurse's sisters, Sarah Cloyce; although accused, she escaped execution. 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. 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. She is a former faculty member of the Humanist Institute. The accusations continued throughout the spring and into the summer but opposition to the trials began to grow. Wadsworth Publishing Co, 1972.Records of Salem Witchcraft: Copied from the Original Documents, Volume 1. They are my 5th great grandparents. 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. [citation needed] Fatally, Rebecca, who was hard of hearing, did not hear the question: she later explained to her children that she was referring to this woman as a fellow "accused" witch. In doing research on my Great-Great Great Grandgfather, Benjamin Nourse Fairbanks, I learned that I am a descendant of Rebecca Towne Nurse (her grandson changed spelling to Nourse and moved to Westborough, MA). The world redeemed from Superstition's sway. Allen was the principal, and he kept his promise to defend the title. Famous descendants of rebecca nurse. 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