Elizabeth (Murford) Brown (abt. 1625 - 1693)

Born about 1625 in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England [uncertain]

Wife of William Brown — married 25 Jun 1645 in Amesbury, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Colony, New England

Descendants

Died 1693 at about age 68 in Salisbury, Essex County, Massachusetts Bay

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Kathy Lamm [send private message] and Chris Hoyt [send private message]

Biography

Elizabeth Murford's birth is estimated based as about 1625, based on her marriage date is 1645. Her origins are unknown.

She married William Brown [or Browne] 'planter' of Salisbury, Massachusetts, about June 25, 1645. ^[1] William, son of George and Chrisian (Hibbert) Browne, was baptized at St. Edmund's parish church in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England on November 23, 1615.^{[2] [3] [4] [5]}

William came to Salisbury, Massachusetts with his brothers and mother in 1638/9. ^{[3] [6]}

He died August 24, 1706, at Salisbury. ^{[1] [4] [5]}

Affliction by Witchcraft

Elizabeth (Murford) Brown was a witchcraft accuser in the Salem Witch Trials

William Brown's wife, Elizabeth was canceled on the church list of 1687. She was insane for more than 30 years. According to the testimony of her husband at the witchcraft trial in 1692, Susanna Martin was, about 1660, accused of bewitching Elizabeth Brown. The church appointed a day of humiliation, to seek God in her behalf; and thereupon her trouble ceased . , . for which the church, instead of the day of humiliation, gave thanks for her deliverance. She came to meeting and went about her business as before." In April, ab. 1661, she and " goodwife Osgood " were summoned " to give their evidences concerning the said Martin . . . before the grand jury." Elizabeth Brown told her husband that Susanna Martin said " she would make her the miserablest creature for defaming her name at the court." About two months after this. Brown says, his wife "would not own him," " and from that time to this very day [30 years or more] she has been under a strange kind of distemper and frenzy, incapable of any rational action, though strong and healthy of body." On the strength of this and other evidence, Susanna Martin was convicted and executed as a witch. ^{[7] [8] [9]}

Children

1. Mary born June 17, 1647 at Salisbury ^[1]; married about 1667, Thomas Hoyt son of of John. ^{[5] [6]}
2. William born February 24, 1648/9 at Salisbury ^[1]; died November 11, 1669. ^{[5] [6]}
3. Eprhraim born June 24, 1650 at Salisbury ^[1]; died June 7, 1693; married Sarah ___ before 1676. ^[10]
4. Martha born July 5, 1654 at Salisbury^{[5] [6]}; died March 10, 1717/8 ^[1]; married John Carter of Salisbury before 1699. ^[10]
5. Elizabeth born August 6, 1656 at Salisbury; married at Salisbury, August 3, 1679, Samuel Clough, son of John Clough. ^{[1] [6] [5]}
6. Sarah born April 12, 1658 at Salisbury ^[1]; married 1679 Benjamin Brown, son of John Brown of Hampton. She died about 1730. ^{[6] [5]}

Research notes

New England Marriages

BROWN, William & Elizabeth MUNFORD/MURFORD ?  ? 25 Jan 1645; between 25 Jan 1645 and 11 Aug. 1646; Salisbury. (p. 109)^[11]

Salisbury Births

Brown, Elizabeth, d. William and Elizabeth, 6: 6m: 1656. (P. 30)

Brown, Ephraim, s. William and Elizabeth, 24: 4m: 1650. (p. 30)

Brown, Martha, d. William and Elizabeth, 5: 5m: 1654. (p. 32)

Brown, Mary, d. William and Elizabeth, 17: 4m: 1647. (p. 32)

Brown, Sara, d. William and Elisabeth, 12: 2m: 1658. (p. 34)

Brown, William, s. William and Elisabeth, 24: 12m: 1648. (p. 35)

Salisbury Marriages

BROWNE, William, and Elizabeth Murford, ––– ––, [1645? CTR]. (p. 292)

Brown, Elizabeth, and Samuell Clough, Aug. 3, 1679. (p. 286)

