The Robinson Family
Genealogical and Historical
Association
frrt ft in ,ion. ' >c*t.d
Officers, Constitution and ^By-Laws, Historical Sketches
of Early Robinson Emigrants to America,
Illustrations, Armorial Bearings,
Members of Association
PUBLISHED BY THE ASSOCIATION NEW YORK
1902
ILLUSTRATIONS BY FRANK P. CURLEV, NEW YORK. PRINTED BY FRANK C. AFFEHTON, New YORK.
7/
DANIhl. W. ROBINSON, ESO^ , BURLINGTON, VT.
CONTENTS.
PAGE
OFFICERS, 4
CONSTITUTION, - 5
BY-LAWS, - 6
INTRODUCTION, -. - 7-8
ORDER OF THE DAY, - 0-14
INCREASE ROBINSON, SENIOR, - - 15-26
REV. JOHN ROBINSON, LEYDEN, - - 27-30
THOMAS ROBINSON, GUILFORD, 31-37
PENNIMAN FAMILY, - 38-47
HERALDRY, 48-60
ROBINSON — EARLY EMIGRANTS TO AMERICA, - - 61-98
MEMBERS NAMES, - 99-105
ILLUSTRATIONS.
DANIEL W. ROBINSON, ESQ., FRONTISPIECE
DEED OF INCREASE ROBINSON, - 21
JOSIAH ROBINSON HOUSE, - 24
RKV. JOHN ROBINSON HOUSE, LEYDEN, HOL., 28
TOWER ST. PETER'S CHURCH, LEYDEN, HOL., - 29
SAMUEL ROBINSON HOUSE, GUILFORD, CONN., 32
ACROSS THE SEAS, - - 33
CAKVEI> OAKEN CHEST, 1682, 35
OAKEN CHAIR, - 36
PENNIMAN-ROBINSON. 38
OKMSHY CHURCH, - - 39
PENNIMAN-ADAMS COTTAGES, - 41 ROBINSON COAT OF ARMS IN COLORS, BETWEEN PAGES 60-61 ARMORIAL HEARINGS, - 53-55-57-59
HOUSE OF GEORGE ROBINSON, SENIOR, 1660. - 63
MRS. SARAH ROBINSON ATHERTON, 64
MOVING THK " HACK LOG," . - 66
DEED OF GEORGE ROBINSON, 1718, 63
ROBINSON CREST, 1725, 69
ROWLAND K. ROBINSON, 77
HOUSE OF ROWLAND E. ROBINSON, - 7$
MRS. SARAH ROBINSON, - 83
Jons ON THE HILL. - 97
EXCAVATIONS AT NIPPUK, MH
OFFICERS OF THE ASSOCIATION.
PRESIDENT. DANIEL W. ROBINSON, ESQ.., Burlington, Vt.
VICE - PRESIDENTS.
HON. GIFFORD S. ROBINSON, MR. INCREASE ROBINSON, JAMES H. DEAN, ESQ., . HON. DAVID I. ROBINSON, PROF. WILLIAM H. BREWER, MR. ROSWELL R. ROBINSON, CAPT. CHARLES T. ROBINSON, REV. WILLIAM A. ROBINSON, D. D. MR. JOHN H. ROBINSON. MR. CHARLES F. ROBINSON, . MR. GEORGE W. ROBINSON. . FRANKLIN ROBINSON, ESQ.,
Sioux City, la.
Waterville, Me.
Taunton, Mass.
. Gloucester, Mass.
New Haven, Conn.
Maiden, Mass.
Taunton, Mass.
Middletown, N. Y.
Boston, Mass.
North Raynham, Mass.
Elburn. III.
Portland, Me.
SECRETARY. Miss ADELAIDE A. ROBINSON, . . North Raynham, Mass.
TREASURER. MR. N. BRADFORD DEAN, . . Taunton, Mass.
HISTORIOGRAPHER. MR. CHARLES E. ROBINSON Yonkers, N. Y.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.
MR. INCREASE ROBINSON, . . Plymouth, Mass.
MR. ORLANDO G. ROBINSON, . . . Raynham, Mass.
DR. A. SUMNER DEAN, . . Taunton, Mass.
MR. FRED W. ROBINSON, . Boston, Mass.
MR. BETHUEL PENNIMAN,
New Bedford, Mass.
CONSTITUTION.
1. The name of this association shall be THE ROBINSON- FAMILY GENEALOGICAL AND HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION.
