Mary (Trotman) Miller (abt. 1616 - aft. 1663)

Born about 1616 in England [uncertain]

Ancestors

Wife of James Miller — married about 1637 in London, Middlesex, England [uncertain]

Descendants

Died after Oct 1663 after about age 47 in York County, Virginia [uncertain]

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Jim Miller [send private message]

Biography

There were very few Trotman's in Virginia in the 1600's; and only a few thousand are America even in modern times:

1704: An Anne Trotman is listed in Charles City County (north side of James River just south of New Kent Co. & just west of James City Co.) on the 1704 Virginia Rent Roles (likely a widow or daughter of a male Trotman). She is the ONLY "Trotman" (or "Trotter") listed in the 1704 Virginia Rent Roles. Mary Trotman's daughter, Elizabeth Miller-1412 was born in New Kent County, Virginia (same area as the Anne Trotman noted above).

"August 1662. Thomas Trottman, bound to Elias Trottman for 5 yeeres in Maryland." (see link below) . If the Thomas Trotman-163 on WilkiTree, he would have been about 8 years old in 1662. There is also a note on same link (p.105): "Thomas Trottman; destination, Maryland." The link is for a book:

"Bristol and America: A Record of the First Settlers in the Colonies of North..."

https://books.google.com/books?id=rGfczR3G5ywC&pg=PA17&lpg=PA17&dq=Stephen+trotman+colonial+virginia&source=bl&ots=SkT0urSOko&sig=KruboUbWYPo-_WEsrZiCJwM66ZI&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj84pDKs77YAhXJ5IMKHcyFDyYQ6AEIPjAH#v=snippet&q=Trottman&f=false

1656: There is a possibility that the Nicholas "Trott (sic) [Trotter?]" who is noted as "sonn" and witnessed James Miller's 1656 will (husband of Mary Trotman) was Nicholas Trotman-47 (b-1/19/1619 in Gloucestershire, England) during a trip to Virginia. Nicholas Trotman ["Trott (sic)"] witnessed on 5/6/1656 and was an oath on the probate on 6/24/1656 of James Miller's will. Mary Trotman-129 and Nicholas Trotman-47 were 2nd cousins and likely were both about 37 years old in 1656. Nicholas Trotman's children died in Gloucestershire, England so I assume he was only on a trip to Virginia in 1656.

https://memory.loc.gov/service/gdc/scd0001/2008/20080313002co/20080313002co.pdf

1634 birth of Nicholas Trotman: A "Nicholas Trotman, of Nibley, yeoman, aged 40, and Mary Harding, of the parish of Hawksbury, aged 30" marry on 5/24/1675 in Gloucestershire, England (see link above; page 24). This Nicholas Trotman would likely be a cousin of Mary Trotman (wife of James Miller) since several of Mary Trotman's family were from Nibley. This Nicholas Trotman would have been 22 years old in 1656 when a "Nicholas Trott (sic) [Trotter?]" was a witness to James Miller's will in York County, Virginia. He may have later returned to England (but could have been a different Nicholas Trotman that witnessed James Miller's 1656 will).

Mary (Trotman) Miller's father may have been named Edward Trotman. She may have had a brother named Nicholas Trotman.

Sources

The below timeline hopefully will take the reader through the tie of Mary, wife of James Miller in Virginia to the Trotman family in Nibley, England.

• 1618/1619: Sir Richard Berkeley; Sir William Throckmorton; John Smyth, Sr. of Nibley; and others organize/finance the 2nd major English Colony called Berkeley Hundred in Virginia

• 1619: First group of colonist arrive at Berkeley Hundred about 30 miles west of the Jamestown colony founded in 1607 (no person's with surname Miller on list of colonist in 1619)

• 9/24/1620: The ship (The Supply) left England with a 2nd group of colonist (50 total) for Berkeley Hundred in Virginia

• 1620: A "J. Miller" appears on John Smyth, Sr. list of colonist at Berkeley Hundred in Virginia.

• 4/18/1621: John Smyth, Sr. (1567-1641) of Nibley (a key person involved with the Berkeley Hundred colony) spoke during an English Parliament debate on TOBACCO trade which he was quite interested in and was knowledgeable about tobacco trade. https://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1604-1629/member/smith-john-1567-1641#footnote21_wxqxqu8

• 1622: A William Miller and a Thomas "Willer" (likely transcription error and should read "Miller") are killed in the major Native American uprising in Virginia. They are noted on the list of the dead in the "James Cities Plantation" section of the list published in February, 1623. Both William and Thomas are frequent given names in my family in the 1600's (however both are quite common names of the time).

