Austin Coco
Ms. DelGrego
Junior English III CP
11/3/11
Birth and Death of Goody Nurse
 Born Rebecca Towne in 1621
 Born to William Towne and Joanna Blessing
 Born in England

Yarmouth, Norfolk County
 Died in 1692
 Hanged with 4 other women
 Salem Witch Trials
Moving to Salem
 Goody Nurse moved before married
 Moved- 1640

Wasn’t only Towne
 Sisters Mary and Sarah moved too
 Married- 1645

Francis Nurse
 Constable- 1672
 Tray maker
Family in Salem
 Goody Nurse started a family in Salem
 8 kids


4 boys
 John Nurse
 Samuel Nurse
 Francis Nurse
 Benjamin Nurse
4 girls
 Rebecca Nurse
 Sarah Nurse
 Mary Nurse
 Elizabeth Nurse
What was Goody Nurse’s
Reputation?
 Piety
 Attended church regularly
 Goodness
 Mother of 8

Children good
 71 y/o

Elderly rarely have strength for witchcraft
Who, When, Why was Goody
Nurse Accused?
 Who:
 Edward Putnam
 John Putnam
 When:
 March 23, 1692- warrant issued
 Why:
 Land

Nurse family involved in land disputes w/neighbors
 Putnam family included
The Trial
 When:
 March 24, 1692
 Who presided:
 Judge John Hawthorne

Jonathan Corwin assisted
 Who testified against:
 Reluctant to testify



Betty Parris
Abagail Williams
Sarah Holton
Who Came to Goody Nurse’s Aid?
 Testifiers for Goody Nurse
 Nathaniel Putnam Sr., John Putnam Sr.



Israel + Elizabeth Porter
Daniel Andrew
Peter Cloyce
 Petition of 40 names
 Other, private petitions also circulated
The Verdict:
 Originally “Not Guilty”
 June 30
 Asked to reconsider

“One of us”- Nurse
 Never responded why
 She was hard of hearing
 She meant “also being tried”
 Jury returned with “Guilty”
 June 30
 Granted a reprieve by Governor Phips

Retracted
Excommunication
 Goody Nurse excommunicated July 3
 Excommunication: cut off from church
 Rev. Samuel Parris


Father of Betty Parris
 Testified against Goody Nurse
Uncle of Abigail Williams
 Testified against Goody Nurse
Death
 Carted to death
 July 19
 With 4 others
 Hanged


Gallows Hill
Body in shallow mass grave
 Francis, sons, sons-in-law supposedly buried Goody Nurse at
family burial grounds
Aftermath
 Ann Putnam apologized- 1706
 Mentioned Goody Nurse specifically in apology
 Excommunication lifted- 1712
 General Court of Britain paid for losses- 1703
 25 pounds
 Goody Nurse’s heirs
A Family Heritage of Witchcraft
 Mary Estey
 Goody Nurse’s sister
 Tried

Found guilty
 Hanged
 Ann Cloyce
 Goody Nurse’s sister
 Tried

Not killed
Works Cited
 Drake, Samuel Adams. “Nooks and corners of the New
England coast.” Mayflowerfamilies.com. 1998. 2 Nov.
2011
http://www.mayflowerfamilies.com/enquirer/rebecca
_nurse.htm.
 Linder, Douglas O. “Rebecca Nurse.” Famous American Trials: Salem
Witch Trials 1692. 2009. 2 Nov. 2011
http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/salem/SAL_
BNUR.HTM
 Madden, Matt. “Examination of Rebecca Nurse of Salem
Village.” Salem Witch Trials Documentary Archive and
Transcription Process. 2001. 2 Nov. 2011
http://www2.iath.virginia.edu/salem/people/nursecourt.html