2. The purpose for which it is constituted is the collection, compilation and publication of such data and information as may be obtained concerning the Robinson Families.
3. Any person connected with the descendants of William1 Robinson of Dorchester, Mass., George1 of Rehoboth, Mass.,
William1 of Watertown, Mass.,
Isaac2 of Barnstable, Mass., son of Rev. John1, of Ley- den, Hoi.,
Abraham1 of Gloucester, Mass., George1 of Boston, Mass., John1 of Exeter, N. H., Stephen1 of Dover, N. H., Thomas1 of Scituate, Mass., James1 of Dorchester, Mass., William of Salem, Mass., Christopher of Virginia, Samuel of New England, Gain of Plymouth, Mass., John Robinson of Cape Elizabeth, Me., Patrick Robinson of Norton, Mass., Daniel Robinson of Foxborough, Mass.,
or any other Robinson ancestor, by descent or marriage, may become a member of this association.
There shall be a membership fee of one dollar, and an annual due of twenty-five cents, or ten dollars for life member ship, subject to no annual dues.
4. The officers of the association shall be a President, twelve Vice- Presidents, a Secretary, a Treasurer. Historio grapher, and an Executive Committee of five.
BY-LAWS.
1 . The President shall preside at all business meetings of the Association, and in his absence a Vice- President shall per- form the duties of President.
2. The Secretary* shall keep the records and minutes of the meetings.
3. The Treasurer shall receive all monies of the Association. He shall have the custody of all the funds belonging to the Asso- ciation. He shall disburse the same under the direction of the Executive Committee.
4. The Executive Committee shall have the control of the affairs of the Association and its property, and shall receive for safe custody all documents entrusted to them. It shall be their duty to make arrangements to obtain all data and information concerning the descendants of the aforesaid Robinson ancestors for the purpose of compilation and publication of the same. The officers of the Association shall be ex-officio members of the Executive Committee.
5. The members of the Executive Committee present at any regularly notified meeting shall form a quorum. They may fill any vacancies that may occur in the board of officers until others are regularly appointed.
INTRODUCTION.
The formation of a society for the collection and preservation of family records and historical information relating to the Rob- insons, who were early emigrants to America, and their descend- ants, was a favorite theme for years with, at least, one of the enthusiasts of this Association. Through his efforts the late Hon. George D. Robinson, Ex-Governor of Massachusetts, and his brother Charles, president of the Law School at Cambridge, Mass., and Charles Robinson, Esq., of Medford, Mass., an Ex- Consul to Canada, with others became interested. Had the gentlemen named lived, doubtless an association would have been inaugurated several years earlier, but the sudden and untimely death of Mr. Robinson of Medford, followed shortly after by that of Ex-Governer Robinson, and a little later on by that of his brother, so dampened the ardor of their associates as to lead to an abandonment of active measures for the promotion of the scheme.
Somewhat less than two years ago it devolved upon Miss Adelaide A. Robinson, of North Raynham, Mass., to revive the subject. In conversation with a few of her friends, members of the Old Colony Historical Society, she was encouraged to take active measures for a family meeting of the descendants of her ancestor, Increase Robinson of Taunton, one of the first settlers of that town. She interested Mr. James E. Seaver, the genial secretary of that society, in her project and then set herself at work to enthuse the descendants of Increase in her plan.
A little later on, upon learning that other descendants, in
other lines of the Robinsons would join, if the call was made
.broad enough to include them, it was decided to enlarge the scope
of the proposed association and embrace all Robinsons, as now
set forth in the third article of the Constitution of this Society.
Several meetings were held which resulted in the selection of a committee consisting of James H. Dean, Esq., as chairman. Mr. N. B. Dean, and Dr. A. Sunnier Dean, all of Taunton, and Mr. Orlando G. Robinson, of Raynham, to co-oj>crate with Miss Robinson and Mr. Seaver in the advancement of the scheme which culminated on the iSth of July, 1^90, in one of the largest family gatherings ever convened in the old colony It was the
.X INTRODUCTION.
attendance of representatives from thirteen States ; an outstretch- ing of the arm of the West to grasp the extended hand of the East; a cordial uniting of the North and South in fraternal kinship.
As was remarked by one of the delegates ' ' Robinson stock is good stock, there is no skeleton hanging from our genealogical tree."
