Twelfth Generation

2178. William* TOWNE¹⁸⁵³ was born before 18 Mar 1598/99 in Great Yarmouth, Norfolkshire, England. He was baptized on 18 Mar 1598/99 in Great Yarmouth, Norfolkshire, England.²³⁵³ St. Nicholas Parish Church. On 2 Feb 1609 he was a Basketmaker in Great Yarmouth, Norfolkshire, England.^2354,2355 Apprentice agreement made on 5 Nov 1608 with Abraham Robbertes of Yarmouth., for 14 years (to 2 Feb 1623). On 25 Apr 1635 he was a gardner in Great Yarmouth, Norfolkshire, England.²³⁵⁴ He had his estate probated on 24 Apr 1673 in Salem, Essex Co., MA.^{2356,2357,2358} "Administration granted 24:4:1673 to Joanna Towne of the estate of Wm. Towne, her late husband, and she was to bring an inventory to the next Ipswich court." (Salem Quarterly Court Records, 5:66)

June 1673 Ipswich court.: " Petition for settlement of a small estate left the undersigned by their father, who died ten years ago leaving no will, but left his estate in the hands of their mother who was appointed administratix and the estate remained unsettled until her death, and now they desire that the following division may be allowed: the land to be divided equally to his three sons, Edmond, Jacob and Joseph and the moveables equally to the three daughters, Rebecka, Mary and Sarah; also the three brothers to pay all debts now due and what charges shall after arise in settlement of the estate to be equally bourn by all six."

17 Jan 1682, signed by Mary (a mark) Towne, relict of Edmond
Jacob Towne
Joseph (mark) Towne
Francis (mark) Nurs with the consent of Rebecka
Mary (mark) Esty, formerly Mary Towne
Sarah (mark) Bridges

Witness John How, John Pritchet

Allowed by the court at Ipsich, MA, 10 Apr 1683." (Ipswich Deeds, 4:515) He died before 24 Jun 1673 in Topsfield, Essex Co., MA. His wife was granted administration of his estate on 24 Apr 1673. He was buried in Topsfield, Essex Co., MA. Cited by the archdeacon of Norwich Consistory for failing to appear for communion and noted as a Separatist with his wife. Probably came to Salem, MA in late June 1635. Granted 'a little neck of land right over against his house on the other side of the river.' (Town book of Salem 1640). Lived in the North Fields. in 1651 he purchased land in the neighboring town of Topsfield from William Paine of Ipswich. (40 acres) 'part of which is pow land, another part is meadow, another part is upland unplowed, all lying together...' This was bounded by William Howard on the east, Walter Roper on the north and the river on the south. Included were two acres on the sout side of the river. Sold his Salem property to Henry Bullock in 1652 and bought land at Topsfield in 1656. Commoner of Topsfield in 1661. Deeded 2/3 of his property to Joseph on the occassion of his marriage in 1663, with rights to remain on the farm until his and his wife's death. William* TOWNE and Joanna *'Jone' BLESSING were married on 25 Apr 1620 in Great Yarmouth, Norfolkshire, England.^1853,2359 St. Nicholaus

2179. Joanna *'Jone' BLESSING^1853,2360 was born before 22 Jun 1595 in Caister Parish, Norfolkshire, England.²³⁶¹ She was baptized on 22 Jun 1595 in Caister Parish, Norfolkshire, England.²³⁶¹ ' Jone Blessing daughter of John and Jone.' She died in 1682 in Topsfield, Essex Co., MA. She was buried in Topsfield, Essex Co., MA. Came to America as a Puritan with Alice Firmage, her sister and Robert Buffam, her brother in law (Margaret having died) and settled in Salem, MA. Dismissed from the Salem Church, to Topsfield in 1664. Known as Mother Goose in Boston, MA. Accused of witchcraft though never arrested or brought to trial. Children were:

