William Milbourne (aft. 1642 - 1694)

Born after 1642 in Somerset, England

Ancestors

Husband of Susanna Turfey — married about 1660 in Saco, York, Maine

Died 1694 before age 52 in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay

Biography

William Milbourne was involved in the Salem Witch Trials

"Milborne, a member of a radical family of English dissenters, was a son of Rev. Luke Milborne, one of the thirteen "Fanatiks of East Sheen" (along with former Lord Mayor of London, John Ireton). ...William Milborne, was a notorious "Fifth Monarchist" (an extreme Puritan sect) Bermuda Councilor."^[1]

"There appear in the earliest part of the first town book [Saco & Biddeford, Maine], among the records for the period 1653-1688, the names of these persons, in such connection as to indicate that they were inhabitants:...[Rev.] Mr. Milburn."^[2]

About 1680, William Milbourne married Hannah ________ at Boston/Saco Maine^[3]

About 1689, "William, (Jacob) Milborne's elder brother, was a noisy Anabaptist minister in Boston, who had taken an active part in the overthrowing of Edmund Andros."^[4]

He died in Aug 1694 in Boston, Massachusetts Bay.^[5][6]

Salem Witch Trials

William Milbourne was involved in Salem Witch Trials

1. Rev. William Milbourne, a Baptist minister in Boston, publicly petitioned the General Assembly in early June 1692, challenging the use of spectral evidence by the Court. Milbourne had to post £200 bond (equal to £27,319 today) or be arrested for "contriving, writing and publishing the said scandalous Papers". {National Archives (Great Britain), CO5/785, pp. 336-337}^[7]
2. “Petition of William Milborne To the Grave and Juditious ye General Assembly of the Province of ye Massachusets Bay in New-England the humble petitions of several Inhabitants of the Province aforesd may it please the honorable Assembly that whereas several persons of good fame and of unspotted reputation stand committed to several gaols in this Province upon suspistion of sundry acts of witchcraft only upon bare specter testimonies many whereof we cannot but in Charity Judge to be Innocent and are sensible of their great Affliction and if sd. specter testimonie pass for evidence have great grounds to fear that the Innocent will be condemned upon ———. A woeful chain of consequences will undoubtedly follow besides the uncertaintie of ye exemption of any person from ye like accusation in ye said Province—the serious consideration whereof WE HAVE HUMBLY TENDERED TO YOU IN OUR HUMBLE ADDRESS IN ANOTHER PAPER; such peculiar matter of fact therein asserted and we have sufficent testimonie ready to aver ye same: therefore request that ye validitie of specter Testimonie may be weighed in ye balance of your grace and solid Judgments it being the womb that hath brought forth inextricable damage and misirie to this Province and to order by your votes that no more credence be given thereto than the word of God alloweth by which means God will be glorified their Majesties honored and the Interest and welfare of the Inhabitants of ye Province promoted and your Petistioners in duty boune shall dayly pray.”^[8]
3. “ Order for the Arrest of William Milborne Saturday June 25th 1692./. There being laid before his Excy. and Council, Two Papers directed unto the Assembly, One of them Subscribed by William Milborn of Boston and Several Others, conteining very high Reflections upon the Administrations of Publick Justice within this their Majesties Province; The said William Milborne was sent for, and upon Examination Owned that the said Papers were of his writing, and that he Subscribed his Name to One of them. Ordered. That the said William Milborne be committed to Prison, Or give Bond of Two hundred pounds, with two Sureties for his personal appearance at the next Superiour Court, or Court of Goal delivery to be held at Boston, to Answer what shall be Objected against him. on their Maties behalfe for framing, contriving, writing and publishing the said Seditious and Scandalous Papers or writings, and in the meantime to be of good Behaviour:/. William Phips./.” ^[9]

Research Notes

Few additional records survive, however, it seems clear he was a Baptist minister in Boston, who dared to express opposition to court use of spectral evidence of witchcraft, but was quickly silenced by the Governor and Council.

Sources

1. ↑ Wikipedia: Jacob Milborne
2. ↑ “Early Vital Records of Saco and Biddeford.” Accessed June 8, 2020. https://archives.mainegenealogy.net/2008/12/early-vital-records-of-saco-and.html.
3. ↑ Online at: Ancestry.com
4. ↑ "History of the State of New York: First Period 1609 - 1664 : John Romeyn Brodhead : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming." Internet Archive. January 01, 1871. Accessed June 09, 2020. https://archive.org/details/historystatenew00brodgoog/page/n216/mode/2up?q=Milborne.
5. ↑ Town and City Clerks of Massachusetts. Massachusetts Vital and Town Records. Provo, UT: Holbrook Research Institute (Jay and Delene Holbrook). Online at: Ancestry.com
6. ↑ Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988 Online at: Ancestry.com
7. ↑ Online at Ancestry.com
8. ↑ "The New England Historical and Genealogical Register : New England Historic Genealogical Society : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming." January 01, 1874. Accessed June 10, 2020. https://archive.org/details/newenglandhisto29unkngoog/page/n70/mode/2up.
9. ↑ Colonial Office 5/785, pp. 336–37. National Archives, UK.