Sarah TOWNE
Sex: F
Individual Information
Birth: Bef 3 Sep 1636 - Salem, Essex Co, MA
Christening:
Death: 1703 - Sudbury, Middlesex, MA
Burial:
Cause of Death:
AFN #:
Parents
Father: William TOWNE (Bef 1599- )
Mother: Joanna BLESSING (Abt 1595- )
Spouses and Children
1. *Edmund BRIDGES (4 Oct 1637 - )
Marriage: 11 Jan 1659 - Rowley, Essex, MA, England
Children:
1. Hannah BRIDGES (1669-1727)
2. Edmund BRIDGES (1660-1682)
3. Alice BRIDGES (After 1660- )
4. Elizabeth BRIDGES (After 1660- )
5. John BRIDGES (After 1660- )
6. Sarah BRIDGES (After 1660- )
7. Benjamin BRIDGES (1665-1725)
8. Mary BRIDGES (1667- )
2. Peter CLOYES (Bef 27 Jun 1567 - )
Marriage: Abt 1682 - Salem, Essex Co, MA
Notes
Research:
Sarah Towne
Sarah Towne
Statue of Sarah Towne Cloyes and Mary Towne Easty
found Essex Co., MA
SARAH TOWNE (WILLIAM2, JOHN1)1,2,3 Baptism: September 03, 1648, First Church
Salem, Salem, Essex Co., Massachusetts4, and died Abt. 1703 in Framingham,
Middlesex Co., Massachusetts5,6,7,8,9. She married (1) EDMUND BRIDGES10 January
11, 1659/60 in Topsfield, Essex Co., Massachusetts11,12,13,14,15,16, son of
EDMUND BRIDGES and ALICE. She married (2) PETER CLOYES17,18,19 Abt. 1682 in
Salem, Essex Co., Massachusetts20,21, son of JOHN CLOYES and ABIGAIL MOURNINGS.
"Edmund Bridges and a certain William Becket owned part of a wharf on the Salem
waterfront. Edmund also procured a license to sell alcholic beverages." "Sarah
became involved with running the waterfront tavern while her husband carried on
with his legal practice, often appearing in Salem quarterly courts as attorney,
arbitrator and witness." (Currents of Malice - Persis W. McMillen)
May 1679; Selectman consented that Edmund Bridges could sit the seat in the
gallery of the meeting house vacated by Sargeant Lake. Sarah could sit in the
next seat behind the woman's pew, but of course, as female, was not allowed to
speak. (Currents of Malice - Persis W. McMillen)
September 12, 1682; "the widow of Edmund Bridges and her children were ordered
out of Topsfield by the constable, September 12, 1682. She was Sarah Town,
daughter of William, and had probably returned to Topsfield after the death of
her husband which had occured a few months earlier. She soon became the second
wife of Peter Cloyse and was accused of witchcraft but was not executed."
(History of Topsfield)
January 17, 1683; Petition for settlement of a small estate left the
undersigned by their father, who died ten years ago leaving no will, but left
his estate in the hands of their mother who was appointed administatrix and the
estate remained unsettled until her death, and now they desire that the
following division may be allowed: the land to be divided equally to his three
sons, Edmond, Jacob, and Joseph and the moveables equally to the three
daughters, Rebecca, Mary, and Sarah; also the three brothers to pay all debts
now due and what charges shall arise in settlement of the estate to be equally
borne by all six. Signed by Mary (her mark) Towne relict of Edmond, Jacob
Towne, Joseph (his mark) Towne, Francis (his mark) Nurse with the consent of
Rebecca, Mary (her mark) Esty formerly Mary Towne, Sarah (her mark) Bridges.
Witness: John How, John Pritchet
Allowed by the court at Ipswich April 10, 1683 (Ipswich Deeds, Vol 4 page 515)
1692; not attending church. (Salem Witchcraft Vol II by Upham)
April 3, 1692; Sunday - left church during services, slamming door behind
herself due to nature of sermon (devils). (The Devil Discovered by Enders A.
