- Dec 25, 2003
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My mom's side is amazingly complete and I've made some amazing discoveries. No U.S. Presidents or famous Civil War generals, but some interesting people who remain historically significant to this day, even if they're not well known. I'll post here periodically and today we're going to start with a meeting in my 9th great-grandfather's parlor.
The town of Topsfield, Massachusetts would play a pivotal role in the Salem "witch" hysteria leading the hanging of three of it's citizens including my 10th great-grandmother and my 11th great-grandaunt. The town parish was having trouble keeping ministers, one having been accused in intemperance with the sacramental wine in the 1660s. In 1682 they got lucky and hired Harvard Divinity graduate Joseph Capen,. He was a popular and beloved minister (from what I have read) and remained in the pulpit until his death in 1725. Little did he know the trials and travails that lay just 10 years down the road.
According to the research of my cousin Mary Louise Bingham (and let me clarify, we're like 5th to 10th cousins because we share about 100 common ancestors, but all a ways back) several of his parishoners were having a disagreement rooted in one of their arrest and brief imprisonment for treason against the new colonial governor. John Gould, Jacob Towne and John Howe met in Capen's parlor.
The relationships get convoluted so I'll draw a few out for you.
1. John Gould accused of treason against Governor Dudley in 1682.
1a. John's sister is Priscilla Gould Wildes.
1b. Priscilla's husband is John Wildes.
1c. After Priscilla died, John Wildes married Sarah Avrill Wildes who would be hanged in Salem 19 Sep 1692.
2. Jacob Towne was also involved in the simmering disagreement over the 1682 treason accusations against John Gould.
His sisters were 2a. Mary Towne Estey hanged 22 Sep 1692, 2b. Rebecca Towne Nurse hanged 19 Jul 1692 and 2c. Sarah Towne Cloyes accused and imprisoned, but not executed.
3. John Howe was married to 2d. Sarah Towne Howe, who was Jacob, etc. niece, the daughter of 2e. Edmund Towne.
3b. John's brother James Howe Jr. was married to 3c. Elizabeth Jackson Howe who would be hanged in Salem 19 July 1692.
4. Parson Joseph Capen was their minister.
As you can see, there was a lot of close relationships between families which made disputes over land, taxes or accusations of treason all the more intractable. The simmering tension between the three men - John Gould, Jacob Towne and John Howe led to them having a meeting with Parson Capen to try and sort things out. That meeting was held on 13 Jun 1692 - right in the midst of the accusations and trials.
A month later, on 19 Jul 1692, Sarah (1c), Elizabeth (3c) and Rebecca (2b) were hanged in Salem along with Susannah North Martin and Sarah Good. On 22 Sep 1692, Mary (2a) was hanged well along with six others. Below are their relationships to me. (p) means present at the meeting in the parlor, (x) means executed by hanging
Joseph Capen (p) - 9th great-grandfather
Mary Towne Estey (x)- 10th great-grandmother.
Rebecca Nurse (x)- 10th great-grandmother.
Jacob Towne (p)- 10th great-grandfather.
Edmund Towne - 10th great-grandfather. (yes, all four siblings are my 10th ggp)
Sarah Towne Cloyes - 11th great-grandaunt.
John Gould (p)- 10th great-granduncle.
Priscilla Gould Wildes - 10th great-grandaunt, making John Wildes my 10th great-granduncle by marriage and Sarah Avrill Wildes (x) basically my 10th great-grandaunt by marriage.
John Howe (p) - 10th great-granduncle and Sarah Towne Howe 10th great-grandaunt (both by descent from their sibling).
James Howe Jr. - 10th great-granduncle and Elizabeth Jackson Howe (x) 10th by marriage.
Susannah North Martin - 10th great-grandmother.
Attached:
Parson Capen House in Topsfield, preserved to this day.
The parlor in which the meeting was held.
A memorial to the Topsfield victims of the hysteria with the names of Elizabeth, Mary and Sarah engraved.
The town of Topsfield, Massachusetts would play a pivotal role in the Salem "witch" hysteria leading the hanging of three of it's citizens including my 10th great-grandmother and my 11th great-grandaunt. The town parish was having trouble keeping ministers, one having been accused in intemperance with the sacramental wine in the 1660s. In 1682 they got lucky and hired Harvard Divinity graduate Joseph Capen,. He was a popular and beloved minister (from what I have read) and remained in the pulpit until his death in 1725. Little did he know the trials and travails that lay just 10 years down the road.
According to the research of my cousin Mary Louise Bingham (and let me clarify, we're like 5th to 10th cousins because we share about 100 common ancestors, but all a ways back) several of his parishoners were having a disagreement rooted in one of their arrest and brief imprisonment for treason against the new colonial governor. John Gould, Jacob Towne and John Howe met in Capen's parlor.
The relationships get convoluted so I'll draw a few out for you.
1. John Gould accused of treason against Governor Dudley in 1682.
1a. John's sister is Priscilla Gould Wildes.
1b. Priscilla's husband is John Wildes.
1c. After Priscilla died, John Wildes married Sarah Avrill Wildes who would be hanged in Salem 19 Sep 1692.
2. Jacob Towne was also involved in the simmering disagreement over the 1682 treason accusations against John Gould.
His sisters were 2a. Mary Towne Estey hanged 22 Sep 1692, 2b. Rebecca Towne Nurse hanged 19 Jul 1692 and 2c. Sarah Towne Cloyes accused and imprisoned, but not executed.
3. John Howe was married to 2d. Sarah Towne Howe, who was Jacob, etc. niece, the daughter of 2e. Edmund Towne.
3b. John's brother James Howe Jr. was married to 3c. Elizabeth Jackson Howe who would be hanged in Salem 19 July 1692.
4. Parson Joseph Capen was their minister.
As you can see, there was a lot of close relationships between families which made disputes over land, taxes or accusations of treason all the more intractable. The simmering tension between the three men - John Gould, Jacob Towne and John Howe led to them having a meeting with Parson Capen to try and sort things out. That meeting was held on 13 Jun 1692 - right in the midst of the accusations and trials.
A month later, on 19 Jul 1692, Sarah (1c), Elizabeth (3c) and Rebecca (2b) were hanged in Salem along with Susannah North Martin and Sarah Good. On 22 Sep 1692, Mary (2a) was hanged well along with six others. Below are their relationships to me. (p) means present at the meeting in the parlor, (x) means executed by hanging
Joseph Capen (p) - 9th great-grandfather
Mary Towne Estey (x)- 10th great-grandmother.
Rebecca Nurse (x)- 10th great-grandmother.
Jacob Towne (p)- 10th great-grandfather.
Edmund Towne - 10th great-grandfather. (yes, all four siblings are my 10th ggp)
Sarah Towne Cloyes - 11th great-grandaunt.
John Gould (p)- 10th great-granduncle.
Priscilla Gould Wildes - 10th great-grandaunt, making John Wildes my 10th great-granduncle by marriage and Sarah Avrill Wildes (x) basically my 10th great-grandaunt by marriage.
John Howe (p) - 10th great-granduncle and Sarah Towne Howe 10th great-grandaunt (both by descent from their sibling).
James Howe Jr. - 10th great-granduncle and Elizabeth Jackson Howe (x) 10th by marriage.
Susannah North Martin - 10th great-grandmother.
Attached:
Parson Capen House in Topsfield, preserved to this day.
The parlor in which the meeting was held.
A memorial to the Topsfield victims of the hysteria with the names of Elizabeth, Mary and Sarah engraved.