High Taxes Motivate Salisbury to the New World

Sir Robert Salusbury d. in 1599 , and on the death in 1608 of his son, JOHN SALUSBURY , without children, captain John Salusbury , the young man's uncle, inherited the estates. He, however, d. without issue three years later, in 1611 , to be succeeded by another brother, WILLIAM SALUSBURY (known in later years as ‘ Hen Hosanau Gleision ,’ i.e. ‘Old Blue Stockings’). Sir Robert and the captain had spent extravagantly during their thirty-year tenure of the estates, and William found them heavily mortgaged. In another thirty years of hard work and frugal living he paid off his debts, restored his inheritance, and even added to it. Then, because of a violent quarrel with his eldest son, OWEN SALUSBURY , over the latter's marriage to Mary , daughter of Gabriel Goodman of Abenbury , prothonotary of North Wales , William split his estates into two parts, giving Rug and the Merionethshire lands to Owen , and Bachymbyd and the Denbighshire lands to his second surviving son Charles . William was one of the king's staunchest supporters in the Civil War ; he repaired Denbigh castle at his own expense in 1643 , and, although advanced in years, defended it stubbornly against the Parliamentary army . It was not until 26 Oct. 1646 , after a siege lasting six months, that he was forced to surrender the castle to general Mytton — and would do so then only after he had received the king's written command.

What does the above paragraph have to do with leaving England?

The customs at that time were that the losing forces at the end of a war would pay for the costs of war. In this case the high cost of the English Civil War would have to be paid (via taxes) by those who protected the King (Charles I). The Salisbury family was very involved (although sometimes split) which resulted in the family becoming very poor.

NATHAN SALISBURY. The earliest appearance of the Salisbury family in this country was about A.D.. 1644. At this time , for political reasons and to avoid the confiscation of property, etc., during the contest between the Parliament and the unfortunate Charles I, John Salisbury and Edward Salisbury, his brother, sons of Henry Salisbury, Esq., and the younger brothers of Sir Thomas Salisbury, quietly got themselves away from Denbigh and emigrated to this country. The former settled at Swansea, Massachusetts, and the latter near Mount Hope, in Bristol, Rhode Island. Thomas Salisbury of Llanhurst, Denbigh county, either came with them or followed soon after, and settled in Cranston. From family records and traditions, Thomas was supposed to be a brother of John and Edward, but it appears from English records that he was probably not a brother but a cousin. John and Edward derived from Henry Salisbury, second cousin of John Salisbury, who became heir of Lleweni by reason of the death of his elder brother, Thomas, who suffered death Sept. 20th, 1586, for endeavoring to deliver Mary, Queen of Scots, from imprisonment.