Thomas Trowbridge (1598 - 1673)

Born Apr 1598 in Taunton, Somerset, England

Ancestors

Husband of Elizabeth (Marshall) Trowbridge — married 26 Mar 1627 in Exeter, Devon, England

Descendants

Died 7 Feb 1673 at age 74 in Taunton, Somerset, England

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Thomas Trowbridge migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See The Directory, by R. C. Anderson, p. 341) Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Biography

Thomas Trowbridge immigrated to New England between 1621 and 1640 and later departed for England

Notes for Thomas Trowbridge:

As a young man, Thomas Trowbridge settled in Exeter where he was engaged in business as a wool mercer. He became a member of the powerful Merchants and Adventurer's Guild. His wife Elizabeth Marshall's father, John Marshall, was Sheriff, Alderman and Mayor of Exeter (1615) and her grandfather, Richard Bevys (Beavis), was Mayor of Exeter from 1600 - 1603 when he died in office. John Marshall, in addition to his political offices, was a successful merchant. It was probably through his connections that Thomas was able to gain entrance to this Guild.

Possibly, in hopes of furthering his fortune, Thomas decided to take his family to America to set up his business there. He apparently did not intend to make the American Colonies his home because he left his oldest son, John, with his father in Taunton. He landed his family at Dorchester, MA. in about 1636. He and his wife are noted in Dorchester church records as "Mr. and Mrs." Trowbridge, a distinction confined at that time to persons of established gentility. His wife was a member of the Dorchester church in 1637-38 and their youngest son, James, was baptized there. Thomas and Elizabeth must have found it a considerable hardship to live in the newly settled town of Dorchester, accustomed as they were to the comforts of a city like Exeter. Additionally, there was considerable friction among differing factions within the church.

Thomas and his family left Dorchester in about 1638 and moved to the New Haven Plantation. His name does not appear among those subscribed to the articles of agreement at the organization of the church or body politic there in June, 1639. He may have been absent from New Haven at the time or, as this Fundamental Agreement, as it was afterward called, required that "church members only shall be free burgesses". He may not have been eligible to sign it for there is no evidence that he ever severed his connections with the Church of England and became a member of the Puritan Church. New Haven records nearly always recorded his name with the prefix, "Mr." In the list of Proprietors of the Plantation in 1641, he was credited with five heads in his family. They were: himself, his wife and three sons, Thomas, William and James. His estate was given as 500 pounds, a large sum for that place and time and it was among the larger of the 123 estates mentioned in the listing.

He appeared to have spent very little time in New Haven, making several voyages to Barbados and England in pursuit of his business. His wife died in about 1641, possibly in the spring or summer. He returned to England at about this time, possibly to settle her estate and intended to send for his sons at a later date. No record has been found proving the exact date he left but it was before the fall of 1641. When he returned to Taunton he got caught up in the English Civil War which started about that time. He served as a Captain in the Parliamentary Troops, serving under Colonel Blake in the defence of Taunton. He never returned to America.

Some sources say that he married his first cousin, Frances Godsall, widow Shattuck, daughter of his aunt Dorothie Trowbridge Godsall in England in February, 1640. The author questions whether this assumption is correct. There was another Thomas Trowbridge mentioned in the 1620 will of Thomas Trowbridge, the Elder, as a nephew. It is logical to assume that this latter Thomas was probably the man who married Frances in 1640, he being possibly an elderly man and she a middle aged widow.

During his final absence Thomas left his sons under the care of his steward, Henry Gibbons, who appeared to be an unfaithful servant who seized Thomas' property and deserted the three boys. Town records show where the boys were declared wards of the Colony in November, 1641 and the court placed them under the care of a nearby neighbor, Sergeant Thomas Jeffreys and his wife, who took them into their home to rear and educate until "such time as their father shall come over or send to take order concerning them." Thomas regularily corresponded from England to the authorities in New Haven to bring Gibbons to an account for his breach of trust, but Gibbons kept the property for many years. When his sons became of age, Thomas gave them power of attorney to regain his property from Gibbons. The sons sued Gibbons and were successful in reclaiming their father's estate in 1680 which he had previously given them on a share and share alike basis. Gibbons died without any children in 1686.

Research Notes

The English ancestry of Thomas Trowbridge of Taunton, co. Somerset has been well-researched by eminent genealogists and published. The Trowbridge Genealogy, by Francis Bacon Trowbridge was published in 1908, and made the initial identification of the Trowbridge English ancestry. It includes many primary references including copies of wills, suits, baptism records, land records,etc. ^[1] In 1941, Donald Lines Jacobus published The Trowbridge Ancestry in England in TAG as an update to include the discovery of the names of the wives of Thomas Sr. and John Trowbridge. ^[2] Most recently, The Trowbridge Ancestry by Charles Fitch-Northen appeared in The Genealogist in 1988 and extended the Trowbridge ancestry by two generations. ^[3] This article also traces many of the collateral lines in the ancestry of Thomas Trowbridge, including the families of Mohun, Beauchamp, Bamfield, Prowse, Cruwys, Coplestone, Ferrers, Norton, Oxton, and Colwick.