History has no dangerous side for us. We are not in the temper of the piqued divine who saw in his ancestry — Alas! what did he see? which led him to say "History has its dangerous side. When men become so absorbed in the history of their ancestry as to forget their present duties, or to be blind to their ancestral weaknesses, it is harmful. If men are so anxious to get on record that they forget to do things worthy of record then the historic sense is not good sense."
Verily, verily, none of these things trouble us. We can contribute the records of our ancestors in all its fulness to the present and future generations, righteously believing that we are doing that which is worthy of record and that our — historic sense is food sense.
It is hoped that every member of this Association will communicate immediately with the secretary expressing their views regarding the time and place for our next meeting. We desire to see a large attendance and increasing interest in these matters which we have so much at heart.
The historiographer earnestly appeals to every member of this Association who has not already communicated to him their line of ancestry, to do so without delay that it may be included in the genealogical work which he hopes to soon publish. This request is also made to all those of Robinson blood who have descended from an ancestor who came to America previous to the year 1700. Record blanks will be furnished free on application.
Those who are in doubt as to their line of descent may obtain valuable information from this source.
Members will please report to the Secretary any errors in names or addresses that they may be corrected. It is also import- ant that the full name be given, and in the case of married females, the surname as well as the maiden name should be included.
The post office address of the Secretary is North Raynham, Mass., that of the Historiographer, Yonkers, N. Y., or New York Citv, X. Y.
ORDER. OF THE DAY.
In arranging for the Robinson Family Meeting the Old Colony Historical Society of Taunton, Mass., cordially extended the freedom of their hall on Cedar Street, accompanied with the suggestion that it would give them pleasure if the meeting could be held in conjunction with their quarterly meeting on the J8th of July. This generous offer was thankfully accepted.
The hour of the meeting of the Historical Society was at half past nine in the morning. A large assembly convened. After a half hour spent in the transaction of the regular business of the Society an address of welcome to the Robinson Association was delivered by the president of the Society, Rev. S. Hopkins Emery, D. D., of Taunton, in these words : —
' ' Members of Old Colony Historical Society and Visiting Friends :
" Taunton, through this society, has been the honored host of several family meetings, the first, which led the list, being very properjy that of the descendants of Richard Williams, who more than any other is entitled to the honorable distinction of Father of the town. This large gathering of to-day is unique and un- precedented, inasmuch as it includes the descendants not only of William Robinson of Dorchester and his son Increase of Taunton, but those of George of Rehoboth; William of Watertown; Isaac of Duxbury, son of the distinguished John, pastor of the Pilgrim church of Leyden; Abraham of Gloucester; George of Water- town; John of Kxeter, New Hampshire; Stephen of Dover, of the same State ; Thomas of Scituate ; James of Dorchester ; William of Salem; Christopher of Virginia; Samuel of New Eng- land, and Gain Robinson of Bridgewater, Mass.
" With such a multitudinous ancestry, the wonder is, this hall can hold the progeny. In behalf of this society, and I hope it is not presuming too much to say, in behalf of this city, I extend to you all a most cordial welcome. We would have you feel entirely at home in this Historical hall. Vou are among friends —yes, kindred spirits. Your meeting is born of the desire, in
IO ORDER OF THE DAY.
which we all share, to trace relationship and hallow the memory of an honored ancestry. May you be prospered in your good endeavors and go hence with only a pleasant remembrance of Taunton, one of the many towns of New England."
After a short recess the organization of the Robinson family was effected by the choice of the following named as temporary officers: — James H. Dean, Esq., of Taunton, as president and Miss Adelaide A. Robinson as secretary.
Mr. Dean addressed the members briefly, touching upon the history of the Robinson family and outlining the purposes of the meeting and of the organization to be formed.
It was announced that, after the formal and permanent organization, the association would take cars for Dighton Rock Park where dinner would be served, to be followed by exercises of an historical nature.
On motion duly seconded, the following were appointed a committee to draw up a set of by-laws and report the same to the assembled members : Charles K. Robinson of Yonkers, N. Y. ; X. Bradford Dean of Taunton, and William L,. Robinson of Glou- cester, Mass. Also a committee on permanent organization was appointed consisting of L,. D. Cole of Newburyport, Mass., Elmer D. Robinson of Judson, Mass., George W. Penniman of Fall River, Mass.
During the absence of the committees letters were read from Mrs. Sarah Robinson Atherton a lady of more than one-hundred years of age, a resident of Peru, Huron County, Ohio. The letter l>ore her own signature and was in these words: —
Peru, Huron County, Ohio.
