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Descendants of John Trueblood

Generation No. 1

1. John⁴ Trueblood (Arnold³, John², Thomas¹)¹ was born 04 Oct 1654 in Beckingham, Lincolnshire, England, and died 17 May 1692 in Albemarle, Pasquotank, North Carolina/Pasquotank Co., NC¹. He married Agnes Fisher 31 May 1679 in Devonshire Meeting House, London, England, daughter of Thomas Fisher and Agnes Baker. She was born 01 Jan 1655/56 in Ulverstone, Lancashire, England, and died 15 Sep 1692 in Albemarle Co. (Perquimans Co), North Carolina ².

Notes for John Trueblood:
John was the son of either Arnold (Amos) of Beckingham and Mary, or William of Cripplegate and Hannah (Anna) Harding.

The Truebloods and Symons were closely tied in NC. The children of the first Trueblood family in America (John & Agnes) were raised by the Symons family when both parents died in 1692. Their sons John and Amos were both very young. The Miriam listed above is a descendant of Amos Trueblood thru Josiah and then William. The name Symons in IN was sometimes spelled Simmons.

According to what I have, John Trueblood b. 1660, d. 1692 arrived in NC with his wife, Agnes Fisher, b. 1656, d. 1692. They evidently arrived in 1692 and both died shortly after their arrival. Their sons are listed as Mary b. 1684, Elizabeth, b. 1687, John, b. 1689, d. 1734, and Amos, b. 1692, d. 12-20-1759.
Christine Trueblood Pedersen
.........................................................................................................................................................................
John & Agnes Trueblood of England & NC
Posted by: Lane Trueblood Date: June 17, 2000 at 04:25:06
of 114

English-American Truebloods share common ancestry -- John Trueblood of Shoreditch & his wife, Agnes Fisher. We also shared a common Quaker heritage until the mid-1800’s when the pressures of the Civil War & the lure of competing evangelistic denominations led many Trueblood’s out of the Society of Friends. This heritage provided meticulous records for future genealogists. Our English ancestry has been less certain. Bula Trueblood Watson in her landmark study of the family reduced the candidates for John’s father to two possibilities -- William, a prosperous baker of the Cripplegate district of London, & Arnold, a Quaker who died for his beliefs in Lincoln Castle.
The current hypothesis is that John Trueblood’s parents were William and Hannnah Harding Trueblood. The basis for this theory seems to be a combination of the London residence & records of a son named John born to them. There is a potential problem with this antecedent. John’s Anglican christening could have easily been alleviated with a later conversion. However, a John Trueblood of London of the appropriate generation of William’s son marries an Ann & has a succession of children all baptized Anglican in Saint Martin-Vintry Parish beginning about 1681. It would seem likely that this John is actually William’s son.
The most logical antecedents for our John would appear to lie in Lincolnshire where the name appears to have originated, been most numerous, and had definite Quaker connections. The problem has always been linking John with Lincolnshire. Wendy Parkinson, an English researcher, has found a very significant entry in the Lincolnshire archives

LINCOLNSHIRE ARCHIVES - 2 BRACE 3/40 – 4.057

It is desired that Freinds of Beckingham Meeting doe enquire into the clearnesse and honest walking of John Trueblood: and accordingly send a Certificate to Friends at London that he may proceed in Marriage according to Truth

This entry from Fulbeck Monthly Meeting held 4/5/1679 would seem to link our John, who married Agnes Fisher the following month 5/31/1679, to Lincolnshire -- specifically Beckingham. Arnold Trueblood of Beckingham, the Quaker martyr of Lincoln Castle, had a son John born 10/4/1654. We know he and his wife, Mary, had two other children, William (6/10/1658) & Elizabeth, who later married George Good in a Quaker ceremony.
After Arnold’s death, Mary, his widow, remarried William Burditt on 3/31/1660. . William Burditt’s will acknowledges his stepchildren John, Elizabeth, & Mary.

LINCOLNSHIRE ARCHIVES WILL – LCC 1679/100

Will of William Burditt of Beckingham mentions the children of my dear wife Mary, Elizabeth Trueblood, John Trueblood and William Trueblood.

Another Quaker entry from Broughton Monthly Meeting dated 9/1/1683 is likewise interesting

LINCOLNSHIRE ARCHIVES - 2 BRACE 3/40 – 4.096

Ten Shillings wch: was given to the pore by John Trueblood was brought to this Meeting.

Significantly this contribution was forwarded from elsewhere. Was our John forwarding a contribution from North Carolina?
Parish records of Coleby list Arnold’s birth & father:

LINCOLNSHIRE ARCHIVES – MICROFICHE OF PARISH REGISTERS – COLEBY, LINCS
18 08 001 01A

Arnall Trueblood, son of John Trueblood, Blacksmith, on ?/8/1618

In my opinion, this is a very significant development in establishing a connection between John Trueblood & Lincolnshire. It also establishes a definite link with the early Quaker Church. More research needs to be done. I would welcome further information to either refute or further this theory.

