SALEM WITCH TRIALSREBECCA NURSE

By Morgan Shaker

My name is Rebecca Nurse.

I was born in about 1621, in Yarmouth, Norfolk County, England

I am the daughter of William Towne and Joanna Blessing.

I was baptized on February 21, 1621

When I was 19 years old, my family and I moved to Salem, Mass.

There, I met my husband Francis Nurse, who I married in 1645

My husband was a few years older than I, but had much to show. He was a prospering tray maker and Salem’s constable in 1672

We made off well and were able to buy 300 acres of land, which we could share with our 8 children

Throughout my years in Salem, I had been involved in several land disputes that may have caused hatred toward my family and I

At age 71, I was accused of witchcraft and a warrant was issued for my arrest as a suspect

I was indicted in June and given a physical examination. A “mark of the devil” was found and when I asked for a reexamination, it was denied

The Trial

I was tried on June 29, 1692 My son, son-in-law, and

daughter-in-law all spoke in my defense, but it made little difference

39 members of the community, including friends and family signed both a community and individual petition in favor of me

The judge handling my case did not believe I was guilty because of my age, character, and appearance

The Verdict On June 30, I was found

“Not Guilty” After the decision was

made, one of my friends I had met in jail had said, “she is one of us.” (Goody Hobbs)

The judge had asked me what it had meant, but I did not hear the question so it was assumed that I was guilty

I later found out, that “one of us” meant that we were in prison together

The Aftermath On July 3, I was excommunicated or

“abandoned to the devil and eternally damned.”

On July 19, I was taken to Gallows Hill where I was to be hanged with four other women

Family Accusations

My sister Mary Easty was accused of witchcraft and arrested on April 21. She was found guilty on September 9 and hanged on September 22.

My other sister Sarah Cloyce was accused on April 8. The charges against her were dismissed and she was released on January 3, 1693 after paying for her prison fees

In 1703, the General Court began repaying families, like mine, who had lost others to false accusations

My family received 25 pounds worth of payments

In 1712, the pastor cancelled my excommunication

My family was eventually welcomed back into the community

My husband Francis passed away on November 22, 1695

The house where I used to live is still in good condition and the historical society now owns it

Works Cited Drake, Samuel Adams. “Nooks and corners of the New England

coast.” Rebecca Nurse: A Tragedy of Injustice. 1875. New York. Harper & brothers. October 2012. <http://www.mayflowerfamilies.com/enquirer/witch.htm.

Madden, Matt. “Salem Witch Trials in History and Literature.” Examination of Rebecca Nurse of Salem Village. 2001. University of Virginia. October 2012. <http://www2.iath.virginia.edu/salem/people/nursecourt.html.

Linder, O. Douglas. “The Salem Witchcraft Trials 1692.” The Trial of Rebecca Nurse. September 2009. October 2012. <http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/salem/sal bnur.htm

Lewis, Johnson Jone. “Women’s History.” Sarah Cloyce, Salem Witch Trials. About.com. October 2012. <http://womenshistory.about.com/od/salempeople/a/Sarah-Cloyce.htm.