William and Martha Thornbrough of Pennsylvania, Virginia, and North Carolina
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William and Martha Thornbrough Family
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William Thornbrough was son of Edward and Jean Thornbrough of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. He name's wife Martha in his will and writes the will in such a way that she was probably his first and only wife, but we do not know her surname.


William Thornbrough
born abt 1724 Lancaster Co, Pa
died 2/12/1786 Randolph Co, NC
buried Marlboro Monthly Mtg
Martha Unknown
born unknown
died after 1786

Married: Unknown

Children:
George Thornbrough born 5/31/1755 Rowan Co, NC; married Mary Norton
Martha Thornbrough born unknown; married Jacob Jackson
Elizabeth Thornbrough
Sarah Thornbrough
Frances Thornbrough born unknown; married unknown Clark
(may have been Edward Clark, executor of William's will or possibly Edward Clark's son)

Records in North Carolina

William Thornbrough was received on certificate 11/4/1752 at Cane Creek Monthly Meeting in Rowan County, North Carolina, from Hopewell Monthly Meeting in Virginia. His is nearly the only surviving record of the Thornbroughs at Hopewell Meeting in Virginia. He was also apparently one of the earliest arriving in North Carolina. We do not know when and where he married Martha, as we could not find a record. We do not know if the list of children is complete as it is taken from his will.

William Thornbrough was one of the few to make his mark "WT" instead of signing his will. Keep in mind however, that sometimes people were too ill to sign where a will is involved. Abraham Woodward witnessed his will, lending credence to the theory that Hannah Thornbrough Woodward was probably granddaughter of Edward Thornbrough, and thus William's niece. William Thornbrough's death record is at Center Monthly Meeting (see location on the Guilford Map) which was also the Woodward's meeting and located just north of the Randolph County line in present day Guilford County.

William Thornbrough is listed as 1 poll on the 1761 tax list in Rowan County, not far from William Millikan which also places him the southern Guilford or northern Randolph County area.

More on the children of William and Martha Thornbrough

George Thornbrough and Martha Thornbrough are the only children we could definitely identify in Quaker records.

Charles Thornburg in his "A Discourse on the Thornburg Family" gives an additional son William but we have found no evidence of him. There is a William Thornbrough in Randolph County area, referred to as William, Jr., but in that time period the designation of "junior" was also used to differentiate between any two people with the same name so we cannot assume that William Thornbrough, Jr. was William and Martha Thornbrough's son without additional evidence. He is not named in William's will and we believe the William, Jr. was son of this William's brother Edward Thornbrough. We have no further information on William and Martha's daughters, Elizabeth, Sarah, and Francis, other than Francis is named as Francis Clark in William's will.

George and Mary Norton Thornbrough

George Thornbrough married Mary Norton 11/5/1777 at Center Monthly Meeting, Randolph County. Mary Norton was born 4/14/1757, daughter of Edward and Elizabeth Norton, of Guilford County.

George and Mary Norton Thornbrough had children: William, born 8/27/1778; Sarah, born 1/4/1780; and Elizabeth, born 8/25/1781.

George died 8/31/1795 in Randolph County. Samuel Millikan was administrator of his estate on 5/26/1796. This does not necessarily imply a relationship as Samuel acted as administrator or executor on a number of wills and seemed to act in the informal capacity of a "lawyer."

Martha Thornbrough Jackson

Martha Thornbrough [Thornberry] married Jacob Jackson, son of William and Sarah Jackson, 11/28/1793 at Center Monthly Meeting in Randolph County.

Jacob and Martha Jackson had children: Eliab, born 1/6/1795; Catharine, born 9/1/1796; William, born 5/31/1811. The only other notation is at Marlboro Monthly Meeting in Randolph County where a certificate for Jacob Jackson to Springfield was refused on 2/19/1833.

The Last Will and Testament of William Thornborough Decsd.

Know all men by these Presents that I William Thornborough of North Carolina Randolph County being Sick and languishing in Body but of Sound and perfect mind and memory and Calling to mind the uncertainty of Human life and knowing that it is appointed unto all men once to die so make this my last Will and Testament in manner and form followng that is to Say
This is all I Recommend my Soul to God that Gave it and my body to be decently Buried at the Direction of my friends and as touching such worldly Estate as it hath pleased God to bless me with I give and bequeath in the following manner
Imprimas I give and Bequeath unto Martha my Dearly beloved Wife (whom I constitute my Executrix) to have all my estate both Real & personal that thereafter mentioned to my son George only Excepted to be by her freely and uninterruptedly enjoyed during her life if she Remain my widow but at her death or marriage if she marry I will and ordain that the same be all and every part therefor Equally divided between our daughters Elizabeth Martha & Sarah.
Item to my son George Thornborough I give and bequeath two hundred acres of Land to be surveyed off the tract at the west end by a line running North and South from the North to the South line including his improvements where he now lives I likewise Bequeth unto him all my Blacksmiths tools together with all my wearing appearal for his own proper use
Item unto my Daughter Frances Clark I bequeath the sum of five pounds to be paid out of the aforesaid Dividend or shares thus, George forty Shillings Elizabeth Martha & Sarah each twenty shillings good and lawful money of North Carolina for her own proper use and behalf -- I also Constitute Edward Sharp executor of my last will and testament.
I do ratify and confirm this and no other to be my last will and Testament in Witness whereof I have hereunto Set my hand and affixed my Seal this 29th day of the fifth month in the year of Our Lord one thousand seven hundred & eighty-four.
William Thornborough his mark "WT"
Signed Sealed Published Pronounced and declared by the Said William Thornborough as his last Will and testament in the presence of us
Nathaniel Yatlow [Farlow?]
Abraham Woodward
John Rick [Rich?]

March Term of 86 proved in open courts by the affirmation of Nathan Farlow and Abraham Woodward and ordained to be recorded. A true copy /s/ J. Hooper or Harper (?)

Curiously, William names Edward Sharp as executor of his will but according to his estate inventory below wife Martha and Edward Clark were executors. There may be a court record in between where Edward Sharp renounced and Edward Clark was appointed, but we think it more likely that the clerk taking down the will misunderstood Edward Clark as Edward Sharp. We believe Edward Clark is probably the correct name as William's daughter Francis was married to a Clark according to the will.

Inventory of the Estate of William Thornborough deceased Term 1786

6 head Horses 16 head Cattle 10 head sheep 24 head hoggs 4 bed & furniture
4 pots 5 pewter dishes 1 doz do (ditto pewter) plates 3 do Basins 3 do porringers
1 pewter quarte (?) Sundry pans & earthen ware & pails & working tubs
3 candlesticks 9 knives & forks 19 spoons 2 pot racks & sythes
1 Jimson(?) and bottles 2 bottles 1 bar iron 1 pr fire tongs & shovel 1 chest 1 bord 1 small bowl 1 sugar box 1 good iron
1 flesh fork 1 pr stillards 1 pr sheep shears & looking glass
6 silver tea spoons 2 spinning wheels 1 real (reel) 2 chairs 1 spice mill
1 Hackel 1 waggon & gears 2 plows 3 pitchforks 1 shovel 1 ox 2 iron wedges 2 saddles
1 frying pan 4 ___hogs heads several small casks 4 kneading pan
1 loom & furniture
some Carpenters tools & griddle
Martha Thornborough Exec
Edward Clark Executor
A True copy by J. Harper.




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