Born: 21 February 1621, United Kingdom
Died: 19 July 1692
Country most active: United States
Also known as: NA
The following is excerpted from Infinite Women creator Allison Tyra’s book Uncredited: Women’s Overlooked, Misattributed, and Stolen Work.
But even being completely respectable is not a guarantee of protection. Rebecca Nurse was a respected wife, mother, and grandmother, known for piety and benevolence. She was a covenant church member—the highest status a Puritan could achieve. Yet none of this kept the seventy-one-year-old from being executed as part of the Salem witch trials in 1692. She had public support—thirty-nine of the community’s most prominent members signed a petition on her behalf and testified to her good character. Examining magistrate John Hathorne’s own sister, Elizabeth Porter, was a good friend of Rebecca’s and spoke on her behalf. None of it was enough to save her. Although the jury initially found her not guilty, they were convinced to change their verdict, and she was hanged.