Salisbury Deaths

BROWN, William, sr., Aug. 24, 1706. NCTBK (p. 533)

Brown, Ephraim, June 7, 1693. (p. 532)

Carter, Martha, w. John, Mar. 10, 1717-18. NCTBK (p. 538) ^[1]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8} Vital Records of Salisbury Massachusetts to the End of the Year 1849, Publ. by Topsfield Historical Society, Topsfield, 1915
2. ↑ England: Births and Christenings, 1538-1975. Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2014. p. 9604 (Original index: England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975. FamilySearch, 2014.)
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Davis, Walter Goodwin. The Ancestry of Lydia Harmon, 1755-1836, wife of Joseph Waterhouse, Stanhope Press, Boston, Massachusetts, 1924 p. 70
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Sumner, E. B. Ancestry and Descendants of James Hensman Coltman and Betsey Tobey, Coltman family 1957 p. 28
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6} The New England Historical Genealogical Register, Volume 7: NEHGS, S. G. Drake & Sons, Boston, Massachusetts, 1853 p. 312-3
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5} Hoyt, David W. The Old Families of Salisbury and Amesbury, Massachusetts: With Some Related Families of Newbury, Haverhill, Ipswich, and Hampton, and of York County, Maine. Reprint: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2013, p. 75-6
7. ↑ Essex County Archives, Salem -- Witchcraft Vol. 1 Page 63
8. ↑ Salem Witch Trials, Deposition William Brown v. Susannah Martin: SWP No. 092: http://salem.lib.virginia.edu/n92.html#n92.9
9. ↑ The New Puritan: New England Two Hundred Years Ago: Some Account of the Life of Robert Pike, the Puritan who Defended the Quakers James Shepherd Pike Harper & brothers, 1879, Apendix 1: p. 173-5
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1} Perley, Sidney. The Essex Antiquarian, Volume 12, p. 99
11. ↑ New England Marriages Prior to 1700 by Clarence Almon Torrey, Elizabeth Petty Bentley Genealogical Publishing Com, Jan 1, 1985

Note

Her birth date is speculative, based upon 20 years before the birth of her daughter. :David Webster Hoyt, 1833-1921 A genealogical history of John Hoyt of Salisbury and David Hoyt of Deerfield (Massachusetts) and their descendants. Boston, Massachusetts: C.B. Richardson, 1857. Downloaded from Heritage Quest (Ann Arbor, Michigan: Proquest Information and Learning Company) See also:

• Fitts Families, A Genealogy, by Sylvia Fitts Getchell
• History of Andover, NH by. John Robie Eastman
• "Massachusetts, Births and Christenings, 1639-1915," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FC3K-BQR : accessed 29 Aug 2014), Elizabeth in entry for Elizabeth Brown, 06 Jun 1656; citing Salisbury, Essex, Massachusetts, Book 1, page 11; FHL microfilm 890246.
• "Massachusetts, Births and Christenings, 1639-1915," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FC3K-WR4 : accessed 29 Aug 2014), Elizabeth in entry for Mary Brown, 17 Apr 1647; citing Salisbury, Essex, Massachusetts, Book 1, page 6; FHL microfilm 890246.
• "Massachusetts, Births and Christenings, 1639-1915," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FC3K-VMV : accessed 29 Aug 2014), Elizabeth in entry for Ephraim Brown, 24 Apr 1650; citing Salisbury, Essex, Massachusetts, Book 1, page 8; FHL microfilm 890246.
• "Massachusetts, Births and Christenings, 1639-1915," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FC3K-GGD : accessed 29 Aug 2014), Elizabeth in entry for Martha Brown, 05 May 1654; citing Salisbury, Essex, Massachusetts, Book 1, page 10; FHL microfilm 890246.
• Essex County Archives, Salem -- Witchcraft Vol. 1 Page 63 )---------------------

Acknowledgements

• WikiTree profile Murford-4 created through the import of chisholmroberts.ged on Dec 19, 2011 by Chris Chisholm. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Chris and others.