Robinson)
" April the 3d. Being Sacrament Day at the Village, Sarah Cloys, Sister to
Goodwife Nurse, a Member to one of the Churches, was (tho' it seems with
difficulty prevail'd with to be) present; but being entred the place, and Mr.
Parris naming his Text, 6 John, 70. Have not I chosen you Twelve, and one of
you is a Devil (for what cause may rest as a doubt whether upon the account of
her Sisters being Committed, or because of the choice of that Text) she rose up
and went out, the wind shutting the Door forcibly, gave occasion to some to
suppose she went out in Anger, and might occasion a suspicion of her; however
she was soon after complain'd of, examin'd and Committed." (Robert Calef's -
More Wonders of the Invisible World)
April 4, 1692; Monday - complaint of witchcraft brought against Sarah. (Salem
Witchcraft Vol II by Upham: The Devil Discovered by Enders A. Robinson) Sarah
Cloyes and Elizabeth Proctor were accused of witchcraft by Jonathan Walcott and
Nathaniel Ingersoll. A warrant for their arrest was issued the same day.
(Currents of Malice - Persis W. McMillen)
April 8, 1692; Warrant issued for Sarah. (Salem Witchcraft Vol II by Upham)
April 11 - April 12, 1692; Monday - examination before the highest tribunal in
the colony. Sarah examined first. Refused to confess - sent to jail at Salem
where her sister Rebecca awaited. Placed in hand and leg irons. Later was
removed to Boston prison. (Salem Witchcraft Vol II by Upham: The Devil
Discovered by Enders A. Robinson] Sarah was taken to the public meeting house in
the town for examination. (Currents of Malice - Persis W. McMillen)
June 1692; a declaration by John Arnold and wife Mary, prison keepers at Boston
reports no ill conduct but only sober and civil behaviors exhibited. (The Devil
Discovered - Robinson)
June 6, 1692; petitioned court with Mary to receive some sort of counsel as
none had been allowed, and the right to have people testify in their defense.
(The Devil Discovered - Robinson)
Mid June 1692; Sarah and Mary moved to Ipswich prison. (The Devil Discovered -
Robinson)
July 31, 1692; Account of blacksmith Robert Lord of Ipswich shows a charge of
1# 20.0 for four pairs of iron fetters and 2 pairs of handcuffs for Sarah, Mary
and two others. (The Devil Discovered - Robinson)
Ittm for making fouer payer of iron ffetters and tow payer of hand Cuffs and
putting them on to ye legs and hands of Goodwife Cloys, Estes, Bromidg and Green
all att one pound aleven Shillings money" (History of Ipswich, MA)
From; In the Days of The Salem Witchcraft Trials
August 31, 1692; "......Brother Cloyse hard to be found at home being often
with his wife in Prison in Ipswich for Witchcraft...." (Danvers Church Records)
September 5, 1692; Account of John Harris, Deputy Sherriff of Ipswich: "For
providing a jury to make search upon Sarah Cloyce, Mary Easty, Rachel Clinton,
Dorcas Hoar, Mary Bradbury, and Corey and his wife...4s" (Records of the Peabody
Institute Library, Danvers, MA) "An account from John Harris sherife deputy of
sondry charges at ye Corts of Iran terminer held at Sallem in ye yere
1692...Itt. for providing a Jury to make search upon Cori & his wife & Clenton
Easty: hore: Cloiss: & mrs. Bradbury...4 #" (History of Ipswich, MA)
Summons for witnesses to testify against Sarah Cloyce, Mary East, Martha and
Giles Corey. (Records of the Peabody Institute Library, Danvers, MA)
September 6, 1692; Mary and Sarah petition court to have some counsel for their
case as none has been allowed, and ask that others be able to testify in their
defense. (The Devil Discovered - Robinson) The humble Request of Mary Easty and
Sarah Cloys stand now before the Honoured court charged with the suspition of
Witchcraft, our humble request is first that seeing we are neither able to plead
our own cause, nor is councell allowed to those in our condition, that you who