	i.	Rebecca TOWNE1858 was born on 21 Feb 1620/21 in Great Yarmouth, Norfolkshire, England.2362 She died on 19 Jul 1692 in Salem, Essex Co., MA.2363 Hung for the crime of witchcraft. A monument to the Nurse family ws erected in 1885 and inscribed with a poem by John Greenleaf Whittier: Her house still existed in 1997. "O Christian martyr, who for Truth could die When all about thee owned the hideous lie The world redeemed from Superstition's sway Is breathing freer for thy sake today." Charles Sutheland Tapley wrote a tribute to her: Rebecca Nurse, Saint but Witch Victim, and she was a character in Arthur Miller's The Crucible. After the hanging on 19 Jul, her body was probably thrown into a crevice in the rocks and quickly covered. But her body was recovered at night by her family and placed in a grave next to that of her husband. Crossed the Atlantic in the 1630s with her parents. Sent to Boston jail upon high suspicion of witchcraft on 12 Apr 1692 with her sister Sarah Clyce and otheers.. Testified against by Ann Putnam as a witch. She was supposed to have murdered 14 people, 10 of them children according to her accusers. John Putnamd and wife Rebecca testified on her behalf, however. Later they reversed their testimony and turned against her. She was excommunicated and her soul consigned to Satan and hell by pastor John Higginson. Deliverance Hobbs confessed to being a witch and implicated Rebecca in the process. Sheand her sister Sarah Cloyce were joined in jail by their sister Mary. On 12 May 1692 Mary Warren accused her of witchcraft and of being a 'deacon' in Satan's church. Sarah Nurse, Rebecca's daughter testified that on 29 Jun 1692 Sarrah Bibber pulled pins out of her clothes andheld them between her fingers and clasped her hands around her kneees. Then she cried out that Rebecca Nurse had pricked her. On 2 Jun 1692 whe was searched by Capt Corwin, Sheriff of Essex Co along with four other women for unusual growths and ' discovered a preternatural excresence of flesh between the pudendum and anus much like to tetts and not usual in women and much unlike to the other three that hath been searched by us and that they were in all the three women near the same place.', signed by J. Barton, Sugeon and 9 women. This search was repeated a few hours later. She at one examination said: 'Would you have me belie myself....? I cannot help it, the Devil may appear in my shape.' She petitioned the court for a more fair physical examination since she knew that she had no 'unnatural' growths on her. . On 29 May 1692 the charge for her jailing came to 17 shillings 10 pence for 7 weeks and one day at 2s 6d per day. John Rucke was foreman of the jury that convicted her. Thomas Fiske turned the jury against Rebecca Nurse after she was first found innocent. Because of deafness she did not understand all that was said at her trial. She was tried and convicted of witchcraft on 29 Jun 1692. On 3 Jul1692 she was excommunicated with much ceremony. Her ssons and sons in law got Sir Wm Phips to grant a reprieve from Boston but this was recalled by 'some Salem gentlemen.' On 2 May 1703 a petition from Esteys, Townes, and Nurses and others for restitution for the deaths of their relatives in 1692. Later, 25 Aug 1706, in a confession read before the congregation Ann Putnam recanted her accusations (Rebecca long dead): 'It was a great delusion of Satan that deceived me in that sad timee... I did it not out of any anger, malice or ill-will for I had no such things against one of the...And particularly as I was a chief instrument of accusing Goodwife (Rebecca) Nurse and her two sisters, I desire to lie in the dust and to be humbled for it...' Restitution was made on 17 Oct 1711 by the Court and Governor Dudley ordered payment made to sundry persons. Samuel Nurse spearheaded this attempt at restitution and reversal of charges. He asked for 40 pounds. Rebecca's excommunicaton was not erased fromt he records of the First Church in Salem until 2 Mar 1712. ' the record of our sister Nurse's excommunication be accordingly erased and blotted out that it may no longer be a reproach to her memory and an occasion of grief to her children.'
	ii.	John TOWNE2362 was born on 16 Feb 1622/23 in Great Yarmouth, Norfolkshire, England. On 24 Jun 1643 he was a Cooper in Great Yarmouth, Norfolkshire, England.2354,2364 Apprenticed to Lionel Gibson on 25 Apr 1635 to start on 24 Jun 1635 and to last 8 years. Remained in England when his parents and siblings went to America.
	iii.	Susan TOWNE2362 was born on 26 Oct 1625 in Great Yarmouth, Norfolkshire, England. She died on 29 Jul 1630 in , Norwickshire, England.2365
	iv.	Edmund TOWNE2362 was born on 22 Jun 1628 in Great Yarmouth, Norfolkshire, England. He died about 1678 in Topsfield, Essex Co., MA.2366
	v.	Jacob TOWNE2362,2367 was born on 11 Mar 1631/32 in Great Yarmouth, Norfolkshire, England. He signed a will on 24 Nov 1704 in Topsfield, Essex Co., MA. Proved 1 Jan 1705, son John was executor. Inventory of estate was 196 p 24s 6d. He died on 27 Nov 1704 in Topsfield, Essex Co., MA.2368 Immigrated to Salem, MA with his parents in 1635. Paid taxes in 1664-69 of 1 p 4s 5d. On committes 1669: to lay out a highway, 1675: to view a way, 1679-81: to settle bounds, 1682: to lay out 12 acres to Mr. Capen, 1684: to settle line between Ipswich and Topsfield, 1686: to examine bounds of common, 1687: to seat meetinghouse. In the years 1678-9, 1682, and 1683-4 he was a Selectman. Granted upland and swamp south of the river in 1677-8. Oath of fidelity to the King 1677/1678. Corpral, sergeant, ensign in militia 1680-1690. Freeman on 16 Feb 1685/1686, Topsfield, MA. On a committe to settle boundary betwen Topsfield and Salem 30 Mar 1691.Grand jutyman on 30 Dec 1692 on Superior court to try witchraft cases.
1089	vi.	Mary* TOWNE.
	vii.	Sarah TOWNE2369 was born in 1636 in Salem, Essex Co., MA.
	viii.	Joseph TOWNE1532,2369 was born in 1639 in Salem, Essex Co., MA.1532 He died on 21 Feb 1711/12 in Topsfield, Essex Co., MA.2366