| Notes |
- Rebecca is the daughter of Henry Briggs and his first wife.
. Children of Rebecca Briggs and Thomas Cornell, all born Saffron Walden, Essex Co., England are:
Richard Cornell, b: ABT 1628
Sarah, b: ABT 30 MAR 1623 - 1690, Mrs. Thos. Willett & Mrs. Chas. Bridges, 3rd. Husband, John Lawrence
William, b: ABT 4 APR 1625 - 7 Jan1627, .
Thomas, b: ABT 21 OCT 1627 - 23 May 1673.
Rebecca, b: ABT 31 JAN 1629/30 - 5 Feb 1713, Mrs. Geo. Woosley
Elizabeth, b: about 31 Jan 1629 -bef 15 Jan 1636.
Kelume, died 19 Oct 1632 Saffron Walden.
William, b: ABT 9 DEC 1632.
John, b: ABT 6 JUN 1634 - 1704.
Ann, b: ABT 2 AUG 1635.
Elizabeth.2, b: ABT 15 JAN 1636/37- 12 Jan 1714, Portsmouth, Rhode Island, Mrs. Christopher Almy.
Mary, b: ABT 1638.
Samuel, b: ABT 1640- bef, 24 Jan 1714.
Joshua Cornell, b: ABT 1641.
* 1673 - Rebecca wife of Thomas Briggs, lived 183 years ago, & the story of her death is one of the marvellous records of the credulity of her time.
1673 Feb. 8 - Rebecca Cornell, widow, was killed strangely at Portsmouth digged up & buried again by her husband's grave in their own land'
Ref: Newport Friends Records.
It seems that the old lady was sitting by the fire smoking a pipe, half asleep probably, & a coal fell from the fire & she was burned to death. After her death, her brother, John Briggs, ... had a vision in which his sister appeared at his bedside, 'whereat he was much affrighted & cryed out, 'in the name of God, what art thou?' The apparition answered 'I am your sister Cornell' & twice said 'See how I was burnt with fire!'" It was inferred from this that she had been set fire to, & as her eldest son, Thomas Cornell, had unquestionably had the opportunity of setting her on fire he was arrested, tried on the charge of murder, condemned & executed. There was practically no evidence of his guilt except the vision.
Ref: Certain Comeoverers, Vol , Henry Howland Crapo, 1912.
. 1657 July 27 - Rebecca Cornell granted 10 acres, in lieu of 10 a. grant her husband.
. 1659 Aug 15. Rebecca Cornell deed to her son & daughter. Mrs. Thomas Kent, above 10 acres.
. 1661 Apr 30 - Rebecca Cornell, widow & exeutrix of Thomas Cornell, sold Richard Harthsorne for £30, 2 parcels of land containing 8 acres with house, fruit trees.
. 1663 Jul 27 - She deed to eldest son Thomas Cornell, all her housing, orchard, land & fencing in Portsmouth.
. 1663 Oct 23 - Deced land to son Joshua Cornell, at Dartmouth.
. 1669 - Rebecca Briggs deed land to son Samuel, of Dartmouth.
* 1673 Feb 8 - FRIENDS RECORDS STATE:
"Rebecca Cornell, widow, was killed strangely, at Portsmouth, at her own dwelling house, was twice viewed by the Coroner's Inquest, dogged up & buried gain by her husband's grave in their own land."
Her son Thomas was charged with her murder, but although the jury's verdict in regard to this affair was He did murder his mother Rebecca, or was aiding or abetting thereto, yet the evidence in thecae would seem to have been in no way conclusive. There was much evidence taken. The son said in his own defence that having discourse with his mother about an hour & half he went into the note room & staid three quartos an hour. His wife then sent his son Edward to his grandmother to know whether she would have some milk boiled for her supper. The child saw some fire on the floor & came back & fetch the candle. Then Henry Stright, myself & the rest followed in a huddle. Henry Straight saw what he supposed was an Indian, drunk & burns on the floor, but when Thomas Cornell perceived by the light of the candle who it was, he cried " Oh Lord it is my mother." Her clothes & body were much burned & the jury found a wound on uppermost part of stomach.