are our Judges would please to be of councell to us, to direct us wherein we may
stand in neede, Secondly that whereas we are not conscious to ourselves of any
guilt in the least degree of that crime, whereof we are now accused (in the
presence of ye Living God we speake it, before whose awfull Tribunall we know we
shall ere Long appeare) nor any other scandalouse evill, or miscaryage
inconsistant with Christianity. Those who have had ye Longest and best
knowledge of us, being persons of good report, may be suffered to Testifie upon
oath what they know concerning each of us. viz. Mr. Capen the pastour and those
of ye Towne and Church of Topsfield, who are ready to say something which we
hope may be looked upon, as very considerable in this matter: with the seven
children of one of us, viz. Mary Easty, and it may be produced of like nature in
reference to the wife of Peter Cloys, her sister. Thirdly that the testimony of
witches, or such as are afflicted, as is supposed, by witches may not be
improved to condemn us, without other Legal evidence concurring, we hope the
honoured Court and Jury will be soe tender of the lives of such as we are who
have for many yeares Lived under the unblemished reputation of Christianity, as
not to condemne them without a fayre and equall hearing of what may be sayd for
us, as well as against us. And your poore supplyants shall be bound always to
pray ?c."" (Records of the Peabody Institute Library, Danvers, MA: Essex Co.
Court Records)
Summons for witnesses from Topsfield to testify versus Sarah Cloyce and Mary
Easty. (Records of the Peabody Institute Library, Danvers, MA)
"Both Sarah Cloyes and Mary Esty will be shown to have been suspected of
bewitching their niece, Rebecca Towne, daughter of their late dead brother
Edmund Towne, " (Currents of Malice - Persis W. McMillen)
September 9, 1692; "On the following day an indictment was made out against
Sarah Cloyes, wife of Peter Cloyes of Salem, in the County of Essex,,
husbandman, that 'in and upon the ninth day of the inst September --- in the
year aforesaid and divers other days and times as well before as after, certain
detestable arts called witchcraft and sorceries, wickedly, maliciously and
feloniously hath used practiced and exercised... in, upon and against one
Rebecca Towne of Topsfield in the County of Essex aforesaid Rebecca Towne...
was and is tortured, afflicted, consumed, pined, wasted, tormented, and also for
sundry other acts of witchcraft by the said Sarah Cloyes." (Currents of Malice
- Persis W. McMillen)
"Sarah Cloyes name is not on the list of prisoners at Ipswich in December 1692."
"All three indictments against Sarah are marked 'ignoramus', literally meaning
'we do not know'. The marking of an indictment ignoramus did not in itself mean
that the judges automatically considered the person against whom the indictment
was presented was not guilty. In fact, five of the persons executed had
ignoramus written against at least one of the indictments against them."
(Currents of Malice - Persis W. McMillen)
It is extremely likely that Sarah Cloyes as a prime offender, her two sisters
already having been hung, was examined in the early part of the trials in
January of 1693 when her brother Jacob was part of the grandjury. "It is
possible that Peter Cloyes may have petitioned for a recognizance for his wife
on condition that she stand her trial, and have put down bail for her. There are
many such recognizances scattered throughout the witchcraft documents, although
Sarah Cloyes' name does not appear among them. The three indictments against
Sarah Cloyes are all legal forms written in the same clerkly hand. They are for
having performed witchcraft on the body of Abigail Walcott in April and for
having performed witchcraft on the body of Abigail Williams during that month.
