Individual Details
Joannah "Jone" Blessing
(Bef 22 Jun 1595 - 22 Jun 1682)
}
== Biography ==: Jone (Joanna) Blessing, of Great Yarmouth area, county Norfolk, England, married William Towne 25 March 1620. [[#Davis|Davis]]: page 199 [[#Towne|Towne]]: page 14-15 Jone had three sisters: Margaret, who married Robert Buffam in 1613, Julian who married Thomas Goose in 1622, and Alice, who married into the Firmage family (first name of groom unknown) of Great Yarmouth about 1615. Great Yarmouth was, at that time, a strongly Puritan town, and many families emigrated to New England, including Robert Buffam (widower), Alice (Blessing) Firmage and her children, and Jone (Blessing) Towne and her husband William and their children. They and other neighbors from Great Yarmouth ended up settling in Salem, Massachusetts Bay Colony.
=== Children ===
: Baptized at St. Nicholas Church, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England:
:: Rebecca: born 21 Feb. 1621, married Francis Nurse
:: John: 16 Feb. 1623 (presumed died in infancy)
:: Susanna: 20 Oct. 1625 (presumed died in infancy)
:: Edmund: baptized 28 June 1628, married Mary Browning
:: Jacob: baptized 11 March 1632, married Catherine Symonds
:: Mary: 24 Aug. 1634, married Isaac Esty
: Baptized at Salem, Massachusetts Bay Colony:: Sarah: married 1st, 11 Jan. 1660, Edward Bridges, 2nd Peter Cloyes
:: Joseph: born about 1639, married Phebe Perkins
: William Towne and his wife Jone Blessing first settled in Salem, Massachusetts by 1640. [[#Towne|Towne]]: page 15 They removed to Topsfield, Massachusetts by 1651. William died about 1672, and his wife died about ten years later.
=== Name ===
: Joanna Blessing [[#Yates|Yates]]
=== Birth ===
:: 1594 England
:: 1599 Great Yarmouth, County Norfolk, England
:: 1595 Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England:: 22 JUN 1595 Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, EnglandSource: [[#S91]] Source: [[#S171]] Source: [[#S86]] Source number: 298.000; Source type: Electronic Database; Submitter Code: DA3Source: [[#S91]] Source: [[#S109]] Source: [[#S89]] Source: [[#S89]]
=== Marriage ===
:: 25 MAR 1620 Yarmouth, County Norfolk, England:: Note: They were married in St. Nicholas' church. "In this church, founded in A.D. 1123, dedicated to St. Nicholas, in 1251, and still retaining the name were married, March 25, 1620, William Towne and Joanna Blessing, and here their six first children were baptised."[[#S118|Hubbard]]: Page 18
:: 25 MAR 1620 Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, EnglandSource: [[#S136]] Source: [[#S86]] Source number: 298.000; Source type: Electronic Database; Submitter Code: DA3Source: [[#S109]] Source: [[#S86]] Source number: 298.000; Source type: Electronic Database; Submitter Code: DA3Source: [[#S109]]
=== Death ===:: 1682 Topsfield, Essex County, Massachusetts, USA[[#VRT|Vital Records of Topsfield]]
Administration on the estate of William Towne of Topsfield was granted to Johana Towne on 24:4:1673, and she was to deliver an inventory to the next Ipswich court.Salem Quarterly Court Records, vol. 5, leaf 66.'''On 17 Jan 1682/3,''' a petition for settlement of a small estate left to the children of William Towne, who died ten years ago leaving no will, but left his estate in the hands of their mother who was appointed administratrix and the estate remained unsettled '''until her death.''' They now 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, Rebecka, Mary, and Sarah; also the three brothers to pay all debts now due and what charges shall after arise in settlement of the estate to be equally borne by all six.
Dated 17 Jan 1682[/3], signed by Mary Towne relict of Edmond, Jacob Towne, Josep Towne, Francis Nurs with the consent of Rebeka, Mary Esty formerly Mary Towne, Sarah Bridges. Allowed by the court at Ipswich Apr. 10, 1683.Ipswich Deeds, vol. 4, p. 515.
=== Burial ===
:: Pine Hill Cemetery, Topsfield (no markers)
:: Topsfield, Essex County, Massachusetts, USASource: [[#S171]]
=== Notes ===* Joanna Blessing (1595 - 1675) [http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=document&guid=30b8a1e7-0cc0-46f5-a1e1-625ceb5ae88c&tid=4478194&pid=-1075219161 Joanna Blessing (1595 - 1675) Posted 01 Jan 2009 by cruch00]
* Married 1620 England
* Accused of witchcraft though never arrested or brought to trial.
== Sources ==
* Towne, William B. ''Notes and Memoranda Relating to Persons of the Name of Towne'', [[Space:NEHGR|The New England Historical & Genealogical Register]], (New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, Mass.) [https://books.google.com/books?id=BmsFAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA12 Vol. 21, page 12-22]
* Yates Publishing, ''[[Space:U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900|U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900]]'' (Provo, UT, USA, The Generations Network, Inc., 2004)* [http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=sse&db=worldmarr_ga&h=115001&ti=0&indiv=try&gss=pt US and INternational Marriage Records, 1560 - 1900 (direct link to ancestry.com)]::: Birth date: 1594 Birth place: En Marriage date: 1620 Marriage place: En
::: Joanna Blessing Birth Date: 1595 Birth Place: En
* Public Member Trees - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network,Inc., 2006. Original data - Family trees submitted by Ancestry members. [http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=4478194&pid=-1075219161 Ancestry family Tree]
* Hubbard, Edwin. ''The Towne Family Memorial: Compiled from the New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Towne Manuscripts, Public and Family Records; for A.N. Towne Esq., San Francisco, Cal.'' (Chicago, Illinois. Fergus Printing Company. 1880)
* Stearns, Ezra S. ''[[Space:Genealogical_and_Family_History_of_the_State_of_New_Hampshire|Genealogical and Family History of the State of New Hampshire]]'' (Lewis Publishing Company, 1908) [https://books.google.com/books?id=cfoI0UIOCKQC&pg=PA588#v=onepage&q&f=true Vol. 2, Page 588]
* ''Vital Records of Topsfield, MA, to the End of the Year 1849'', Compiler: Topsfield Historical Society Publication: (Topsfield, Massachusetts, 1903)
* Source: S225 Selvage and Peterson Families and More Charles J. Peterson
* Source: S226 selvage
* Source: S288 Selvage Charles J. Peterson * Source: S290 Towne genealogy posting on Rootsweb Towne mailing list Jill (O'Neall) Ching * Source: S292 History of Milford, New Hampshire: 1738-1901 Ramsdell, George A. Publication: Concord, New Hampshire: The Rumford Press, 1901 Published by the town. Family registers by William P. Colburn.
* Source: S42 10811.ftw * Source: S528 Genealogical Dictionary of New England, Volume II: the 1st Settlers of New England before 1691, Basis of Farmers Registry by James Savage Savage, James Publication: Little and Brown Co., 1861 19 Feb 2005
* Source: S109 Heritage Consulting ''Millennium File'' Publication: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2003* Source: S136 Edmund West, comp.''Family Data Collection - Marriages'' Publication: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2001* Source: S171 Ancestry.com Web: Massachusetts, Find A Grave Index, 1620-2013 Publication: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2012* Source: S84 Ancestry.com ''U.S., New England Marriages Prior to 1700'' Publication: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2012* Source: S86 Yates Publishing Title: ,''U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900'' Publication: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2004* Source: S89 Edmund West, comp. ''Family Data Collection - Births'' Publication: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2001* Source: S91 Godfrey Memorial Library, comp. ''American Genealogical-Biographical Index'' (AGBI) Publication: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 1999* Source: S92 Edmund West, comp., ''Family Data Collection - Deaths'' Publication: The Generations Network, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2001
-- MERGED NOTE ------------
'''Joan Blessing''', the third daughter of John / William and (–) Blessing, was born ca 1595 at Great Yarmouth, Norfolk and died ca 1682 in Topsfield, Ma. She married, at Great Yarmouth on 25 April 1620, William Towne who was born in 1596/bp 18 March 1599 at Great Yarmouth and died in 1672 at Topsfield, Ma. William Towne was the son of John and Elizabeth (–) Towne of Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. They had eight children, i.e., four sons and four daughters. Three of the daughters, Rebecca, Sarah and Mary, were victims of the tragic Salem Witchcraft debacle with Rebecca and Mary Towne being executed by hanging. There is a statue of Rebecca Towne Nurse in Salem, Ma. which is a perpetual reminder of this sad chapter in US history.
