Rebecca Nurse was the daughter of William Towne, of Yarmouth, Norfolk County, New England where she was baptized Feb. 21, 1621. Her sisters Mary Easty and Sarah Cleary were also accused of witchcraft. Of the three "Towne sisters" only Sarah would survive. Her husband, Francis Nurse, seems to have been highly respected by his neighbors, and more often than anyone else was called in to settle disputes.

Rebecca was one of the first "unlikely" witches to be accused. She was seventy-one, ailing, deaf, and had "acquired a reputation for exemplary piety that was virtually unchallenged in the community." It was written of Rebecca, "This venerable lady, whose conversation and bearing were so truly saint-like, was an invalid of extremely delicate condition and appearance, the mother of a large family, embracing sons, daughters, grandchildren, and one or more great-grand children. She was a woman of piety, and simplicity of heart."

That her reputation was virtually unblemished was evidenced by the fact that several of the most active accusers were more hesitant in their accusations of Rebecca, and many who had kept silent during the proceedings against others, came forward and spoke out on behalf of Rebecca, despite the dangers of doing so. Thirty-nine of the most prominent members of the community signed a petition on Rebecca's behalf, and several others wrote individual petitions vouching for her innocence.

Rebecca alone succeeded in making the magistrate hesitate in his questioning, perhaps because of her age, character, appearance, and professions of innocence. Each time, however, the judge appeared to waiver, one of the afflicted girls would break into fits and claim Rebecca was tormenting her. Upon realizing that the magistrate and the audience had sided with the afflicted girls Rebecca replied, " I have got nobody to look to but God." She then tried to raise her hands, but the afflicted girls fell into dreadful fits at the motion.

At Rebecca's trial on June 30, the jury came back with a verdict of not guilty. Upon announcement, however, there was a large and hideous outcry from both the afflicted girls and the spectators. Chief Justice Stoughton asked the jury if they had considered the implications of something Rebecca had said. When Hobbes had accused her, Rebecca had said, "What do you bring her? She is one of us." Rebecca had only meant that Hobbes was a fellow prisoner, however she was old, partially hard of hearing, and exhausted from the day in court. When she was asked to explain her words, she did not hear the question, and the jury took her silence as an indication of guilt. The second time the jury came back with a verdict of guilty. Her family immediately did what they could to rectify the mistake that had caused her to be condemned, but it was no use. Rebecca was granted a reprieve by Governor Phips on account of her age, however no sooner had it been issued, than the accusers began having renewed fits. The community saw these fits as conclusive proof of her guilt.

Public outrage at her conviction has been credited with generating the first vocal opposition to the trials. On the gallows Nurse was "a model of Christian behavior," which must have been a sharp contrast to Sarah Good, another convicted witch with whom Nurse was executed, who used the gallows as a platform from which to call down curses on those who would heckle her in her final hour. It was not until 1699 that members of the Nurse family were welcomed back to communion in the church, and it was fifteen years later before the excommunication of Rebecca was revoked.

Rebecca Nurse was hanged on Gallows Hill, July 19, 1692.