William Trowbridge (bef. 1633 - 1690)

Born before 3 Sep 1633 in Exeter St Petrock, Exeter, Devon, England

Ancestors

Husband of Elizabeth (Lamberton) Trowbridge — married 9 Mar 1657 in New Haven, Connecticut Colony

Descendants

Died Nov 1690 after age 57 in New Haven, New Haven, Connecticut

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William Trowbridge migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Biography

William TROWBRIDGE was christened 3 Sep 1633 in Exeter, Devonshire, England. He died Nov 1690 in New Haven, Connecticut. William married on 9 Mar 1656/7 in New Haven, to Elizabeth LAMBERTON (her first marriage was to Daniel Sellivant.^{[1] [2]}

[1]William Trowbridge was brought in childhood by his parents from England, first to Dorchester in the Massachusetts 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 efferts were continued over a series of years, but gained little result during his father's lifetime. A few years after the latters death Gibbons made some restitution, as has been printed on a previous page.

"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 afiord him what help he could therein to cleare it."

"January 3, 1664. William Trowbridge having had a warrant for Henry Gibbons to answer him in an action of ye case, was now called to enter his action. He required of Henry Gibbons an account of his father's estate that was left with him when he went for England. Wm. Trowbridge was asked by what authority he made this demand? He showed a letter of attornie from his father, which being read was allowed and accepted. Henry Gibbons said that he had given him an accompt as well as he could, but the estate he said, was taken out of his hands by order of the authority here, & therefore it must be referred to ye records. But the records having been looked into formerly‘ and matters not found so cleare as was desired & there being‘ much business at this tyme, the case was referred to another time."

"At a County Court held at New Haven June 10, 1674," before James; Bishop, assistant and moderator, the assistants, commissioners and a jury, in the case of Trowbridge vs. Gibbons. “Wm. Trowbridge of New Haven or his lawful attornie, plaintif, Henry Gibbons of the same place, defendant, in the action of the case for an accompt of the estate of Mr. Thomas Ti-owbridge of Taunton in the realm of England mentioned in his letters of Attomie dated ye 19th of January. 1662, and sometime in ye possession or trust of ye said Henry ye defendant disposed of & not accounted for."“In the action wherein Wm. Trowbridge is Plaintif 8: Henry Gibbons Contra Defendant: after the Records of the transaction about the utate were read, The Court saw not cause to admit the protest. In which the plaintif seemed to rest satisfied."

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 eventually came into his possession.* 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 (the site of the piano factory) 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 Connecticut 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.

The inventory of Mr. Wm Trowbridge late of New Haven was taken on 26 December 1690.^[3]

Parents: Thomas Trowbridge (1598 - 1673), & Elizabeth Marshall^[2]

Children: ^[2]

1. William (1657-1704)
2. Thomas (1659-c1750)
3. Elizabeth (1661- )
4. James Trowbridge (1664 - 1732)
5. Margaret (1666- )
6. Hannah (1668- )
7. Abigail (1670-1698)
8. Samuel (1670-c1742)
9. Mary (1672- )
10. Joseph Trowbridge (1675 - 1715)

Sources

1. ↑ "The New England Ancestry of William Calvin Fortenberry" by Delores Bateman Tousinau
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Jacobus, Donald Lines (compiler). Families of Ancient New Haven, Vol I-VIII. and Index Vol IX New Haven: 1931. Reprint, Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1974, 1981, 1997. Originally published as New Haven Genealogical Magazine, Volumes I-VIII. Rome, NY and New Haven, CT 1922-1932.
3. ↑ “New Haven Probate Records, Vol. 1-2, 1647-1703”, database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L92K-G9JZ-4  : 12 March 2021), New Haven, Connecticut, FHL microfilm 007626739, image 309. New Haven Probate Record, 1668-1703, Vol. 2, Part 1, page 90.

• James Savage, A Genealogical Dictionary of The First Settlers of New England, before 1692. http://www.usgennet.org/usa/topic/newengland/savage/bk4/trowbridge-tuckey.htm.

• 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 5, p 1122, vol 8, p 1855.

• Donald Lines Jacobus, History and Genealogy of the Families of Old Fairfield, CD-Local and Family Histories: CT, 1600's - 1800's, (Produced in collaboration with the Genealogical Publishing Company, 2000), vol 1, p 561.
• [2]The Trowbridge Genealogy: History of the Trowbridge Family in America, By Francis Bacon Trowbridge Volume 1, Pg. 123, 124.

• Ancestral File Number 2290-9N
• Genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com
• Parish register St. Petrock's, Exeter, England
• https://msu.edu/user/lipsey/html/fam01166.htm
• https://www.geni.com/people/William-Trowbridge/6000000002883114223