1637;  Listed on manifest of ship Rose of Yarmouth, as an 'apprentice' and member of the family of Henry Skerry, cordwainer.  (Currents of Malice - McMillen)   An apprentice to William Skerry who was a shoemaker specializing in cordovan shoes.

1656;  New road laid out "from the ford nigh to the house of William Towne, through the lands of said William Towne, William Howard, Jacob Towne, Edmund Towne, and George Buckner..."  Edmond one of the men empowered by the town to lay out the road.  (Currents of Malice - McMillen)

The records of the town of Topsfield show that the road to Salem which bordered Salem Village began upon John Porter's farm, and went through the lands of William Towne, and his sons, Jacob and Edmund.  (Currents of Malice  - Persis W. McMillen)

1660;  At a county court held at Salem, in the case of Henry Bartholomew plaintiff, Jacob Towne as defendant; William, Edmund and Joseph Towne were witnesses, and in their evidence William stated that he was three score years old, Edmund that he was thirty one years of age, and Joseph that he was about one and twenty.  (NEHGS, Vol. 21, p. 16)

1661;  Name appears with Isaac Esty, Jacob and William Towne on Topsfield's original list of thirty commoners.  (Currents of Malice - McMillen)

1663;  Parents William and Joanna, deeded 2/3 of the home they live in, the barn, outhouses, yard, gardens, orchards, "lying situate and being in Topsfield, together with a parcel of broken upland by the meadow side, only a cartway reserved between the said land and the meadow towards the South, and the land of Jacob Towne towards the East, and the land of Jacob Towne and Edmund Towne towards the North, and the Lands of Isaac Estie towards the West - also another parcell of land broke up and upbroken, containing an estimation of thirty acres, bounded by the way towards the Southeast and Northeast, and a way also towards the Southwest; the land of Zacheus Gould and Edmund Towne towards the Northwest and the land of Edmund Towne and Isaac Estie towards the North.  Also a parcell of meddow lying on the North side of the river, having the river for the bounds towards the South, a highway towards the West, and a way towards the North, and meddow of Jacob Towne towards the East, containing by estimation fourteen acres." to son Joseph just prior to his marriage with Phebe Perkins; "In consideration of natural affection and the contemplated marriage of our son Joseph Towne to Phebe Perkins..."  Joseph also to have first refussal of the remaining 1/3 when it should be for sale.  (George Towne book; Pope's Pioneers of MA; NEHGS, Vol. 21, p 15)

1664;  Paid over one pound to the minister.  (Currents of Malice - McMillen)

1668;  "Disputes began again in 1668 when a committee of Topsfield men was appointed by the town to divide the common land south of the river, thus encroaching upon a very large tract of land of 1,000 acres or more.  This land was laid claim to by the Putnams, the very same men who had been instrumental in drawing up the town boundaries....The plots of Topsfield land were drawn by lot and those lying nearest the Putnams passed into the hands of Isaac Esty and Edmund Towne. Suit followed countersuit in a bewildering fashion with the General Court most often declaring in favor of Topsfield.  Throughout these suits the names of Towne and Esty frequently appear either as members of a committee representing Topsfield or as a witness, while on the Salem side were the Putnams." (Currents of Malice - Persis W. McMillen)

1669;  With brother Jacob, laid out the road leading towards the south from the bridge near their father's house. This road was to be one pole wide, and must be one of the oldest roads on the south side of the river.  (History of Topsfield)

1675;  One of a committee of six men from Topsfield which petitioned the General Court of Boston asking permission to form a military guard to protect the settlers from Indian attack; "for the caring of the husbandry, we conceive that it will be most safe for us to be ordered to go in companies to our work that so we may some to watch, when others work..." they asked to be allowed to form themselves into 4 garrisons.  A stone wall was built around the meeting house that was to be used as a fort.  (Currents of Malice - McMillen; The Descendants of William Towne - Edwin Eugene Towne; NEHGS, Vol. 21, page 16)

9/1677;  Chosen with four others to oversee the families of Ensign John Gould, Joseph and Jacob Towne, and Isaac Esty and three other families as tythingman.  (Currents of Malice - McMillen)

