Rebecca (Towne) Nurse, as well as her sisters Mary (Towne) Esty and Sarah (Towne) Cloyce, is my Greatx8 Grand Aunt.  She, along with 18 others who were tried by an illegal court, was heinously murdered by hanging.  There has been more literature written about her than probably any other victim of the so-called "Witch Hysteria".
    There were several reasons why she was targeted.  The first reason was her relationship to a prominent citizen of the town of Topsfield, Francis Nurse, her husband.  The town of Topsfield had for some time been in dispute over land along the boarder of Salem Village.  That is to say the Putnam family estate.
    Second, was her affiliation with the church in Salem Town.  She was a member of the church in Salem Town and her husband was an outspoken leader of the anti-Parris committee.  This was a committee who believed the reverend Parris was not hired properly and should be removed from the position of minister for the church of Salem Village.  Again, the Putnams were the leaders of the pro Parris committee.
    Third, this may have been a test for the Putnams.  If they could bring down such a highly respected, deeply religious, pious pillar of the community, then surely they'd have absolute freedom over those they'd bring charges against in the future.
    Rebecca was 70 years old when the Court of Oyer and Terminar (Hear and Determine) tried her.  Governor Phipps formed the court at the request of the Lieutenant Governor, William Stoughton.  Stoughton was then assigned by Phipps to serve as Chief Magistrate.  It should be noted that only the Judicial Branch of the Provincial Government could form a court as a part of governmental checks and balances.  Clearly, Phipps was overstepping his own authority.  Additionally, none of the magistrates of the Court of Oyer and Terminar had any legal training and relied heavily on their various religious backgrounds.
    Also, Rebecca's two sisters were also accused for many of the same reasons.  Several years earlier Rebecca's mother was accused of witchcraft.  She was, however, never tried.  Local gossip during the trials suggested the profession was passed down from mother to daughters.
    The trial itself was a sham and a virtual mockery of the judicial system.  Edward and Jonathan Putnam signed the complaint.  The charge was for afflicting Ann Putnam Jr. and Abigail Williams. Ann Putnam, Sr. testified that the ghosts of Benjamin Houlton, Rebecca Houlton, John Fuller, and her sister Baker's children (6 of them) as well as her sister Bayley and her three children came to her at various times in their winding sheets and cried for justice of being murdered by Rebecca Nurse.  John Putnam, Sr. and his wife Rebecca (Prince) Putnam actually refuted charges that Rebecca Nurse had murdered their daughter Rebecca Shepard and their son-in-law John Fuller.  Sarah Nurse (Rebecca's daughter) testified she saw Goodwife Bibber (an afflicted woman in the trial) pull pins out of her clothes and hold them between her fingers, and clasp her hands around her knees, and then she cried out and said, "Goody Nurse pricked me."  On June 2, 1692, two physical exams to search for witch's marks were performed by midives.  On June 28, 1692, Rebecca petitioned the court for another physical exam citing one previous examiner to be of contradictory opinion from the others.  At her trial, testimonials regarding her Christian behavior, care, and education of her children brought a verdict of not guilty.  William Stoughton then politely asked the jury to again retire and reconsider their verdict.  So much for not being tried twice for the same