Salem County NJ Archives Biographies.....James Howell TRENCHARD, 1811 - 1877
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Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 November 10, 2008, 12:26 am

Author: Mary Depue Ogden, Editor  (1917)

TRENCHARD, James H.,
Anthority on Land Titles.

  The Trenchard family belongs to a good old English stock which had made its
name in the old country many years before it was transplanted to the new world.
The family traces its origin back to Pogames Trenchard, who held land in County
Dorset during the reign of Henry I., in 1090. In the sixteenth and the preceding
century they had intermarried with the Damosels and the Moleynes.

  (I) Thomas Trenchard, Knight, of Wolverton, was born 1582, died 1657; he was
knighted by King James I., December 14, 1613, and held the office of high 
sheriff of Dorset; he was the founder of the branch of the family at present
under consideration. His son Thomas is referred to below.

  (II) Sir Thomas (2) Trenchard, son of Sir Thomas (1) Trenchard, was born in
Wolverton, County Dorset, in 1615, died in 1671. Like his father he was a
baronet. In 1638 he married Hannah, born 1620, died 1691, daughter of Robert
Henley, of Bramhill, Hampshire. Their son John is referred to below. Two of his
cousins, Grace Trenchard, who married Colonel William Sydenham, and Jane, who
married John Sadler, of Wardwell, were strong supporters of Oliver Cromwell.

  (III) John, son of Sir Thomas (2) and Hannah (Henley) Trenchard, was born
in Wolverton, County Dorset, England, March 30, 1640, died in 1695. He
matriculated from New College, Oxford, in 1665. He was elected a member of
Parliament for Taunton, February 20, 1678, and was a member of the club of
Revolutionaries which met at the King's Head Tavern in Fleet street. November 2,
1680, he spoke against the recognition by parliament of the Duke of York as the
heir apparent, and in July, 1683, he was arrested as a conspirator, but released
for lack of evidence. In 1687 William Penn, who was a warm personal friend of
Trenchard, obtained from King James II, a free pardon for Sir John and he was
again elected to parliament. He was one of those who united in the invitation to
William of Orange to come over and seize the English throne. October 29, 1689,
he was knighted at Whitehall and was appointed to the office of chief justice of
Chester, which he held until his death. In November, 1682, John Trenchard
married Philippa, daughter of George Speake, and the sister of Charles and Hugh
Speake, by whom he had four sons, one of whom is George, referred to below.

  (IV) George, son of John and Philippa (Speake) Trenchard, was born in county
Somerset, New York, in 1686, died at Alloway township, Salem county, New Jersey,
in 1712. He was probably married and had several children. In his will he names
as his children: George, Edward, John, Joan.

   (V) George (2), son of George (1) Trenchard, died in Salem county, in the
latter part of 1728. Coming to America with his father he settled in Salem
county and from 1723 to 1725 was sheriff. He was also one of the deputy sheriffs
for West Jersey and also one of the assessors. By his marriage with Mary Bender,
of Salem county, he had five sons and several daughters. The daughters married
into several of the leading families of Salem and have left numerous
descendants. The sons were: 1. Curtis, born 1740, died 1780; from 1778 to 1779
clerk of Salem county, later surrogate. He married the daughter of Attorney
Burcham, of Salem. His son Edward was in the United States Navy, commanded the
"Constitution" at the siege of Tripoli and the "Madison" in the War of 1812 and
other famous men-of-war. 2. John, referred to below. 3. James. 4. George, born
1748, died 1780; was attorney-general of West Jersey from 1769 to 1776,
prominent in the Salem committee of safety and the Camden Second Battalion,
Salem County Light Horse, and one of those to whom Colonel Mawhood's letter was
addressed. He married Mary, daughter of Judge Andrew Sinnickson, of Salem. 5.
Thomas.

  (VI) John (2), son of George (2) and Mary (Bender) Trenchard, was born in
1742. He lived for a time at Cohansey Bridge, and about 1768 with his brother
bought a property at the northwest corner of Laurel and Jefferson streets, which
was afterwards owned by James Boyd, at the commencement of the Revolution, where
for several years afterwards Mr. Boyd's widow resided and kept a store there. In
1769 they sold this property and afterwards removed to Fairfield, where he died
in 1823. He was twice married. His first wife was Theodosia Ogden, by whom he
had ten children, three sons and seven daughters. The sons were: 1. John,
referred to below. 2. Curtis. 3. Richard.