Lane Trueblood
&
Wendy Parkinson

Unlike many other seventeenth-century colonists, the Truebloods came to Carolina as free men. They were clearly entitled to own land and slaves, and to practice their religion. John Trueblood of Shoreditch does not seem to have been penalized for his membership in the Society of Friends, semmingly having means to transport himself and his wife to Carolina, and to begin a new life. He received a large grant of land - 600 acres - relatively early, which, since its tranfer was still pending at the time of his death in 1692, passed to his two sons. They, in turn, quickly accumulated more land, but as to how John of Shoreditch came to receive this land is not really known. Family legend says that John of Shoreditch was a protege of the Duke of Albemarle, one of the Lord Proprietors of Carolina, and this might account for the family's presence in Albemarle Province and its receipt of relatively-large grants of land. Another explanation could be that John of Shoreditch could have played a large part in bringing other colonists to the New World, which in turn would entitle him to land. How and why are not truly known.
Whatever the explanation, it is evident that John and his sons and grandsons soon prospered in Albemarle. That they remained faithful to Carolina for generations is equally evident, for the first United States census, that of 1790, lists Truebloods only in that state. After 1790, however, that situation was to change,with the rise of the slavery issue and the lure of new lands to the west. It must also be noted that most members of the first four generations of Truebloods in Carolina continued to be Quakers. This circumstance was also to change after 1790.
It is amazing how our John of Shoreditch created the beginning of the Trueblood's in America. Only four surviving children were born in the Carolinas, Mary b 1684, Elizabeth b 1687, John b 1689, and Amos b 1992. John and Agnes did not survive the hardships of the new land for long, both died in 1692, thus leaving their children as orphans at a very early age. Mary, the eldest, being eight and Amos, the youngest, being not quite a year old. As stated in the will of John:
. . .and lastly I do appoint and ordain in case my wife should die without making an Will, that my appointed Thomas Symons and Jeremiah Symons to take my estate into their possession and care for the good of my children, and bring them up according to their discretion, as witness my hand. . .

Exactly when or where John and Agnes landed in the new land is not known. Between their marriage in 1679 and the birth of the child born in Albemarle in 1684, nothing is known. It has been pointed out by Gordon Trueblood, that ocean going vessels of the 1600's could not pass through the Albemarle Sound to the Pasquotank River to reach Albemarle Precinct. The Albemarle Sound was much too shallow and the draft of the ocean going vessels of that era was too deep. The first record of an ocean going vessel of that era passing through the Albemarle Sound dates back to around 1706. John and Agnes may have first gone to Barbados, as did many of the early Quaker's, then on to North Carolina by a smaller ship or they may have disembarked in New England, which was very hostile to Quaker's (Mary Fisher was an early Quaker "preacher" to New England, and could have been related to Agnes Fisher, John Trueblood's wife, in some fashion). Also the fact that John and Agnes left their children in the care of Thomas and Jeremiah Symonds is also important because they too were Quakers who came from the New England area. Also living in the Albemarle Precinct at that time were John Phillips and his wife, who were also Quakers from New England, so it is very possible that they did in fact land in New England rather than Barbados, but until some record is found of where they landed or what ship they sailed on, it can not be known for sure. Also another interesting point is that having been married in 1679, it is very likely that more children were born to them besides the four recorded children we know about, whereas the first is shown as being born in 1684. This is 4 years after their marriage. Chances are very likely that there could have been more children bore to them, but perished soon after. Again until more records are found to back up this theory, it is really not known for sure.

Will of John Trueblood as Transcribed by Donna Beeler
Albermarle
In the name of God Amen I John Trublood being sick & weak
do make this my Laste will & testament as followith
Firstly I give unto my Loving wife Agnes Trueblood the _______ or one half
part of my moveable goods & estate and one halfe my Land during
her naturall life and after her death to be Equally divided
between my two sons, John Trublood and Amos Trublood
to them and their heirs forever.
Secondly I give and bequeth the other _______ or half part of my
moveable goods to be Equally divided between my four
children that is to say Mary Trublood Elizibeth Trublood
John Trublood and Amos Trublood
Thirdly I ordain and appoint my Loving wife Agnes Trublood
to be my true & Lawfull Executrix of this last will
and testament and to bring up my children according to her
discretion, and to pay them their portions as they come to
Lawfull age.
Fourthly And lastly I do ordain and Appoint in case that my wife
should dye without making of any will, that then my Love-
ing friends Thomas Symons & Jeremiah Symons shall take
my Estate into theire possesion and care for the good of
my children, and to bring them up according to their
discreation; as wittnes my hand & seal, this seventh day of May
1692
Signed Sealed & delivered
in the presence of us John (his mark) Trublood
Joseph Sparnon Proven in Court this 4th day of July 1692
Griffin (his mark) Gray by the oath of Joseph Sparnon Alice Sparnon
Alice (her mark) Sparnon Griffin: Gray as attist Paul Lathum C per C