* From http://stanleyhistory.net/descnarratives/blessingwilliam7662.shtml
* References: PH7:749; PH212:V3:485-487; FH6:1662; FH134:793.1:Pg1; FH209:13,17-18,21; TAG:V33:205-206.
----
When Joanne [nee Blessing] Towne (b. 1594) came to the colonies her sister, Alice [nee Blessing] Firmage (b. 1593) and her brother-in-law, Robert Buffam, husband of her late sister, Margaret [nee Blessing] (deceased) came too. Joanne Blessing was known as "Mother Goose." This was a misleading name, since it was her sister, Juliana [nee Blessing] who married Thomas Goose.
----
===family===
From http://www.anamericanfamilyhistory.com/Towne%20Family/TowneWilliamJoannaBlessing.html
William and Joanna (Blessing) Towne had eight children, six of whom were born in England:
* 1. Rebecca, baptized February 21, 1621, married Francis Nourse, of Salem. She was hanged as a witch at Salem, July 16, 1692. Her husband died at Salem, November 22, 1695.
* 2. John, baptized February 16, 1624, died before his father.
* 3. Susanna, baptized October 20, 1625, died before her father.
* 4. Edmund, baptized June 28, 1628.
* 5. Jacob, baptized March n, 1632.
* 6. Mary, baptized August 11, 1634, married Isaac Esty. She was hanged as a witch September 19, 1692.
* 7. Sarah, baptized September 3, 1638, married (first), January 11, 1660, Edmund Bridges, (second) Peter Cloyes. She narrowly escaped the fate of her sisters.
* 8. Joseph, baptized September 3. 1648.
===biographical notes===
From http://www.anamericanfamilyhistory.com/Towne%20Family/TowneWilliamJoannaBlessing.html
William Towne and Joanna Blessing were married on March 25, 1620 in St. Nicholas Parish, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk County, England.
Their older children were born in England. Rebecca Towne Nurse was baptized on February 21, 1620/21. John Towne was baptized on February 16, 1623. Susanna Towne was baptized on October 26, 1625. Sergeant Edmund Towne was born in 1628. Jacob Towne was baptized on March 11, 1632/33. Mary Towne Estey was baptized on August 24, 1634.
The family came to America and settled in Salem about 1635. Joseph Towne was born in 1639 and Sarah Towne Bridges Cloyes was born in 1639.
The first record of the family in America was in the town book of Salem in 1640. William was granted "a little neck of Land right over against his house on the other side of the river." In the same year, he sued John Cook in what seems to have been a boundary dispute and obtained a verdict and costs.
William moved from Salem to Topsfield in 1651 where they lived in North Fields. William Towne's name appeared on an undated list of land grants in North Fields. He also purchased land in Topsfield from William Paine of Ipswich. This farm contained forty acres "part of which is plow land, another part is meaddow, another part is upland unplowed, all lying together:" He sold his Salem property to Henry Bullock in 1652 and bought additional land at Topsfield in 1656.
The land south of the river got him involved in land disputes with the Putnams of Salem, which may have had some impact on the accusations of witchcraft which claimed the lives of two of his daughters forty years later.
When his son, Joseph married Phebe Perkins, daughter of Deacon Thomas Perkins, in 1663, William Towne deeded two-thirds of his real property to Joseph. William and Joanna probably lived with them.
William died in 1672 and Joanna followed in 1682.
===notes===
(Ted Nadeau) There seems to be some confusion / debate about the parents (in particular the father) of Joanna Blessing.
e.g. John or William
From research, I think it is resolved as 'John' and any confusion might be due to the fact that Joanna married a 'William Towne'
This source supports 'John':
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~walkersj/WilliamTowne.html
Blessing Family
Generation No. 1
1. JOHN1 BLESSING1,2,3 was born 1549 of Somerlayton, Suffolk, England3. He married JOANNE PREISTE4,5,6 October 15, 1569 in Somerleyton Parish, Suffolk, England7,8. She was born 1553 of Somerlayton, Suffolk, England8.
Children of JOHN BLESSING and JOANNE PREISTE are:
# i. JULIAN2 BLESSING9,10,11,12, b. 1571, Somerlayton, Suffolk, England13,14; m. THOMAS GOOSE15,16,17.
# ii. WILLIAM BLESSING18,19,20, b. 1575, Somerleyton, Suffolk?, England21,22.
# 2. iii. ALICE BLESSING, b. 1577; d. Abt. February 1655/56, Boston, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts.
# iv. MARGARET BLESSING23,24,25, b. 1580-159025; m. ROBERT BUFFAM26,27,28, August 23, 1613 at Great Yarmouth. She d. before 1634 when he remarried THOMASIN WARD. He d. August 06, 1669 at Salem, Essex Co., Massachusetts.
# v. JOANNA BLESSING, b. 1594, m. WILLIAM TOWNE.
This source also supports 'John'
http://www.angelfire.com/mi4/polcrt/Towne.html
Joanna was the daughter of John Blessing (b. 1549) of Somerlayton, Suffolk County, England, and Joanne Preiste (b. 1553)
This source also supports 'John'
http://boards.ancestry.myfamily.com/surnames.towne/233.2/mb.ashx
Joanna Blessing's record of baptism is from the Caister Parish Register. She was baptized in The Holy Trinity Church in the town of Caister on-Sea, Norfolk Co. The record reads:
22 Jun 1595 Jone BLESSING daughter of John and Jone.
--------------------
Joanna was the daughter of John Blessing (b. 1549) of Somerlayton, Suffolk County, England, and Joanne Preiste (b. 1553)
When Joanne [nee Blessing] Towne (b. 1594) came to the colonies her sister, Alice [nee Blessing] Firmage (b. 1577), and her brother-in-law, Robert Buffam, husband of her late sister, Margaret [nee Blessing] (b. 1580) (deceased) came too. Joanne Blessing was known as "Mother Goose." This was a misleading name, since it was her sister, Juliana [nee Blessing] (b. 1571) who married Thomas Goose. Juliana was the eldest daughter. William Blessing was their brother (b. 1575).
http://www.angelfire.com/mi4/polcrt/Towne.html
--------------------
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~degroff/pafg235.htm#5005
In the book Death in Salem by Diane E. Foulds, published 2010 by Globe Peguot Press, the stories of Johanna Towne's daughters Rebecca Nurse, Sarah Cloyce, and Mary Easty in the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 are told. On page 68, Johanna is mentioned. The author states that, "all three were frequently reminded that their mother, Johanna Towne, had been a witch before them." A request to the author for further information has been sent, and this information will be updated as evidence is discovered.
--------------------
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=41604390
Birth: 1594
Norwich
Norfolk, England
Death: 1682
Topsfield
Essex County
Massachusetts, USA
Joanna Blessing was born about 1595 to William Blessing/Blyssyne, according to her age given in a lawsuit in 1670. She was probably born near Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England, but neither the record of her birth nor her baptism has been found. On April 25, 1620, Joanna married William Towne at the Church of St. Nicholas in Yarmouth. William and Joanna's first six children were also baptized at St. Nicholas.
William brought his family to New England before 1636, and they settled in Salem, where he was granted land in 1640. William and Joanna had two more children, Sarah and Joseph, born in Salem around that time. In 1651, William bought some land in the neighboring town of Topsfield. He sold his Salem land the next year and soon bought more land in Topsfield. On the occasion of his son Joseph's marriage in 1663, William deeded two thirds of his land to Joseph. William and Joanna probably lived with Joseph for the remainder of their days. William died in Topsfield on June 24, 1673, and his widow Joanna was named administrator. His estate wasn't probated until April, 1683, soon after the death of Joanna, when the estate was distributed among his children.
