The spelling of our last name seems to have been spelled "Trew" and "True" interchangeably until Henry's son, Henry grew up and consistently spelled his last name "True." In this bio, we will spell the name "True" unless we are directly quoting material which spells the last name "Trew."

Many people throughout the years engaged in research to find the English roots of Henry True of Salem and Salisbury, MA. One reference states, "Henry True from Filby, Norfolk, to Salisbury." C. E. Banks, "Typographical Dictionary of 2885 English Emigrants to New England 1620-1650". Another states, "I did extensive research on Henry during the two years I lived in England. He was the only Henry True living in Filby, Norfolk County, England, who came to America. Henry's father and mother were John and Jane Trew of Caistor-on-Sea, England. Henry married Mary Newell and had a daughter, Ann. Possibly because he was a master of a ship later on, he came from England by way of the West Indies and his first wife and child became ill and died. I went to Filby several times and went to the Parish church that he attended..." True, Jr., Henry True Descendants on the Frontier: Extraction from a letter to Arthur Webster True from Donna Sue McCaray Perry, dated 29 May 1979, p. 567. A third reference states, "John True, parents undetermined, married at Caister-On-Sea, Filby, England 16 June 1590 Jane Garret. Henry True B Caister-on-Sea D Salisbury MA B 30 May 1591 D 4 Oct 1659 M 1 Mary Newale 25 July 1615 Filby Eng ISSUE dau Ann True B 21 Nov 1618...There is no record of Mary and Ann in USA. Either they did not make the Atlantic crossing or they died during the voyage to New England." True, Jr., Henry True Descendants on the Frontier: Genealogy of the Family of True by Elinor O. Merrill True, Kingston, NH, p. 377.

It is believed but not proven that Henry True came to America between 1630 and 1635, and it is thought but not proven that he might have emigrated on his own ship as part of the fleet of Sir Richard Saltonstall from Halifax, England, who came to America about that time.

Henry is first recorded in America in Salem, MA, by the purchase of a house according to a deed dated 16 August 1644: "I, Edward Gibens, doe acknowleg Deed or Bill of Sale to have Received of Henry Trew of Salem fower pound for the house in Salem, which was Mr. Strattons; and by this payment doe give him fulle perseion of the said house; to him and his forever." This deed is recorded in the first volume of Records at Salem, MA. Henry was granted forty acres of land in 1649. He had a lot in "Southfield" in 1653 and a lot on South River in 1658.

Several accounts have Henry True and his family moving to Salisbury, MA, ca. 1657. He bought a house and land in Salisbury from a Richard North in 1657. His widow refers to herself as "of Salsibury" in 1659 which might indicate that the family had moved there before that time.

Henry True was a mariner and continued sailing for his living after emigrating to America. This is supported by the fact that it is recorded on 18 September 1656, that the ketch Returne, Henry Trew, Master, is "sailing from Barbados, being then on Carlisle Bay, bound for Boston with Molasses."

No written record of Henry's death has been found but it is generally believed he died at sea while on an expedition to Canada in 1659. There must have been some proof of Henry's death because in a deed on record we find that, "Israel Trew of the town of Salem now of Salisbury in the county of Essex, widow administrator to the estate of Henry Trew my husband, late deceased..." conveyed a house and land in Salem, MA, to a George Gardner on "22nd of 9th month 1659." (According to the calendar then in use in England and the colonies, the ninth month would have been November.) Also, an inventory of Henry's estate was allowed to be filed April 10, 1660.

His widow married 18 June 1660 Joseph Fletcher of Salisbury, MA, and had one daughter by him. It is believed that all of the True children and his own daughter were treated as his own children by Joseph Fletcher and that they grew up together as one family. This impression is brought about by the reading of Joseph's will, made the 2nd day of February, 1679, in which he left everything divided just about equally among the three True children who reached adulthood and his own daughter. Joseph recovered from the illness he had when he made out his will and outlived his daughter. He disposed of his property during his lifetime by deed to his surviving step-children, Henry, Joseph, and Jemima True.

Henry and his wife Israel (Pike) True had seven children, all born in Salem, MA:

• John, b. 13 July 1645; d. age 19.
• Henry, b. 8: 1mo: 1646; m. Jane Bradbury.
• Mary, b. 14 March 1647; died young.
• Lydia, b. 4 Feb. 1649; died young.
• Joseph, b. 8 Feb. 1652; m. Ruth Whittier.
• Benjamin, b. 19 Feb. 1654; died young.
• Jemima, b. 27 April 1657; m. John March.

The above dates of the children are given in the records of the first Church of Salem, MA, with the exception of son Henry's date which was recorded there as the 8th of the first month, 1644, in handwriting quite unlike any used in the surrounding records. Smith, "The Founders of the Massachusetts Bay Colony," p. 269. In the records of the Essex Quarterly Court of Essex County, MA, it is stated that, "Hendry Trew certified that Hendry, his son by his wife Israel, was born 8: 1m: 1646," which would place him as the second son.

