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The earliest family member that I have, thus far, is that of John; born 1510 in Hutton, Somersetshire, England. I do not yet know who his wife is. John is my 12th great grandfather. He died on 17-Feb-1574 at Hutton. He was the father of Thomas, born 1542 in Taunton, Somersetshire, England. Thomas married Joan Lawrence Hutchin sometime before 1570 and died on 20-Dec-1619 in Taunton. Thomas and Joan were the parents of John, born 25-Mar-1570 in Taunton. He married Agnes Prowse on the 31st day of July, 1597 in Tiverton, England. John was in the Woolen Trade business and well known in both Somersetshire and Devonshire.
We will begin with Thomas, the first of the nine children of John and Agnes (Prowse) Trowbridge. He was born 08-Feb-1598 at Taunton, Somersetshire, England and baptized at the Parish of St. Petrock. He married Elizabeth Marshall on 26-Mar-1627 at the Parish of St. Mary Arches in Exeter, Devonshire, England. Elizabeth was the daughter of Alice Bevys and John Marshall, Sherrif of Exeter, and granddaughter to Richard Bevys, Lord and Mayor of Exeter (elected 1600, died in Office 1603) . It is Thomas who is our first ancestor in America, having arrived at Dorchester in the Massachusetts Bay colony in 1636.
Owing to some religious difficulties arising in Dorchester, Thomas moved his family to New Haven, Connecticut sometime before 1644. Thomas actually spent very little time in America as he was involved in trading between the West Indies and England. In Taunton he was a "prominent citizen and wealthy merchant", his father having long since been identified with the woolen trade. As a young man, Thomas opened his business as a mercer in the city of Exeter.
It is unknown exactly when Elizabeth died. What is known is that in 1644 Thomas left his sons in the care of his servant, Henry Gibbons. He remained in close contact with the boys, but never returned to America. Thomas died in Taunton in 1673. Mr. Gibbons was charged by New Haven town authorities with mismanaging the property and moneys of Thomas and the boys (Thomas, William & James) were then placed in the care of Sgt. Thomas Jeffrey and his wife, there they passed their boyhood.
From Thomas our direct line follows his son, William, who was baptized on 03-Sep-1633 at the Parish of St. Mary Arches in Exeter. William was the fourth born of the five children of Thomas and Elizabeth. On 09-Mar-1655 he married Elizabeth Lamberton b: 05 November 1632 in London, England ,of the noteworthy Lamberton family in Milford, New Haven County, Connecticut.
It was William, who upon reaching his majority, attempted to
bring Mr. Gibbons to an account of the moneys spent during his
stewardship:
"William Trowbridge propounded to ye
court if he might have an account of his father's estate that was
left in New Haven, and for this end presented two letters from
his father, one dated March 6, 1655, the other March 4, 1658,
wherein his father writes, that he marvells that there is not an
account of it given. It was told him that some time has been
spent in searching ye records, but it could not be cleared.
Wherefore he paying the secretary then ye secretary would afford
him that help he could therein to clear it."
"January 3, 1664, William Trowbridge having had a warrant for Henry Gibbons to answer him in action of ye case, was now called to clear this action. He required of Henry Gibbons an account of his father's estate that was left with him when he went to England. Wm. Trowbridge was asked by what authority he had made his demand? He showed a letter of attorney from his father, which being read was allowed and accepted. Henry Gibbons said that he had given him an account as well as he could, but the estate was taken out of his hands by order of authority here and therefore it must be referred to ye records. The records having been looked into formerly and matters not found so clear as was desired and there being much business at this time, the case was referred to another time."
In 1664 William was master of the sloop COCKE, making many voyages out of New Haven. In July of 1667 he became one of the first residents in the parish of West New Haven. He built his house on Lamberton Farm in which he had received a 1/6th share from his father-in-law, George Lamberton. He owned an additional 144 acres on Long Island Sound near Oyster River. In early West Haven town records William is referred to as a "planter", in later records he is described as a "husbandman".
William was nominated a Freeman (having exclusive rights in the community) of the colony of Connecticut on 13-May-1669. He and his wife, Elizabeth (Lamberton)were admitted as members of the First Church of New Haven on 28-Apr-1686.