Three of William and Joanna's daughters were accused in the Salem Witch Trials. Two of them, Rebecca Nurse and Mary Esty, were hung. Sarah Cloyes escaped from the Ipswich jail before she could be executed.
Family links:
Spouse:
* William Towne (1598 - 1673)*
Children:
# Susanna Towne Hayward*
# Rebecca Towne Nurse (1622 - 1692)*
# John Towne (1624 - ____)*
# Edmund Towne (1628 - 1678)*
# Jacob Towne (1631 - 1704)*
# Mary Towne Easty (1634 - 1692)*
# Sarah Towne Clayes (1637 - 1703)*
# Joseph Towne (1639 - 1713)*
*Calculated relationship
Burial:
Pine Grove Cemetery
Topsfield
Essex County
Massachusetts, USA
Created by: Nareen, et al
Record added: Sep 05, 2009
Find A Grave Memorial# 41604390
BIOGRAPHY: "Relations between the Gould family and the Townes and Estys had been strained ever since the quarrrel over their minister, the Reverend Mr. Gilbert, when Mary Esty's mother, old Joanna Towne, had supported him against the Goulds faction."(Currents of Malice - Persis W. McMillen)
1670; Joanna Towne figured in a series of suits brought by and against Rev. Thomas Gilbert, the Topsfield minister. Gilbert, by his own testimony and that of his wife, was a sick man and he was doubtless of erratic temperament, but some of his principal parishioners laid his acts and eccentricities to overindulgence in drink, and the court seems to have considered their suspicions credible. Most of the evidence produced dealt with a dinner at the parsonage between two Sunday services at which Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert had Capt. John Gould, Mr. Thomas Perkins, and their wives, and old Mrs. Towne as their guests. A gold cup (surely a rare treasure in seventeeth-century New England) filled with wine was passed about the table and Mr. Gould alleged that Mr. Gilbert drank too freely therefrom. Joanna Towne (her age being given at seventy-five) testified that on Sunday Mr. Gilbert had admistered the "sacrament swetly unto us" and that after the service "I was att dinner att Mter Gilberts table ... and sat next to him on his right hand, and though some report that he drank too much of the sacrament wyn ... I believe he is wronged, for I that then sat next to him saw no such matter ... And I can saifly take my oath that though our minister had the cup twyce in his hand, yet the first tyme he drank not one drop of it, but gave it out of his hand to Thomas Perkins, bidding him give it to me, for I needed it mor than he, being older. When the cup had gone about, it came into his hand the second time and I am sure ther could not be much in it then (it may be two or three spoon-ful) and that he drank."
The Ancestry of Lieut. Amos Towne, by Walter Goodwin Davis.
4/24/1673; Administration granted to Joanna Towne of the estate of William Towne. She was to bring inventory to the next Ipswich court. (Salem Quarterly Court Records)
1682. At the June term of court, 1678, Joanna Towne was appointed to administer the estate of her late husband, which fixes the approximate date of William Towne's death. The property was probably retained by her until her death, and it was not divided until 1682, when Mary, widow of Edmund Towne, Jacob Towne, Joseph Towne, Francis Nourse, Mary Estey and Sarah Bridges addressed to the court "the Humbell peticion of us whos names are under wrighten in way of the seatellment of a small esteat left to us by our Honered ffather deceased about tenn yers agoo who died and leaft no will," and requested that the real estate be assigned to the sons and the personal property to the daughters.
1692; Of Joanna's daughters Mary, Sarah and Rebecca; "Apparently young John Putnam had said that it was no wonder they were witches since their mother had been a witch herself." (Currents of Malice - Persis W. McMillen)
From Ancestral File (TM), data as of 2 January 1996.
From Ancestral File (TM), data as of 2 January 1996.
When Joanne [nee Blessing] Towne (b. 1594) came to the colonies her sister, Alice [nee Blessing] Firmage (b. 1577), and her brother-in-law, Robert Buffam, husband of her late sister, Margaret [nee Blessing] (b. 1580) (deceased) came too. Joanne Blessing was known as "Mother Goose." This was a misleading name, since it was her sister, Juliana [nee Blessing] (b. 1571) who married Thomas Goose. Juliana was the eldest daughter. William Blessing was their brother (b. 1575).
William Towne (Husband)
Marriage:25 MAR 1620 in Yarmouth, Norfolk Co.,, England
Children:
1. DescendantsRebecca Towne b. in Yarmouth, Norfolk Co.,, England
2. DescendantsMary Towne b. About 1634 in Yarmouth, Norfolk Co.,, England
3. DescendantsSarah Towne b. 11 Jan 1637 in Salem, Essex Co., MA,
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
When Joanne [nee Blessing] Towne (b. 1594) came to the colonies her sister, Alice [nee Blessing] Firmage (b. 1577), and her brother-in-law, Robert Buffam, husband of her late sister, Margaret [nee Blessing] (b. 1580) (deceased) came too. Joanne Blessing was known as "Mother Goose." This was a misleading name, since it was her sister, Juliana [nee Blessing] (b. 1571) who married Thomas Goose. Juliana was the eldest daughter. William Blessing was their brother (b. 1575).
-- MERGED NOTE ------------
}
== Disputed Origins ==A previous version of this profile attached William Blyssinge and Joan Preaste as parents. But in 1957, Walter Goodwin Davis published "The Four Blessing Sisters" in ''The American Genealogist,'' (Vol 33(1957):199-202). Key findings from it include:* Cites Boyd's Suffolk Marriage index for 1569 Somerlyton marriage of John Blyssinge and Joane Preaste.* Cites Somerlytown baptisms for two children of the above couple: Julian (daughter) b 1571; William b 1575.* Cites Great Yarmouth, co. Norfolk (on Suffolk border, 7 miles from Somerlytown), parish records for marriages of three Blessing girls (who the author surmises were the ''granddaughters'' of the Somerlyton couple above):** [[Blessing-22|Margaret Blessing]] m 1613 Robert Buffam (who emigrated to New England, settled in Salem); she died in England by 1634 when he married Thomasine (Ward) Thompson** Jone Blessing m 1620 William Towne (who both settled in Salem, MA; see bequest from Alice to sister Joan Towne in Alice's will below)
** [[Blessing-20|Julian Blessing]] m Thomas Goose 1622* Concludes that Alice Blessing was a fourth sister; that she married about 1615 ____ Firmage (var. spellings). He died either in England or on way over as she is a widow by 29 Oct 1639 when she appears in Salem with her brother-in-law Robert Buffam and her ''son'' Mark Firmage. She removed to Boston by the mid 1640s. Alice made her will 8 Feb 1656 and died the next day. It is this will that places her in this family unit. It names:
** my sister Joan Towne
** my daughter Esther Estick
** my grandchild Susan Goose
** my daughter Sary Langdon
** my son Mr. Edward Hutchinson
** my daughter Abigail Hutchinson* Makes case that Mark Firmage and Benjamin Vermayes were also Alice's sons (or step-sons), even though not named in her will; both had long since left New England.
BUT::: Baptized: 22 June 1595, Caister-on-Sea, Norfolk, England[[#hoover|Hoover]], pp. 1, 3 "Jone Blessing", daughter of John and Jone Blessing, was baptized in Holy Trinity Church in Caister-on-Sea, as found in the parish register.[[#hoover|Hoover]], pp. 1, 3
== Biography ==: Jone (Joanna) Blessing, of Great Yarmouth area, county Norfolk, England, married William Towne 25 March 1620. [[#Davis|Davis]]: page 199 [[#Towne|Towne]]: page 14-15 Jone had three sisters: Margaret, who married Robert Buffam in 1613, Julian who married Thomas Goose in 1622, and Alice, who married into the Firmage family (first name of groom unknown) of Great Yarmouth about 1615. Great Yarmouth was, at that time, a strongly Puritan town, and many families emigrated to New England, including Robert Buffam (widower), Alice (Blessing) Firmage and her children, and Jone (Blessing) Towne and her husband William and their children. They and other neighbors from Great Yarmouth ended up settling in Salem, Massachusetts Bay Colony.
