Students from Phillips Academy Andover will be participating in an archaeological dig at the Rebecca Nurse Homestead in Danvers, Mass., this summer. They're bound to turn up arrowheads and artifacts from Colonial times, but some are undoubtedly hoping for a bigger discovery.
(In the interest of full disclosure, I must admit that Rebecca Nurse is a great-aunt of mine—the sister of my equally witchy ancestor Mary Easty. The evil spirits called forth by these wicked women played no part in the writing of this post.)It's even possible — though highly unlikely — that students could unearth the remains of Rebecca Nurse, hanged in 1692 during the height of the Salem witch trials. After she was executed, her son recovered the body and buried it somewhere on the 300-acre property.
Today, the portion of the homestead that's been preserved is just 27 acres.
"She could be buried in someone's house on Adams Street for all we know," [homestead volunteer Glenn] Mairo said. [Link]
Chris,
Rebecca Nurse is a direct ancestor of mine.
I visited the homestead in July 2004 and had a great time wandering around, talking to the docents, etc.
Randy
Another long-lost cousin! Maybe we'll run into each other at a Towne family reunion someday.
Have you been to a Towne reunion? I haven't. I'm a San Diego guy, so it's a long ride.
Cheers -- Randy
Nope. After 10 or 11 generations, my family somehow lost touch.
I to am a long lost cousin! I'm a direct descendant of Edmund Towne - Mary and Rebecca's brothr. The name was able to be kept in line until my grandmother on my matrnal side. Now we just keep it with middle names, like mine. I'm sure there are a ton of us out there though. Do you guys have the 1914 book that is the family tree? If not, there's a book printer in Salem that still prints it.
I don't know how I missed this one earlier. I'm descended from Mary Estey as well, so hi there cousins Randy and Brian!
Descendant of Rebecca (Nurse) Russell myself...
Did they find anything on the property?
Here's a later article, and some pics.