The children of William and Elizabeth
The next in our line would be Joseph, the son of William & Elizabeth, born in New Haven in 1676. He was the youngest of ten children. Very little is known of Joseph as he died young having fathered only 3 children: a son, Mathew, died while still an infant; a daughter, Anne, married Jacob Wakely; and the son David, our direct ancestor. What is known about Joseph is that he was a carpenter by trade, but farmed his own land. He married Anne Sherwood, the daughter of Captain Mathew Sherwood in 1708 at Fairfield. He and his wife were members of the Stratfield, Connecticut Congregational Church. He died sometime in May of 1715 as a Probate inventory of his estate was taken on the 31st of May, 1715. Anne then married Caleb Fairchild in 1716 and moved to Hanover, Morris County, New Jersey where she and Caleb raised David & Anne. Caleb & Anne had nine children together, I have not researched any of David's Fairchild half siblings; however, their names are Hezekiah (b.1717), Sarah (b.1722) Matthew(b.1720), Joseph (b.1724), Samuel (b.1726), Gershom (b.1728), Ebenezer (b.1730), Mehitable (b.1732) and Ezra (b.1734)
David, born 30-Dec-1709 at Stratfield, Connecticut married Lydia Holmes on 03-Jul-1735 in Bedford, New York. They settled in what is now known as Morristown, Morris county, in West New Jersey. He homesteaded the area known as Trowbridge Mountain, having derived it's name from the fact that David, several of his sons and his grandsons built their farms there. David was a farmer by trade and he and his wife were members of the Baptist church in Morristown.
The children of David and Lydia are known to have spread out into states such as: Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, Vermont, Ohio, Michigan, New York, Illinois, Kentucky and Indiana. Hence, Trowbridge lines everywhere. Children of David and Lydia:
Daniel was the second child born to David & Lydia, born 28-Dec-1737 on Trowbridge Mountain in the county of Morris, the state of New Jersey. Daniel also was a farmer by trade and a member of the Morristown Baptist Church. On 04-Oct-1764 he married Sarah Ludlum at Morristown. There is some discrepancy about her last name. It is recorded in the marriage as Ludlum; however, clearly the descendants of her family use the name Ludlow. (Another area of research that still needs to be done.)
The children of Daniel and Sarah
David, born 26-Jan-1768 at Morristown is the second of the seven children of Daniel & Sarah. He is listed in old records as a "weaver" and was thus employed as such in Morristown. In 1788 he married Hannah Beers, b: 08 February 1773 in Morristown, the daughter of Joseph Beers (another long time New Jersey family) and they had their first four children in Morristown. In 1791 he became a member of the Morristown Militia under Captain Joseph Halsey. Sometime in 1796 they removed to Painted Post in the county of Steuben in the state of New York where our Joseph Bears was born in 1797. (the surname Beers was pronounced Bears having derived from the name Bayer.) It is unclear where the spelling change took place. Joseph and his brother Henry both shared the same middle name, Beers. Our line spells it Bears and the line of Henry records it as Beers. Our only documentation of the Bears spelling exists in the family bible of Ruahma (Riley) Trowbridge. It is not known whether the family knowingly spelled it this way or whether Ruahma spelled it the way it sounded. It is known that when she gave some of her children this name as a middle name it was spelled Bears. (For anyone wishing to research this line, it will be necessary to research under the Beers spelling.) David and Hannah had five more children in Painted Post before moving to Cheviot, Ohio in 1818. Hannah died there in 1820 when her youngest child was but 12 years old. David & children then settled on Taylor's Creek in Greene Township. in the county of Hamilton, Ohio. David then married Catherine Dolph but no children were born of this marriage. In 1832 David moved to Milan, Ripley County, Indiana then on to Blountsville, Randolph County, Indiana where he died on 16-May-1859. Children of David and Hannah:
Joseph Bears was born on the 28th day of September, 1797 in Painted Post, Steuben County, New York. He was the fifth of 14 children born to David & Hannah. He moved in 1818, with his parents, to Ohio where religious reformation under Barton Warren Stone was "waking up the people". Joseph, having been raised a strict Calvinist-Presbyterian, got into several religious controversies, particularly with Father Shumaker, and continually came off second best. (Christian Standard Dec. 1883)
"He became satisfied that the Bible,
and only the Bible, would do to tie up to as infallible, and
dropping all his creed ideas, he began to study the Scriptures
with an interest he had not hitherto known; and from his studies
he learned and submitted himself to the Lord, fully determined to
follow the teachings of the Scriptures."