  (VII) John (3), son of John (2) and Theodosia (Ogden) Trenchard, died in 1863.
In early life he worked as a blacksmith with Curtis Edwards, whose shop was
situated on the old road from Bridge-ton and Fairfield to Rocap's Run. He
continued in that employment four or five years, and then went into business at
Fairton, keeping store with Daniel P. Stratton. When Mr. Stratton removed to
Bridgeton in 1814 John Trenchard continued business, sometimes alone and
sometimes with a partner for twenty years, being engaged in building vessels and
in getting lumber and shipping same to Philadelphia, this being at that time a
highly profitable business. He also sent produce to Bermuda. In 1843 he
purchased from David Clark the mill property at Fairton and in 1845 moved the
mill to its present site, where by close attention to business he amassed a very
considerable estate. During all his life he was most highly esteemed by his
associates. In early life he was a Democrat and a supporter of John Quincy Adams
rather than Jackson and became a Whig. In 1827-28 he was elected a member of the
New Jersey Legislature.

  John Trenchard married (first), in 1803, Eleanor Davis, who bore him seven
children. Married (second) Hannah L. Pearson, in 1816. She bore him thirteen
children. Ten of these children died in infancy. Children of John and Eleanor
(Davis) Trenchard to reach maturity were: i. James Howell, referred to below. 2.
Ethan, twice married, his second wife being a Miss Diament. 3. Eleanor. Children
of John and Hannah L. (Pearson) Trenchard who reached maturity were: 4. John, M.
D., of Philadelphia, married (first) Mary Olnsted and (second) a Miss Booth. 5.
Theophilus, of Bridgeton, New Jersey. 6. Emily, married the Hon. George S.
Whiticar, of Fairton. 7. Rufus, married Sarah Jane Bennett. 8. Nancy, married
the Rev. David Meeker, a Presbyterian minister. 9. John, died unmarried. 10.
Henry Clay.

  (VIII) James Howell, son of the Hon. John (3) and Eleanor (Davis) Trenchard,
was born May 20, 1811, in Fairton, New Jersey, died February 27, 1877, after a
severe illness of about ten days duration. He went into the mercantile business
soon after his marriage, having purchased the interest of his father-in-law,
Judge Barrett, which he continued for a time until he removed to Centreville
(now Centreton) in the fall of 1839, where he entered largely into the general
store and milling business and the lumber trade. In early life he was for a
while under the Rev. Dr. George Junkin, of Easton, Pennsylvania. He had a liking
for mathematics and soon began surveying in this branch, abounding in intricate
cases in great land try-outs. In the fall of 1848 Mr. Trenchard was elected to
the New Jersey Assembly on the Whig ticket. He was very popular in his own
neighborhood and received the votes of many in the township whose policies were
opposed to his purely from personal considerations. He refused to run a second
time, the corruption of the lobby and the questionable character of a large part
of the public and private legislature as then and since directed having no
charms for one of his honest, frank and independent manner. At this time Mr.
Trenchard was very frequently called upon to find old searches, to settle
disputes as to title and to act as commissioner, also to engage in surveying
whenever wanted. He did not give his whole attention to these matters until he
removed to Bridgeton in the spring of 1863. Here his son was with the firm of J.
H. and W. B. Trenchard, surveyors, which was then one of the most prominent ones
in that section of the State. No person in New Jersey had done more practical
surveying or tramped more miles in all weathers and under all conditions than
had this James H. Trenchard. At various times he had had many of the most
valuable papers in his possession relating to the lands in the lower counties of
the State. Consequently he became thoroughly conversant with the titles, butts,
bounds, courses and descriptions and all other matters relating to lower
Jersey's real estate. He always carefully preserved copies of maps of all
surveys made by him, and these are of very great use to persons asking
information in regard to landed property. He possessed great natural kindness of
heart and was generous in his impulses, which rallied around him earnest
friends. Not the least of his merits was his unflinching patriotism. At the time
of his death he was city surveyor, a position which he had long held. As such he
established *he present grade of the Bridgeton streets, and also at the time of
his death was serving his second term as councilman irom the second ward. He was
president of the Bridgeton Water Works of Bridgeton, New Jersey, and a
forerunner in the movement which secured the city's present water works.

  The Hon. James Howell Trenchard married Mary, daughter of Judge William D.
Barrett, of Fairton, New Jersey, who was born in 1815 and who bore four sons and
three daughters. Three sons and two of the daughters married. The other one died
unmarried. Children: i. Richard, who was killed, as was also his wife, July 30,
1896, in the Meadow disaster, Atlantic City, leaving five children. 2. William
B. 3. James W. 4. Thomas W.. died aged fourteen. 5. Eleanor, married J. T.
Williams, of Philadelphia; she is deceased. 6. Jeanette, married Charles R.
Elmer, now deceased; she lives in Riverton, New Jersey. 7. Araminta, died in
infancy.


Additional Comments:

Extracted from:

MEMORIAL CYCLOPEDIA OF NEW JERSEY

UNDER THE EDITORIAL SUPERVISION OF MARY DEPUE OGDEN

VOLUME III
MEMORIAL HISTORY COMPANY NEWARK,  NEW JERSEY
1917


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