The third indictment is for a much later date. It is for having performed
witchcraft on the body of her niece, Rebecca Towne of Topsfield on, before and
after September 1st. The words of Sarah Cloyes, wife of Peter Cloyes of Salem
Village are evidently written in the same hand." Many indictments were written
out in advance with the name of the accused written in later. "All three
indictments against Sarah Cloyes have the word 'ignoramus' written in still
another hand on the reverse. After the word ignoramus, in yet another hand
occurs Robert Payne's distincitve signature on all three indictments." Robert
Payne was the new jury foreman in January of 1693. (Currents of Malice - Persis
W. McMillen)
January 3, 1693; Superior Court of Judicature dismisses charges against Sarah.
Peter pays the prison fees for her release. She and him eventually leave Salem
and settle in Marlborough, Mass., then Sudbury. She spent the 10 years before
her death trying to clear her sister's names. (The Devil Discovered - Robinson:
Daily News Record - 8/19/1993) Tradition says she was conveyed by night to
Framingham. (History of Framingham)
The best description of what happened to the witchcraft cases in early 1693
comes from Reverend John Hale of Beverly, MA; "Henceforth the juries generally
aquitted such as were not tried, fearing they had gone too far before. And Sir
William Phips, Governor, reprieved all that were condemned, even the
confessors...And the confessors generally fell off from their confessions; some
saying they remebered nothing of what they said; others said they had belied
themselves and others. Some brake prison and ran away and were not strictly
searched after, some acquitted, some dismissed and one way or another all that
had been accused were set or left at liberty." (Currents of Malice - Persis W.
McMillen)
March 2, 1702-3; A Petition to the Governor and General Court requesting the
reversal of Attainder "on thoses Executed and those Condemned in 1692" was made
by "severall of the Inhabitants of Andover, Salem Village, and Topsfield."
Among the signers were Peter Cloyes, senior, Isaac Easty, Isaac Easty, Junior,
Samuel Nurse, and John Nurse. Summons for witnesses from Topsfield to testify
versus Sarah Cloyce and Mary Easty. (Records of the Peabody Institute Library,
Danvers, MA)
The General Court on October 17th, 1710 passed an act that "the several
convictions, judgments, and attainders be, and hereby are, reversed, and
declared to be null and void." Governor Dudley, on December 17, 1711 issued a
warrant which gave Isaac Estey ?20 for the loss of Mary. Mary's sister, Sarah
Cloyse received 3 gold crowns (a gold coin each worth about a 1/4 of a pound or
5 shillings)."
1957; Massachusetts General Court resolved "that no disgrace or cause for
distress" be borne by descendants of accused witches. (Daily News Record -
8/19/1993)
See PBS movie Three Sovereigns for Sarah for the story of Sarah and her sisters.
Available on video.
1997; Place of burial has not ever been found, the earliest known gravestone of
the Salem refugees at Framingham belongs to her son Benjamin Bridges.
(Framingham Town Historian - Steve Herring)
"On March 21st, 1692, the Magistrates met in Salem and Rev. Noyes opened with
prayer. On the 24th they met at the village, and Rev. Mr. Hale prayed. On the
26th they met again in Salem, and kept the day in fasting and prayer. On the
23rd of March a warrant was issued for the arrest of Rebecca (Nourse) Nurse and
Dorcas Good, of the village, and the former was examined on the 24th, the day
when the Magistrates met there. John Proctor was arrested and examined on the
11th of April, his wife Elizabeth and SARAH CLOYES having been arrested on the
8th, and who were examined on the 11th, also. On the 12th of April John Proctor,
his wife Elizabeth, SARAH CLOYES, Rebecca Nurse, Martha Cory and Dorcas
(Dorothy) Good were sent to Boston jail in charge of Marshal George Herrick. On
the 21st of April a warrant was issued for the arrest of William Hobbs and
Deliverance, his wife, and for Nehemiah Abbott, Mary Esty, wife of Isaac Esty
(who was a sister with Sarah Cloyes), Sarah Wilds, wife of John Wilds, all of
whom were from Topsfield and Ipswitch, also of Edward Bishop husbandman and
Sarah his wife, and many others. .................................
