Mary Trueblood

Mary Trueblood was born in 1684 in Albemarle County, Pasquotank, North Carolina. This is where she lived her entire life, got married, had children, and eventually died.

No, this isn’t the same Mary Trueblood from the James Bond movie or any other made-up Hollywood show. This Mary Trueblood was a real-life person who just so happened to be my 8th great-grandmother.

Mary Trueblood was a Quaker. We know this because on March 21, 1770, she attended the Symons Creek Quaker Monthly Meeting, and there is a record of that. This took place in Pasquotank, North Carolina.  The physical location of this meeting was…

What’s nice about finding this record is that it pinpoints not only an exact date in history but also a place and a religious affiliation. So now we can later go back and use that information to do further research. It’s my understanding that the Quakers in that area kept records from 1677 (their first meeting) to June 17, 1854 (the date of their last meeting).

Mary’s father was John Trueblood, who was born in Shoreditch (London), England. Her mother was Agnus Fisher who was born in Ulverstone, Lancashire (Cumberland), England. Mary was their eldest child and was named after her grandmother, Mary Baker (Agnus Fisher’s mother). The Truebloods were Quakers.

Mary’s father died when he was 37 in July of 1692, and her mother died just a few months later, in September of 1692, when she was 36.

On August 19, 1699 (or thereabouts), Mary Trueblood married Stephen Richardson.

Please note there is another Mary Trueblood out there, but she was married in 1770. So, that is not the same as our Mary Trueblood.

We see by both her mother’s and father’s will Mary is one of 4 children – Mary, Elizabeth, John, and Amos. Their parents were John Trueblood and Agnes Fisher.

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Will of Agnes Trueblood –  Will dated 15 September 1692.

(Please note the translation isn’t perfect because the document is very old and hard to read)

Know all men by these presents that I Agnes Trulocke of Pasquotank River and of the County aforesaid being through the natural affections that I bear unto my dear Children & for other good Reasons unto me known & moving; And my ordinary sense mind and natural affections to my said Children that is to say Mary Pritchard, Elizabeth Barlett, William Trulocke, Samuel Trulocke, and Sarah Barlett that is to say all that negro girl named Diana and the Issue of her body forever unto them equally to be divided amongst my said Children and their heirs forever or in Case any of them happen to dye without issue or heirs lawfully begotten then the same negro girl named Diana and her increase to descend to the Survivors of my Children in equal parts forever to be divided. And in case all my said Children should dye without issue or heirs of their bodies lawfully begotten then the said negro Diana and her issue to fall to and descend to my dear kinswoman Elizabeth Horne and her heirs forever.

And for the better performance of this Deed of Gift, I do by these presents assign & deliver the said negro girl Diana with all her increase into the hands of my Executors hereafter named to be kept & maintained under their hands and custody for the use of my said Children during their minority and until they come to age.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this fifteenth day of September 1692.

Agnes Trulocke (Seal)

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Will of John Trueblood

Many people have associated the document you see below as the last will and testament of John Trueblood but with the help of AI we can have it translated and see that isn’t the case at all.

In the name of God Amen I John Field Senr of Duxbury this 18th day of Nov: 1692 being weak in my body but of perfect mind and memory Do make this my last Will and Testament as followeth.

Imprimis I give unto my dearely beloved wife Sarah one half of my moveable estate during her life and also my negroes and bed I lie upon as also her firewood brought to her house and cutt fitt for her fire dureing her widowhood & my executor to pay unto my said wife two pounds yearly dureing her widowhood in such things as she shall need.

Secondly I give and bequeath the other halfe of my moveable estate to my son John Field (excepting my wearing clothes which I give to my sons and two pair of sheets which I give to my daughters equally between them.

Thirdly I give and bequeath to my loving wife Sarah Field during her life one third part of my upland.

Fourthly I give and bequeath to my loving sons John Field and Samuel Field all my upland and meadow equally between them to them and their heirs forever.

Fifthly I will that my son Samuel Field shall pay unto my loving daughters Elizabeth, Sarah, and Mary Field ten pounds apiece when they shall come to age or at their day of marriage.

Lastly I make constitute and appoint my loving son John Field my sole executor of this my last will and testament and in confirmation of this my will I hereunto sett my hand and seale the day and year first above written.

Signed Sealed & Declared
in presence of us John Field (Seal)

Griffin G. Grigory
Samuel Churchill
Mary Parsons

Here is the marriage agreement between her parents John Trueblood and Agnes Fisher, which are Mary Trueblood’s parents.

Anno 1679 – John Trueblood of Stanmore in ye County of Middlesex in Old England, yeoman, & Agnes Fisher of ye County of Albemarle in ye Province of Carolina, spinster, having declared their intentions of marriage two several times in a public meeting of ye People of God called Quakers in ye County aforesaid according to ye good order used among them, whose proceedings therein after a deliberate consideration thereof with regard unto ye righteous law of God were approved by ye said meeting.

They appearing in a public assembly of ye aforesaid people and others met together for that end & purpose at ye house of Francis Toms in ye said County ye 25th day of ye 8th month called October in ye year 1679. As a solemn testimony of their said marriage, he ye said John Trueblood taking ye said Agnes Fisher by ye hand did openly declare as followeth:

Friends in ye fear of ye Lord & before you I take this my friend Agnes Fisher to be my wife promising to be unto her a faithful & loving husband until it shall please ye Lord by death to separate us. And then & there in ye said assembly ye said Agnes Fisher did in like manner declare as followeth: Friends in ye fear of ye Lord & before you I take this my friend John Trueblood to be my husband promising to be unto him a faithful & loving wife until it shall please ye Lord by death to separate us.

And ye said John Trueblood and Agnes his wife as a further confirmation thereof did then & there to these presents set their hands. And we whose names are hereunder written being present among others at ye solemnizing of their said marriage & subscription have also to these presents subscribed our names as witnesses thereunto.

John Trueblood
Agnes Trueblood

Witnesses:
Thomas Nicholson, James Thigpen, Daniel Pritchard, Francis Toms, William Trueblood, Elizabeth Knight, Sarah Toms, Grace Trueblood, William Reginolds, and others.

Old English can be confusing. So here is a modern translation of what the text means.

Translation (Modern English):

Year 1679
John Trueblood of Stanmore in the County of Middlesex in England, a farmer, and Agnes Fisher of the County of Albemarle in the Province of Carolina, a single woman, declared their intention to marry on two separate occasions at a public meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in the aforementioned county. Their intentions and proceedings, after careful consideration and alignment with the righteous law of God, were approved by the meeting.

On October 25, 1679, they appeared at a public gathering of Friends and others at the house of Francis Toms in the county. As a testimony to their marriage, John Trueblood took Agnes Fisher by the hand and openly declared:

“Friends, in the fear of the Lord and before you, I take this my friend Agnes Fisher to be my wife, promising to be a faithful and loving husband to her until it pleases the Lord to separate us by death.”

Likewise, Agnes Fisher declared:
“Friends, in the fear of the Lord and before you, I take this my friend John Trueblood to be my husband, promising to be a faithful and loving wife to him until it pleases the Lord to separate us by death.”

To confirm their marriage, both John Trueblood and Agnes Trueblood signed the document. The witnesses present also signed to testify to this solemn occasion.

Mary Trueblood’s father was John Trueblood, also known as John of Shoreditch. Only four surviving children were born in the Carolinas: Mary b 1684, Elizabeth b 1687, John b 1689, and Amos b 1992.

Mary’s parents, 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, was eight, and Amos, the youngest, was not quite a year old.