=== Children ===
: Baptized at St. Nicholas Church, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England:
:: Rebecca: born 21 Feb. 1621, married Francis Nurse
:: John: 16 Feb. 1623 (presumed died in infancy)
:: Susanna: 20 Oct. 1625 (presumed died in infancy)
:: Edmund: baptized 28 June 1628, married Mary Browning
:: Jacob: baptized 11 March 1632, married Catherine Symonds
:: Mary: 24 Aug. 1634, married Isaac Esty
: Baptized at Salem, Massachusetts Bay Colony:: Sarah: married 1st, 11 Jan. 1660, Edward Bridges, 2nd Peter Cloyes
:: Joseph: born about 1639, married Phebe Perkins
: William Towne and his wife Jone Blessing first settled in Salem, Massachusetts by 1640. [[#Towne|Towne]]: page 15 They removed to Topsfield, Massachusetts by 1651. William died about 1672, and his wife died about ten years later.
=== Marriage ===
:: 25 MAR 1620 Yarmouth, County Norfolk, England:: Note: They were married in St. Nicholas' church. "In this church, founded in A.D. 1123, dedicated to St. Nicholas, in 1251, and still retaining the name were married, March 25, 1620, William Towne and Joanna Blessing, and here their six first children were baptised."[[#S118|Hubbard]]: Page 18
:: 25 MAR 1620 Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, EnglandSource: [[#S136]] Source: [[#S86]] Source number: 298.000; Source type: Electronic Database; Submitter Code: DA3Source: [[#S109]] Source: [[#S86]] Source number: 298.000; Source type: Electronic Database; Submitter Code: DA3Source: [[#S109]]
=== Death ===:: 1682 Topsfield, Essex County, Massachusetts, USA[[#VRT|Vital Records of Topsfield]]
Administration on the estate of William Towne of Topsfield was granted to Johana Towne on 24:4:1673, and she was to deliver an inventory to the next Ipswich court.Salem Quarterly Court Records, vol. 5, leaf 66.'''On 17 Jan 1682/3,''' a petition for settlement of a small estate left to the children of William Towne, who died ten years ago leaving no will, but left his estate in the hands of their mother who was appointed administratrix and the estate remained unsettled '''until her death.''' They now 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, Rebecka, Mary, and Sarah; also the three brothers to pay all debts now due and what charges shall after arise in settlement of the estate to be equally borne by all six.
Dated 17 Jan 1682[/3], signed by Mary Towne relict of Edmond, Jacob Towne, Josep Towne, Francis Nurs with the consent of Rebeka, Mary Esty formerly Mary Towne, Sarah Bridges. Allowed by the court at Ipswich Apr. 10, 1683.Ipswich Deeds, vol. 4, p. 515.
=== Burial ===
:: Pine Hill Cemetery, Topsfield (no markers)
:: Topsfield, Essex County, Massachusetts, USASource: [[#S171]]
== Research Notes ==: Joanna (not found with an "h" in primary documents) was not born Great Yarmouth. She and her siblings were baptized in Caister-on-Sea, three miles from Great Yarmouth. [[#hoover|Hoover]], p. 3
* Accused of witchcraft though never arrested or brought to trial.[[#hoover|Hoover]], p. 4
== Sources ==
* Davis, Walter Goodwin, B.A., LL.B., [http://www.americanancestors.org/databases/american-genealogist-the/image/?volumeId=11876&pageName=199&rId=134815853 ''The Four Blessing Sisters''], The American Genealogist. New Haven, CT: D. L. Jacobus, 1937-. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009 - .) TAG Vol. 33 (1957), pages 199-206
* Towne, William B. ''Notes and Memoranda Relating to Persons of the Name of Towne'', [[Space:NEHGR|The New England Historical & Genealogical Register]], (New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, Mass.) [https://books.google.com/books?id=BmsFAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA12 Vol. 21, page 12-22]
* Yates Publishing, ''[[Space:U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900|U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900]]'' (Provo, UT, USA, The Generations Network, Inc., 2004)* [http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=worldmarr_ga&h=115001&ti=0&indiv=try&gss=pt US and International Marriage Records, 1560 - 1900 (direct link to ancestry.com)]::: Birth date: 1594 Birth place: En Marriage date: 1620 Marriage place: En
::: Joanna Blessing Birth Date: 1595 Birth Place: En
* Public Member Trees - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network,Inc., 2006. Original data - Family trees submitted by Ancestry members. [https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/4478194/person/-1075219161/facts Ancestry family Tree]
* Hubbard, Edwin. ''The Towne Family Memorial: Compiled from the New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Towne Manuscripts, Public and Family Records; for A.N. Towne Esq., San Francisco, Cal.'' (Chicago, Illinois. Fergus Printing Company. 1880)
* Stearns, Ezra S. ''[[Space:Genealogical_and_Family_History_of_the_State_of_New_Hampshire|Genealogical and Family History of the State of New Hampshire]]'' (Lewis Publishing Company, 1908) [https://books.google.com/books?id=cfoI0UIOCKQC&pg=PA588#v=onepage&q&f=true Vol. 2, Page 588]
* ''Vital Records of Topsfield, MA, to the End of the Year 1849'', Compiler: Topsfield Historical Society Publication: (Topsfield, Massachusetts, 1903)
* Source: S225 Selvage and Peterson Families and More Charles J. Peterson
* Source: S226 selvage
* Source: S288 Selvage Charles J. Peterson * Source: S290 Towne genealogy posting on Rootsweb Towne mailing list Jill (O'Neall) Ching * Source: S292 History of Milford, New Hampshire: 1738-1901 Ramsdell, George A. Publication: Concord, New Hampshire: The Rumford Press, 1901 Published by the town. Family registers by William P. Colburn.
* Source: S42 10811.ftw * Source: S528 Genealogical Dictionary of New England, Volume II: the 1st Settlers of New England before 1691, Basis of Farmers Registry by James Savage Savage, James Publication: Little and Brown Co., 1861 19 Feb 2005
* Source: S109 Heritage Consulting ''Millennium File'' Publication: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2003* Source: S136 Edmund West, comp.''Family Data Collection - Marriages'' Publication: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2001* Source: S171 Ancestry.com Web: Massachusetts, Find A Grave Index, 1620-2013 Publication: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2012* Source: S84 Ancestry.com ''U.S., New England Marriages Prior to 1700'' Publication: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2012* Source: S86 Yates Publishing Title: ,''U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900'' Publication: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2004* Source: S89 Edmund West, comp. ''Family Data Collection - Births'' Publication: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2001* Source: S91 Godfrey Memorial Library, comp. ''American Genealogical-Biographical Index'' (AGBI) Publication: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 1999* Source: S92 Edmund West, comp., ''Family Data Collection - Deaths'' Publication: The Generations Network, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2001* Joanna Blessing (1595 - 1675) [http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=document&guid=30b8a1e7-0cc0-46f5-a1e1-625ceb5ae88c&tid=4478194&pid=-1075219161 Joanna Blessing (1595 - 1675) Posted 01 Jan 2009 by cruch00]
== Biography ==: Jone (Joanna) Blessing, of Great Yarmouth area, county Norfolk, England, married William Towne 25 March 1620. [[#Davis|Davis]]: page 199 [[#Towne|Towne]]: page 14-15 Jone had three sisters: Margaret, who married Robert Buffam in 1613, Julian who married Thomas Goose in 1622, and Alice, who married into the Firmage family (first name of groom unknown) of Great Yarmouth about 1615. Great Yarmouth was, at that time, a strongly Puritan town, and many families emigrated to New England, including Robert Buffam (widower), Alice (Blessing) Firmage and her children, and Jone (Blessing) Towne and her husband William and their children. They and other neighbors from Great Yarmouth ended up settling in Salem, Massachusetts Bay Colony.