1/2/1636 or 1637: A James Miller is noted in the Extracts from the records of the burgh of Glasgow....1630-1662. In a document related to licenses for the retailing of TOBACCO along with 9 other persons:

• 1637: A ship record notes James Miller; his wife Mary; and their servant, William Browne arriving in Virginia

• 1637: James and Mary Miller purchased 100 acres of land in York County, Virginia

• 1640: James & Mary Miller's daughter birth is recorded in New Kent County, Virginia (about 15 miles north of Jamestown). This appears to be a property in New Kent County, Virginia (about 35 miles to the west of James/Mary's two properties in York Co., VA) owned by the Miller family prior to 1637 and the same property likely sold by the family in 1782. Few documents survive from many of the colonial counties between the James and York Rivers due to several court house burnings during wars, etc. So land purchases in this area and people living in this area are difficult to track in the 1600's/1700's.

• 1642 (Abt.): James & Mary Miller have a son born named Edward Miller I (other children are noted in James Miller's 1656 will also; but only Edward is key to this timeline)

• 1648: James & Mary Miller purchase an additional 150 acres of land in York County, Virginia.

• 1656: James Miller dies, his will is witnessed by a Nicholas "TROTT (sic) [Trotter?]" - clearly old will was difficult to transcribe for Nicholas' family name (likely it was Nicholas Trotman/Trottman; there were quite a few Trotter's in Virginia in the later 1600's; however only a handful of Trotman's; so the transcriber likely assumed the name may have been Trotter but she/he was not certain). James Miller lists Nicholas as his "sonn" so likely a close relative of his wife, Mary.

• 1656: James Miller notes he supplied timber to the cooper (carpenter) of the Jamestown supply/gun ship called The William and John in his will (profits from the timber to pay his debt; remainder to wife, Mary)

• 1666 (Abt.): Edward Miller I (son of James & Mary Miller) marries Sara Smyth, daughter of Nicholas Smyth who served in the Virginia House of Burgesses. The name Edward is used in their family over at least the next several generations. Edward is only used in this branch of my family as a given name until 1803; so it was a key given name only in the family of Edward Miller I whose mother was Mary Trotman (likely daughter of Edward Trotman). Edward was the most frequent given name in the Trotman family of Nibley, England in the late 1500's/1600's.

• http://www.virtualjamestown.org/york%20runaways/york%20runaways--book%203.txt

• 24 June 1659 York County, Virgnia: Court case involving Mary Miller's servant running away; Mary Miller, wife of James Miller (deceased) would have been about age 40 in 1659.

Whereas Henry Gosper servant to Mary Miller confest in Court hee hath at severall times runne away att least two yeares Itt is Ordered according to Act of Assembly that at expiracon of his service due by Indenture hee double ye said tearme & serve Foure Compleat yeares for his said running away

Source: York County Deeds, Orders, and Wills (3) f. 57.

• 1663: Throckmorton Trotman (see more detail on him below) notes in his 1663 London will a cousin named Edward Trotman whose daughter is in Virginia (unnamed)

• https://books.google.com/books?id=rGfczR3G5ywC&pg=PA17&lpg=PA17&dq=Stephen+trotman+colonial+virginia&source=bl&ots=SkT0urSOko&sig=KruboUbWYPo-_WEsrZiCJwM66ZI&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj84pDKs77YAhXJ5IMKHcyFDyYQ6AEIPjAH#v=onepage&q=Stephen%20trotman%20colonial%20virginia&f=false

• 1663 (prior to - see link above): A ship record record notes a Stephen Trotman and a Jesse Trotman arriving in Virginia; they are noted as from "Nibley", England

• 1664: Isle of Wight County, Virginia: Edward Miller I (son of James & Mary Miller) requests administration of the estate of a Stephen Trotman who had died without a will (likely the Stephen Trotman from Nibley that had arrived a year or more earlier given there were only a handful of Trotman's in Virginia in the 1600's)

• 1687: THE BELOW SEEMS TO TIE THIS EDWARD MILLER I (EDWARD MILLER, II WOULD BE TOO YOUNG IN 1682) TO MY MILLER'S IN MIDDLESEX COUNTY, VIRGINIA. I have not identified any other Edward Miller that this could have been to-date. The only surname in the document that may relate to this Edward Miller I would be Smith (Edward's wife was a Sara Smyth/Smith). Also many of the surnames are Scottish: Mackrory; Williamson; Robinson; my Miller family were Scottish TOBACCO Factors (merchants) in the mid/late 1600's up to the American Revolution.