There is a disposition of one witness remining on the Court Records, taken very
probably after the confession of Mrs. Hobbs, stating that there were some three
hundred of more witches in the country, and that their object was the
destruction of Salem Village. The horror, alarm and rage which must have
followed such confessions can only indeed be imagined by those who know the
religious tendencies and convictions of the Puritans at that day.
Such confessions, moreover were supposed to reveal the secret of the Devil's
campaign in the war--his plan of attack--and consequently Salem Village became
the very point and center of the battle.
There the Devil and his emissaries were perhaps to wage their most furious
fight--that was the place to strengthen against him, and his followers there as
elsewhere must be exterminated at all hazzards.
It was in this light, that Salem Village, and the witchcraft there, excited such
a portentous interest in the religious fancies, imaginations and beliefs of our
fathers. It accounts in good part for the frenzy and madness which scoured the
land to secure the hellish conspirators against its safety and peace, and the
safety in fact of the Colony. The accused of witchcraft had generally indeed
many crimes for which to answer. They were often individual ones, but the
destruction of the village was a systematic plot and plan--the beginning only of
the destruction of the State--a grand conspiracy against man and God--with its
agents and ramifications throughout the county, if not the whole state of
Massachusetts.
Silence, darkness, mystery, diabolism, all brooded over it and lent their aid.
The delusion was widespread, and the burden of it was borne be the general
opinion of man at that day. Salem Village, was indeed the center in 1692, but
the circumference could alone be found on the borders of the Colony, even to the
bordres of New England. ................The name of Nehemiah Abbott, Jr.,
weaver, of Topsfield and Ipswitch, who was arrested on April 21 (1692) does not
appear on the warrant, only on the record. The next person named on the warrant
of the day was Mary Easty wife of Isaac Easty (and sister of Sarah Cloyes). She
was arrested and examined at a Court at Salem Village on april 22nd (1692)
before Judges Hawthorne and Curwin. She behaved with great dignity and firmness
and good character, perhaps the recommendations of her neightbors, evidently
caused the magistrates to hesitate in her case, since on May 20th (1692) she was
set at liberty, all of her accusers clearing her, save Mercy Lewis. Mercy said
she was immediately so inflicted and tormented by Mary Easty for a period of two
days and a night that she (Mary Easty) had to be arrested again. She was tried
again, found guilty and sent to Boston jail. While arraigned Mary Easty and
Sarah Cloyes her sister, also a prisoner for witchcraft--humbly petitioned the
Court......................
Unfortunately for Mary Easty, the Court like the Public were beyond the Law and
Evidence. Judges and Juries were alike engulfed in the sea of madness--saw in
the prisoners only the destruction of the Church and State--and the petition (of
the accused) was heard alone by great Judge of Judges, and the sufferer granted
in his own time the perfect liberty of the children of God. On the 8th of April
1692, a warrant was issued for the arrest of the wife of John Proctor (Elizabeth
Proctor), and for Sarah Cloyes, the wife of Peter Cloyes, both of the Village,
for suspcion of witchcraft which it was said both women practiced upon Abigail
Williams, Mary Walcott, Ann Putnam, and Mercy Lewis. It would seem from the
records that Mrs. Proctor and Mrs. Cloyes were brought before a Council held at
Salem April 11 (1692) and found guilty.*
Letter to the Editor: "Thank you for the copy of "About Towne" with my article
on Clara Barton. For your members who might be interested in visiting some of
the Salem End sites in Framingham, there are five homes from that era that are
still standing:
Peter and Sarah Cloyes House - 657 Salem End Road
Caleb Bridges House - Gates Street near Country Club Lane
Nurse Homestead - 890 Salem End Road
John Towne House - 225 Maple Street
Israel Towne House - 67 Salem End Road.
All the houses have historical markers except the Nurse Homestead which has
recently changed hands from an institutional owner to a private family, and will
have a marker as soon as renovations are completed.