=== Children ===
: Baptized at St. Nicholas Church, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England:
:: Rebecca: born 21 Feb. 1621, married Francis Nurse
:: John: 16 Feb. 1623 (presumed died in infancy)
:: Susanna: 20 Oct. 1625 (presumed died in infancy)
:: Edmund: baptized 28 June 1628, married Mary Browning
:: Jacob: baptized 11 March 1632, married Catherine Symonds
:: Mary: 24 Aug. 1634, married Isaac Esty
: Baptized at Salem, Massachusetts Bay Colony:: Sarah: married 1st, 11 Jan. 1660, Edward Bridges, 2nd Peter Cloyes
:: Joseph: born about 1639, married Phebe Perkins
: William Towne and his wife Jone Blessing first settled in Salem, Massachusetts by 1640. [[#Towne|Towne]]: page 15 They removed to Topsfield, Massachusetts by 1651. William died about 1672, and his wife died about ten years later.
=== Name ===
: Joanna Blessing [[#Yates|Yates]]
=== Birth ===
:: 1594 England
:: 1599 Great Yarmouth, County Norfolk, England
:: 1595 Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England:: 22 JUN 1595 Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, EnglandSource: [[#S91]] Source: [[#S171]] Source: [[#S86]] Source number: 298.000; Source type: Electronic Database; Submitter Code: DA3Source: [[#S91]] Source: [[#S109]] Source: [[#S89]] Source: [[#S89]]
=== Marriage ===
:: 25 MAR 1620 Yarmouth, County Norfolk, England:: Note: They were married in St. Nicholas' church. "In this church, founded in A.D. 1123, dedicated to St. Nicholas, in 1251, and still retaining the name were married, March 25, 1620, William Towne and Joanna Blessing, and here their six first children were baptised."[[#S118|Hubbard]]: Page 18
:: 25 MAR 1620 Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, EnglandSource: [[#S136]] Source: [[#S86]] Source number: 298.000; Source type: Electronic Database; Submitter Code: DA3Source: [[#S109]] Source: [[#S86]] Source number: 298.000; Source type: Electronic Database; Submitter Code: DA3Source: [[#S109]]
=== Death ===:: 1682 Topsfield, Essex County, Massachusetts, USA[[#VRT|Vital Records of Topsfield]]
Administration on the estate of William Towne of Topsfield was granted to Johana Towne on 24:4:1673, and she was to deliver an inventory to the next Ipswich court.Salem Quarterly Court Records, vol. 5, leaf 66.'''On 17 Jan 1682/3,''' a petition for settlement of a small estate left to the children of William Towne, who died ten years ago leaving no will, but left his estate in the hands of their mother who was appointed administratrix and the estate remained unsettled '''until her death.''' They now 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, Rebecka, Mary, and Sarah; also the three brothers to pay all debts now due and what charges shall after arise in settlement of the estate to be equally borne by all six.
Dated 17 Jan 1682[/3], signed by Mary Towne relict of Edmond, Jacob Towne, Josep Towne, Francis Nurs with the consent of Rebeka, Mary Esty formerly Mary Towne, Sarah Bridges. Allowed by the court at Ipswich Apr. 10, 1683.Ipswich Deeds, vol. 4, p. 515.
=== Burial ===
:: Pine Hill Cemetery, Topsfield (no markers)
:: Topsfield, Essex County, Massachusetts, USASource: [[#S171]]
=== Notes ===* Joanna Blessing (1595 - 1675) [http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=document&guid=30b8a1e7-0cc0-46f5-a1e1-625ceb5ae88c&tid=4478194&pid=-1075219161 Joanna Blessing (1595 - 1675) Posted 01 Jan 2009 by cruch00]
* Married 1620 England
* Accused of witchcraft though never arrested or brought to trial.
== Sources ==
* Towne, William B. ''Notes and Memoranda Relating to Persons of the Name of Towne'', [[Space:NEHGR|The New England Historical & Genealogical Register]], (New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, Mass.) [https://books.google.com/books?id=BmsFAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA12 Vol. 21, page 12-22]
* Yates Publishing, ''[[Space:U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900|U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900]]'' (Provo, UT, USA, The Generations Network, Inc., 2004)* [http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=sse&db=worldmarr_ga&h=115001&ti=0&indiv=try&gss=pt US and INternational Marriage Records, 1560 - 1900 (direct link to ancestry.com)]::: Birth date: 1594 Birth place: En Marriage date: 1620 Marriage place: En
::: Joanna Blessing Birth Date: 1595 Birth Place: En
* Public Member Trees - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network,Inc., 2006. Original data - Family trees submitted by Ancestry members. [http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=4478194&pid=-1075219161 Ancestry family Tree]
* Hubbard, Edwin. ''The Towne Family Memorial: Compiled from the New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Towne Manuscripts, Public and Family Records; for A.N. Towne Esq., San Francisco, Cal.'' (Chicago, Illinois. Fergus Printing Company. 1880)
* Stearns, Ezra S. ''[[Space:Genealogical_and_Family_History_of_the_State_of_New_Hampshire|Genealogical and Family History of the State of New Hampshire]]'' (Lewis Publishing Company, 1908) [https://books.google.com/books?id=cfoI0UIOCKQC&pg=PA588#v=onepage&q&f=true Vol. 2, Page 588]
* ''Vital Records of Topsfield, MA, to the End of the Year 1849'', Compiler: Topsfield Historical Society Publication: (Topsfield, Massachusetts, 1903)
* Source: S225 Selvage and Peterson Families and More Charles J. Peterson
* Source: S226 selvage
* Source: S288 Selvage Charles J. Peterson * Source: S290 Towne genealogy posting on Rootsweb Towne mailing list Jill (O'Neall) Ching * Source: S292 History of Milford, New Hampshire: 1738-1901 Ramsdell, George A. Publication: Concord, New Hampshire: The Rumford Press, 1901 Published by the town. Family registers by William P. Colburn.
* Source: S42 10811.ftw * Source: S528 Genealogical Dictionary of New England, Volume II: the 1st Settlers of New England before 1691, Basis of Farmers Registry by James Savage Savage, James Publication: Little and Brown Co., 1861 19 Feb 2005
* Source: S109 Heritage Consulting ''Millennium File'' Publication: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2003* Source: S136 Edmund West, comp.''Family Data Collection - Marriages'' Publication: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2001* Source: S171 Ancestry.com Web: Massachusetts, Find A Grave Index, 1620-2013 Publication: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2012* Source: S84 Ancestry.com ''U.S., New England Marriages Prior to 1700'' Publication: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2012* Source: S86 Yates Publishing Title: ,''U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900'' Publication: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2004* Source: S89 Edmund West, comp. ''Family Data Collection - Births'' Publication: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2001* Source: S91 Godfrey Memorial Library, comp. ''American Genealogical-Biographical Index'' (AGBI) Publication: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 1999* Source: S92 Edmund West, comp., ''Family Data Collection - Deaths'' Publication: The Generations Network, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2001
-- MERGED NOTE ------------
'''Joan Blessing''', the third daughter of John / William and (–) Blessing, was born ca 1595 at Great Yarmouth, Norfolk and died ca 1682 in Topsfield, Ma. She married, at Great Yarmouth on 25 April 1620, William Towne who was born in 1596/bp 18 March 1599 at Great Yarmouth and died in 1672 at Topsfield, Ma. William Towne was the son of John and Elizabeth (–) Towne of Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. They had eight children, i.e., four sons and four daughters. Three of the daughters, Rebecca, Sarah and Mary, were victims of the tragic Salem Witchcraft debacle with Rebecca and Mary Towne being executed by hanging. There is a statue of Rebecca Towne Nurse in Salem, Ma. which is a perpetual reminder of this sad chapter in US history.
* From http://stanleyhistory.net/descnarratives/blessingwilliam7662.shtml
* References: PH7:749; PH212:V3:485-487; FH6:1662; FH134:793.1:Pg1; FH209:13,17-18,21; TAG:V33:205-206.
----
When Joanne [nee Blessing] Towne (b. 1594) came to the colonies her sister, Alice [nee Blessing] Firmage (b. 1593) and her brother-in-law, Robert Buffam, husband of her late sister, Margaret [nee Blessing] (deceased) came too. Joanne Blessing was known as "Mother Goose." This was a misleading name, since it was her sister, Juliana [nee Blessing] who married Thomas Goose.
