Person:James Treworgy (1)

What follows is a listing of evidence collected trying to identify this James Treworgy. The traditional consensus seems to be that James Treworgy, the son of John and Penelope m. (1) Mary Ferguson, m. (2) Sarah (--) Brady, m. (3) Ruth Kirk. The evidence that suggests this is pieced together from a wide variety of sources, and is not without some measure of doubt..

"James Tryworthy the son of John Triworthy" is mentioned in grandmother Katharine Hilton's will dated 30 May 1676 (see Source:New Hampshire, United States. Probate Records of the Province of New Hampshire, p. 1:172). He is not explicitly identified as under age, unlike some other legatees, so if he was at least 21 in 1676, he was born before 1655. The Genealogical Dictionary of Maine and New Hampshire (GDMNH), p. 692 suggests he was probably the James who chose as his guardian Maj. Shapleigh in 1673, so he couldn't have been much over 21 in 1676.

Source:Encyclopedia of Massachusetts, Biographical - Genealogical, p. 6:113, estimates his birth "about 1660" but it is not clear what this is based on. Perhaps this is based on a deed in which he sells land that he says is described in a grant of 1682 (York Deeds 4:214). Assuming it was granted to him, and he was of legal age (21), he would have needed to be born by 1661.

According to Source:Stackpole, Everett Schermerhorn. Old Kittery and Her Families, p. 780, he married (1) 16 Jul 1693 Mary Ferguson as the first of three wives, which implies born by 1672, at least, to be of legal age. However the Encyclopedia of Mass. says he had a son baptized in 1714. The birth of a child in 1714 would be somewhat inconsistent with a birth in 1650, and probably with a birth in 1660. GDMNH says that this baptism occurred when James' third wife owned the covenant, so it may not indicate that the son was just born, rather than it was the first opportunity.

Source:Maine Historical Society. Collections and Proceedings of the Maine Historical Society. Second Series, p. 3:432 has the following from "Kittery Family Records":
James Treworgie, son of John Treworgie of Dartmouth, married Mary Ferguson of Kittery, July 16, 1693.
Penelope, b. June 1, 1694.
John, b. June 1, 1696.
The mother died July 19, 1696.

There are no records for Treworgy in Dartmouth VRs to help identify the father John. But GDMNH says that John Treworgy (son of the immigrant James) was deposed in 1650 and was "of Dartmouth". This, plus the fact that James named his first two children Penelope and John, seem to be fairly strong evidence that James was the son of John Treworgy and Penelope Spencer.

A deposition on 11 Jan 1727/28 by Elizabeth Ferguson, presumably Mary's sister, said she was bride's maid at the marriage of "the s'd James Treworgie and the s'd Mary fferguson" and identified the two children, Penelope and John (York Deeds 12:2:218).

Also mentioned in his grandmother's will of 1676 is "James Tryworthy the son of Sam: Tryworthy", under age. Unfortunately, this cousin who shares that name James, is the source of considerable confusion.

Source:Davis, Walter Goodwin. Ancestry of Lydia Harmon, 1755-1836, Wife of Joseph Waterhouse of Standish, Maine, p. 85, says of the son of Samuel that "He was a tanner, employed by Mr. Pepperell in 1696, and of Portsmouth in 1701." and "His second wife, Ruth, daughter of Henry and Ruth (Standfield) Kirke, was his widow in 1734." This is notable because essentially the same facts are given for the son of John in Old Kittery and the Encyclopedia of Mass, cited above.

The James Treworgy who worked as a tanner for Mr. Pepperell was brought into court 1696 for working on Sunday (York Deeds 5:269). The James Treworgy who sold land in Portsmouth in 1701 was also a tanner (York Deeds 6:213). The land that was sold originally was granted to John Brady in 1674, who willed to his wife Sarah Brady who married James Treworgy (York Deeds 9:221). There is a deed dated 8 Nov 1702 wherein "James Treworthy - tanner in Portsm'o - being in Election to be married unto Ruth the daughter of Henry Kirk of the aforesaid Portsmout-currier-Releasing all claimes to any lands or property of Ruth's" (NEHGR, p. 27:273). 29 Jan 1734/35, "Ruth Troworthy of Portsmouth in the Province of New Hampshire Widow formerly Ruth Kirk", along with other heirs of "our Father Henry Kirk late of Portsmouth afores'd decd", sold land of their father to James Libby (York Deeds 17:208).

It certainly appears that all these events belong to the same James Treworgy, and given that a marriage to Sarah Brady is indicated, it appears that Davis applied them to the wrong James Treworgy, while the other sources probably got it right.

TAG, p. 16:199, "Deputy-Governor Stephen Goodyear of New Haven, Reverend John Bishop of Stamford, and the Lake and Watts Families of Boston" by Donald L Jacobus, says Mary Watts, d/o John Watts and Lydia Goodyear m. James Treworgye, s/o Samuel Treworgye and Dorcas Walton. "He was a minor in 1676, and d. by 1699." According to GDMNH, the death is known from a deposition of a Thomas Smith regarding a creditor's claim against the estate. There were two sons Samuel, born in Boston, who both died in infancy. This is supported by Source:Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States. Births, Baptisms, Marriages, and Deaths, 1630-1699 (A Report of the Record Commissioners):
p. 234: [1697. Town.] Samuel of James & Mary Truworthy born Jan. 24.
p. 242: [1698. Town. Samuel of James and Mary Truworthy born Aug. 20.
Mention of James and Mary as parents, after the death of Mary (Ferguson) Treworgy in 1696, makes it likely that Jacobus was right in his identification. But to illustrate further the confusion of the two James Treworgys, the Encyclopedia of Mass explicitly identifies the Samuel born in Boston 20 Aug 1698 as the son of James, the son of John, and his 2nd wife Sarah Brady.) --Jrich 01:14, 26 May 2010 (EDT)

1. ↑ York, Maine, United States. York Deeds. (Portland, Maine: Varies, 1886-1910)
   17:208.

   Deed, dated 29 Jan 1734/35, executed by heirs of Henry Kirk, including "Ruth Troworthy of Portsmouth in the Province of New Hampshire Widow formerly Ruth Kirk" to James Libby, indicates her husband had died by this date.