Name

Name: Thomas Trowbridge

Orthographic variations: Troubridge, Trobridge, Trowbridge, Trowbrige, Troobridge Troubridge, Trobridge, Trowbridge, Trowbrige, Troobridge, Trobrige

Coat of arms

Trowbridge of Taunton, co. Somerset: Or, in fess over water proper a bridge of three arches embattled and towered, gules masoned sable, the streams transfluent, hoisted on the tower a forked pennon argent pointed sinister. ^{[1] [4]}

Or, in fess over water proper a bridge of three arches embattled and towered, gules masoned sable, the streams transfluent, hoisted on the tower a forked pennon argent pointed sinister.

The Trowbridge arms are an allusion to the name, depicting a bridge of three arches with water flowing through the arches. The Trowbridges of Taunton, co. Somerset do not appear in the Visitations nor do I believe has a grant of arms to this branch of the family been found from before the 18th century. Yet it is certain that they were an armigerous family based on church stained glass windows bearing their arms, and items mentioned in wills; it would also be expected that they would bear arms from their position as leading merchants of Taunton and as mayors of Taunton. Both the standard description (the blazon) and the depiction (the emblazon) of the arms comes from ‘The Trowbridge Genealogy’ by Francis Bacon Trowbridge (blazon improved for accuracy).

Birth

Born: About April 1598.

No record of his baptism has ever been found so his birth date and place are not known with certainty. However, he was named as the eldest son in his father's will, and there is no space between the baptisms of his next six siblings; he must therefore be the oldest child. His parents were married 31 July 1597 and his younger sister was 8 baptized February 1598/99. This leaves a very tight window when he could have been born of around April 1598. ^[2]

Marriage and Children

Married: Elizabeth Marshall on 26 March 1627 in in Exeter, Devon, England. ^[5]

Licence to marry had been granted on 24 March 1627 to Thomas Trowbridge of St. Petrock in Exeter to Elizabeth Marshall of St. Mary's Arches in Exeter. ^[6]

Children of Thomas Trowbridge and Elizabeth Marshall: ^[6]

1. Elizabeth Trowbridge. Baptized 6 March 1627/8 at Exeter. Buried there 10 May 1630.
2. John Trowbridge. Baptized 8 November 1629 at Exeter.
3. Thomas Trowbridge. Baptized 11 December 1631 at Exeter.
4. William Trowbridge. Baptized 3 September 1633 at Exeter.
5. James Trowbridge. Born about 1536 (aged 81 at death in 1717).

Death

Died: 7 February 1673 in Taunton, Somerset, England.

Notes

The ancestry of Thomas Trowbridge can be traced back to Hugh Capet, King of France, died 996 and his wife, Adelaide of Poitou, and to Charelagme, through Thomas's mother, Agnes Prowse.^[7] Of their direct male descendants, 56 fought in American Revolution, 41 in 1812, 152 in Civil War. Thomas's own descendants include Susan B. Anthony, Clara Barton, Ernest Hemingway, Cindy Crawford, and US President Rutherford B. Hayes.

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. Finding the political and religious climate intolerant, he moved his family to New Haven, Connecticut Colony, 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.

He was a Captain in Colonel Blake's Taunton Regiment, in the English Civil War, on the side of the Parliamentary forces known as the "Roundheads" against King Charles I of England. He was in the siege of Taunton, July 1644 to July 1645, one of the Parliamentary strongholds, before the royalist forces were forced to leave to battle Oliver Cromwell.^[8]

Some sources say that he married his first cousin, Frances Godsall, widow Shattuck, daughter of his aunt Dorothie Trowbridge Godsall in England in February, 1640. There was another Thomas Trowbridge mentioned in the 1620 will of Thomas Trowbridge, the Elder, as a nephew. It is logical to assume that this latter Thomas was probably the man who married Frances in 1640, he being possibly an elderly man and she a middle aged widow.

Henry Gibbons appeared to be an unfaithful servant who seized Thomas' property and deserted the three boys. Town records show where the boys were declared wards of the Colony in November, 1641 and the court placed them under the care of a nearby neighbor, Sergeant Thomas Jeffreys and his wife, who took them into their home to rear and educate until "such time as their father shall come over or send to take order concerning them." Thomas regularly corresponded from England to the authorities in New Haven to bring Gibbons to an account for his breach of trust, but Gibbons kept the property for many years. In 1662, when his sons became of age, Thomas gave them power of attorney to regain his property from Gibbons, making his property over to them jointly and severally, and they sued Gibbons for possession. They were successful in reclaiming their father's estate in 1680. The suit was finally settled by Gibbons making a deed of property to Thomas, Jr. to take effect after the death of Gibbons. Gibbons died without any children in 1686.^[2]

