Thomas and Sarah Thornbrough of Pennsylvania and Virginia

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Thomas & Sarah Thornbrough Page

According to some Thornbrough genealogies, Thomas Thornbrough , who came early to Pennsylvania, was the son of Robert and Sarah Jackson Thornbrough who married in Ulster, Ireland, 8/1685 (See Edward Thornbrough page for comments on this possibility). Thomas appears to have been the brother of Edward Thornbrough of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Thomas witnessed Edward�s will as "cozin" so he had at least some degree of relationship. Although Edward and Thomas did come to America from Ireland, the Thornbroughs have a long and prestigious history in England. [We have used the Thornbrough spelling throughout our site for consistency but there were many spelling variations (see About Names. [Where we have found original records we have used the spelling given in the record].

Sarah's surname is seen variously as Haman and Hannah. We do not know her surname for sure nor do we know her ancestry.

Thomas Thornbrough
born Cootehill, Ireland
died 1758/9 Lancaster Co Pa

Sarah Haman
born Unknown
died before 7/1758, probably Pa

Married: Bellyhagen Province Meeting, Cootehill, Ireland, "were married at Coothill on the 12 dy of ye 9 mo 1713" according to A Discourse on the Thornburg Family, page 248

Possible Children:
Thomas Thornburg, Jr. born 7/10/1715 Cootehill, Ireland; married Abigail Brown (proven as son by his marriage record in NC)
Robert Thornburg (named in will); married Deborah Evans 11/29/1742 Lancaster Co, Pa
Margaret Thornburg(named in will); married out of unity to Mathew Atkinson 8/22/1737
Benjamin Thornburg (named in will); married (1)Charity Beeson, daughter of Richard and Ann Brown Beeson (2)Mary Brooks and (3)Sarah Hutton
Joseph Thornburg
Hannah Thornburg born about 1725 Pennsylvania; married Henry Mills
Sarah Alice Thornburg born 7/3/1737 Chester Co, Pa; married James Woodward
Jane Thornbrough married Richard Mendenhall.

PennsylvaniaRecords

Thomas Thornberry and wife were received at New Garden Monthly Meeting in Pennsylvania 6/26/1732 on a certificate dated 9/8/1731 from Haddonfield Monthly Meeting in New Jersey. Daughter Margaret's marriage is recorded at New Garden when she was dismissed on 8/22/1737 for marrying out of unity (dismissal date, not marriage date). Her surname is listed as Atkinson (late Thornberry); probably her husband was Mathew Atkinson, son of Stephen Atkinson who witnessed her father's will.

Will of Thomas, Sr.

Only Robert, Margaret and Benjamin are named in Thomas's will, leaving some uncertainty about some of the other children:

"I Thomas Thornbrough of Lancaster Township in the County of Lancaster and Province of Pennsylvania, Cooper; Being somewhat indisposed in Body; but of Sound Mind, Memory and Understanding, do make this my last Will and Testament in Manner and form following, that is to Say; First it is my Will that all my Just Debts and Funeral Expenses be paid by my Executors hereafter named; Also it is my further Will that my Excs pay unto the Friends of the Meeting of Sufferings in Philadelphia Ten pounds to be applied by said friends in purchase of the lands of the Indians at Opocken (Virginia), provided that such a thing be accomplished in three Years after my Decease otherwise the said Sum of Ten pounds to be taken into and deemed part of my Estate; & divided and Given as hereafter directed; and it is also my Will & I do hereby Order and direct that all and Singular my Real and Personal Estate be sold by my Excs in Two Years after my Decease and the Money arising therefrom I do Will Order and direct that my Excs pay it unto my Three Children To wit, Robert, Benjamin and Margaret, in equal proportions and lastly I do appoint my sons Robert and Benjamin Thornbrough my only & Sole Excs, hereby Revoking disallowing and making Void, Every other Will or Wills; by me made theretofore and declaring this to be my last Will and Testament & none other IN WITNESS whereof I have hereto set my hand & seal this 20th day 7th month 1758.
/s/Thomas Thornbrugh (Seal)
Signed, Sealed, Published and Declared to be my last Will and Testament before us: Isaac Whitelock, Mary Whitelock; Stephen Atkinson; Isaac Whitelock; Stephen Atkinson Jnr."

The will was proven in 1759, so we are not certain whether Thomas died in 1758 or 1759.

Records in Virginia and North Carolina

Thomas, Jr., is named as son of Thomas, Sr. in his marriage record at New Garden Monthly Meeting in North Carolina. There are land records for Thomas Thornbrough, Sr. in Virginia, where he moved on certificate dated 2/7/1740 from Sadbury Monthly Meeting in Pennsylvania. A record dated November 26, 1750 of a grant of 862 acres refers to him as "Thomas..the elder," so we know there was another Thomas there who was probably this son.

Late in 1756, Thomas and Sarah were forced to leave Virginia and return to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The Yearly Meeting of Sufferings in Philadelphia "was informed that Thomas Thornbrough and his wife, 2 Aged Friends, belonging to Monthly Meeting of Hopewell, have sometime ago been driven from their habitation by the incursion of the Indian Enemies on the frontiers..." Sarah was still alive and evidently returned to Pennsylvania with Thomas. This was the beginning of the French and Indian War and accounts for Thomas's will being drawn in Pennsylvania. His nephew Walter Thornbrough, who had adjoining land in Virginia, chose to go south to North Carolina instead of returning to Pennsylvania with Thomas. The sojourn in Virginia also probably accounts for the bequest for the purchase of Indian lands in Virginia in Thomas�s will.

More on Possible Children of Thomas and Sarah

Various genealogies mention the other children given above that are not named in Thomas's will, but so far none are proven. See the Hannah Thornbrough page for a further discussion of this possible daughter who appears to be the one married to Henry Mills.

Joseph Thornburg is mentioned as a possible son in Charles Thornburg's genealogy of the Thornburg family but no further information has been found and he may simply have been confused with other Joseph Thornburgs in the family.

Sarah Alice Thornbrough married James Woodward, brother of Abraham Woodward and son of William and Eliza Marshall Woodward at Old Swede's Church in Wilmington, Delaware, on 2/16/1758. Her family lore gives her as the daughter of Thomas & Sarah . The naming pattern of James & Sarah Alice's children strongly supports the theory that she belongs to Thomas & Sarah Thornbrough. See James Woodward page linked above.

Jane Thornbrough is mentioned in a Mendenhall genealogy as daughter of Sarah & Thomas, and wife of Richard Mendenhall (see link above). She is not mentioned in any Thornburg genealogies and again no proof is offered. Jane was reported married to Richard Mendenhall on 6/24/1758 at New Garden Monthly Meeting in Rowan County, North Carolina. Again we have the dilema of whether she was a daughter of Walter Thornbrough, known to have been in Rowan County in 1755, or a daughter of Thomas who was known to have been back in Pennsylvania in 1756 and did not mention her in his will.