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William James Troth (1813-1895)

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Troth, William J., was born at Vienna, MD., Oct. 3, 1813.  In his nineteenth year, at Alexandria, VA., he was converted and joined the Methodist Protestant Church.  In 1835 he came to the city of Pittsburgh, and has ever since been identified with the First Methodist church.  During this period he has filled all the official relations of the church, and now occupies the position of secretary of the Board of Publication.  He has been acquainted with the principles of government and history of the church from the beginning.

Pittsburgh Press, 21 September 1895 - Pittsburgh, PA

Research notes on William J. Troth
Methodist Minister.  UMC Secretary of Publications. Trustee of Pittsburgh First Methodist Church.   Custodian Pittsburgh Safe Deposit Co.  Saddle/Shoe maker.  IRS agent/assessor.

Spent 3 years in Alexandria, VA 1832-35, along with his parents, Joseph and Susanna.

Pittsburgh City Directories:
    [as supplied with my thanks by David Grinnell , Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania, 1212 Smallman St.           Pittsburgh, PA 15222-4200]
1847  Troth, Wm. Saddler, dh 3d bn Ferry a Liberty
1850 Troth & Scott, Shoe Store, 55 Smithfield
          Troth, Wm J.  h 10 Third
1852 Troth & Scott  Shoe Store cor 4th & Smithfield
1856  Troth, WJ  Shoe Store cor Smithfield & 4th h 176 Third
1857-58  Troth, William J.  h 172 Third
1859-60  (no listing through 1864)
1864-65  Troth, W.J.  asst assessor, Webster n burial ground
1866-66  Troth W.J. asst US Assessor 110 Fourth h Seventh
1866-67  Troth, William J.  Assessor, Webster n burial ground Roberts
1867-68  Troth W.J. asst assessor, 115 Fourth, h 41 Colwell
1868-69  (no listing)
1869-70  Troth, WJ asst assessor of internal revenue 104 Forth Ave
1870-71  Troth, WJ  vault custodian Safe Deposit Co 17 Watson
1871-72  Troth, William J.  Clerk, 83 Fourth ave, h 36 Hazel
1872-73  Troth, Wm J.  Clerk, 36 Hazel
1873-74  Troth, William J. custodian Safe Deposite Co. 36 Hazel
1874-75  (same)
1876-77  Troth, WJ  vault keeper Safe Deposit Co., Castle Shannon
1880-81  (same)
1890 Pittsburgh City Directory.  Vault Keeper Safe Deposit Co {1871-1895}., 83 4th Ave.  home Scott twp.

1850 NARA Census lists he, first wife Mary, no children, Shoe Business, Pittsburgh, PA.  Also residing at same residence is Constance Bigby, age 20.

Summary notes:

William James Troth was born in Vienna, Dorchester Co., MD 3 Oct 1813 and died at his home in Arlington, Allegheny Co., PA on 20 Sep 1895.  He joined the Methodist Church  in Alexandria, VA in 1832 where and when he had moved with his parents evidenced by the 1840 Alexandria Census of his parents and his short bio in the Methodist Church "Cyclopedia".  By 1835, aged 22 years, he had joined and been employed by the Methodist Church in Pittsburgh, PA. First opening his shoe/saddlery store in abt 1845, he eventually occupied the position of Secretary of the Board of Publications for the Methodist Church (plus supposedly being an itinerant minister),  and holding this position for several years along with his venture into the beginnings of the Pittsburgh Safe Deposit Co where he maintained his Custodial position until his death in 1895.  Somehow he also found time to be involved with organizing the Internal Revenue Service for the government in the 1870's.

His first marriage in 1847 to Mary Ihmsen {Impsen}[maid. Morrison] ended in her death or their divorce. The 1850 Census of Pittsburgh listed her birthplace as Ireland and his occupation as Shoe Business.   There are no known children.  His second marriage in 1855 was to Margaret C. Devenny [maid. Scott] probably in Pittsburgh. She was previously married to Samuel Devenny of OH.  Margaret originated from Halifax, Nova Scotia, and there has been no record of her activities at this writing, Nov 2000.  Their only known children were Frank Devenny Troth (25 Feb 1857-6 Feb 1934) and Bertha Troth (? - 1942).

Although there were additional Census children and adults listed in the household of his parents, it is suspected that they were the relatives of William's mother's  sister, Matilda [Grumbles], who had lost her young husband after a lingering illness.

Thoughts and notes:

William was obviously an educated person.  His placement into positions of authority would indicate that he had the knowledge and communication skills to have both literal and mathematical capabilities. Where and how was he educated?
In 1835 Wm. was 'converted' [reborn Christian in modern terms] and joined the Methodist Church.  He was apparently lacking or confused in his religious conviction prior to that time.  A remote link to the rigidity of a Quaker ancestry is deemed quite remote of at least two generations and the effects of the Revolutionary War may have had an expanding wonderment about his validity of life.  Entering the Methodist Church was his salvation and his wife, Margaret, with the influence of her Scott Methodists, probably brought him to achievements in his business life.

Wm. was first married to Mary Ihmsen of OH in 1847.  There are no known children.  From 1847 until 1857, he was engaged primarily in the Saddlery and Shoe Business in Pittsburgh with additional obligations to the Church as head of the Board of Publications and probable small ministry.  Only two years before his departure from the saddlery business, he married Margaret Scott in 1855, whose family had strong relationships with the Methodist Church.  He and Margaret had (late in life) two children, Frank Devenny  and Bertha [Russell?].  Oddly, Frank was named after the married name of Margaret, who lost her first husband for unknown reasons.  William was in partnership with Margaret's brother, Thomas Forester SCOTT, selling leather goods until Thomas created himself as the nation's first traveling shoe salesman.  Apparently the partnership dissolved about 1857 when William became employed in the fledgling Internal Revenue Service of the new US Government.

Wm remained with the IRS till his death in 1895 and also established the Pittsburgh Safe Deposit Co which handles, still today, the tax and escrow deposits of the local population.