----
===family===
From http://www.anamericanfamilyhistory.com/Towne%20Family/TowneWilliamJoannaBlessing.html
William and Joanna (Blessing) Towne had eight children, six of whom were born in England:
* 1. Rebecca, baptized February 21, 1621, married Francis Nourse, of Salem. She was hanged as a witch at Salem, July 16, 1692. Her husband died at Salem, November 22, 1695.
* 2. John, baptized February 16, 1624, died before his father.
* 3. Susanna, baptized October 20, 1625, died before her father.
* 4. Edmund, baptized June 28, 1628.
* 5. Jacob, baptized March n, 1632.
* 6. Mary, baptized August 11, 1634, married Isaac Esty. She was hanged as a witch September 19, 1692.
* 7. Sarah, baptized September 3, 1638, married (first), January 11, 1660, Edmund Bridges, (second) Peter Cloyes. She narrowly escaped the fate of her sisters.
* 8. Joseph, baptized September 3. 1648.
===biographical notes===
From http://www.anamericanfamilyhistory.com/Towne%20Family/TowneWilliamJoannaBlessing.html
William Towne and Joanna Blessing were married on March 25, 1620 in St. Nicholas Parish, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk County, England.
Their older children were born in England. Rebecca Towne Nurse was baptized on February 21, 1620/21. John Towne was baptized on February 16, 1623. Susanna Towne was baptized on October 26, 1625. Sergeant Edmund Towne was born in 1628. Jacob Towne was baptized on March 11, 1632/33. Mary Towne Estey was baptized on August 24, 1634.
The family came to America and settled in Salem about 1635. Joseph Towne was born in 1639 and Sarah Towne Bridges Cloyes was born in 1639.
The first record of the family in America was in the town book of Salem in 1640. William was granted "a little neck of Land right over against his house on the other side of the river." In the same year, he sued John Cook in what seems to have been a boundary dispute and obtained a verdict and costs.
William moved from Salem to Topsfield in 1651 where they lived in North Fields. William Towne's name appeared on an undated list of land grants in North Fields. He also purchased land in Topsfield from William Paine of Ipswich. This farm contained forty acres "part of which is plow land, another part is meaddow, another part is upland unplowed, all lying together:" He sold his Salem property to Henry Bullock in 1652 and bought additional land at Topsfield in 1656.
The land south of the river got him involved in land disputes with the Putnams of Salem, which may have had some impact on the accusations of witchcraft which claimed the lives of two of his daughters forty years later.
When his son, Joseph married Phebe Perkins, daughter of Deacon Thomas Perkins, in 1663, William Towne deeded two-thirds of his real property to Joseph. William and Joanna probably lived with them.
William died in 1672 and Joanna followed in 1682.
===notes===
(Ted Nadeau) There seems to be some confusion / debate about the parents (in particular the father) of Joanna Blessing.
e.g. John or William
From research, I think it is resolved as 'John' and any confusion might be due to the fact that Joanna married a 'William Towne'
This source supports 'John':
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~walkersj/WilliamTowne.html
Blessing Family
Generation No. 1
1. JOHN1 BLESSING1,2,3 was born 1549 of Somerlayton, Suffolk, England3. He married JOANNE PREISTE4,5,6 October 15, 1569 in Somerleyton Parish, Suffolk, England7,8. She was born 1553 of Somerlayton, Suffolk, England8.
Children of JOHN BLESSING and JOANNE PREISTE are:
# i. JULIAN2 BLESSING9,10,11,12, b. 1571, Somerlayton, Suffolk, England13,14; m. THOMAS GOOSE15,16,17.
# ii. WILLIAM BLESSING18,19,20, b. 1575, Somerleyton, Suffolk?, England21,22.
# 2. iii. ALICE BLESSING, b. 1577; d. Abt. February 1655/56, Boston, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts.
# iv. MARGARET BLESSING23,24,25, b. 1580-159025; m. ROBERT BUFFAM26,27,28, August 23, 1613 at Great Yarmouth. She d. before 1634 when he remarried THOMASIN WARD. He d. August 06, 1669 at Salem, Essex Co., Massachusetts.
# v. JOANNA BLESSING, b. 1594, m. WILLIAM TOWNE.
This source also supports 'John'
http://www.angelfire.com/mi4/polcrt/Towne.html
Joanna was the daughter of John Blessing (b. 1549) of Somerlayton, Suffolk County, England, and Joanne Preiste (b. 1553)
This source also supports 'John'
http://boards.ancestry.myfamily.com/surnames.towne/233.2/mb.ashx
Joanna Blessing's record of baptism is from the Caister Parish Register. She was baptized in The Holy Trinity Church in the town of Caister on-Sea, Norfolk Co. The record reads:
22 Jun 1595 Jone BLESSING daughter of John and Jone.
--------------------
Joanna was the daughter of John Blessing (b. 1549) of Somerlayton, Suffolk County, England, and Joanne Preiste (b. 1553)
When Joanne [nee Blessing] Towne (b. 1594) came to the colonies her sister, Alice [nee Blessing] Firmage (b. 1577), and her brother-in-law, Robert Buffam, husband of her late sister, Margaret [nee Blessing] (b. 1580) (deceased) came too. Joanne Blessing was known as "Mother Goose." This was a misleading name, since it was her sister, Juliana [nee Blessing] (b. 1571) who married Thomas Goose. Juliana was the eldest daughter. William Blessing was their brother (b. 1575).
http://www.angelfire.com/mi4/polcrt/Towne.html
--------------------
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~degroff/pafg235.htm#5005
In the book Death in Salem by Diane E. Foulds, published 2010 by Globe Peguot Press, the stories of Johanna Towne's daughters Rebecca Nurse, Sarah Cloyce, and Mary Easty in the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 are told. On page 68, Johanna is mentioned. The author states that, "all three were frequently reminded that their mother, Johanna Towne, had been a witch before them." A request to the author for further information has been sent, and this information will be updated as evidence is discovered.
--------------------
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=41604390
Birth: 1594
Norwich
Norfolk, England
Death: 1682
Topsfield
Essex County
Massachusetts, USA
Joanna Blessing was born about 1595 to William Blessing/Blyssyne, according to her age given in a lawsuit in 1670. She was probably born near Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England, but neither the record of her birth nor her baptism has been found. On April 25, 1620, Joanna married William Towne at the Church of St. Nicholas in Yarmouth. William and Joanna's first six children were also baptized at St. Nicholas.
William brought his family to New England before 1636, and they settled in Salem, where he was granted land in 1640. William and Joanna had two more children, Sarah and Joseph, born in Salem around that time. In 1651, William bought some land in the neighboring town of Topsfield. He sold his Salem land the next year and soon bought more land in Topsfield. On the occasion of his son Joseph's marriage in 1663, William deeded two thirds of his land to Joseph. William and Joanna probably lived with Joseph for the remainder of their days. William died in Topsfield on June 24, 1673, and his widow Joanna was named administrator. His estate wasn't probated until April, 1683, soon after the death of Joanna, when the estate was distributed among his children.
Three of William and Joanna's daughters were accused in the Salem Witch Trials. Two of them, Rebecca Nurse and Mary Esty, were hung. Sarah Cloyes escaped from the Ipswich jail before she could be executed.
