In 1630, the Massachusetts Bay Colony convened what the book identifies as its first manslaughter trial. William Rockwell appears as one of twelve jurors in the case involving Walter Palmer and the death of Austen Bratcher, with court dates spanning September 28 through November 9, 1630.

By late September 1630, the Massachusetts Bay Colony was already operating a formal legal system—complete with juries empaneled to investigate death and determine criminal responsibility.

On September 28, 1630, a jury was “impaneled to inquire concerning the death of Austen Bratcher.” The jury’s verdict at that stage was recorded as: “We find that the strokes given by Walter Palmer were occasionally the means of the death of Austen Bratcher & so to be manslaughter.”

Following that finding, Walter Palmer was bound over—with two sureties—to appear at the next court to be held in Boston on October 19, 1630, to answer for Bratcher’s death. Palmer appeared and was again bound over to the next court date, November 9, 1630.

At that later proceeding, “Willm Rockewell” is listed as the second of the twelve jurymen “impaneled for the tryall of Walter Palmer concerning the death of Austen Bratcher.” The recorded outcome is explicit: “The jury finds Walter Palmer not guilty of manslaughter, whereof he stood indicted & so the court acquits him.” The book notes that this was the first trial for manslaughter in the colony.

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Source: The Rockwell Family in One Line of Descent (section citing Massachusetts Records, Vol. 1), describing the inquest/jury (September 28, 1630) and the trial (November 9, 1630), including the listing of “Willm Rockewell” among the jurors.

📍 Historical Context & Related Content

Massachusetts Bay Colony
The Massachusetts Bay Colony was an English settlement founded in 1630 by Puritan refugees led by John Winthrop. By the time of this trial in the same year, it had established a rudimentary legal system reflective of English law. The colony played a crucial role in early American history as it became a beacon for religious freedom and governance based on community covenants.

Did you know? The first government form established in the Massachusetts Bay Colony included a General Court functioning as both a legislative and judicial body, an innovative format in early colonial America where such roles were usually separate.