More About John Trueblood:
Education: Literate
Immigration: 1682, Arrived in America from England
Occupation: Planter
Religion: Quaker
Residence: 1679, Shoreditch, Middlesex, England

Notes for Agnes Fisher:
The Truebloods and Symons were closely tied in NC. The children of the first Trueblood family in America (John & Agnes) were raised by the Symons family when both parents died in 1692. Their sons John and Amos were both very young. The Miriam listed above is a descendant of Amos Trueblood thru Josiah and then William. The name Symons in IN was sometimes spelled Simmons.

Will of Agnes Trueblood - Transcribed by Donna Beeler
Albermarle
Know all men by these presents that I Agnes Trublood of
Pasquotank River and of the County aforesaid widdow; through the
naturall affections that I bare unto my dear Children & for
other good reasons ___ ___ ___ ____: doe To my voluntary
good will and naturall respects to my fore children that is to say
Mary Trublood Elizibeth Trublood John Trublood & Amos Trublood
I doo freely give unto my fore Children the one halfe of all the
negro Children that shall be begotten or born of the body of my negro
woman called Diana; And if it should happen that she should have
but one that then the young negro to be valued and my Children to
have their choyce either the young negro or __ halfe worth of __
__negro & if the negro woman should have two Children that they
shall have theire first choyce; And I doo freely give unto my
Children aforesaid the mantainance of those young negros untill my
Children comes to age to receive them; That is my daughter Mary
to have the first negro child if it Lives my daughter Elizibeth
the next as they fall in ___ as above mentioned _____
To my Children partcularly as they come to age likewise I do give
unto my four Children abovesaid theire mantained untill they come
To Lawful Age for the use of theire Estate; and to pay them
theire portions as they come to Age according to the Appraisment
of their fathers Estate as wittness my hand this fifteenth
day of September/ 1692
Agnes Trueblood

More About Agnes Fisher:
Immigration: 1682, Arrived in America from England
Will: 03 Oct 1692, Probated

Marriage Notes for John Trueblood and Agnes Fisher:
Marriage Agreement, John and Agnes Trueblood
Anno 1679 John Trublood of Shoreditch in ye County of Middlesex, Laborer, and Agnes Fisher of Shoreditch
aforesaid Spinster, appeared in a Solemne and Publike assembly of ye people of God called Quakers in their
meeting place at Devonshire house London, the 31th day of ye 5th Month 1679 where ye said John Trublood taking
Agnes Fisher by ye hand did openly declare as followeth viz: Friends in ye feare of ye Lord and in the presence
of you his people I John Trublood doe take Agnes Fisher to be my wife and doe promise to be unto her a lovinge
and faithful husband till Death Shall us Separate. And ye said Agnes Fisher did declare as followeth viz: I
Friends in ye feare of ye Lord and in the presence of you his people I Agnes Fisher doe take John Trueblood to
be my husband and Doe promise to be unto him a loveing and faithfull wife till death separate us and as a further
confirmation they sette their hands to a certificate in Ye presence of
Thomas Kitchen Lawrence Fuller Sarah Hikier (?)
James Parke John Lonte Anne Trueblood
John Salthouse John Bringhurst Anne Smyth
Benjamin Knight Richard Wilkenson Anne Smyth Jun
Ralph Cobbet John Watts Elizabeth Smyth
John Ellis John Bradford Tase Sowle
Andrew Sorole William Bradford John Sowle
John Cooper Richard Clare Hanna Briggins
Robert Chaitsly (Chaikly)

Children of John Trueblood and Agnes Fisher are:

John⁵ Trueblood, born 1680 in England; died 1680 in England.

More About John Trueblood:
Fact 3: 1680, Died
Residence: 1680, Born in London, England

+	3	ii.		Mary Trueblood, born Bet. 1684 - 1685 in Pasquatank, North Carolina; died Aft. Jul 1723.
	4	iii.		Elizabeth Trueblood, born Abt. 1687 in Pasquatank, North Carolina; died 03 Oct 1757. She married Patrick Gormack; died 1708 in Pasquotank, NC.

More About Elizabeth Trueblood:
Residence: Born in Pasquotank, North Carolina

+	5	iv.		John Trueblood, born 1689 in Elizabeth City, Pasquotank, North Carolina; died 28 Oct 1734 in Pasquotank, North Carolina.
+	6	v.		Amos Trueblood, born 20 Jan 1691/92 in Symons Creek, Pasquotank, NC; died 20 Dec 1759 in Newbegun, Pasquotank, NC.

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