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From:
Subject: Native American Quakers
Date: Sat, 13 Aug 2005 18:05:32 EDT


Regarding the query of E rayl dated 08/ll/2005 in reply to my mailing of the
same date: Was the Jane Thornbury who is reported married to Richard
Mendenhall , according to the New Garden Monthly Meeting, NC minutes of 1758, the
daughter of Walter Thornburg and Margaret Beeson?

A number of years ago, when I was living in the Philadelphia area and had
access to the libraries there, I tried to ascertain the parentage of Jane
Thornbury and wrote a paper about it, but I reached no definite conclusion. I am
fairly certain that Jane was a daughter of Walter Thornbrough, but I am not
certain as to her mother.

In 1734 an Edward Thornbrough died in Warwick Twp., Lancaster County, PA
and left a will which listed a very modest estate. This will indicated that
he had eleven living children, five of whom were under 21 years of age.
Farther research indicated that this Edward Thornbrough had come to Pennsylvania
about 1717 with a certificate from Lurgan MM in northern Ireland. He first
settled in Christiana Hundred in northern New Castle County, Delaware. He did not
get around to presenting his certificate to Newark MM until 1725. About 1727
he moved to Lancaster County, PA. At this time he already had older sons on
the tax rolls of Chester County, PA and two sons, Thomas and Robert, married
Davis sisters at Birmingham Meeting in 1729, Evidently the older Edward
Thornbrough had been married at least twice, A son, Walter, seemed to be among the
older family and perhaps rather took charge of his father's younger dependents
following the death of Edward Thornbrough, Sr. Edward Thornbrough's
surviving wife may have been named Joan. One of Edward's younger children was named
Joan. The names "Joan" and "Jane" may have been used interchangeably.

By 1739 Walter Thornbrough had moved to Berkeley County, (now West
Virginia), and his name appears as a witness on the marriage certificate
of Thomas Thornbrough, son of a Thomas Thornbrough who signed the will of
Edward Thornbrough, Sr. in 1734 as a "cousin" of Edward. Also, among the
witnesses on the marriage certificate was a Hannah Thornbrough, who possibly could
have been a first wife of Walter Thornbrough. Her maiden name could have been
Davis, as there was a tradition that four Thornbrough brothers married four
Davis sisters. The list of witnesses on the marriage certificate is probably not
complete. The Hannah Thornbrough could have been a sister or other relative
of the groom.

About 1756 Walter Thornbrough and family moved to Guilford County, NC
from Virginia and settled at Deep River. This was not far from the place where
the Mordecai Mendenhall family had been residing since they had moved to North
Carolina from Berkeley County, West Virginia in 1751. Therefore, it would not
have been unusual for Richard Mendenhall, oldest son of Mordecai, to renew an
acquaintance with Jane Thornbury, whom he had very likely known in Berkeley
County. Richard Mendenhall was born in 1737.

There seem to be documentary records indicating that Walter Thornbrough's
wife in his later years was named Margaret. Some genealogists have indicated
that her maiden name was Beeson. The large family of Richard and Charity
(Grubb) Beeson had accompanied the Mendenhall and Thornbrough families from
Lancaster County, PA to Berkeley County, WV, to Guilford County, NC, but I do not
know how Margaret might have fit into the Beeson clan.

So I cannot now state with any certainty the exact parentage of Jane
Thornbury.
Perhaps someone more perceptive than I can come up with a clear answer.

- Herbert Standing.

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