Virginia Branch Governor Virginia Hurtes Rouse

Inside Vol. XIX, No. 1 February 2016

Page 1- Greetings from the VA Branch Governor

Page 2- October18, 2015 Meeting

Page 3- 108th General Court Registrar’s Update Treasurer’s Update Chaplain’s Update

Page 4 – New Branch Flag Outreach Activities Page 5- Gala Yellow Ribbon Fund Donation Page 6 & 7 Our Pilgrim Ancestors Rebecca Towne Nurse

Page 8 - Next Meeting – 6 Mar 2016, The Electric Palm, Woodbridge, VA

Greetings from the Branch Governor

Virginia Branch

The Virginia Branch NSSDP is having an amazing year. Our meeting attendance is the best in years with over thirty to forty members and prospective members attending. We have an incredible number of new members, 17 since last March and one reinstatement making a total of 18. Thanks go to our wonderful Registrar, Donna Hall. We even have 6 supplementals approved, 3 for Paul Walden and 3 for Laura Womack. We have just turned in another application for approval. Our Bylaws have been updated and comply with National. We have started several new projects, with great success, one is an outreach program with Chairman Sandra Esty and the other is for the Wounded Veterans and their families through The Yellow Ribbon Fund with Chairman Sarah Hardy. Our Oct 18, 2015 Speaker was Dr. Will B Mackintosh, Assistant Professor at The University of Mary Washington (http://www.willmackintosh.org) gave us a different prospective on men and women in colonial times. We have ordered new standing flags with our Branch name on them, which have just arrived. Twice a year our Newsletters are published in June and January by our Historian, Paul Walden. They are posted on our webpage along with our meeting pictures, articles and a message from the Governor. We welcome you to visit us at (http://virginianssdp.weebly.com/). Our next meeting will be March 6th. Please see our flyer. This meeting place is a little more causal than usual and is a Sunday brunch. We hope that you enjoy it.

Virginia Hurtes Rouse Virginia Branch Governor NSSDP

Pilgrim’s Progress Virginia Branch, National Society, Sons and Daughters of the Pilgrims

Vol. XIX, No. 1 January, 2016 http://virginianssdp.weebly.com

Paul Walden – Editor

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Bavarian Chef, Fredericksburg October 18, 2015 Branch Meeting We had a wonderful turnout at our fall meeting with 33 in attendance at the ever-popular Bavarian Chef in Fredericksburg. Our speaker was Dr. Will Mackintosh, Assistant Professor of History at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, who gave us a lot to think about on the different rolls of men & women.

Prof. Mackintosh Attendees

Lunch in the Cozy Fire lit Dining Room at Bavarian Chef

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Members Inducted at October Meeting

Left to Right: Registrar Donna Hall, Trudy Tanzillo, Governor Virginia Rouse, Janice Welch, Sarah Hardy, Patricia Everts,

Nancy Hill, Ritchie Dagg, and Sheri Dagg.

General Court The 108th General Court will be held on 18 Apr 2016 at the University Club, Washington DC

Registrar’s Update – Donna Hall

We welcome members approved for membership since Pilgrim's Progress, XVIII, No. 2:

1. Michael Furr, Admitted 24 Jun 2015, National #12291, State #236 2. Nancy Marie Redman Hill, Admitted 7 Jul 2015, National #12298, State #237 3. Mary Lou Walden Lewis, Admitted 7 Jul 2015, National #12299, State #238 4. Laura Caroline Jennings Fafeita, Admitted 19 Jul 2015, National #12304, State #239 5. Sheri Lynn King Black Dagg, Admitted 28 Aug 2015, National #12316, State #240 6. Ritchie Gilbert Dagg, Admitted 28 Aug 2015, National #12317, State #241 7. Janice Ilene Miller Welch, Admitted 28 Aug 2015, National #12318, State #242 8. Anne Linneman Terio, Admitted 17 Oct 2015, National #12328, State #243 9. Richard Spencer Burke, Admitted 17 Oct 2015, National #12329, State #244 10. Allison Diane Loudon Hoopes, Admitted 11 Nov 2015, National #12339, State #245

Supplementals Approved:

1. Paul Walden – ancestor Richard Cheney, #11749S04, approved 7 Jul 2015 2. Paul Walden - ancestor Edward Darcy, #11749S05, approved 3 Oct 2015 3. Paul Walden - ancestor John Giles, #11749S06, approved 12 Jan 2016 4. Laura Ann Miller Womack - ancestor William Towne, #12152S01, approved 17 Nov 2015 5. Laura Ann Miller Womack - ancestor Joanna Blessing, #12152S02, approved 17 Nov 2015 6. Laura Ann Miller Womack - ancestor Francis Nurse, #12152S03, approved 17 Nov 2015

We have a pending application for Rodney Wilson and two pending supplementals for Laura Womack. We have unfortunately also had some resignations, bringing our current membership to 107.

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Treasurer Update - Owen Jacobs All Dues have been paid. No Dropped

Chaplain’s Report – Donna Hubner

No deaths

Virginia Branch Community Involvement

The Virginia Branch is supporting our community by setting up two new projects. The membership has been asked to bring can goods or non-perishable food items to each meeting to give to our Outreach Program. We are pleased to report that at our Oct 18th meeting we collected 50 pounds of food.