Israel (Pike) True Fletcher and her second husband, Joseph Fletcher, had one child:

• Mary, b. in Salisbury, MA, 9 April 1662; d. 23: 11mo: 1682.

Our second generation Henry True was the first to spell his name True consistently, instead of spelling it Trew. Nowhere have we found him referred to as Henry Jr., as apparently that term was not used in his case. An item in the Essex Quarterly Court, Vol. 4, page 64, records the judgment of the Essex County Court, held at Hampton, 13: 8: 1668, where Henry and Jane were fined, he 3 pounds and she 40 shillings, for "miscarriages before marriage." Family historians have supposed that this fine was levied against them because their first child was born about two months after their marriage. Being hailed before the Court for such a reason evidently didn't have a lasting harmful effect on them. The record written herein about their lives and their service to their community and country attests to their good standing.

Henry True was a house carpenter by trade and built his house in Salisbury, MA, on a tract of 4 acres he had bought from Robert Ring. Later, he bought considerable more land there and on Salisbury Beach.

Henry was made a freeman in 1675 and served as a selectman for many years. On 19 Nov. 1677, Timothy Lyndall of Salisbury conveyed to Henry True his "commoners right," i.e., right of proprietorship in the Town of Salisbury, for the sum of 28 pounds. Henry was chosen representative to serve at the first session of "ye grate and General Court to be holden at Boston in Town House 27 May 1695." He served as town clerk for three years, 1696-1699, and continued serving in different offices until a few years before his death. He was a deacon of the church for many years and was known as Deacon Henry True as well as Captain Henry True.

In 1678 he was recorded as Sgt. True, in 1689 as Lt. True, and from 1696 through 1722 was Captain of the Militia commanding the first company raised in Salisbury, MA, for its defense.

On 4 July 1706, John Wadleigh, Capt., wrote to Capt. Henry True:

"Sr about one of the clock the Indians killd matt wees (Weed's) wife and 3 children one of them dead to other 2 mortalley wounded att the same time Robb. Hoyts wife killd a child missing and a boy of thomas hoyts killd John Ash killed, barnes prouce (Barnes Prowse) missing we fear killd all att one time as neer as we Judg." And as a postscript, "Sr pray send a party of men I think It a good way to go out this knight wee think to be 30 Indians."

In Hoyt, Old Families of Salisbury and Amesbury, p. 26, we find a list of Salisbury soldiers with this note:

"To Sergnt Tho Braadbury this is to desier & Impower you to take the Care & Conduct of ye men above named & forthwith according to order to march them to Exeter to Reli... the distressed who are at this time in danger by ye Enimy & be very kerfull of your self & men in your march given under my hand in Salisbury this fifth day of July in ye Eight yere of her maiesstes reign Annoque Domini 1710. Henry True, Cap."

Capt. Henry True's order book is still extant and is now in the Genealogy Section of the New York City Public Library, 42nd St., in "The Hudson Collection." We were able to see and hold in our hands this little order book written by our ancestor over two hundred and seventy years ago while hostile Indians were all around him and his men. As was the custom in those days of inadequate supply of paper, he had written in all of the margins on almost every page.

Henry and his wife Jane (Bradbury) True had eight children, all born in Salisbury, MA:

• Mary, b. 30 May 1668; m. Ephraim Eaton.
• William, b. June 1670; m. Eleanor Stevens.
• Henry, b. 6 Jan. 1673/4; m. Abigail French.
• Jane, b. 5 Dec. 1676; m. Edward French.
• John, b. 23 Feb 1678/9; m. Martha Merrill.
• Jemima, b. 16 Mar 1680/1; m. Thomas Bradbury.
• Jabez, b. 19 Feb. 1682; died young.
• Jabez (again), b. Oct. 1685; m. Sarah Tappan.

Jim True, Art True, Jr., and Charles W. True, Jr.

In 1985, I had the pleasure of flying to Arlington, Virginia to meet with two True cousins, Art True, Jr., and Charles Wesley True, Jr. What made this meeting memorable in my mind is that we are each descended from a different son of Henry True (2). I am descended from John True, Art is descended from William True, and Charles is descended from Jabez True, making us all eighth cousins of each other. Henry (2)'s fourth son, Henry, did not have any great-grandsons named True, so all Trues descended from the first Henry are descended from either William, Jabez, or John True, and thus the three of us represent all three branches of True descendants.

John and Martha were admitted to the church in Salisbury, MA on 22 or 23 July 1710 where later he became a deacon. Their first five children were baptized there that same day.

John was a blacksmith and the family lived in Salisbury, MA. I have not been able to find anything more about this family.

