Jane THORNBURGH
Noted events in her life were: • Note: parentage in question. Speculations on parentage of Jane Thornbrough Mendenhall Confusion reigns over the family of Thomas Thornbrough of Virginia. During the French and Indian War he fled back to Pennsylvania from Virginia, while his nephew?/cousin? Walter Thornbrough moved on to North Carolina. Thomas named only three of his children, Robert, Margaret, and Benjamin in his will. However, it is known that he had a son Thomas who went to North Carolina and probably a daughter Hannah who married Henry Mills and also went to North Carolina. The only place that Jane Thornbrough is mentioned as a daughter of Thomas is in the Henry Hart Beeson Mendenhall genealogy. Jane named two children Margaret & Benjamin possibly for her brother and sister, and this may be a clue. The main hesitation we have with this is that Jane married in North Carolina in 1758, when it seems more likely she would have gone north with her parents at the start of the War in 1756. If Jane was daughter of Thomas, her brother Thomas, Jr. and cousin Walter went to North Carolina in 1752 but it seems unlikely Jane would have gone with them as she would have been quite young. Susan Jurban, a descendant of Richard Mendenhall's uncle, Stephen Mendenhall, sent us a reference The Quaker Family of Thornbrough of Northern Ireland and Colonial America by Herbert C. Standing, 1976, which names Jane as a possible daughter of Walter and Margaret Thornbrough. We think the best clue that this might be correct is that Walter's mother's name was Jean/Jane and it is quite likely he would have named a daughter after his mother. In addition Walter and Margaret lived adjacent to Richard Mendenhall's parents, Mordecai and Charity. However, since Thomas Thornbrough died in Pennsylvania, Jane may have simply been under the care of Walter and Margaret. There is not enough evidence on either side to state definitively who her parents were. That she was either daughter of Walter or under his care seems likely as Walter and cousin Thomas Thornbrough, Jr. went to North Carolina in 1752 and Jane married in North Carolina in 1758. Charles Thornburg III who put together A Discourse on the Thornburgs was in touch with Herbert Standing who wrote the above document. Charles Thornburg III, on page 401 of the Discourse, states "The parents of Jane Thornburgh are as yet undetermined. If any reader solves the puzzle, please let me know for I have spent much time and effort in this, so far, unproductive search." http://freepages.family.rootsweb.com/~mygermanfamilies/MendRichardJane.html • See also. http://freepages.family.rootsweb.com/~mygermanfamilies/MendRichardJane.html Jane married Richard MENDENHALL, son of Mordecai MENDENHALL and Charity BEESON, on 24 Jun 1758 in New Garden Monthly Meeting, Rowan County, NC. (Richard MENDENHALL was born on 1 Sep 1737 in Frederick County, VA and died on 10 Oct 1773 in Russell County, VA.) |