Matthew Trowbridge

Notes:

BIRTH-DEATH-MARRIAGE-SPOUSE-PARENTS: The Trowbridge genealogy, history of
the Trowbridge family in America; Francis Bacon Trowbridge; Tuttle,
Morehouse & Taylor; New Haven; 1908.

Notes:

Joseph Trowbridge settled in the parish of Stratfield, near Fairfield, Conn., where he followed the trade of a carpenter and was also engaged in farming. He and his wife were members of the Stratfield Congregational church.

Joseph married Anne Sherwood about 1708 in Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA. Anne was born about 1689 in Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA; died on 6 Apr 1777 in Whippany, Morris County, NJ; was buried on 8 Apr 1777. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

William Trowbridge was brought in childhood by his parents from England, first to Dorchester in the MA Bay colony, and then to the plantation of New Haven. When his father was called back to England, he and his brothers were left in charge of his father's former servant, Henry Gibbons. The latter mismanaged the property left for the boys' support, and after a time they were taken away from him by the town authorities and put under the care of Sergt. Thomas Jeffrey and his wife, and in their home William and his brothers passed their boyhood. His schoolmaster was Mr. Ezekiel Cheever.

Soon after reaching his majority, William Trowbridge made an attempt to bring Gibbons to an account for his stewardship. His efforts were continued over a series of years, but gained little result during his father's lifetime. A few years after the latter's death, Gibbons made some restitution as can been seen in his father's notes.

William Trowbridge is usually described in the public records of that time as a "planter", and later on as a "husbandman". In 1664 he appears to have been master of the sloop Cocke, making voyages out of New Haven. In July, 1667, he sold his house and lot in the village of New Haven, and probably about that time became one of the first residents in the parish of West Haven. He probably built a house on that part of the "Lamberton Farm" that through his wife came into his possession on May 4, 1677. His share was one-sixth of the Lamberton farm, and it included all the land between the present Campbell and Washington avenues from Brown street nearly to Long Island Sound. He also owned 144 acres on the Sound near Oyster river.

William Trowbridge was nominated a freeman of the colony of CT on May 13, 1669. He lived on his farm in West Haven the remainder of his life. He made gifts to his children during his lifetime of much of his real estate, so that the inventory of his estate mentions but 55 acres of "second division" land and a small amount of personal property. He made no will. He and his wife were admitted members of the First Church in New Haven on April 28, 1686.

Will of William's brother John which mentions William:
English Origins of American Colonists, p.66
Will of JOHN TROWBRIDGE of Exeter, co. Devon. There is oweinge unto me from my uncle Mr. James Marshall of Exon, merchant, 49, and from my father Mr. Thomas Trowbridge 10 which I lent him, and I have sent for Muclinx (sic) eight peeces of Sarges, cost twentie pounds And twentie fowre pounds Mr. Jno: Manninge of New England, merchant, owes me, and twentie one pounds Mr. William Davis of Muskeeta in Newfoundland owes, which I have ordered George Pardon, master of the Willinge Minde, to receive of him this yeare there and carry it with him for St. Lukas and bring home returnes with him, All which summes amounts unto 129, of which if it please God to take me hence 20 shal be disbursed for my buriall, and of the other 109 I give unto my honored father fortie pounds, to my brothers Thomas, William and James Trowbridge betweene them 50, to my aunt Mace 5, and to my cozen James Marshall 14. Dated at Taunton, 20 Oct., 1653. Witnesses to the identity of the handwriting: James Marshall, senior, Christo: Clarke, junior, Chr: Dore. 26 June, 1654, commission to Thomas Trowbridge, father and principal legetary named in the will of John Trowbridge, late of the city of Exeter, deceased, to administer. (P.C.C. Alchin, 492.)

Died:
Age: 55

William married Elizabeth Lamberton on 9 Mar 1656/57 in Milford, New Haven, Connecticut, USA. Elizabeth (daughter of George Lamberton and Margaret Lewen) was born in 1630 in London, Middlesex, England; died about May 1716 in West Haven, New Haven, Connecticut, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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]

Notes:

Elizabeth, first wife of Thomas Trowbridge, and mother of his children, was bapt. at St. Mary Arches Church, Exeter, 24 Mar. 1562 of a family at the centre of commercial and civic power in the cathedral city. This was amply set forth in 1905 in an article by Emory McClintock, "Thomas Trowbridge and Elizabeth Marshall", NEHGR 59:291-97 (1905). Elizabeth's father, the Alderman John Marshall, Mayor in 1615, was d. by the dau.'s marriage. Her mother Alice was the second dau. of the name, bapt. at St. Kerrians Church, Exeter, 7 June 1572, and Marshall's bride 30 Aug. 1695 at St. Mary Arches. Alice, bur. there 13 Jan. 1630/1, left to her favorite dau. Mrs. Elizabeth Trowbridge, 50 and a 10 piece of plate(PCC 23 St. John). Alice's father was Richard Beavis, who d. in office as Mayor of Exeter 26 Aug. 1603. He had m. (1) Elizabeth Price, from the Welsh "Ape Rhys", mother of Alice Marshall, and (2) Jane, dau. of Henry Huish of Sands.

George married Margaret Lewen on 6 Jan 1628/29 in London, Middlesex, England. Margaret was born in 1614 in London, Middlesex, England; died in New Haven, New Haven, Connecticut, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]