TROWBRIDGE

According to The Trowbridge Genealogy by Francis Bacon Trowbridge, Thomas was born in 1542 in Taunton, England. In the mid 1560s, he married Joan Lawrence-Hutchins, and they had at least two children. 

Thomas was a well-known merchant in Taunton, operating a cloth and goods store; the building still exists today as a pub, and his and his wife's initials, as well as the date he opened the store, are still on a plaque on the outside of the building. 

Children of Thomas and Joan: 

Alice Trowbridge, 1568 - 

John Trowbridge, 1570 - 1649

John was born in Taunton, England, in 1570.  By all accounts, he grew even more prominent than his father. He was a wool merchant with a large shop next door to his father's, and was twice mayor of Taunton. John owned a great deal of property as well, and his 1597 marriage to Agnes Prowse was preceded by deals between their parents that ensured a great deal of wealth for all concerned. It is also this union that connects us to Charlemagne; the Prowse line can be directly traced back to him. John and Agnes went on to have seven known children, all born and raised in Taunton. John passed away in 1649.

John and Agnes' children:

Thomas Trowbridge, 1597 - 1672

Elizabeth Trowbridge, 1598 - 1672

John Trowbridge, 1601 - 1630

Prudence Trowbridge, 1602 -

Agnes Trowbridge, 1604 - 1637

James Trowbridge, 1609 - 1638

Tracy Trowbridge, 1615 -

Thomas was born in Taunton, England, in 1597, the eldest son of John and Agnes. He married Elizabeth Marshall in 1627, and the two had 2 children in England before moving to the United States, where they would have one more child. 

All stories about Thomas focus on the fact that he was an ambitious businessman who was heavily involved in the Taunton community and its politics. His passions, in fact, led him to essentially abandon his family; upon his wife's death in 1641 - when his eldest child was 9 and his youngest, just 5 - the children were left in the care of their servant, Henry Gibbons. Thomas did not ever return to America, instead pursuing business and military ambitions, and Gibbons was eventually charged with mismanaging the Trowbridge's funds. The children were then moved into the home of a Sergeant Thomas Jeffrey, where they would remain until adulthood. Thomas died in Taunton in 1672.

Thomas and Elizabeth's children: 

Thomas Trowbridge, 1632 - 1702

William Trowbridge, 1633 - 1690

James Trowbridge, 1636 - 1717

William was born in 1633 in either Taunton or Devonshire, England, the middle child of Thomas and Elizabeth. As was mentioned above, he was raised first by a former servant of his father's, Mr. Gibbons, and later by Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey. As a young adult, William attempted to gain restitution from Mr. Gibbons, and after a many years long battle, got back a small part of what was owed to the Trowbridge estate. 

In 1657, William married Elizabeth Lamberton, daughter of George Lamberton, the captain of the famed "Fellowship" that vanished at sea a decade earlier. The story of the ship was immortalized by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in his poem "The Phantom Ship". William was Master of the sloop ship "Cocke", making many trips out of New Haven. He was also a planter and  husbandman. In the mid 1660s, he became one of the first residents in the parish of West New Haven, and the family settled on the Lamberton farm. They raised their children there, and each of them inherited a considerable amount of real estate. William died in 1690 in West Haven, Connecticut. 

William and Elizabeth's children:

William Trowbridge, 1657 - 1703

Thomas Trowbridge, 1659 - 1750

Elizabeth Trowbridge, 1662 - 1732

James Trowbridge, 1664 - 1732

Margaret Trowbridge, 1666 - 

Hannah Trowbridge, 1669 - 

Abigail Trowbridge, 1670 - 

Samuel Trowbridge, 1670 - 1742

Mary Trowbridge, 1672 - 

Joseph Trowbridge, 1675 - 1715

Joseph was born in 1675, the youngest known child of William and Elizabeth. In 1708, he married Anne Sherwood, and the two had three children, one of whom died the same year Joseph did, at just seven years old. While we can't be positive what Joseph did for a living, his estate inventory gives the impression that he was likely a very prosperous farmer. Joseph passed away in 1715. 

Joseph and Anne's children:

Matthew Trowbridge, 1708 - 1715

David Trowbridge, 1709 - 1768

Anne Trowbridge, 1713 - 1783

 David was born in 1709, the middle child of Joseph and Anne. In 1735, he married Lydia Holmes, and the two settled in Morris, New Jersey. David was a farmer, and split his estate among their eight children upon his death in 1768.

David and Lydia's children:
 

Daniel Trowbridge, 1737 - 1793

Shubael Trowbridge, 1739 - 1782

Samuel Trowbridge, 1742 - 1823

David Trowbridge, 1743 - 1840

Mary Ann Trowbridge, 1747 - 

Absalom Trowbridge, 1750 - 1824

Job Trowbridge, 1754 - 1821

Joseph Trowbridge, 1756 - 1815

​David was born in July of 1743, the fourth child of David and Lydia. Very little is known about him, but the few records that do exist indicate he lived in New Jersey, Virginia, Kentucky, and Indiana over the course of his life. His wife's name is unknown - several records name a Mary Scott as his wife, but this alleged marriage occurred 15-20 years after the births of his children, making it more likely that Scott was actually the wife of David's son of the same name, or was a second wife. David passed away in 1840 in Indiana. 

