Home Page |Surname List |Index of Individuals |InterneTree |Sources


Nourse Family:
Sources

1. hanged as a witch
2. Mary Towne was summoned to testify against her sister in laws on 6 September 1692. On 7 September 1692 the widow Towne sent her regrets to the court, 'I humbly beg that your honors will not impute anything concerning our not coming as contempt of authority. We would come, but we are in a strange condition. Most of us can scarcely get out of our beds, we are so weak, and not able to ride at all. As for my daughter, Rebecca, she has strange fits and sometimes she is knocked down of a sudden.' On 8 September 1692 a second summons for the widow Towne and her daughter Rebecca stated, 'We command you, all excuses set apart to be and appear at the Court of Oyer and Terminer holden at Salem tomorrow morning at eight of the clock precisely, there to testify the truth against Mary Easty. Hereof, fail not at your utmost peril.' Ephraim Wildes, constable of Topsfield, answered, 'I have warned the widow Towne and her daughter to appear in court.' No Towne testimony is extant. Source: 'The Devil Discovered', 1991, Enders A. Robinson, p 277-278.
3. Widow Polly Snell of Herkimer, NY
4. St. Nicholas, Yarmouth, Norfolkshire, England Emigrated to America about 1635
5. died of smallpox
6. Moved from Rutland to Packersfield in 1772 Moved from Packersfield to Littleton in 1786
7. Moved to Denver, CO?
8. Moved to Milwaukee, WI?
9. Moved to Eagle Bend, MN?
10. Moved to Blue Ridge, IL?
11. Moved to High Point, NC?
12. Moved to Peoria, IL?
13. Moved to Billings, MT?
14. Moved to Des Moines, IA?
15. Moved to Adair, MO ?
16. Moved to Pomona, CA?
17. Moved to Wyoming, IL ?
18. Moved to Stark, IL?
19. Moved to Boulder, CO?
20. Moved to Indianapolis, IN?
21. Billings, MT Lawn Ridge, IL
22. Moved to Blue Ridge, IL? Moved to Chillicothe, IL?
23. Owned a mill in Rutland
24. [Rebecca Towne] married Francis Nurse (born, 18 January, 1618, Yarmouth, Bristol, England, who died in Salem, 22 November, 1695. He was "an early settler, and had lived for some forty years, 'near Skerry's,' on the North River, between the main part of the settlement in the town of Salem and the ferry to Beverly. He is described as a 'tray-maker.' The making of these articles and similar objects of domestic use was an important employment in a new country remote from foreign supply. He appears to have been a very respectable person, of great stability and energy of character; whose judgment was much relied on by his neighbors. No one is mentioned more frequently as umpire to settle disputes, or arbitrator to adjust conflicting claims. He was often on committees to determine boundaries or estimate valuations, or on local juries to lay out highways and assess damages. " David L. Beckwith
25. Moved to Chillicothe, IL?
26. In Edmerston, VT 1790 & 1800
27. Widow (Elizabeth Morse) of Joseph Morse
28. However, Rebecca (Towne) Dubois noted that "William Towne (b. 21 May 1603) of St. Nicholas, Yarmouth, Norfolkshire, England. emigrated to America in about 1635. William was father of Rebecca Towne Nurse, Sarah Cloyes, and Mary Easty all of whom were convicted in the Salem witch trials of the 1690's. He was father of eight children.
29. hanged as a witch
30. Rebecca Town was born and baptized in Yarmouth England and moved to Salem in 1632/1640. Her parents were William Towne and Joanna Blessing. (William Towne was either the son of John Towne and Elizabeth Clarke or Richard Towne and Ann Denton. For extensive links to the Towne Family as well as the Russells, see John Berry's pages. The Nurse Homestead was in Danvers and is now a memorial to her, those killed with her, and the good citizens of Danvers and Salem who protested her slaying. She was hung as a witch following the Salem witch trials in 1692. See the biography of Rebecca Nurse and a discussion of the Salem witch trials by Tapley: Charles Sutherland Tapley, Rebecca Nurse: Saint but witch victim. Marshall Jones, Boston, 1930. (reprinted 1993 by Danvers Alarm List Company, Danvers, Mass. and available from the Eastern National Parks and Monument Assoc. in Salem, Mass. There are a good deal of web pages devoted to Rebecca Nurse and her fellow victims. Among those are guides for students and genealogists. Among the most useful is the work of David L. Beckwith who has organized 5 generations of the Nurse family. Also see the web discussion of the Salem trials and Rebecca Nurse prepared by Allan Gilbertson who is descended from Francis Nurse II. A pseudo newspaper of old New England contains articles on Rebecca Nurse: the Tradgedy of Injustice as well as articles on the Salem Witch Trials. A very extensive discussion of the trials, the accusations of the Towne sisters, and the aftermath of the trials may be found on pages developed by John Berry. An academic look at the Salem witch trials is an ongoing project of the University of Virginia's etext project. This provides extensive documentation of the accusers, the accused, and the defenders. Also includes maps and original texts. She married Francis Nurse (born, 18 January, 1618, Yarmouth, Bristol, England, who died in Salem, 22 November, 1695. He was "an early settler, and had lived for some forty years, 'near Skerry's,' on the North River, between the main part of the settlement in the town of Salem and the ferry to Beverly. He is described as a 'tray-maker.' The making of these articles and similar objects of domestic use was an important employment in a new country remote from foreign supply. He appears to have been a very respectable person, of great stability and energy of character; whose judgment was much relied on by his neighbors. No one is mentioned more frequently as umpire to settle disputes, or arbitrator to adjust conflicting claims. He was often on committees to determine boundaries or estimate valuations, or on local juries to lay out highways and assess damages. " David L. Beckwith Their children were: 1. John, b. ca. 1645; d. 1719; m. (1st) Elizabeth Smith; m. (2nd) Elizabeth Very 2. Sarah,b 1648, m. Michael Bowden 15 Dec 1669 3. Rebecca, b. 1647; d. 1719; m. Thomas Preston 4. Samuel, b. ca. 1649; d. 1719/20; m. Mary Smith 5. Mary, b. 1655; m. John Tarbell 6. Elizabeth, b. Jan. 9, 1656/57; m. William Russell 7. Francis, b. Feb. 3, 1660/61; d. Feb. 5, 1715/16; m. Sarah Craggen 8. Benjamin, b. Jan. 26, 1665/1666; d. ca. 1748; m. Tamesin
31. hanged as a witch
32. St. Nicholas, Yarmouth, Norfolkshire, England Emigrated to America about 1635
33. However, Rebecca (Towne) Dubois noted that "William Towne (b. 21 May 1603) of St. Nicholas, Yarmouth, Norfolkshire, England. emigrated to America in about 1635. William was father of Rebecca Towne Nurse, Sarah Cloyes, and Mary Easty all of whom were convicted in the Salem witch trials of the 1690's. He was father of eight children.
34. hanged as a witch
35. "William Towne (b. 21 May 1603) of St. Nicholas, Yarmouth, Norfolkshire, England. emigrated to America in about 1635. William was father of Rebecca Towne Nurse, Sarah Cloyes, and Mary Easty all of whom were convicted in the Salem witch trials of the 1690's. He was father of eight children.
36. St. Nicholas, Yarmouth, Norfolkshire, England Emigrated to America about 1635
37. hanged as a witch
38. From tombstone of Roswell J. Nourse Moved to New Orleans?
Created with Family Tree Maker

Home | Help | About Us | Biography.com | HistoryChannel.com | Site Index | Terms of Service | PRIVACY
© 2009 Ancestry.com