(The Christian Standard Dec. 1883)
Joseph, having become knowledgeable not only in the Bible, but also in concepts of Mr. Stone, became the founder of the White Oak Christian Church in Cinncinati, Hamilton County, Ohio. He preached for congregations in Carthage, Mount Pleasant, Cumminsville & Miamitown in Ohio as well as many of the Christian churches in Kentucky and Indiana.
"He was a preacher for 53 years,
during all that time supporting his large family by his physical
labor on his farm. Thus has passed from us a man full of years
filled up in labor, not only for this life, but in preparation of
the life to come."
(The Christian Standard, Dec. 1883)
The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is a protestant denomination that developed in 1832. It's founders were three men of Presbyterian background , Thomas Campbell and his son Andrew in Pennsylvania, and Barton Warren Stone in Kentucky, whom broke their denominational ties to enter into unity with "the body of Christ at large" and called themselves, simply,"Christians". They professed that "the purpose of the gospel is to make men brothers, not divide them into warring sects."
Joseph married his first wife, Mary Chancey (daughter of Roselle Chancey), on 04-Feb-1819 in Taylor's Creek, Hamilton County, Ohio. They had 4 children before Mary died on 30-Aug-1826:Children of Joseph and Mary
With the oldest child being only 6 years of age and the youngest being but 1, he quickly remarried on 20-Dec-1826 Ruahma Riley, (the sister of his brother Matthew's wife, Hannah; daughters of Dickerson Riley and Sarah Hand of New Jersey). The children of Joseph & Ruahma are:
Joseph & Ruahma had 2 children in Ohio, before moving briefly to Boone County, Kentucky where our David Lindsley was born in 1834. By July of 1836 they are living in Milan, Indiana, finally settling in Muncie, Delaware County, Indiana. Joseph died here on 06-Nov-1883. He is buried (as is Ruahma) in the Tabor Cemetery near Muncie.
David Lindsley Trowbridge was born in Boone County Kentucky on 01-Feb-1834. He was the third child of ten born to Joseph & Ruahma, but the seventh child of his father. (Clearly Ruahma raised all 14 children and would have earned the title 'Mother')
David came to Indiana with his parents somewhere around 1835. When he attained his majority he engaged in farming at New Castle in Henry County. It is here that he married his first wife, Rebecca Stout on 28-Feb-1854. They had their first child in New Castle in 1855. Within just a few short years he sold his farm and moved to Blountsville where he owned and operated a saw mill. One year later the mill was completely destroyed by fire, leaving him with little money. He managed to rebuild the mill and continued to operate it for nine years. It was during this nine years that David studied medicine, even practicing among the neighbors. In 1868 he moved to Cowan, Delaware County and began his official practice of medicine. During this time he continued to study medicine to ascertain the title of Surgeon. Rebecca died in Cowan on the 18th day of August, 1876. She was the mother of six children. He then married Amanda Clevenger on 10-Oct-1877 at Cowan.
In 1881, Doctor & Surgeon David Lindsley Trowbridge, specializing in chronic diseases, moved to the town of Muncie. In politics he had always voted the Republican ticket until 1890. He then identified himself with the 'Peoples Party'. In 1892 he was the nominee for representative to the National Assembly and endorsed by the Democratic Party. He had four children with his second wife bringing the total count of his children to ten. Our Barton was of course one of them. By 1905 David had moved to Napoleon in the county of Ripley, Indiana where he and Amanda were viewed as "prominent factors" in the Christian Church. David died at 1316 Macedonia Ave, Muncie, Indiana on 22-Feb-1909 of paralysis. He was 75 years old. He, too, is buried at the Tabor Cemetery in Muncie.