10/3/1697: Source: "Middlesex County, Virginia Wills, Inventories & Accounts, 1673-1812" published in 1989:

"(p. 110) John Sheppard....3 Oct 1682 / 7 Feb 1697... Son John Sheppard and daughter Frances Sheppard (both underage). Wife Frances Sheppard. Daughter Clara Sheppard. Brother Mr. Alexander Sheppard in Parham - Latcheston In Suffolk CO in England. Goddaughter Frances Mackrory and godson Robert Williamson. Godson Richard Robinson and goddaughter Ann Robinson. Kinsman Mr. Richard Robinson, brother Mr. Christopher Robinson and Mr. Alexander Smith. Exors: Wife and son. Wit: Thomas Hucklescott (?), Joseph Smith and EDWARD MILLER (Thomas Hucklescott and Joseph Smith appeared at the probate in 1697)." EDWARD MILLER may not have appeared at the probate due to the fact he likely past away several years after the will was written but prior to when it was probated.

NOTE: Parham, Suffolk County, England is 100 miles northeast of London near the North Sea about 150 miles due west of the Netherlands/Belgium across the sea.

NOTE: It is estimated that the Edward Miller I on this profile died about 1695; so he would not have been around to sign John Sheppard's will's probate in 1697 as noted above (another indication that the Edward Miller on this profile is the Edward Miller that witnessed John Sheppard's will in 1682).

MORE INFO. on THROCKMORTON TROTMAN:

• The Virginia magazine of History and Biography Vol. 11. No. 4 (Apr. 1904). pp. 358-369 (12 pages) Published by the Virginia Historical Society....Journal Article Virginia Gleanings in England (on p. 7 of 12)

1663: The above gives a copy of Throckmorton Trotman's 1663 London will which he notes a cousin Edward Trotman whose daughter is in Virginia. Mary Trotman, wife of James Miller would be in her mid 40's in 1663. Her husband James Miller died in Virginia in 1656.

Throgmorton Trotman was invested in the “Merchant Adventurers of England” (left 600 pounds to the organization in his 1663 will), a large merchant investment company formed to develop overseas trade and colonies in the New World (similar to the London Company of Adventures, which later split into the Virginia Company settling Jamestown and the Plymouth Company which settled New England). So the Totman’s would be quite interested in the Virginia colony.

Mary Trotman & James Miller's daughter Elizabeth "Isabella" Miller who married John Lewis, Jr. had a grand daughter named Mary Lewis b-1709 who married a THROCKMORTON. This is a possible tie of the family to the THROCKMORTON's who Throckmorton Trotman (who noted the daughter of his cousin Edward Trotman was in Virginia in his 1663 London will) may have descended from the THROCKMORTON's given his 1st name was THROCKMORTON.

• https://memory.loc.gov/service/gdc/scd0001/2008/20080313002co/20080313002co.pdf

From link above: page 35 on "The Trotman Family"; Entries in Cam Register; Edited by W. P. W. Phillimore; printed by John White, Stroud, Gloucestershire in 1892; a possible Edward Trotman (father of Mary Trotman) will appears:

"Edward Trotman, of Slymbridge, yeoman, 11 May, 1618. To Marie Tratman, my eldest daughter, L60, under 21; my daughter, Alse; younger daughter, Alice L40, under 21. Residue to Richard Trotman, my son and heir. He to be executor. Overseers --- Thomas Davies and Richard Trotman, my brother and brother-in-law. To my son, Edward, my right in a lease, dated, 12 Oct., 2 Edward VI. Witnesses- John Wilkins, Thomas Wilkins, and William England. Proved at Gloucester, 3 June, 1618." The "Marie Tratman" maybe Mary Trotman (wife of James Miller); however she likely was born a bit earlier than James Miller if he was the James Miller who arrived in Virginia in 1635 at age 18 (so James would have been born about 1617). Of course the James Miller that arrived in Virginia in 1635 at age 18 may not be the same James Miller that arrived two years later with his wife Mary (who I think was Mary Trotman). "Marie Tratman" was likely born between 1600 and 1615; since she was under 21 in May, 1618 and had a younger sister (Alice) born prior to May, 1618.