"To all Christian people in whom this present writing shall come greeting: Know ye that I Thomas Trowbridge of Taunton in ye county of Somerset. Gent doe hereby make ordaine, constitute and depute and in my place and stead put my three sons Thomas Trowbridge and William Trowbridge of New Haven, and James Trowbridge of Dorchester in ye Bay in New England in ye ports of America beyond ye seas, to be my true and lawfull attornies, jointly, and severally for me and to my name to aske, sue for, and chattles whatsover, which I left in trust in New England aftersaid with Henry Gibbons, sometimes my servant, or doe otherwise belongs unto me and upon detaining thereof or of any particular parcell therof, to are or any particular parcell theroff, to arrest, attach, call to an account, sue implead and imprison ye said Henry Gibbons, and all and every other person and persons whatsover in whose lands, custody, or possession of my estate, houses, lotts, goods, eattel and chattels whatsoever are or have or hath beene in any way or course of law or equity. And ye same suit or suits to persecute and issue to judegement, sentence and final execution, until recovery shall be had off my said estate, houses, lotts, goods, cattle and chattels whatsoever with all costs and deamages to be had for detaining the same. And upon receipt htereof or of so much thereof as my said attourneys or any or eyther of them shall agree for and accept by way of composition, the said person of persons soe by my said atturnies or any or eyther of them said atturneyes or any or eyther of them sued or imprisoned, out of prison to release and discharge and also to make seale and deliver acquittances releases or other sufficient discharge to and for the same or any part therof, and I doe hereby given and grant unto my said attornies, jointly and severally, my full and whole power and authoirty in and around the premises and by the aforesaid or any other lawful waies and means whatever to get in and recover my said estate, houses, lotts, goods, cattle and chattles whatsover in as full and ample manner in every respect to all intents considerations and purposes as allowing and confirming whatsover my said atturnies or any or either of them sall lawfully doe or cause to be done in ye premises by virtue of these presents, and I do alsoe hereby order and appoint that all and whatsover of my said este, houses lott goods cattle or chattels whatsover shall be recovered and received by my said attornies or any or either of them shall be kept and enjoyed by my three sons Thomas William and James equally divided etween them to their own use and behoff without any account to be rendered unto me for ye same. In whitness thereof I have hereunto sett my hand and seale, the nineteenth day of Jan. in ye fourteenth year of ye reign of King Charles the second et Anno gr. deus 1663."

Thom. Trowbridge, [Seale]

Sealed and delivered in ye presence of Henry Chase Notary Publick. Robert Chase, John Chambers

The above written is a true record of the originel composed therewith and recorded ye 26th day of Feb., 1683.

By John Nash, recorder ^[9][10]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Trowbridge, Francis Bacon. The Trowbridge Genealogy : History of the Trowbridge Family in America. (1908) Archive.org LINK
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} The American Genealogist, vol. 18 no. 3, (January 1942):129-137. The Trowbridge Ancestry in England, by Donald Lines Jacobus. AmericanAncestors.org LINK (paid subscription)
3. ↑ The Genealogist, vol. 9 no. 1 (Spring 1988):3-39. The Trowbridge Ancestry, by Charles Fitch Northen.
4. ↑ The blazon which appears in The Trowbridge Genealogy has been improved on for accuracy.
5. ↑ NEHGR vol.59 no. 3 (July 1905):293.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} NEHGR vol.59 no. 3 (July 1905):293.
7. ↑ Ancestors of American Presidents, pp. 191-192
8. ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Taunton
9. ↑ New Haven Land Records, vol 1, p. 202
10. ↑ http://www.oocities.org/trowbridgemountain/thomastrowbridge2.html Website

See also:

• The Trowbridge Genealogy: History of the Trowbridge Family in America, Volume 1, By Francis Bacon Trowbridge, Pg. 39, 40, 41 ,42
• Trowbridge, Francis Bacon. The Trowbridge Genealogy : History of the Trowbridge Family in America. (1908) Archive.org LINK
• The American Genealogist, vol. 18 no. 3, (January 1942):129-137. The Trowbridge Ancestry in England, by Donald Lines Jacobus. AmericanAncestors.org LINK (paid subscription)
• The Genealogist, vol. 9 no. 1 (Spring 1988):3-39. The Trowbridge Ancestry, by Charles Fitch Northen.
• New England Historical and Genealogical Register, vol.59 no. 3 (July 1905):291-297. Thomas Trowbridge and Elizabeth Marshall, by Emory McClintock. Books.google.com LINK
• Parke N. Grier; Donald Lines Jacobus ed. The Ancestry of Lorenzo Ackley & his wife Emma Arabella Bosworth, (1960):136. Ancestry.com LINK (paid sub)
• Featured on TLC show "Who Do You Think You Are", 8/27/2013, see G2G Thread on Show.
• Proof: (The Gen., op. cit., p. 13; "THE TROWBRIDGE ANCESTRY IN ENGLAND" by Donald Lines Jacobus, "THE AMERICAN GENEALOGIST", 18:3, pps. 129-137).
• Geni.com Contains extensive primary source references.
• https://sites.google.com/site/webstergriggsfamilies/williams/trowbridge
• Ancestral File #: 228Z-F8 246G-42.
• Find A Grave Memorial# 71496973
• http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=horrocks&id=I63481
• Wall, Ronald N. The Trowbridge Family History Fort Smith, Arkansas, August 24, 2001. 15pp. Retrieved 1.18.21. Current site: http://whitsettandwall.com/Trowbridge/Trowbridge_homepage.htm