Family links:
Spouse:
* William Towne (1598 - 1673)*
Children:
# Susanna Towne Hayward*
# Rebecca Towne Nurse (1622 - 1692)*
# John Towne (1624 - ____)*
# Edmund Towne (1628 - 1678)*
# Jacob Towne (1631 - 1704)*
# Mary Towne Easty (1634 - 1692)*
# Sarah Towne Clayes (1637 - 1703)*
# Joseph Towne (1639 - 1713)*
*Calculated relationship
Burial:
Pine Grove Cemetery
Topsfield
Essex County
Massachusetts, USA
Created by: Nareen, et al
Record added: Sep 05, 2009
Find A Grave Memorial# 41604390
BIOGRAPHY: "Relations between the Gould family and the Townes and Estys had been strained ever since the quarrrel over their minister, the Reverend Mr. Gilbert, when Mary Esty's mother, old Joanna Towne, had supported him against the Goulds faction."(Currents of Malice - Persis W. McMillen)
1670; Joanna Towne figured in a series of suits brought by and against Rev. Thomas Gilbert, the Topsfield minister. Gilbert, by his own testimony and that of his wife, was a sick man and he was doubtless of erratic temperament, but some of his principal parishioners laid his acts and eccentricities to overindulgence in drink, and the court seems to have considered their suspicions credible. Most of the evidence produced dealt with a dinner at the parsonage between two Sunday services at which Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert had Capt. John Gould, Mr. Thomas Perkins, and their wives, and old Mrs. Towne as their guests. A gold cup (surely a rare treasure in seventeeth-century New England) filled with wine was passed about the table and Mr. Gould alleged that Mr. Gilbert drank too freely therefrom. Joanna Towne (her age being given at seventy-five) testified that on Sunday Mr. Gilbert had admistered the "sacrament swetly unto us" and that after the service "I was att dinner att Mter Gilberts table ... and sat next to him on his right hand, and though some report that he drank too much of the sacrament wyn ... I believe he is wronged, for I that then sat next to him saw no such matter ... And I can saifly take my oath that though our minister had the cup twyce in his hand, yet the first tyme he drank not one drop of it, but gave it out of his hand to Thomas Perkins, bidding him give it to me, for I needed it mor than he, being older. When the cup had gone about, it came into his hand the second time and I am sure ther could not be much in it then (it may be two or three spoon-ful) and that he drank."
The Ancestry of Lieut. Amos Towne, by Walter Goodwin Davis.
4/24/1673; Administration granted to Joanna Towne of the estate of William Towne. She was to bring inventory to the next Ipswich court. (Salem Quarterly Court Records)
1682. At the June term of court, 1678, Joanna Towne was appointed to administer the estate of her late husband, which fixes the approximate date of William Towne's death. The property was probably retained by her until her death, and it was not divided until 1682, when Mary, widow of Edmund Towne, Jacob Towne, Joseph Towne, Francis Nourse, Mary Estey and Sarah Bridges addressed to the court "the Humbell peticion of us whos names are under wrighten in way of the seatellment of a small esteat left to us by our Honered ffather deceased about tenn yers agoo who died and leaft no will," and requested that the real estate be assigned to the sons and the personal property to the daughters.
1692; Of Joanna's daughters Mary, Sarah and Rebecca; "Apparently young John Putnam had said that it was no wonder they were witches since their mother had been a witch herself." (Currents of Malice - Persis W. McMillen)
From Ancestral File (TM), data as of 2 January 1996.
From Ancestral File (TM), data as of 2 January 1996.
When Joanne [nee Blessing] Towne (b. 1594) came to the colonies her sister, Alice [nee Blessing] Firmage (b. 1577), and her brother-in-law, Robert Buffam, husband of her late sister, Margaret [nee Blessing] (b. 1580) (deceased) came too. Joanne Blessing was known as "Mother Goose." This was a misleading name, since it was her sister, Juliana [nee Blessing] (b. 1571) who married Thomas Goose. Juliana was the eldest daughter. William Blessing was their brother (b. 1575).
William Towne (Husband)
Marriage:25 MAR 1620 in Yarmouth, Norfolk Co.,, England
Children:
1. DescendantsRebecca Towne b. in Yarmouth, Norfolk Co.,, England
2. DescendantsMary Towne b. About 1634 in Yarmouth, Norfolk Co.,, England
3. DescendantsSarah Towne b. 11 Jan 1637 in Salem, Essex Co., MA,
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
When Joanne [nee Blessing] Towne (b. 1594) came to the colonies her sister, Alice [nee Blessing] Firmage (b. 1577), and her brother-in-law, Robert Buffam, husband of her late sister, Margaret [nee Blessing] (b. 1580) (deceased) came too. Joanne Blessing was known as "Mother Goose." This was a misleading name, since it was her sister, Juliana [nee Blessing] (b. 1571) who married Thomas Goose. Juliana was the eldest daughter. William Blessing was their brother (b. 1575).
-- MERGED NOTE ------------
}
== Disputed Origins ==A previous version of this profile attached William Blyssinge and Joan Preaste as parents. But in 1957, Walter Goodwin Davis published "The Four Blessing Sisters" in ''The American Genealogist,'' (Vol 33(1957):199-202). Key findings from it include:* Cites Boyd's Suffolk Marriage index for 1569 Somerlyton marriage of John Blyssinge and Joane Preaste.* Cites Somerlytown baptisms for two children of the above couple: Julian (daughter) b 1571; William b 1575.* Cites Great Yarmouth, co. Norfolk (on Suffolk border, 7 miles from Somerlytown), parish records for marriages of three Blessing girls (who the author surmises were the ''granddaughters'' of the Somerlyton couple above):** [[Blessing-22|Margaret Blessing]] m 1613 Robert Buffam (who emigrated to New England, settled in Salem); she died in England by 1634 when he married Thomasine (Ward) Thompson** Jone Blessing m 1620 William Towne (who both settled in Salem, MA; see bequest from Alice to sister Joan Towne in Alice's will below)
** [[Blessing-20|Julian Blessing]] m Thomas Goose 1622* Concludes that Alice Blessing was a fourth sister; that she married about 1615 ____ Firmage (var. spellings). He died either in England or on way over as she is a widow by 29 Oct 1639 when she appears in Salem with her brother-in-law Robert Buffam and her ''son'' Mark Firmage. She removed to Boston by the mid 1640s. Alice made her will 8 Feb 1656 and died the next day. It is this will that places her in this family unit. It names:
** my sister Joan Towne
** my daughter Esther Estick
** my grandchild Susan Goose
** my daughter Sary Langdon
** my son Mr. Edward Hutchinson
** my daughter Abigail Hutchinson* Makes case that Mark Firmage and Benjamin Vermayes were also Alice's sons (or step-sons), even though not named in her will; both had long since left New England.
BUT::: Baptized: 22 June 1595, Caister-on-Sea, Norfolk, England[[#hoover|Hoover]], pp. 1, 3 "Jone Blessing", daughter of John and Jone Blessing, was baptized in Holy Trinity Church in Caister-on-Sea, as found in the parish register.[[#hoover|Hoover]], pp. 1, 3
== Biography ==: Jone (Joanna) Blessing, of Great Yarmouth area, county Norfolk, England, married William Towne 25 March 1620. [[#Davis|Davis]]: page 199 [[#Towne|Towne]]: page 14-15 Jone had three sisters: Margaret, who married Robert Buffam in 1613, Julian who married Thomas Goose in 1622, and Alice, who married into the Firmage family (first name of groom unknown) of Great Yarmouth about 1615. Great Yarmouth was, at that time, a strongly Puritan town, and many families emigrated to New England, including Robert Buffam (widower), Alice (Blessing) Firmage and her children, and Jone (Blessing) Towne and her husband William and their children. They and other neighbors from Great Yarmouth ended up settling in Salem, Massachusetts Bay Colony.
=== Children ===
: Baptized at St. Nicholas Church, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England:
:: Rebecca: born 21 Feb. 1621, married Francis Nurse
:: John: 16 Feb. 1623 (presumed died in infancy)
:: Susanna: 20 Oct. 1625 (presumed died in infancy)
:: Edmund: baptized 28 June 1628, married Mary Browning
:: Jacob: baptized 11 March 1632, married Catherine Symonds
:: Mary: 24 Aug. 1634, married Isaac Esty
: Baptized at Salem, Massachusetts Bay Colony:: Sarah: married 1st, 11 Jan. 1660, Edward Bridges, 2nd Peter Cloyes
:: Joseph: born about 1639, married Phebe Perkins
: William Towne and his wife Jone Blessing first settled in Salem, Massachusetts by 1640. [[#Towne|Towne]]: page 15 They removed to Topsfield, Massachusetts by 1651. William died about 1672, and his wife died about ten years later.