238 Probate Records of Essex County
Estate of Edmond Towne of Topsfield
"The intent and purpose of Edmond Towne presented by Mary his wife Conscernin his state presented to this Hounored Court now sitting Imprimis The minde of the deceased was as is mine allsoe; and is consented too by all partys conscerned that the four sonns shall have all the Lands Equally devyed amongst them. And the rest of the estate to be Equally devyed amongst the 5: garles only Sarah the second Daughter is already marryed and hath rescieved to the vallue of twelve pounds already. So
leaveing my Cause to God, and your Honnors scarious Consideration I subscrybe myselfe mary Towne. Only provided the widow's thirds of the whole be taken out furst. Jacob Towne deposed that Thomas Towne, eldest son of Edmund Towne, deceased, declared himself to be satisfied with an equal share with the rest of his brethren" Sworn in court, 27: 4: 1678.
Proved by the widow, 27: 4: 1678, with the consent of all the surviving persons concerned.  (Essex County Quarterly Court Files, vol 29, leaf 30)

Adminstration upon the estate of Edmond Towne was granted 27: 4: 1678, to Mary, the relict, who was to dispose of the estate according to the mind of the deceased, as by mutual agreement of all surviving persons concerned, which writing was allowed. An inventory was also presented and sworn to.  (Salem Quarterly Court Records, vol. 5, leaf 117)

Inventory of the estate of Sargeant Edman Towne, taken at Topsfield, May 3, 1678, by Frances Pabody and Thomas Baker:
Books, 1li.; wearing clothes, 7li. 14s.; linning sheetes and neckpins, 11li. 6s.; house and landes on the north of the Riuer, 220li.; upland and mado on the south side River, 72li.; five oxen and seven coues, 52li.; young Cattel, 19li. 17s.; shepe and lambes,  6li.; two horses, 6li.; swine, 8li.; iron tooles, 3li.; kittels and potes and other iron ware, 4li. 4s.; gones, 4li. 6s.; wheles and other lumbur, 6li. 3s.; a cubbard and cheastes, 2li. 10s.; bedsted and beddin, 16li. 10s.; pillin and saddel, 2li.; wooll and flax, 17s.; five barrels of sider, 2li. 10s.; woolin and linninyarne, 2li. 10s.; home spon cloath, 7li. 10s.; corne and porke, 4li.; for halfe the farme which was given to Sargent Toune in Revertion by Thomas Browning; total, 453li. 12s. Depts owing, 26li. 3s. 3d.; by the death of one cow, 3li. 10s. Allowed in Salem court 27: 4: 1678.
Essex County Quarterly Court Files, vol. 29, leaf 31.  (NEHGS, Vol. 21, page 16)

Selectman, 1673; town constable, 1675; tything-man, 1677; took oath as freeman, 1664; corpl. Topsfield mil. co., 1666; helped form mil. guard during King Philip's War. from Fredrick A. Virkus, The Compendium of American Genealogy Vol V, (1930), 206.

9/6/1692;  Called as a witness against sister - in - laws Mary and Sarah in witchcraft trials with some of her children.  (The Devil Discovered - Robinson)  Summons for witnesses from Topsfield to testify versus Sarah Cloyce and Mary Easty:  Margaret Gould Reddington, 70; Widow Mary Browning Towne and her children William, 34, Rebecca, Abt 23, Samuel, 19, and Elizabeth abt 18.  (Records of the Peabody Institute Library, Danvers, MA)

9/7/1692;  Contacted court to say they would not be able to come as they were all ill in bed with a "strange condition"  (The Devil Discovered - Robinson)  "I humbly beg that your honors will not Impuet anything concerning our not coming as Contempt of Authority...we would Come, but we are in a Strain condition and most of us can scarce get out of our beds we are so weak, and not able to rise at all.  As for my daughter, Rebecca, she hath Strange fits and sometimes she is knocked downe of a sudden."     (Records of the Peabody Institute Library, Danvers, MA)

9/8/1692;  2nd summons for their appearance.  No testimony by them is found.  (The Devil Discovered - Robinson)

2/1/1710;  Will dated.  (NEHGS, Vol. 21 page16)

The widow Mary Towne of Topsfield testified in Ipswich court, Sept. 6, 1714, that as administratrix of her husband's estate, she had paid to Thomas Wilkins who married one of her daughters, her portion of the estate. Essex County Probate Records, vol 311, page 181.

12/16/1717;  Will proved.   Joseph named as administrator. but he died before mother, and Thomas and William were appointed.  (NEHGS, Vol. 21 page16)