Thomas Trowbridge

Notes:

THOMAS TROWBRIDGE, b. ca. 1600, and named in his father John's nuncupative will 1 July 1649 as "eldest son" (PCC pro. 25 Feb. 1649/50) when he moved from Taunton to Exeter, where he was fined for freeman 12. On 20 Dec. 1624, according to registers of St. May Arches he m. Elizabeth Marshall. In his own parish of St. Petrocks were b. to him: 6 Mar. 1627 Elizabeth; 5 Nov. 1629 John; 11 Dec. 1631 Thomas; Sep. 1633 William. The child Eliz. d.y. & John, the s. & h., remained in England, d. 1653: local will, naming John Maiming of New England, merchant, Wm. Davis of Muskeeta, Newfoundland, implied that he had sailed the sea with father (vide Trowbrdge Family). Sons Thomas (Jr.) and William emigrated with parents to Dorchester, Mass., where James Trowbridge was born; they moved to New Haven, where Elizabeth the mother died. Three children remained to have large families. Thomas Sr. returned to Exeter to remarry, by license, widow Frances Shattuck 10 Feb. 1640 in St. David's church. She, his cousin, was dau. of Dorothy, dau. of Thos. Trowbridge (Sr.) of Taunton. Thos. Jr. paid 4 subsidy at West Muncton, nr. Taunton. By 1643 they were back in New Haven, a family of 5, rated at 5OO. When Taunton, under colonel, later admiral Robert Blake, was besieged by the royalists, Thomas served as captain in Cromwell's army, 1645. Later, he supported a wounded soldier's pension claim at Taunton Court of Sessions. He gave his New England sons power of attorney for property there 14 Jan. 1664. He and they traded to the Azores from both sides of the Atlantic. He was buried at St. Mary Magdalen Church, Taunton, Somerset, 7 Feb. 1672. (Trowbridge Family (1872); The Gen, cit).

-From: Ancestry of Bob and Mary Beth Wheeler
Mary Beth Wheeler

Thomas Trowbridge removed from Taunton, England where he was born, to Exeter in Devon and established himself there as a mercer. He married an Exeter girl in 1627. "In the Exeter records, his marriage license appears as follows: '26 March 1627 Mr. Thomas Trobridge and Elizabeth daughter of Mrs. Alice Marshall widow married, Jeremy Short parson.'" [William Richard Cutter, "Genealogical & Family History of the State of Connecticut," Vol. I, (Orig. publ. NY, 1911; repr. by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., Baltimore, 1997), pg. 210.]

The ancestry of Thomas Trowbridge can be traced back to Hugh Capet, King of France, died 996 and his wide, Adelaide of Poitou, through Thomas's mother, Agnes Prowse. See Ancestors of American Presidents, pp. 191-192.

Thomas was one of the early settlers of Dorchester, MA, and of New Haven, CT, a merchant engaged in the Barbados trade from Jan. 1637 to 1639. He came from Taunton, Somerset, where his father had established a charity for poor widows which was still being administered in the mid-19th century. He was at Dorchester in 1636, where his wife became a member of the church in 1638. Their son James was baptized there in 1637 or 1638. They are referred to in Dorchester records as "Mr. & Mrs." a distinction confined at that time to persons of gentility. He was likely a member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company there, the name 'Thomas Strawbridge, 1638' likely a misspelling of his name. Thomas removed his family to New Haven 1639-1641 and appears in the census of 1641. His estate is given at 500 pounds, a large sum for the time, and his household consisted of 5 persons (he, his wife and 3 surviving sons. Records seem to indicate that his wife had died by the end of 1643, possibly in 1641.

He returned to England about 1641-1644 and left his 3 sons in charge of Sgt. Thomas Jeffries who came from the vicinity of Taunton, England and appears in probate records at New Haven, CT and was at Dorchester 1634 and New Haven 1637 or 1638. Thomas sailed for England leaving his houses, goods, lots and estates and chattel in trust with his steward, Henry Gibbons, who kept possession of Thomas's estates at New Haven for many years. It appears that Thomas never returned to New England.

In 1662, 18 years later, sons Thomas, William and James obtained power of attorney from their father, making his property over to them jointly and severally, and they sued Gibbons for possession. The suit was finally settled by Gibbons making a deed of property to Thomas, Jr. to take effect after the death of Gibbons.

Thomas, Sr. died at Taunton, England 1672, apparently never having returned to New England.

"The Ancestry of Lorenzo Ackley & his wife Emma Arabella Bosworth," N.G. Parke & D.L. Jacobus, 1960, pg. 136 speculates that Thomas may have been born about April, 1598, although provides no basis for the speculation. A baptism record has not been found. He was the eldest son and the date is a reasonable possibility.