Descendants of David Lindsley Trowbridge & Elizabeth Rebecca Stout:
Chilren of David Lindsley Trowbridge with 2nd Wife Amanda Clevenger
Barton Warren Stone Trowbridge was born 15-Aug-1881 at Muncie, Indiana. He was the second child of David and Amanda, the eighth child of his father . Before I go any further I would like to clear up any 'airs' regarding his middle names. I have found it recorded as William and as Warrenstone. I possess copies of some documents in which he was required to sign his name. He signed them Barton Warren Stone Trowbridge and Barton W.S. Trowbridge. He was the namesake of the afore mentioned Barton Warren Stone. While Barton is the only one of David's children that I know is named for movers and shakers in the Disciples of Christ movement, his grandfather, Joseph, named several of his children for them. Jasper J. Moss, James G. Mitchell and Minerva Lindley Lockwood are just a few examples. I do not know a lot about Barton, but would encourage any of the generation that knew him to take the time, for the sake of history, to record what they know and forward the same to me. I do know that he married Sarah Margaret Riley born 16-Aug-1887 (daughter of Charles Riley and Nancy (Brower)Sisk) on Christmas Eve, 1905 in the town of Muncie and he was the father of 11 children:
Descendants of Barton Warren Stone Trowbridge
At the time of Barton's death on 09-Jul-1947 he had been living in Chicago at 5842 Shields Ave. for two years and six months. He was employed at that time by the J.C. Furniture Mfg. Company as a night watchman. The cause of death is listed as seven days of Acute Cystitis and four days of Acute Pylonephritis. He was buried on the 11th day of July, 1947 at the Maplewood Cemetery in Anderson, Madison County, Indiana. (as was his wife upon her death in January of 1973).
Being a firm believer in noting the possible genetic illnesses that can run in a family, I think it important to note that I find an alarming pattern of Heart Disease. One can also easily see the historical epidemics that touched our ancestors. It is sad to see the cases of some Trowbridge families that lost 2 or 3 children and spouses in a few weeks time to such plights as small pox or scarlet fever. As was common, when the family lost a child they would name their next child of the same sex after the deceased child. In one case the family named three consecutive daughters Sybil, all three died and the fourth was not named Sybil. One cannot help but wonder if the family thought the use of the name was their misfortune.
It is clear that our Trowbridges adhered to the long standing use of the "naming pattern" They named their children after their fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, inlaws, grandparents and close family friends. The most common procedure was to name their children after the surname of the spouse; this most often would be the child's middle name. However, if they thought it made a nice sounding first name they did that as well. In one case we have a male Trowbridge who married a female Rutherford. They named their son Rutherford Trowbridge, thus starting many generations of the name. (At last count we have some nine Rutherford Trowbridge's in our family) The more children they had the more names they would use extending to the maiden name of the grandmothers as well. When a family member died, all of the siblings would name a child after that person. It is not at all uncommon to see for example the death of one Samuel Trowbridge who may have seven siblings, next thing you know there would be seven more Samuels born over the next two or three years. (don't think that doesn't get confusing!)
I will stop this here and another time write of the many
descendants of our direct line, as well as that of other
Trowbridges in the family. They consist of Preachers, Teachers,
Farmers, Lawyers, Business owners, Military men, Ship Captains
& Masters and the list goes on. There is also an entire line
of our Trowbridge family that now spells their name Strowbridge,
owing to the rumor that the brother of our ancestor Daniel,
Shubael Trowbridge, once signed his name as S.Trowbridge and was
mistakenly recorded thereafter as Strowbridge. Unbeknown to his
descendants the spelling stuck. This line was known to have
settled in Columbia County Pennsylvania by the early 1800's. All
worth noting and remembering in the history of Trowbridge's in
America. I leave you with the following quote concerning our
Devonshire roots, extracted by Prof. C.W. Trowbridge of London,
from a county survey office in Exeter:
"Thence, Forton falls on by
Trowbridge the ancient lands of a family that took the name there
of, which Peter de Trowbridge held in King Edward the firsts
time, and is now enjoyed by that name, who had it first from the
Peverels, Lords of Talton."
(Peverels' time line = circa 1272)
Note: The materials used to compile these profiles as well as the Trowbridge Family Tree consist of various records i.e.; court, will, military, church, cemetery, birth, death & marriage, LDS-IGI, land, city directories and the Federal census. In addition to this, I referred to the many Biographical county sketches that were written about our family as well as the lineage of three other Trowbridge 'direct line' researchers; Linda Tindall, an author and cartoon line writer of Walnut Creek, California; and Mary Louise "Lou" Toms of Bedford, Virginia who is a double relative in that her Trowbridges also married into the same Beers family as ours. Lou sent me copies of their line's family Bible pages as well as pictures of one of her ancestors, Eliza (Trowbridge) Guerin. Both are also descended from our David & Lydia (Holmes) Trowbridge.
