The Rebecca Nurse Homestead is a 17th Century multi acre historical site located in Danvers, MA.  Danvers was previously known as Salem Village when Rebecca Nurse was accused and executed for practicing witchcraft..  Also on the same grounds,  is a replica Salem Village Meetinghouse, the reconstructed Endecott Barn and Endecott Shop, and the Nurse family graveyard.  The Putnam family, her neighbors, had ongoing disputes with the Nurse family about the joined land.  The question raised here is, was Rebecca Nurse accused for practicing witch craft or was it an attempt at retaliation?

                      

Rebecca was a well respected, educated 71 year old matriarch who was accused of practicing witchcraft in Salem Village.  She was married to the local artisan, Francis Nurse, a mother of 8 children and a grandmother.   The first accusers afflicted were Elizabeth Parris (Betty) and her 12 year old cousin Abigail Williams after claiming affliction of several possessive-like fits from Nurse's dark spirit. They were diagnosed with bewitchment by Doctor William Briggs, which led to the spread of the hysteria. Nurse was arrested on March 23, 1692.

The pre-trial examination was held in the Salem Village Meetinghouse(photo to the left) on March 24, 1692, conducted by Judge Hawthorne and assisted by Judge Johnathon Corwin.  The examination was recorded by Reverend Samuel Parris, the father of Betty and Uncle of Abigail.   Abigail Williams was the first to be addressed by Judge Hawthorne and almost immediately after her accusation,  Ann Putnam Jr. went into a fit.  In response to Abigail's accusation and Putnam's fit, Nurse stated, "I can say before my Eternal Father I am innocent and God will clear my innocency".   During the examination,  Mary Walcott and Elizabeth Hubbard joined Ann Putnam Jr. in the accusation that they were afflicted right there in the courtroom.  

Hawthorne had repeatedly tried bullying Nurse into a confession.  However, Nurse was defiant and stood her ground that she was innocent. Initially,  the jury had declared her not guilty.  Followed by, the jury being forced to reconsider and concluded Rebecca Nurse was guilty of practicing witch craft.  She was hanged at Gallows Hill on July 19th, 1692 along with Sarah Good, Elizabeth Howe, Susannah Martin and Sarah Wildes."After the execution, Rebecca's children secretly buried their mother's body in an unmarked grave on the Homestead. In 1885, the Nurse family erected a memorial to Rebecca in the family graveyard. This Homestead is a visible link to many of the famous and infamous events of Salem Village, modern-day Danvers, Massachusetts." 

Works cited

 Madden, Matt. "Salem Witch Trials: Court Examination of Rebecca Nurse." Salem Witch Trials: Court Examination of Rebecca Nurse. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2016.

<http://salem.lib.virginia.edu/people/nursecourt.html>

"Rebecca Nurse Homestead." Essex National Heritage Area. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2016.