John and his wife Martha (Merrill) True had twelve children, all born in Salisbury, MA:

• Jemima, b. 11 Feb. 1702/3; m. William Gill.
• John, Jr., b. 12 Jan 1703/4; m. Mary Brown.
• Jacob, b. 9 Aug. 1705; d. 11 April 1745; m. 15 Feb. 1732 Elizabeth Carr.
• Ezekiel, b. 1 June 1707; d. in Salisbury, MA 12 Jan. 1797; m. 20 April 1744, Mary Morrill. He lived in No. Yarmouth, ME, when the Intention of Marriage was filed.
• Daniel, b. 19 July 1709; died young.
• Ruth, b. 17 Nov. 1711; bp. 6 April 1712; m. 22 Jan. 1735 Benjamin Baker of Salisbury.
• Anna, b. 4 March 1712; d. 24 May 1713.
• Moses, b. 12 July 1714; bp. 7 Aug. 1715; d. 6 Feb. 1782 of small pox. Moses was single and lived in E. Salisbury, MA.
• Thomas, b. 30 June 1717; bp. 24 Nov. 1717; died young.
• Mary, b. 18 June 1723; d. 21 Feb. 1782 of small pox and is buried side of her brother Moses on his homestead.
• Thomas (again), b. 7 May 1728, bp. 9 April 1733.
• Daniel (again), b. 1 April 1729.

We have not found any written material about John's life. Perhaps a future family historian may be able to do further research about him.

John, Jr. and his wife Mary (Brown) True had ten children, all born in Salisbury, MA. Although the family did not move, in 1742 eighteen acres of Salisbury were cut off by State Line and consequently became part of South Hampton, NH. I have not seen the birth records of these children and it is possible that the last five children may be recorded as being born in South Hampton, NH:

• Thomas, b. 27 Sept. 1731; m. Sarah Clough.
• Mary, b. 13 May 1734; m. Jacob Merrill.
• John, b. 14 Oct. 1737; m. Dorothy Adams.
• Susannah, b. 5 Jan. 1739/40.
• Abner, b. 15 Jan. 1741/2.
• Daniel, b. 12 Jan. 1743/4; d. 29 Dec. 1744.
• Ruth, b. 7 Dec. 1748; d. 16 Jan. 1749.
• Meriam, b. 6 Jan. 1750; m. Joseph Eaton.
• Moses, b. 20 Jan. 1751; m. (1) Mary Page; m. (2) Dolly Moulton.
• Ephraim, b. 21 Dec. 1756; m. (1) Martha Eaton; m. (2) Elizabeth Amlin.

For some time, Thomas and Sarah lived in Seabrook, NH, where he was listed in the census of 1790. Thomas was a juror of the Supreme Court in Exeter, NH, 17 Aug. 1776.

Thomas' sons, Abner, Aaron, John, Daniel, and Thomas settled in Litchfield, ME. In an article written in 1857, I assume, and taken from The Maine Farmer, we find the following:

"OLD SETTLER GONE. Mr. Daniel True was the last of a number of brothers who emigrated to Litchfield from Seabrook, NH, in 1788. He was at the time of his death 97 years of age and was the oldest inhabitant. Many of the descendants of the brothers still reside in the town. Industrious, enterprising farmers." (These sons of Thomas and Sarah (Clough) True are listed in the book, "Town of Litchfield: Early Settlers," pp. 360-370.)

We do not know with certainty when Thomas and Sarah accompanied by their son Edward and his family moved from Seabrook, NH, to Fayette, ME. That they all came together is stated in several places. Thomas and his son, Edward, are listed in the NH Census for 1790 as of Seabrook, so we know that it was after that date and before 15 July 1799, the date Edward's seventh child was recorded as being born in Fayette, ME.

Thomas and his wife Sarah (Clough) True had nine children, all born probably in Salisbury, MA, or South Hampton, NH:

• Edward, b. 6 Jan. 1753/4; m. Molly French.
• Aaron, b. 13 Sept. 1756; d. Litchfield, ME, 3 April 1837; m. 13 June 1793 Martha Woodman.
• John, b. 2 Aug. 1759; d. Litchfield, ME, 15 Dec. 1804; m. 23 Dec. 1791 Sally West.
• Daniel, b. 23 Aug. 1761; d. Litchfield, ME, 29 March 1857; m. (1) Joanna Brown; m. (2) Sally (West) True, widow of his brother, John True.
• Abigail, d. 1846, aged 79 years; m. Moses Brown. Lived in New Andover, NH.
• Abner, b. 1767; d. Litchfield, ME, 5 Oct. 1810; m. (1) Rachel Brown; m. (2) Polly (Worthley) Mannel or Manuel.
• Thomas, Jr., b. 12 April 1770; d. Litchfield, ME, 25 Sept. 1837; m. Pamela Parker.
• Sarah, b. 1772; d. 1852; m. Elisha Drew. Lived in Portsmouth, NH.
• Rebecca, b. 1774; d. 28 Aug. 1831; m. (1) Bradbury Eaton; m. (2) Aaron Wadsworth. Lived in Litchfield, ME.