Abigail (Brown) Thornburgh (abt. 1719 - 1780)

Born about 1719 in Maryland [uncertain]

Wife of Thomas Thornburgh — married 18 Mar 1741 in Opequon, Frederick County, Virginia

Descendants

Died 21 Apr 1780 at about age 61 in Greensboro, Guilford, North Carolina, USA

Biography

Abigail was a Friend (Quaker)

Abigail Brown was born circa 1719^[1] to a man named James Brown and his wife Abigail. Although as of January 16, 2019 Find A Grave and many Ancestry trees show her as being born in Frederick County, Virginia, that cannot be correct because the area was not settled until after 1730 (see document attached at right). A study of her father's biography suggests that Abigail may have been born in Maryland, where her father lived until about 1732.

On January 18, 1740 Abigail married Thomas Thornburgh Jr., son of Thomas Thornburgh Sr., of Middle Creek on Opequon, Frederick County, Virginia, at Opequon, Frederick Co., Virginia (the marriage was reported in the New Garden minutes but took place in Virginia).^[2]

In 1752, Abigail and her husband moved to North Carolina and joined the the New Garden Monthly Meeting, Guilford County^[3], North Carolina. Their children's births, beginning in 1741/2 with the last one in 1763, are recorded in the meeting records.^[4] She died April 21, 1780 in New Garden, Guilford, North Carolina, and is buried in the New Garden Friends Cemetery along with her husband according to her Find A Grave memorial.^[5]

Sources

1. ↑ This estimate, also shown on Find A Grave, is based on her marriage date and the date of her first child's birth.
2. ↑ U.S. Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1935 at Ancestry.com: Marriage date 18 Mar 1740, Guilford, North Carolina, father James Brown, event type Marriage Intention, New Garden Monthly Meeting; "Whereas Thos. Thornbrugh Son of Thos. Thornbrugh of Middle Creek on Opechan in the County of Frederick & Colony of Virginia And Abigail Brown Daughter [of] James Brown of the Same place having proposed their intentions of Marriage..." image
3. ↑ At the time, it was still Rowan County; Guilford County was formed in 1771 (but Ancestry indexes their Quaker meeting records according to counties' current names).
4. ↑ U.S., Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1935, North Carolina, Guilford, New Garden Monthly Meeting, Minutes, 1700-1900, image 221 of 238 at Ancestry.com or free Ancestry image:
   • Joseph Thornbrugh Birth 26 Jan 1741/2 [birth date on image] 26 1741 Eleventh O.S. [Father] Thos Thornbrugh [Mother] Abigail
   • Thos Thornbrugh Birth 11 Sep 1743 [birth date on image] 11 1743 Seventh O.S.
   • James Thornbrugh Birth 12 Jun 1745 [birth date on image] 12 1745 Fourth O.S.
   • Sarah Thornbrugh Birth 3 Mar 1747 [birth date on image] 3 1747 First O.S.
   • Elizabeth Thornbrugh Birth 12 Mar 1748 [birth date on image] 12 1748 First O.S.
   • Susanah Thornbrugh Birth 17 Sep 1751 [birth date on image] 17 1751 Seventh O.S.
   • Hannah Thornbrugh Birth 30 Apr 1754 [birth date on image] 30 1754 Fourth N.S.
   • Abigail Thornbrugh Birth 24 Apr 1756 [birth date on image] 24 1756 Fourth
   • Judith Thornbrugh Birth 17 Dec 1757 [birth date on image] 17 1757 Twelfth
   • Joshua Thornbrugh Birth 28 May 1760 [birth date on image] 28 1760 Fifth
   • Prudence Thornbrugh Birth 4 Jun 1763 [birth date on image] 4 1763 Sixth
   • Hannah Birth 20 Sep 1779 [birth date on image] 20 1779 Ninth
5. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #54503030; New Garden Friends Cemetery, Greensboro, Guilford County, North Carolina; as of March 9, 2019, the New Garden Friends Cemetery can not confirm that her grave is there.

• Note: For anyone wishing to explore further, a free-space page with sources and links has been created for Nottingham Browns. It includes an interesting history of the New Garden cemetery, where Abigail is said to be buried.