Rebecca Towne (1621-1692)

Rebecca Towne Nurse (1621-1692) and her sister were put to death in the infamous Salem Witch Trials.

Rebecca Towne Nurse and her sister, Mary Towne Eastey, were both hung on July 19, 1692. A third sister, Sarah Towne Cloyes, was accused but eventually released.

There are various spellings of the Nurse surname, the most common of which being "Nourse." It appears the name changed back and forth several times. Nurse is an occupational name, such as "Baker", "Carpenter" or "Cook".

Vital Statistics
Daughter of William Towne and Joanna Blessing (1595-1682)

Biography
William's daughter, Joanna Blessing (1595-1682) married William Towne and they were Rebecca's parents. Joanna was born in Great Yarmouth and died in Topsfield, Essex county, Massachusetts. The couple had eight children, Rebecca, Edmond, Jacob, Joseph, Mary, Sarah, John and Susannah. All but Sarah and Joseph were born in England.William Towne and Joanna Blessing possibly left England on the ship "Rose of Yarmouth" in April 1637. The exact date they left England and name of the ship used is not known for sure. He was a puritan and apparently left England because of religious persecution like most of the people who left England for Massachusetts at that time.There is much less information on Rebecca's husband Francis Nurse. He was born January 18, 1618 in England and died November 22, 1695 in Salem Village. He and Rebecca married August 24, 1644 at Salem. What was then known as Salem Village then is now Danvers, MA.Francis had appeared in Salem in about 1640 at about the age of 19. He was described as "a youth," possibly an indentured servant. The first mention of him in Salem, lightly crossed out in court records, (probably by a sensitive descendant), is the presentment on March 31, 1640, of "Francis Nurse a youth for stealing of victualls (food) and for suspicion of breaking (into) a house."After Francis and Rebecca married, they lived for the next 30 years in the more thickly settled part of Salem, "near Skerry's" not far from where the bridge now crosses to Beverley. By trade he was a tray maker and artisan and in addition, he worked a small farm. They had eight children, Benjamin, Michael, Rebecca, John, Samuel, Sarah, Mary and Francis.

Salem Witch Trials
Rebecca Towne Nurse and her sister, Mary Towne Eastey, were both hung on July 19, 1692. A third sister, Sarah Towne Cloyes, was accused but eventually released.