Cheryl Trowbridge-Miller
gr-grandaughter of Barton Warren Stone Trowbridge
and Sarah Margaret Riley
granddaughter of Clarence Grant Trowbridge
born: 13-Jan-1908 Muncie, Delaware County, Indiana
died: 24-Jan-1983 Fontana, San Bernadino County, California
buried @ Graceland Cemetery, Valparaiso, Indiana
and Louisa Bull
born:02-Feb-1912 Chicago,Illinois
died:07-Jan-1971 Valparaiso, Porter county, IN
buried @ Graceland Cemetery, Valparaiso, Indiana
daughter of Lawrence Allen Trowbridge Sr.
born: 15-Nov-1937
Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
and Nancy Mae Shifkowski
born: 08-Mar-1943
Michigan City, LaPorte county, IN
The MORRIS COUNTY
TROWBRIDGE'sHIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!
This site covers our Trowbridge's that started in Morris County,
New Jersey (David & Lydia), and continues on to those who
remained in Morris County. It also has a superb backgroud on the
surname and place location whilst in England. Patiently put
together by our cousin, Christopher Cresta. Christopher's site
also has EARLY DEEDS,
EARLY
WILLS and EARLY
CHURCH RECORDS including marriages, deaths &
baptisms.
FULTON
COUNTY, OHIO - TROWBRIDGE
BARRY COUNTY, MISSOURI
1899 Biographical Sketch of A. H. Trowbridge of Nebraska (scroll
down)
SAMUEL TROWBRIDGE, SHERIFF JOHNSON COUNTY, IOWA
Biographical
Sketch of Rutherford Trowbridge - New Haven,
Connecticut
TROWBRIDGE TROBRIDGE BIRTHS IONIA COUNTY, MICHIGAN
Captain John Todd Trowbridge Racine, WI died 1858 or 1866 (scroll
down)
Fitz James Trowbridge 1904 obituary Mitchell Co.
Iowa
Harry Trowbridge of Galena, Stone Co. Missouri Killed in a
Snowslide in Colorado
Fitz James Trowbridge 1904 obituary Mitchell Co.
Iowa
The DOCUMENTED ANCESTRY of AGNES PROWSE to
CHARLEMAGNE
The TROWBRIDGE FAMILY of
POMFRET, CT
John
McDonald's Family History
Family of Margaret Jackson & Dea. James
Trowbridge
TROWBRIDGE FAMILY By Roderic A. Davis
TROWBRIDGE - YATES FAMILY (Nebraska Trowbridge's
ANCESTRY OF PRESIDENT RUTHERFORD B. HAYES
Trowbridge,
J. T. (John Townsend), 1827-1916. Papers
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH of CHARLES TYLER
TROWBRIDGE
THE COURTMARTIAL OF COL. CHARLES TYLER TROWBRIDGEExcerpt from "Grandfathers voyage
around the world" 1799-1801
Trowbridge's
listed in the Political Graveyard
Judge Abraham
Lincoln
Trowbridge's
listed in the Christian Record The Christian Record was
published from 1843 to 1884 - it published a great deal of
extensive obituaries. This is the index only; however, these
records are obtainable through their Historical Society.
Biography of Rowland Ebenezer Trowbridge U.S. Representative
from Michigan; born in Horseheads, Chemung County, N.Y., June 18,
1821
Bible of John and Ann Mead Trowbridge
Scott, Trowbridge and allied
families
James Emmett
Steele - Trowbridge & Gidlund
Sylvia
Higgins Paine Family
Dave Martlett's
Genealogy page
Linn/Kerley Genealogy Pages
Thompson-Garrison Family
"Aunt Viginia's" Narrative
US Navy Memorial
Foundation
GenForumSUBSCRIBE
to the TROWBRIDGE List
Initails of Thomas & Joan
(1578)
The Tudor Pub
St Mary Magdelene Church