David's children:

David Trowbridge, 1771 - 

Jonathan Trowbridge, 1772 - 

Silas Trowbridge, 1776 - 

Nothing much is known about Jonathan. No reliable records seem to exist, and so all we know about him is his wife's name and the names of their children. He married Sally Lampton in the mid 1790s, and the two had eight children. Jonathan passed away around 1840.  

Jonathan and Sally's children: 

William Lampton Trowbridge, 1795 - 1858

Patty Trowbridge, 1797 - 

Polly Trowbridge, 1800 - 

Nancy Trowbridge, 1803 - 

Joseph Trowbridge, 1805 - 1868

Jonathan Trowbridge, 1809 - 1890

James Trowbridge, 1811 - 1884

Isaac Trowbridge, 1814 - 

William was born in Kentucky in 1795, the eldest child of Jonathan and Sally. Sometime prior to 1820, he met and married Elizabeth Welch, and the two had 12 children. William held many positions in his life, from steamboat captain to (shamefully) plantation overseer to school teacher to carpenter. Later in life, he and Elizabeth moved to Indiana. Several years later, William was killed when a massive storm hit their town. 

William and Elizabeth's children:

Nancy Trowbridge, 1821 - 

Benjamin Ellis Trowbridge, 1823 - 1890

Eliza Ann Trowbridge, 1826 - 

Joseph Trowbridge, 1829 - 1922

Elizabeth Trowbridge, 1832 - 

William Trowbridge, 1834 - 

Martha Trowbridge, 1837 - 

James Trowbridge, 1839 - 

America Trowbridge, 1842 - 

John Trowbridge, 1844 - 

Sally Trowbridge, 1847 - 

Mary Ann Trowbridge, 1849 - 

 Benjamin was born in 1823, the first son and second child of William and Elizabeth. 

He first married Barbara Deavers in 1848, and they had two children in Kentucky. There is no record of divorce, but it can be assumed the marriage did not last long, as in 1854, Benjamin married Martha Stumpff. He and Martha went on to have ten children, some of whom were born in Indiana, others in Missouri. 

Benjamin was primarily a farmer, but also seemed to dabble in woodworking, as he's occasionally listed as a cabinet maker and carpenter. While no family stories of him have yet been discovered, it's interesting to note that, as Martha died very young and no record of a third marriage has been found, Benjamin would have been a single father to his eight surviving children, 5 of whom would have been rather young when Martha died. It must have been quite the task to run a farm, and a household, alone with that many little ones. Benjamin died in 1890.  

Benjamin and Barbara's children:

Lucy Trowbridge, 1850 - 

William Trowbridge, 1852 - 

Benjamin and Martha's children:

Arabella Trowbridge, 1855 - 1907

Virgil Trowbridge, 1857 - 

William Henry Trowbridge, 1858 - 1941

Aikman Trowbridge, 1860 - 1873

Nevada Jane Trowbridge, 1866 - 1933

Lafayette Trowbridge, 1867 - 

Sylvester Trowbridge, 1870 - 1934

Florence Trowbridge, 1871 - 1908

Effie Trowbridge, 1873 - 

Daniel Trowbridge, 1874 - 1876

Sylvester was born in August of 1870, in Missouri. It is not known when he moved to Arkansas, but in 1905, he married Rebecca Laster there, and the two had four children. Sylvester was a coal miner, and in 1918, registered with the military for active duty in WWI. Unfortunately, nothing about his military career, if he even had one, is known. It's also not known when the family moved to Illinois, but Sylvester passed away there in 1934. 

Sylvester and Rebecca's children:

Florence Trowbridge, 1906 - 1933

Maurice Edward Trowbridge, 1910 - 2003

Goldene Marie Trowbridge, 1913 - 1975

Myrle Laster Trowbridge, 1918 - 2000

Goldene, who went by her middle name, Marie, was born in Arkansas in 1913. Sometime in her late teens, her family moved to Illinois, and there she met and had one son, my grandfather, with Robert Christie. Marie and Robert did not marry, however; she had a daughter five years later with Joseph Love, and in the early 40s, married Col. Edwin Harloff. Marie and Edwin had no children of their own, but Edwin happily raised both of Marie's children as his own. 

When I asked my grandfather about his mother, he told me that she was funny, kind, passionate about music, a talented dancer, and a fashion lover - she in fact worked at a clothing boutique after the early passing of her husband. She took great joy in being a grandmother, and spent a lot of time with her grandkids when they were young. 

Marie passed away in 1975 in Virginia, and is buried with Edwin in Arlington National Cemetery.