James Trowbridge (1664 - 1732)

Born 26 Mar 1664 in New Haven, New Haven, Connecticut

Ancestors

Husband of Lydia (Alsop) Trowbridge — married 8 Nov 1688 in New Haven, Connecticut Colony

Husband of Esther (Howe) Trowbridge — married 29 Sep 1692 in New Haven, Connecticut Colony

Husband of Mary (Belden) Trowbridge — married 19 Apr 1698 in Wilton, Fairfield, Connecticut

Descendants

Died 1 May 1732 at age 68 in Wilton, Fairfield, Connecticut

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Ed Trowbridge [send private message], Nancy Lahr [send private message], and Robert Nickel [send private message]

Biography

Early Life

James was born in 1664 New Haven, Connecticut , he was thirteen when the family moved to West Haven, Connecticut. There he grew up with his four brothers and four sisters. James' parents, William Trowbridge and Eilzabeth Lamberton Trowbridge, were members of the First Church of New Haven in 1686. William died at West Haven in November 1690, and Elizabeth there in 1716.

Marriages & Family

James Trowbridge, at the age of twenty-four, married first on 8 November 1688 to Lydia Alsop. James and Lydia Trowbridge had one child. Little James was born on 13 September 1689. James Trowbridge learned the trade of a "cordwainer" or a shoemaker and settled at New Haven, Ct. Lydia Alsop died at Stratford, Ct. on 6 May 1690, leaving James a widower with a baby boy.

James Trowbridge married again on 29 September 1692 to Esther Howe. In September 1693 James Trowbridge moved to Stratford, Ct., where they were admitted as members of the Stratford Congregational Church on 8 April 1694. James and Ester Trowbridge had three children. Isaac was born at Stratford about 1693. Esther was born at Stratford about 1695, and Mary was born at Stratford about 1697. Esther died at Stratford in 1697. James Trowbridge was a widower again with four children, ages eight, four, two and an infant. On 19 April 1698.

James Trowbridge married at Wilton for the third time on 19 April 1698 to Mary Belden (or Belding) Elizabeth Foote. Mary Belding's mother, two brothers and a sister had been killed by the Indians in 1696. Mary's father, another brother and sister had been captured by the Indians and just released. James Trowbridge was a widower with four young children, ages nine to one. Of course Mary Belding was one of fifteen children. Their married life could only get better! Mary Belding was born at Hatfield, Mass. in November 1677. Mary Belding was the fourth child of nine. Her baby sister died as an infant in 1686. After her death Mary's father, Daniel Belding, moved the family to Deerfield, Mass. Their oldest child was fifteen and their youngest was only three. Mary Belding was nine years old when they moved to Deerfield. Mary Belding's mother gave birth five more children. Samuel was born in April 1687, John was born in June 1689 and died the next day. Abigail, named after the daughter who died, was born in August 1690. John was born in February 1693. Last but not least [indicated by the name], Thankful; was born 31 December 1695. The Beldings with their surviving eleven children lived a rather peaceful life at Deerfield. Homes with unpainted clapboards, narrow, unshuttered windows, and dignified doorways lines the mile-long street reflected life on the frontier 75 miles west of Boston.

Then the Indians attacked on September 26, 1696. Mary Belding was nineteen years old at the time. Her mother and three of her siblings were killed by French Mohawk Indians. Young Daniel was sixteen, John was three and Thankful was one year old when they were killed by the Indians. Her father, her sister Elizabeth and brothers Nathaniel and Hester were captured and taken to Canada. Mary Belding's older brothers, William and Richard, managed to escape with Mary, her fourteen year-old sister, Sarah, and nine year old brother, Samuel. Apparently Mary Belding left Deerfield after the 1696 Indian raid. Mary Belding married at Wilton, Norwalk, Ct., on 19 April 1698 to James Trowbridge (as his third wife). Mary Belding was twenty-two and James Trowbridge was thirty-four when they were married. Mary lived a prosperous married life with James Trowbridge in Connecticut while her father continued to battle the Indians in Massachusetts.

Occupations/Death & Legacy

Deacon James Trowbridge learned the trade of a "cord-wainer," or shoemaker, in his native town, and followed it in New Haven and also in Stratford, Conn., whither he removed in September, 1693. He and his wife were admitted members of the Stratford Congregational church April 8, 1694. In Stratford he was chosen sealer of leather at the town meetings held from 1698 to 1702. He lived on Long Hill. In 1712 he removed to the town of Norwalk, Conn., purchasing a large farm on Chestnut Hill in the parish of Wilton. He there passed the remainder of his life, engaged in farming.

He was probably one of the three original members of the Wilton Congregational church, and was appointed a committee to make arrangements for the settlement of the Rev. Mr. Sturgeon. He was appointed a deacon of the church, an office which he filled until his death. In the town of Norwalk he served as fence viewer in 1717, grand juror in 1719 and town collector in 1721.

James Trowbridge burial is in Saint Matthews Parish Cemetery, Wilton, Fairfield County, Connecticut, USA

His will is dated 29 April 1732 and proved on 5 July 1732 at Fairfield.^[1]

1. Children by first marriage, to Lydia Alsop:
   • James, b. 13 Sep 1689
2. Children by second marriage, to Esther Howe:
   • Isaac, b. 1693
   • Esther, b. 1694
   • Mary, b. 1697
3. Children by third marriage, to Mary Belden:
   • Daniel, b. 13 Aug 1701
   • Elizabeth, b. 1 Mar 1703
   • Caleb, b. 8 Apr 1706
   • John, b. 22 May, 1709
   • Abigail, b. 1 Sep 1712
   • Lydia, b. 8 May 1715
   • Sarah, b. 29 Jul 1717

Sources

• Vital Records of New Haven, 1649-1850 (Connecticut Society of the Order of the Founders and Patriots of America, Hartford, 1917) Part 1, Page 21. Birth record.

• "Connecticut Births and Christenings, 1649-1906," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F74W-2PK : 3 December 2014), James Trowbridge, 26 Mar 1664; citing ; FHL microfilm unknown.

• Full text of "The Trowbridge family, or, Descendants of Thomas Trowbridge, one of the first settlers of New Haven, Conn." [1]

• Donald Lines Jacobus, Families of Ancient New Haven ([CD]Baltimore, Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1981[originally]Rome, N.Y. and New Haven, Conn., 1922-1932), vol 1, p 39. [2]

• Donald Lines Jacobus, Families of Ancient New Haven, vol 8, p 1855.

• Donald Lines Jacobus, Families of Ancient New Haven, vol 4. p 856.

• http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=54975983

• Trowbridge, Francis. The Trowbridge Genealogy, History of the Trowbridge Family in America (Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor Co., New Haven, Connecticut, 1908) Page 126

1. ↑ “Probate Records, v. 6-8, 1717-1750”, database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G92K-T2QG : 4 May 2022), FHL microfilm 007627301, image 635-636, Fairfield, Fairfield, Connecticut, Vol 8, 1725-1740, Page 301-302.