Mary Trowbridge

Mary Belding was born at Hatfield, Mass. on November 1677. Mary Belding was the fourth child of nine. Her baby sister died as an infant in 1686. After her death Mary's father, Daniel Belding, moved the family to Deerfield, Mass. Their oldest child was fifteen and their youngest was only three. Mary Belding was nine years old when they moved to Deerfield.

Mary Belding's mother gave birth five more children. Samuel was born in April 1687, John was born in June 1689 and died the next day. Abigail, named after the daughter who died, was born in August 1690. John was born in February 1693. Last but not least [indicated by the name], Thankful; was born 31 December 1695.

The Beldings with their surviving eleven children lived a rather peaceful life at Deerfield. Homes with unpainted clapboards, narrow, unshuttered windows, and dignified doorways lines the mile-long street reflected life on the frontier 75 miles west of Boston.

Then the Indians attacked on September 26, 1696. Mary Belding was nineteen years old at the time. Her mother and three of her siblings were killed by French Mohawk Indians. Young Daniel was sixteen, John was three and Thankful was one year old when they were killed by the Indians. Her father, her sister Elizabeth and brothers Nathaniel and Hester were captured and taken to Canada. Mary Belding's older brothers, William and Richard, managed to escape with Mary, her fourteen year-old sister, Sarah, and nine year old brother, Samuel. Apparently Mary Belding left Deerfield after the 1696 Indian raid.

Mary Belding married at Wilton, Norwalk, Ct., on 19 April 1698 to James Trowbridge (as his third wife). Mary Belding was twenty-two and James Trowbridge was thirty-four when they got married. Mary lived a prosperous married life with James Trowbridge in Connecticut while her father continued to battle the Indians in Massachusetts.