The Trowbridge surname is derived from Olde English terms meaning "tree", and, unsurprisingly, "bridge". It likely referred to a substantial bridge or structure made of large tree trunks. People given this name lived near these bridges, meaning there are many Trowbridge families who are not related. The name dates back at least as far as the 12th century, and our own line can be traced to 15th century England. Our Trowbridge line also leads us directly to Charlemagne. It should be noted that, while the Trowbridge line has been exhaustively researched, there is no way to guarantee full accuracy, as much of this information comes from a single genealogist of the early 1900s.
Thomas Trowbridge 1482 - Abt 1525
Nothing is known about Thomas, other than him being born in England in 1482, marrying a woman named Ann, and having a son. He passed away around 1525.
Thomas and Ann's children:
John Trowbridge, b. 1512, d. about 1545
Sources:
Previous family research, pieced together from Francis Bacon Trowbridge's genealogical records
John Trowbridge 1512 - Abt 1545
As with his father Thomas, we know nothing about John other than his wife's first name (Alice) and one son's name (Thomas). Don't worry though, folks, things get a little more interesting from this point.
John and Alice's children:
Thomas Trowbridge, b. 1542, d. 1619
Sources:
Previous family research, pieced together from Francis Bacon Trowbridge's genealogical records
Thomas Trowbridge 1542 - 1619
Thomas was born in 1542, the only known child of John and Alice. In the mid 1560s, he married Joan Lawrence-Hutchins, and they had at least two children.
Thomas was a well-known merchant in Taunton, England, 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.
It is interesting to note that Thomas and Joan (and by some accounts, one of their children) died the same year. While there is no record of how they died, it makes one wonder if they all died of the same thing.
Thomas and Joan's children:
Alice Trowbridge, b. 1568
John Trowbridge, b. 1570, d. 1649
Sources:
The Trowbridge Genealogy, Francis Bacon Trowbridge
Photo of plaque dedicated to Thomas and Joan
John Trowbridge 1570 - 1649
John was born in Taunton, the only known son of Thomas and Joan. 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, b. 1597, d. 1673
Elizabeth Trowbridge, b. 1599, d. 1672
John Trowbridge, b. 1601, d. 1630
Prudence Trowbridge, b. 1602
Agnes Trowbridge, b. 1604, d. 1637
James Trowbridge, b. 1609, d. 1638
Tracy Trowbridge, b. 1615
Sources:
The Trowbridge Genealogy, Francis Bacon Trowbridge
U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900
Thomas Trowbridge 1597 - 1673
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, 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, b. 1632, d. 1702
William Trowbridge, b. 1633, d. 1690
James Trowbridge, b. 1636, d. 1717
Sources:
TLC's Who Do You Think You Are?
Connecticut, Deaths and Burials Index, 1650-1934
U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900
U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current
William Trowbridge 1633 - 1690
William was born in 1633 in Taunton, 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.
William and Elizabeth's children:
William Trowbridge, b. 1657, d. 1703
Thomas Trowbridge, b. 1659
Elizabeth Trowbridge, b. 1662, d. 1732
James Trowbridge, b. 1664, d. 1732
Margaret Trowbridge, b. 1666
Hannah Trowbridge, b. 1668
Samuel Trowbridge, b. 1670, d. 1741
Joseph Trowbridge, b. 1675, d. 1715
Sources:
U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900
Connecticut, Deaths and Burials Index, 1650-1934
U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current
The Trowbridge Genealogy, Francis Bacon Trowbridge
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 farmer. Joseph passed away in 1715.
Joseph and Anne's children:
Matthew Trowbridge, b. 1708, d. 1715
David Trowbridge, b. 1709, d. 1768
Anne Trowbridge, b. 1713, d. 1783
Sources:
U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900
Connecticut, Wills and Probate Records, 1609-1999
U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current
The Trowbridge Genealogy, Francis Bacon Trowbridge
David Trowbridge 1709 - 1768
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, b. 1737, d. 1790
Shubael Trowbridge, b. 1739, d. 1782
Samuel Trowbridge, b. 1742, d. 1824
David Trowbridge, b. 1743, d. 1840
Mary Ann Trowbridge, b. 1747
Absalom Trowbridge, b. 1750, d. 1824
Job Trowbridge, b. 1754, d. 1821
Joseph Trowbridge, b. 1756, d. 1815
Sources:
U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900
Connecticut, Church Record Abstracts, 1630-1920
New Jersey, Abstract of Wills, 1670-1817
David Trowbridge 1743 - 1840
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, the same year as all three of his children.