Thomas married Elizabeth Marshall on 26 Mar 1626/1627 in St Mary's Arches, Exeter, Devonshire, England. Elizabeth (daughter of The Younger John Marshall and Alice Bevys) was christened on 24 Mar 1602/03 in St Mary Arches, Exeter, Devon, England; died in 1641 in New Haven, New Haven, Connecticut, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. James Trowbridge was born in 1636/37 in Dorchester, Suffolk, Massachusetts, USA; was christened in 1637/38 in Dorchester, Suffolk, Massachusetts, USA; died on 22 May 1717 in Newton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA; was buried .
2. William Trowbridge was born on 3 Sep 1633 in Exeter, Devon, England; was christened on 3 Sep 1633 in St Petrock, Exeter, Devonshire, England; died in Nov 1688 in West Haven, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
3. Elizabeth Trowbridge was christened on 6 Mar 1627/28 in St Petrock, Exeter, Devon, England; was buried on 10 May 1630 in St Petrock, Exeter, Devon, England.
4. John Trowbridge was christened on 5 Nov 1629 in St Petrock, Exeter, Devon, England; was buried on 16 Feb 1653/54 in St Mary Magdalien, Taunton, Somerset, England.
5. Jr. Thomas Trowbridge was christened on 11 Dec 1631 in St Petrock, Exeter, Devon, England; died on 22 Aug 1702 in New Haven, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.

Thomas married Frances Godsall on 10 Feb 1640/41 in St David's, Exeter, Devonshire, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Baptism: 25 Mar 1570, Taunton, Somerset, England
• Death: 5 Jul 1649, Taunton, Somerset, England

Notes:

John Trowbridge was sole son and h. at his father's death 1620, and served Taunton as Mayor & Magistrate 1629 & 1637, and also as warden of St. Mary Magdalen, constable & portreve of Taunton castle manor. He m.(2) 11 Mar. 1623/4 Alice Reed of Tiverton. (The Gen., cit, pp. 1-2, 13, 15, 25 ).

"The Trowbridge Ancestry in England" by Donald Lines Jacobus, THE AMERICAN GENEALOGIST, 18:3, pps. 129-137)
JOHN TROWBRIDGE was even more prominent than his father. He was a wool merchant and had a shop next to his father on FORE STREET. Monies collected in 1611 for the relief of plague victims at Minehead and Dunster were brought to his house, and in 1625 he supervised the repair of the TAUNTON HOUSE OF CORRECTION, and provided a field at WEST MONKTON for tents to quarantine travellers suspected of bringing the plague from LONDON to TAUNTON. He was regularily churchwarden of St. Mary Magdalen, twice mayor of TAUNTON (1629-30 and 1637-8), and traded with LONDON and BRISTOL.

Rhoades, Trowbridge and Related Families 929.273 R346C He was a man of considerable wealth and became Chief Constable of Taunton and was elected major of Taunton.

John married Agnes Prowse on 31 Jul 1597 in St Peters, Tiverton, England. Agnes (daughter of John Prowse and Elizabeth Collack) was born on 14 Apr 1575 in Exeter, Devon, England; was christened on 15 Apr 1576 in Tiverton, Devonshire, England; died on 6 Jun 1622 in Taunton, Somerset, England; was buried on 6 Jun 1622 in Taunton, Somerset, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

AGNES (or ANNIS) PROWSE, was bapt. Tiverton 15 April 1576, and m. to John Trowbridge, bapt. St. Mary Magdalen Church 25 Mar. 1570, son of Thomas(Sr.). The marriage was preceded by a settlement made by Thos. which granted to Agnes an annuity of 30 for life issuing from all his lands at Rowbarton, occupied by his mother-in-law, Alice Hutchings, for her life. On the same day, John was admitted to a life interest in his father's properties at Obridge and Staplegrove and Pyrland, partly occupied by Thomas' wife Johane (nee Hutchings). Agnes' marriage took place at St. Peter's, Tiverton, 31 July 1597, 13 1/2 months before her father's death. Agnes herself was bur. Taunton 6 June 1622. The above Thomas Trowbridge Sr. was a leading citizen and charitable founder, a mercer, with a Tudor mansion, extant, in the high street, and had served as constable and portreve of the castle manor.

Notes:

Thomas Trowbridge Sr. was a leading citizen and charitable founder, a mercer, with a Tudor mansion, extant, in the high street, and had served as constable and portreve of the castle manor. He was at one time Mayor of Taunton.

Thomas married Joan LawrenceTaunton, Somerset, England. Joan (daughter of John Lawrence and Alice) was born about 1546 in Taunton, Somerset, England; died on 20 Feb 1618 in Taunton, Somerset, England; was buried on 20 Feb 1618/19 in St Mary Magdalen, Taunton, Somerset, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

"Clothier of Chevithorne"

John married Elizabeth Collack on 1 Jun 1567 in Tiverton, Devonshire, England. Elizabeth (daughter of Robert Collack and Richarda) was born in 1546 in Taunton, Somerset, England; died on 12 Jul 1585 in Tiverton, Devon, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

John married Alice Lane about 1537. Alice was born about 1512. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

John married Alice. Alice was born in 1522 in Taunton, Somerset, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Birth: 1516, Chevithorne, Devonshire, England
• Death: 5 Feb 1585, Tiverton, Devonshire, England
• Death: 1587, Tiverton, Devonshire, England

Notes:

"Clothier of Chevithorne"

John married Alice White in 1538 in Tiverton, Devon, , England. Alice was born in 1520 in Tiverton, Devon, England; died on 13 Aug 1583 in Tiverton, Devon, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Robert married Richarda. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]