The Bridgeman's and Morgan's of Wayne Co., Kentucky:Information about Rebecca BRIGGS
Rebecca BRIGGS (b. October 25, 1600, d. February 5, 1672/73)
Notes for Rebecca BRIGGS:Rebecca BRIGGS was born on 25 Oct 1600 in England.(50) She died on 8 Feb 1673 in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. (50) Parents: Henri BRIGGS.
She was married to Thomas CORNELL. (50) Children were: Rebecca CORNELL.
REBECCA BRIGGS
1600 - 1673
Rebecca was born in London, England and died in Portsmouth, Newport, Rhode Island.She married Thomas Cornell.She is my 11th great grandmother.
Her story is a sad one.
1673, February 8 Friends Records state `Rebecca Cornell, widow, was killed strangely at Portsmouth in her own dwelling house, was twice viewed by the Coroner's Inquest and buried again by her husband's grave in their own land'.
May 25, her son Thomas was charged with murder, and after a trial that now reads like a farce, was convicted and executed. Among the witnesses of this trial were John Briggs (brother of Rebecca), Mary, wife of John Cornell (her son), Thomas Stephen, Edward and John, sons of Thomas (2), Rebecca Woolsey (her daughter), etc.
It appears that the old lady, having been sitting by the fire smoking a pipe, a coal had fallen from the fire on her pipe, and that she was burned to death. But on the strength of a vision which her brother John Briggs had, in which she appeared to him after her death, she said `See how I was burned with fire.' It was inferred she was set fire to, and that her son who was last with her did it; and principally on this evidence Thomas Cornell was tried, convicted and hung for her murder. Durfee in his Legal Tracts of Rhode Island comments on the strangeness of this trial and the injustice of the execution. The writer of this remarked to a leading lawyer of Newport (who knows much of the history of Rhode Island) that there seemed very little evidence to convict this Thomas Cornell, the lawyer's answer was simply `There was no evidence.'"
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Vital Record of Rhode Island 1636-1850, Hartfordshire Essex Co England
820. Rebecca Briggs. Born ca 1600 at London, England. Baptized on 25 Oct 1600 in St James, Clerkenwell, London.66 Rebecca died at Portsmouth, RI, on 8 Feb 1673.138
On 8 Feb 1673 Friend's Records state 'Rebecca Cornell, widow, was killed strangely at Portsmouth in her own dwelling house, and twice viewed by the Coroner's Inquest, digged up and buried again by her husband's grave in their own land.' On May 23 her son Thomas was charged with murder. John Cornell, in his Genealogy of the Cornell Family, wrote that the trial "reads like a farce. It appears that the old lady having been sitting by the fire smoking a pipe, a coal had fallen from the fire or her pipe, and that she was burned to death. But on the strength of a vision which her brother John Briggs had, in which she appeared to him after her death and said: 'See how I was burned with fire.' It was inferred that she was set fire to, and that her son who was last with her did it, and principally on this evidence Thomas Cornell was tried, convicted and hung for her murder. Durfee in his Legal Tracts of Rhode Island, comments on the strangeness of this trial and the injustice of the execution. The writer of this remarked to a leading lawyer of Newport (who knows much of the history of Rhode Island), that there seemed very little evidence to convict this Thomas Cornell, the lawyer's answer was simply: 'There was no evidence.'"138
Rebecca Cornell's will, dated 2 Sep 1664, proved 1673, from the RI Town Records Scrapbook 1639-, as widow to the late Thomas Cornell of Portsmouth, mentions sons Thomas eldest, Richard second, William third, John fourth, Samuel fifth, and Joshua sixth; daughters Sarah eldest, Ann second whose husband is Thomas, Rebecca third, Elizabeth fourth, and Mary fifth. No surnames for spouses of children.139
Ca 1620 Rebecca married Thomas Cornell (1059) , son of [----] Cornell (394), at Essex, England. Thomas died at Portsmouth, RI, ca 1655.138
"Thomas Cornell came to America about 1638, with his wife and most, if not all, of his children. He is first found in Boston, where by a vote of the Town Meeeting, Aug. 20, 1638, he is permitted to buy 'William Baulstone's house, yard, and garden, backside of Mr. Coddington, and to become an inhabitant,' This property was situated in Washington Street, between Summer and Milk Streets. He sold it in 1643 to Edward Tyng, who had a warehouse, and brew house, and constrcuted a dial there. Sept. 6, 1638, 'Thomas Cornhill was licensed upon tryal to keepe an inn in the room of Will Baulstone till the next General Court.' June 4, 1639, he 'was fined Ð30 for several offences selling wine without license and beare at 2d. a quart.' Two days later he was abated Ð10 of his fine, and allowed a month'to sell off his ware which is upon his hand, and then to cease from keeping intertainment, and the town to furnish another.'"138
Thomas resided at Boston, MA, then in Portsmouth, RI, then in Cornell's Neck, New Amsterdam (now Westchester Co., NY), then Portsmouth again.
[Check out TAG 35 (1959): 107 for baptisms and burials of children in Safron Walden, Essex, Eng.]
Various possibilities are given for Thomas Cornell's ancestry:
I. Thomas, bp. 24 Mar 1595 at Terling, Essex, son of George & Susan (Casse) Cornwell (who m. 25 Sep 1574 at Terling).
II. bp. 24 Mar 1593 at Fairsted Manor, Essex, son of Richard & Mary Cornell.
Children:
3103 i.Sarah (ca1623-ca1690)
3104 ii.Richard (ca1625-1694)
3105 iii.Ann (ca1625-)
3106 iv.William (Died young) (ca1625-1628)
3107 v.Thomas (ca1627-1673)
3108 vi.Rebecca (ca1629-1713)
3109 vii.Joshua (Died young) (ca1630- 3110 viii.Kelame (Died soon) (ca1630-1632)
3111 ix.Elizabeth (Died young) (ca1631- 3112 x.William (Died young) (ca1632- 3113 xi.John (ca1634-1704)
3114 xii.William (ca1636-)
3115 xiii.Elizabeth (ca1637->1708)
3116 xiv.Joshua (ca1641-)
3117 xv.Kent (ca1643-)
3118 xvi.Samuel (ca1644-ca1715)
3119 xvii.Mary (ca1645-)
More About Rebecca BRIGGS:
Record Change: May 6, 2004
More About Rebecca BRIGGS and Thomas CORNELL:
Marriage: Abt. 1622, Fairstead, Essex, Eng.97
Children of Rebecca BRIGGS and Thomas CORNELL are:
- +Rebecca CORNELL, b. January 13, 1627/28, Near Saffron-Waldon, Co. Essex, England98, d. February 15, 1711/12, Jamaica, Queens, NY98.