David and Unknown's children:
David Trowbridge, b. 1770, d. 1840
Jonathan Trowbridge, b. 1772, d. 1840
Silas Trowbridge, b. 1776, d. 1840
Sources:
The Trowbridge Genealogy by Francis Bacon Trowbridge
Jonathan Trowbridge 1772 - 1840
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, though there are stories out there claiming he was a companion of Daniel Boone. 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, b. 1795, d. 1858
Patty Trowbridge, b. 1797
Polly Trowbridge, b. 1800
Nancy Trowbridge, b. 1803
Joseph Trowbridge, b. 1805, d. 1868
Jonathan Trowbridge, b. 1809, d. 1890
James Trowbridge, b. 1811, d. 1884
Isaac Trowbridge, b. 1814
Sources:
The Trowbridge Genealogy by Francis Bacon Trowbridge
Kentucky, Compiled Marriages, 1802-1850
William Trowbridge 1795 - 1858
William was born in 1795, the eldest child of Jonathan and Sally. Sometime prior to 1820, he married Elizabeth Welch, and they raised twelve children in Kentucky. William was mainly a farmer, but also spent time as a steamboat captain and school teacher. He was apparently killed in a massive storm.
William and Elizabeth's children:
Nancy Trowbridge, b. 1821
Benjamin Ellis Trowbridge, b. 1823, d. 1890
Eliza Ann Trowbridge, b. 1826
Joseph Trowbridge, b. 1829, d. 1922
Elizabeth Trowbridge, b. 1832
William Trowbridge, b. 1834
Martha Trowbridge, b. 1837
James Trowbridge, b. 1839
America Trowbridge, b. 1842
John Trowbridge, b. 1844
Sally Trowbridge, b. 1847
Mary Ann Trowbridge, b. 1849
Sources:
The Trowbridge Genealogy by Francis Bacon Trowbridge
1830, 1840, & 1850 census
Indiana, Marriages, 1810-2001
Indiana, Death Certificates, 1899-2011
Benjamin Trowbridge 1823 - 1890
Benjamin was born in 1823 (some sources say 1819, but 1823 seems more likely for a number of reasons), 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, b. 1850
William Trowbridge, b. 1852
Benjamin and Martha's children:
Arabella Trowbridge, b. 1855, d. 1907
Virgil Trowbridge, b. 1857
William Henry Trowbridge, b. 1858, d. 1941
Aikman Trowbridge, b. 1860, d. 1873
Nevada Jane Trowbridge, b. 1866, d. 1933
Lafayette Trowbridge, b. 1867
Florence Trowbridge, b. 1871, d. 1908
Sylvester Trowbridge, b. 1870, d. 1934
Effie Trowbridge, b. 1873
Daniel Trowbridge, b. 1874, d. 1876
Sources:
1850, 1870, & 1880 census
Missouri, Marriage Records, 1805-2002
U.S. City Directories, 1822-1989
U.S. General Land Office Records, 1796-1907
Sylvester Trowbridge 1870 - 1934
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, b. 1906, d. 1933
Maurice Edward Trowbridge, b. 1910, d. 2003
Goldene Marie Trowbridge, b. 1913, d. 1975
Myrle Laster Trowbridge, b. 1918, d. 2000
Sources:
1870, 1880, 1910, & 1920 census
Arkansas, County Marriages Index, 1837-1957
Illinois, Deaths and Stillbirths Index, 1916-1947
U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918
Goldene Trowbridge 1913 - 1975
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 with Robert Christie (the man who represents the largest brickwall in my research!). 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.
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.
With Goldene Marie, our Trowbridge line ends. For more information (ah, who am I kidding? I have no information. This is a cry for help!), please visit the Christie page.
Goldene and Robert's children:
Robert Christie, b. 1932
Goldene and Joseph's children:
Rebecca Love, b. 1938
Sources:
1920 & 1930 census
U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007