• 1673. His will was ordered by the Assembly to be made by the Town Council, and division of estate made to his wife and children of said Thomas Cornell, “lately executed for murdering his mother Mrs. Rebecca Cornell.”2560, p 139

• Notes on the Trial of Thomas Cornell
The Friends records state “Rebecca Cornell, widow, was killed strangely, at Portsmouth, in her own dwelling house, was twice viewed by the Coroner's Inquest, digged up and buried again by her husband's grave in their own land.”
Her son Thomas was charged with her murder, yet although the jury's verdict in regard to this affair was, that “he did murder his mother Rebecca, or was aiding or abbeting thereto;” yet the evidence in the case would seem to have been no way conclusive. There was much evidence taken.
The son said in his own defense that having discoursed with his mother about an hour and a half he went into the next room and staid there three-quarters of 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 and came back and fetched a candle. Then Henry Straight, myself and the rest, followed in a huddle. Henry Straight saw what he supposed was an Indian, drunk and burnt 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 and body were much burned, and the jury found a wound on the upper most part of the stomach.
John Briggs testified as to an apparition of a woman that appeared at his bedside in a dream, and he cried out, “In the name of God what art thou.” The apparition answered, “I am your sister Cornell” and thrice said “see how I was burnt with fire.”
John Russell, of Dartmouth, testified that George Soule told him (since the decease of Rebecca Cornell), that once coming to the house of Rebecca, in Portsmouth, she told him that in the spring she intended to go and dwell with her son Samuel, but she feared she would be made away with before that.
Thomas, Stephen, Edward, and John Cornell (sons of Thomas), gave testimony as to their grandmother’s death, saying their father was last with her.
Mary Cornell, wife to John, aged twenty-eight years, testified that three or four years past being at her mother-in-law, Rebecca Cornell’s, and meeting her on returning from the orchard to the house, to deponent that she had been running after pigs and being weak and no help and she being disregarded, she thought to have stabbed a penknife into her heart, that she had in her hand, and then she should be rid of her trouble, but it came to her mind “resist the Devil and he will flee from you” and then she said she was well satified.2471, pp B54-5

• He had five children with his first wife, Elizabeth Fiscock and three with Sarah. Ezra (founder of the University), and Alonzo (former NY governor) are related to him - I don’t know how.2786

• The year 1673 appears 3 times. Rebecca was murdered. Her son Thomas was hung for the murder. Thomas' wife Sarah was pregant at the time. She named her daughter Innocent, because she did not believe her husband was guilty.2786

• For some years I had been searching for the parentage of Innocent, the wife of Richard3 (John2, Richard1) Borden of Portsmouth. The husband was born Oct. 24, 1671, and died July 12, 1732. If this fragment told the truth, the mystery was solved. It was a small scrap of time-stained paper, without date or signature, bearing these words:
“Cornell hung, killed mother with spindle. his daughter Innocent m. a Borden. his d. m. Robert uncle of Thos. B. Hazard. his d. Sarah m. Stephen Champlin father of Smooth Stephen, Jeffrey, Thomas, and dau. who married Sam Congdon and was father of George Congdon. Smooth Stephen m. a Perry.”2560, p 255