=== Marriage ===
:: 25 MAR 1620 Yarmouth, County Norfolk, England:: Note: They were married in St. Nicholas' church. "In this church, founded in A.D. 1123, dedicated to St. Nicholas, in 1251, and still retaining the name were married, March 25, 1620, William Towne and Joanna Blessing, and here their six first children were baptised."[[#S118|Hubbard]]: Page 18
:: 25 MAR 1620 Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, EnglandSource: [[#S136]] Source: [[#S86]] Source number: 298.000; Source type: Electronic Database; Submitter Code: DA3Source: [[#S109]] Source: [[#S86]] Source number: 298.000; Source type: Electronic Database; Submitter Code: DA3Source: [[#S109]]
=== Death ===:: 1682 Topsfield, Essex County, Massachusetts, USA[[#VRT|Vital Records of Topsfield]]
Administration on the estate of William Towne of Topsfield was granted to Johana Towne on 24:4:1673, and she was to deliver an inventory to the next Ipswich court.Salem Quarterly Court Records, vol. 5, leaf 66.'''On 17 Jan 1682/3,''' a petition for settlement of a small estate left to the children of William Towne, who died ten years ago leaving no will, but left his estate in the hands of their mother who was appointed administratrix and the estate remained unsettled '''until her death.''' They now 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, Rebecka, Mary, and Sarah; also the three brothers to pay all debts now due and what charges shall after arise in settlement of the estate to be equally borne by all six.
Dated 17 Jan 1682[/3], signed by Mary Towne relict of Edmond, Jacob Towne, Josep Towne, Francis Nurs with the consent of Rebeka, Mary Esty formerly Mary Towne, Sarah Bridges. Allowed by the court at Ipswich Apr. 10, 1683.Ipswich Deeds, vol. 4, p. 515.
=== Burial ===
:: Pine Hill Cemetery, Topsfield (no markers)
:: Topsfield, Essex County, Massachusetts, USASource: [[#S171]]
== Research Notes ==: Joanna (not found with an "h" in primary documents) was not born Great Yarmouth. She and her siblings were baptized in Caister-on-Sea, three miles from Great Yarmouth. [[#hoover|Hoover]], p. 3
* Accused of witchcraft though never arrested or brought to trial.[[#hoover|Hoover]], p. 4
== Sources ==
* Davis, Walter Goodwin, B.A., LL.B., [http://www.americanancestors.org/databases/american-genealogist-the/image/?volumeId=11876&pageName=199&rId=134815853 ''The Four Blessing Sisters''], The American Genealogist. New Haven, CT: D. L. Jacobus, 1937-. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009 - .) TAG Vol. 33 (1957), pages 199-206
* Towne, William B. ''Notes and Memoranda Relating to Persons of the Name of Towne'', [[Space:NEHGR|The New England Historical & Genealogical Register]], (New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, Mass.) [https://books.google.com/books?id=BmsFAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA12 Vol. 21, page 12-22]
* Yates Publishing, ''[[Space:U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900|U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900]]'' (Provo, UT, USA, The Generations Network, Inc., 2004)* [http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=worldmarr_ga&h=115001&ti=0&indiv=try&gss=pt US and International Marriage Records, 1560 - 1900 (direct link to ancestry.com)]::: Birth date: 1594 Birth place: En Marriage date: 1620 Marriage place: En
::: Joanna Blessing Birth Date: 1595 Birth Place: En
* Public Member Trees - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network,Inc., 2006. Original data - Family trees submitted by Ancestry members. [https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/4478194/person/-1075219161/facts Ancestry family Tree]
* Hubbard, Edwin. ''The Towne Family Memorial: Compiled from the New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Towne Manuscripts, Public and Family Records; for A.N. Towne Esq., San Francisco, Cal.'' (Chicago, Illinois. Fergus Printing Company. 1880)
* Stearns, Ezra S. ''[[Space:Genealogical_and_Family_History_of_the_State_of_New_Hampshire|Genealogical and Family History of the State of New Hampshire]]'' (Lewis Publishing Company, 1908) [https://books.google.com/books?id=cfoI0UIOCKQC&pg=PA588#v=onepage&q&f=true Vol. 2, Page 588]
* ''Vital Records of Topsfield, MA, to the End of the Year 1849'', Compiler: Topsfield Historical Society Publication: (Topsfield, Massachusetts, 1903)
* Source: S225 Selvage and Peterson Families and More Charles J. Peterson
* Source: S226 selvage
* Source: S288 Selvage Charles J. Peterson * Source: S290 Towne genealogy posting on Rootsweb Towne mailing list Jill (O'Neall) Ching * Source: S292 History of Milford, New Hampshire: 1738-1901 Ramsdell, George A. Publication: Concord, New Hampshire: The Rumford Press, 1901 Published by the town. Family registers by William P. Colburn.
* Source: S42 10811.ftw * Source: S528 Genealogical Dictionary of New England, Volume II: the 1st Settlers of New England before 1691, Basis of Farmers Registry by James Savage Savage, James Publication: Little and Brown Co., 1861 19 Feb 2005
* Source: S109 Heritage Consulting ''Millennium File'' Publication: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2003* Source: S136 Edmund West, comp.''Family Data Collection - Marriages'' Publication: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2001* Source: S171 Ancestry.com Web: Massachusetts, Find A Grave Index, 1620-2013 Publication: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2012* Source: S84 Ancestry.com ''U.S., New England Marriages Prior to 1700'' Publication: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2012* Source: S86 Yates Publishing Title: ,''U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900'' Publication: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2004* Source: S89 Edmund West, comp. ''Family Data Collection - Births'' Publication: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2001* Source: S91 Godfrey Memorial Library, comp. ''American Genealogical-Biographical Index'' (AGBI) Publication: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 1999* Source: S92 Edmund West, comp., ''Family Data Collection - Deaths'' Publication: The Generations Network, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2001* Joanna Blessing (1595 - 1675) [http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=document&guid=30b8a1e7-0cc0-46f5-a1e1-625ceb5ae88c&tid=4478194&pid=-1075219161 Joanna Blessing (1595 - 1675) Posted 01 Jan 2009 by cruch00]
Events
| Birth | Bef 22 Jun 1595 | ||||
| Birth | Bef 22 Jun 1595 | Caister-on-Sea, Norfolk, England | |||
| Baptism | 22 Jun 1595 | The Holy Trinity Church | |||
| Birth | Abt 1599 | Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England | |||
| Christen | 1600 | Bracely, Engl | |||
| Christen | 1600 | Bracely, Norfolk, England | |||
| Marriage | 25 Mar 1620 | William Towne | |||
| Marriage | 25 Apr 1620 | St. Nicholas Church, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England - William Towne | |||
| Burial | 1682 | Pine Grove Cemetery | |||
| Death | 22 Jun 1682 | ||||
| Death | Bef 17 Jan 1683 | Topsfield, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Colony | |||
| Alt name | Joanna "Jone" Blessing | ||||
| Reference No | 138115 | ||||
| Reference No | |||||
| Reference No | 60 | ||||
| Christen | |||||
| Reference No | 151795 |
Families
| Spouse | William Towne (1599 - 1673) |
| Child | Joseph Towne (1639 - 1713) |
| Child | Rebecca Towne (1621 - 1692) |
| Child | John Towne (1623 - 1671) |
| Child | Susannah Towne (1625 - 1678) |
| Child | Sgt Edmund Towne (1628 - 1678) |
| Child | Jacob Towne I (1632 - 1704) |
| Child | Mary Towne (1634 - 1692) |
| Child | Sarah Towne (1639 - 1704) |
| Child | Sarah Towne (1635 - 1703) |
| Father | William Blyssynge (1575 - 1677) |
| Mother | Joan Preaste (1572 - 1675) |
| Sibling | Phillip Blessing (1593 - 1619) |
| Sibling | Margaret Blessing (1593 - 1634) |
| Sibling | Seth Blessing (1595 - 1663) |
| Sibling | Alice Blessing (1600 - 1656) |
| Father | John 'William' "William Blessing" Blessing (1568 - 1648) |
| Mother | unknown "Margaret" unknown (1575 - ) |
| Father | Unknown Blyssinge (1570 - ) |
| Sibling | Margaret Blessing (1593 - 1634) |
| Sibling | Alice Blessing (1577 - 1656) |