A visit to our Old Burying Ground on Main Street will yield many memorials to
family names such as Clayes/Cloyes, Nourse, and Bridges, although the Townes
tended to move on to other towns. There is only one Towne grave marker there,
for Louisa Towne (1814-1867), indicating that she was the wife of Joseph B.
Towne. The earliest marker relating to the Salem End families is for Benjamin
Bridges, Sarah Cloyes' son by her first marriage. It is of rough field stone,
and the crudely cut epitaph says, "When he served his generation, by the will of
God he fell asleep." He died in 1723. Stephen Herring Framingham Town
Historian. (About Towne, Volume XVIII, No. 2 June 1998)
Children of SARAH TOWNE and EDMUND BRIDGES are:
i. EDMUND4 BRIDGES, b. October 04, 1661, Topsfield, Essex Co., Massachusetts;
d. June 24, 1682, of Ipswich, Essex Co., Massachusetts.
ii. BENJAMIN BRIDGES, b. January 02, 1664/65, Topsfield, Essex Co.,
Massachusetts; d. August 28, 1725, Framingham, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts.
iii. MARY BRIDGES, b. April 14, 1667, Topsfield, Essex Co., Massachusetts or
Ipswich, Essex Co., MA?.
iv. HANNAH BRIDGES, b. June 09, 1669, Salem, Essex Co., Massachusetts; d. March
13, 1716/17, Oxford, Worcester Co., Massachusetts or 3/13/1727?.
v. ABIGAIL BRIDGES, b. Bef. 1677, Massachusetts?39. Christening: August 05,
1677, First Church Salem, Salem, Essex Co., Massachusetts39
vi. CALEB BRIDGES, b. June 03, 1677, Salem, Essex Co., Massachusetts; d. Aft.
1752, of Framingham, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts.
vii. ALICE BRIDGES, b. Abt. 168040; d. Aft. 1708. Usually recorded as child of
Sarah and Peter Clayes. Record found at the First Church of Salem, September
1680 of the Baptism of "Alice, daughter of Mrs. Bridges". As Sarah's husband's
mother in law was Alice, it would make sense for them to name a daughter Alice.
It also explains why Sarah's daughter Alice appears in Peter Clayes will as
'Alice Bridges', others have assumed that Alice married a Bridges, but no Alice
Cloyes is found to have married a Bridges.
Children of SARAH TOWNE and PETER CLOYES are:
viii. BENONI4 CLOYES41, b. Abt. 1683, Salem Essex Co., Massachusetts42,43,44;
d. Bef. 170845. Christening: September 02, 1683, First Church Salem, Salem,
Essex Co., Massachusetts46,47,48,49,50,51
ix. HEPSIBAH CLOYES, b. Abt. 1685, Salem, Essex Co., Massachusetts.
I suggest that Peter Cloyes had no children by wife Sarah. The children known
to be of Hannah Littlefield Cloyes, are called well beloved in Peter's will.
There are two children not specified thus, Alice, and Hepsibah, both identified
as the daughters of "Sarah Bridges". Further, Alice is called "Alice Bridges",
and her baptismal date is found at Salem Church before the death of Edmund
Bridges, husband to Sarah. Further, Sarah Bridges age at the time of her
marriage to Peter would have been approaching menopause. I believe Peter and
Sarah were the parents of only Benoni, who died young. If Sarah and Peter's
marriage was about 1682, she would have been 45 years old. A birth of Benoni
and the 'norm' of a two year space between births would put the births of a 2nd
(Hepsibah) and 3rd child (Alice) at ages 47 and 49 respectively. I have
included Hepsibah in the family group sheet for now, because I have no proof
otherwise and it is accepted that way by everyone. I would not however include
Alice Bridges (most likely the namesake of her paternal grandmother Alice
Bridges), whose baptism is found prior to the marriage of Peter and Sarah.