Sandra Esty is our Outreach Chairman, but Paul Walden was able to carry all of the food to Historic Pohick Church and donate it for us. The Reverend Donald D. Binder, PhD, Pohick Church Rector was very pleased to accept our donation. Pohick supports the Lorton Community Action Center (LCAC). Please visit their web site to see the fine work that they are doing. http://www.lortonaction.org

Outreach Program

Thanks to members’ generosity, the Virginia Branch NSSDP collected 50 pounds of food at the October 18, Below Branch Historian and past Honorary VA Branch Governor, Paul Walden presents some of the food donation to Pohick Rector, the Reverend Doctor Donald Binder.

The Virginia Branch, NSSDP has a New Flag

We ordered a new 3’ x 5’ Virginia Branch flag and United States flag that we will

proudly display at future meetings

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Sheri and Richie Dagg Vrginia Hurtes Rouse

On Oct 24th the VA Branch was represented at the Prince William Resolve Gala where VA Branch brochures were handed out and displayed at the entrance and exit tables. Several of our members attended and participated in the Costume Competition. Ritchie and Sheri Dagg dressed as a couple from the Civil War period. Your VA Branch Governor was dressed as an older & wiser Lady Godiva wearing a cloak. This Gala Supports the DAR Mountain Schools and we are happy to support this cause. We always have a great time and it gives us an opportunity to tell people about the VA Branch National Society Sons & Daughters of Pilgrims and answer questions about membership.

Hardy is our Veterans Chairman, but was sick the day we

Left to right : Mark E. Robbins, CAE, Virginia H. Rouse & Sandra Esty

The Yellow Ribbon Fund Donation We asked Sandra Esty, our Outreach Chairman, to stand in for Sarah Hardy, Our Veteran’s Chairman, since Paul Walden presented the food donation for Sandra. Sarah planned & researched this fund & then took ill the day that we had to present it. The Yellow Ribbon Fund was set up to help both the injured service person and their families.

On Dec 2, 2015, Sandra Esty and your VA Branch Governor met with The Executive Director, Mark E Robbins, CAE and presented him with a donation of $500. He was very personable and took time to tell us all about the work that the Yellow Ribbon Fund does and some of the plans for the future. Please visit this web site, as some of you may also want to consider this fund for your donations. http://www.yellowribbonfund.org Below are the front & back view of the Donation Coins that Sandra, Sarah and I received.

Pilgrims Representatives

at

Oct 24, 2015

Historical Gala

To Benefit

The DAR

Mountain Schools

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Our Pilgrim Ancestors

Rebecca Towne Nurse ancestor of Laura Womack

I was lucky enough to be able to visit my ancestor’s home place in Topsfield, Massachusetts, August of 2014, being a member of the Towne Family Association has helped me learn more about my ancestor Rebecca Towne Nurse my 9th Generation Great-Grandmother. I’m also excited to say I will be participating in a group trip to Great Yarmouth, and other locations in England, June 2017 to visit the birth place of Rebecca and visit the places where the Towne family lived and attended church.

Rebecca (Towne) Nurse my 9th generation great-grandmother and her sisters Mary (Towne) Estey and Sarah (Towne) Cloyce were my 9th generation great- grand aunts. Rebecca, along with 18 others who were tried by an illegal court, was heinously murdered by hanging in Salem, Massachusetts. There has probably been more literature written about her than any other victim of the so called "Witch Hysteria".

There were several reasons why she was targeted. First, 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 border 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 Putnam’s were the leaders of the pro Parris committee.

Third, this may have been a test for the Putnam’s. 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 she was tried by the Court of Oyer and Terminar (Hear and Determine). The court was formed by Governor Phipps 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 can 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.

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Rebecca's two sisters were also accused for many of the same reasons. Several years earlier Rebecca's mother Joanna (Blessing) Towne had been 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. The complaint was signed by Edward and Jonathan Putnam. 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 their daughter Rebecca Shepard and their son-in-law John Fuller had been murdered by Rebecca Nurse. 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 witches marks were performed by midwives. 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 offense.

On July 3, 1692, the Reverend Nicholas Noyes had Rebecca brought from her prison cell to the church. When she arrived, the Reverend excommunicated her before the congregation. How shattering would this be to such a deeply religious person as she was known to be?

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Virginia Branch National Society Sons and Daughters of Pilgrims

Spring 2016 Branch Meeting March 6th

Call to the Sunday, March 6, 2016 Brunch and Meeting

11:00 AM Meeting and Sunday Brunch Please Bring Can goods and Non-perishable food items

for our Outreach Program

The Electric Palm 12745 Sea Ray Lane

Woodbridge, VA 22192 Sunday Brunch

Cash Bar http://www.theelectricpalm.net/1004/Page.aspx

$25.00 per person

Speaker: John P. Mullen, M.A., RPA

Principal Archeologist/Assistant Manager

Topic: The Newly Discovered Revolutionary War Ship at the Indigo Hotel site

Alexandria, VA

Please send checks to Thomas Owen Jacobs, 13820 Holly Forrest Dr., Manassas, VA 20112-3863

703-730-7799 toj1212@verizon.net Checks should be issued to Virginia Branch NSSDP

Deadline for checks in hand (for headcount) by Feb 28, 2016

Names: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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