John Briggs testified as to an apparition of an woman that appeared at his bedside in a dream & he cried out "In the name of God what art thous". the apparition answered "I am your sister Cornell & thrice said "see how was burnt with fire."
John Russell, of Dartmouth, testified that Geo. Soule told him (since the decease of Rebecca Cornell) that one coming to the house of Rebecca, in Portsmouth, she told him that in the spring she intended to go & live with her son Samuel, but she feared she would be made away with before that. Thomas Stephen & Edward & John Cornell (sons of Thomas) gave testimony as to their grandmother's death, saying their father was last with her.
Mary Cornell, wife of John, aged 28 years, testified that 3 or 4 years past being at her mother-in-law, Rebecca Cornwall's & meeting her on returning from the orchard to the house, she said to deponent that she had been running after pigs & being weak & no help she being disregarded, she thought to have stabbed a penknife into her heart, that she had her hand, & then she should be rid of her trouble, but it came to her mind '" resist the Devil & he will flee from you " & then she said she was well satisfied.
* 1673, May 23, was executed for the murder of his mother, concerning the injustice of this, & the lack of any proper evidence to convict him.
. 1674, March 7, 'Ordered by the Assembly, whereas, Thomas Cornell of Portsmouth, who was lately executed for murdering his mother, Mrs. Rebecca Cornell, whereupon according to law, this court of Trials have made seizure of his estate. This Assembly (in consideration of the matter, and for the supply of the wife and children of the said Thomas), doe see cause to release the said seizure & empowere the council of the towne of Portsmouth to take care and order that the estate of the said Thomas be so secured and improved that just debts and other charges be first paid and discharged, & that then his wife and children be supplyed and relieved and to that end to order and appoint an executor or executors for the true performance thereof, & that this said Towne Council doe make a will according to law, divide the estate to this wife & children of the said Thomas.'
. 1674, July 4, a writing was presented to the court of Plymouth by William Earle, of Dartmouth, which was by some termed the WILL of Thomas Cornell of Rhode Island, late deceased, in which is intentioned the disposal of some estate in our colony. The court deferred accepting it for the present & appointed William Earle, & John Cornell, brother of the deceased, to take care of the estate that it be not squandered.
. 1674, Oct. 29, the court ordered that such part of estate as deceased left in Plymouth colony, should be divided as follows:
to widow & 3 children he had by her, one-half; to f4 eldest children of said Cornell, the other half, which they were to have in land, being sons. The right of widow Sarah for life, in the lands, was to be paid her out of the personal, if she require it.
- Inventory, £77, 19s., 6d., of real and personal estate in Darthmouth, viz.: 8 mares, 4 geldings, 2 two years, 3 colts, 4 heifers, 4 steers, 5 yearlings, house and land, £41, gun, pair of old wheels, scythe, pair of bandoleers, &c. (An inventory of his estate in Portsmouth was made by John Albro & John Sanford, amounting to £452.18.5. Inventory, 22 acres land, loo sheep, cattle, horses, &c.)
* 1677 Oct 7- His WILL ordered by the Assembly to be made by the Town Council & division of east made to wife & children of said Thomas Cornell, "lately executed for murdering his mother Mrs. Rebecca Cornel." Hd having requested by his friends that after his execution his body may be buried by his mother, the request was refused, but yet in favor to the prisoner, the Court consents that if his fiends have a desire, they may inter the body in the end lately to him belonging within 20 feet of the common road.
. 1679 Jan 4 - Differences having raised between Thomas Cornell, eldest son of Thomas Cornell, decease & David Lake of Nunaquaquit, a neck in New Plymouth, now husband of to Sarah, late widow to Thomas Cornell, of Portsmouth, concerning right of dower belonging to said Sarah in the estate late husband, & more especially in farm said Thomas Cornell possessed, the said differences being a friendly manner compromised, a full discharge is now give by said Lake, except for a bill of £20.
Ref: The Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island, by John Osborne Austin.
. Research & transcriptions by PJ Ahlberg. Thank you. - - - [1]
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1600 - 1672 (71 years)