William and Elizabeth lived in Salisbury, MA, where he was a proprietor in 1639. They were members of the Salisbury church, but, apparently Elizabeth Brown was "cancelled" from the church list of 1687. This may have had something to do with her being "bewitched" by Susanna Martin, as explained in the following deposition made by William Brown at the Salem witchtrials of 1692:

"The Deposion of william Browne of salsbury aged: 70 years or ther about who testifying sayth. That about on or to and thirty years ago Elizabeth his wif being a very rasional woman & sober & on that feard God as was well know to all that knew her & as prudently Carfull in her famly which woman going upon a time from her owne house towords the mille in salsbury did ther meett with susana martin the then wif of Georg martin of Amsbury Just as thay came to gather s'd susana martin vanisht a way out of her sight w'ch put the s'd Elizabeth into a great fright after which time the said martin did many tims afterward appere to her at her house and did much troubl her in any of her occasions and this continued till about feb: following: and then when shee did com it was as birds peking her Legs or priking her with the mosion of thayr wings and then it woold rise up into her stumak with priking payn as nayls & pinns of w'ch shee did bitterly complain and cry out Lik a woman in travil and after that it woold rise up to her throt in a bunch Lik a pulletts egg: and then she woold turn back her head & say: wich ye shant chok me In the time of this extremity the church appointed a day of [humilling] to seek God on her behalf & therupon her trouble seased and shee saw goodwif martin no more: for a considerible time for w'ch the church in stead of the day of humiliasion gave thanks for her deliveranc & she came to meetting & went about her busnes as before this continued till Aprill following: at w'ch time somense wear sent to the s'd Elizabeth brown & Good wif Osgood by the Court to give thayr evidences concerning the s'd martin and thay did before the Gran Jury gave a full accompt
"After w'ch time the s'd Elizabeth told this deponent that as shee was milking of her cow the s'd susana martin came behind her and told her that shee woold make hir the miserablest creatur for defaming her name at the Court & wep greevously as shee told it to this deponent.
"Aboute 2 month after this deponent came hom from hampton & his s'd wif woold not owne him but s'd thay wear devorst and Asked him whether he did not mett with on mr Bent of Abey in England by whom he was divorst And from that time to this very day have ben under a strang kind of distemper & frensy uncapibl of any rasional action though strong and healthy of body he farther testifyeth that when she came into that condition this deponent porcured Docter fuller & Crosby to com to her for her releas but thay did both say that her distemper was supernatural & no siknes of body but that some evil person had bewiched her Sworne the eleventh day of May Anno Dom: 1692

before me *Robt Pike Asst
"W'm Browne made Oath that the above is a true relajon according to his wifes Complaint in the day of it concerning the truth of w't is sworne by william Browne concerning his wif with respect to her being a Rasional woman before shee was so handled and of her now present condision & her so long continuance all that then knew her and now know her can testafy to the truth of it for shee yet remaines a miserabl creetr of w'ch myself is on as wittnes my hand: 16: 3: 1692

*Robert Pike"
William and his wife Elizabeth (Murford) Brown had six children, all born in Salisbury, MA:

•Mary, b. 17 June 1647; m. Thomas Hoyt.
•William, b. 24 Feb. 1648; d. 11 Nov. 1669.
?Ephraim, b. 24 June 1650; m. Sarah -----.
•Martha, b. 5 May or July 1654; m. John Toppan.
•Elizabeth, b. 6 Aug. 1656; m. Samuel Clough.
•Sarah, b. 12 April 1658; m. Benjamin Brown, possibly of Hampton, NH.
http://www.jimsancestry.net/Brown.htm#William
Deposition of William Brown


(William Brown v. Susannah Martin)

The Deposion of william Browne of salsbury aged: 70 years or ther about who testifying sayth. That about on or to and
thirty years ago Elizabeth his wif being a very rasional woman & sober & on that feard God as was well know to all that
knew her & as prudently Carefull in her famly which woman going upon a time from her owne house towords the mille in
salsbury did ther meett with susana martin the then wif of Georg martin of Amsbury Just as thay came to gather s'd susana
martin vanisht a way out of her sight w'ch put the s'd Elizabeth into a great fright after which time the said martin did many
tims afterward appere to her at her house and did much troubl her in any of her occasions and this continued till about feb:
following: and then when shee did com it was as birds peking her Legs or priking her with the mosion of thayr wings and
then it woold rise up into her stumak with priking payn as nayls & pinns of w'ch shee did bitterly complain and cry out Lik
a woman in travil and after that it woold rise up to her throt in a bunch Lik a pulletts egg: and then shee woold turn back
her head & say: wich ye shant chok me In the time of this extremity the church appointed a day of [humilling] to seek God
on her behalf & therupon her trouble seased and shee saw goodwif martin no more: for a consideribl time for w'ch the
church in stead of the day of humiliasion gave thanks for her deliveranc & shee came to meetting & went about her
busnes as before this continued till Aprill following: at w'ch time somenses wear sent to the s'd Elizabeth brown & Good
wif Osgood by the Court to give thayr evidences concerning the s'd martin and thay did before the Gran Jury gave a full
accompt

After w'ch time the s'd Elizabeth told this deponent that as shee was milking of her cow the s'd susana martin came behind
her and told her that shee woold make hir the miserablest creatur for defa[m]ing her name at the Court & wep greevously
as shee told it to this deponent.

Aboute 2 month after this deponent came hom from hampton & his s'd wif woold not owne him but s'd thay wear devorst
and Asked him whether he did not mett with on mr Bent of Abey in England by whom he was divorst And from that time
to this very day have ben under a strang kind of distemper & frensy uncapibl of any rasional action though strong and
healthy of body he farther testifyeth that when she came into that condition this deponent porcured Docter fuller &
Crosby to com to her for her releas but thay did both say that her distemper was supernatural & no siknes of body but
that some evil person had bewiched her Sworne the eleventh day of May Anno Dom: 1692

before me *Robt Pike Asst

W'm Browne made Oath that the above is a true relajon according to his wifes Complaint in the day of it

concerning the truth of w't is sworne by william Browne concerning his wif with respect to her being a Rasional woman
before shee was so handled and of her now present condision & her so long continuance all that then knew her and now
know her can testafy to the truth of it for shee yet remaines a miserabl creetr of w'ch myself is on as wittnes my hand: 16:
3: 1692

*Robert Pike

( Essex County Archives, Salem -- Witchcraft Vol. 1 Page 63 )


Additional information about this story
Description Transcription of the deoposition of William Brown, accusing Susanna of witchcraft against his wife. The
document is dated 11 May 1692 but the story is said to have occurred 30 years earlier. He accuses her of his wifes
current condition of 'distemper'
Date 11 May 1692
Location Salisbury, Essex, Massachusetts, USA