'To the Robinsons gathered at Taunton, Mass., July i8th, 1900.
"Greeting: Although I am getting on somewhat in years, lx.-ing past my one hundredth birthday since June first, I am in full sympathy with your meeting and am glad that I have lived to see this day of your gathering. If it so pleases your body, I would like my name to be enrolled in the book of members of your association. I am 6th in line of descent from George Rob- inson, vSen., of Rehoboth, Mass., viz. — George (i); John (2); Jonathan (3); Jonathan (4); Noah (5).
(Signed) Sarah Robinson Atherton."
ORDER OF THE DAY. I i
Also the following from Charles H. Robinson, Esq., of Great Falls, Mont. :—
"Great Falls, Mont. 222-4 Ave. X., July 8, 1900.
"To all of Robinson name and blood in Family meeting assembled :
" Greeting : From the shadows of the Rocky Mountains, by the Great Falls of the Missouri; a descendant of Rev. John Rob- inson, the Leyden pastor sends to you sympathy and congratu- lations. ' One touch of nature makes the whole world kin ' and a common interest in honorable ancestry should bring us into sympathy however distant the tie of common blood.
Again I greet you
In cordial sympathy, (Signed) Charles H. Robinson."
Other letters were read from Hon. Gifford S. Robinson, Judge cf the Supreme Court of Iowa ; from Abner S. Merrill, Esq., of Boston, Mass.; from Miss Kate D. Robinson, of Mem- phis Tenn., and J. Newton Peirce of Boston.
Prof. William H. Brewer, of New Haven, Conn., addressed the members in his well known happy vein. He thought the person unfortunate who had no interest in his heredity ; that everyone needed all the data that they could obtain in relation to their ancestry in order that they might make the most of their own life.
Interesting addresses were also made by the Rev. S. L. Rowland, of Lee, Mass., and others.
The committee on the Constitution and By-L,a\vs made their report which was adopted.
It was voted that Mrs. Sarah Robinson Atherton of Peru. Ohio, l>e elected an Honorary Memlicr of the Association.
The committee on permanent organixation re|M>rted the fol- lowing nominations :
12 ORDER OF THE DAY.
PRESIDENT, Daniel. W. Robinson, Esq., Burlington Vt.
VICE PRESIDENTS,
Judge Gifford S. Robinson, Sioux City, la.
Mr. Increase Robinson, Waterville, Me.
James H. Dean, Esq., Taunton, Mass.
Hon. David I. Robinson, Gloucester, Mass.
Prof. William H. Brewer, New Haven, Conn.
Mr. Roswell R. Robinson, Maiden, Mass.
Capt. Charles T. Robinson, Taunton, Mass.
Rev. William A. Robinson, Middletown, N. Y.
Mr. John H. Robinson, Boston, Mass. Mr. Charles F. Robinson, North Raynham, Mass.
Mr. George W. Robinson, Elburn, 111.
Franklin Robinson, Esq. , Portland, Me.
SECRETARY, Miss Adelaide A. Robinson. North Raynham, Mass.
TREASURER, N. Bradford Dean, Esq., Taunton, Mass.
HISTORIOGRAPHER, Charles E. Robinsou, Yonkers, N. Y.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE,
Mr. Increase Robinson, Plymouth, Mass.
Mr. Orlando G. Robinson, Raynham, Mass.
Dr. A. Sumner Dean, Taunton, Mass.
Mr. Fred'k W. Robinson, Boston, Mass.
Mr. Bethuel Penniman, New Bedford, Mass.
The report was accepted and the secretary was authorized to cast a vote for the list reported by the committee, and they were declared the duly elected officers of the Robinson Family Ge- nealogical and Historical Association.
The president was escorted to the Chair and in a few well chosen words addressed the members expressing his appreciation
ORDER OF THE DAY. \J
of the honor of serving as the first officer of such an association of men and women.
A committee made up of Miss Bertha L,. Dean of Taunton, Miss Hannah May Dean of Taunton, Miss Helen W. Robinson of North Raynham, Miss Marie Robinson of Taunton, Miss Grace F. Dean of Taunton, and Mrs. Sarah Waterman of Taun- ton, busied itself with the registration of names of those desiring to become members of the association.
The reception committee was one of the most active of the day, and it accomplished much in making the members acquainted with each other, and preventing too great a degree of formality in the proceedings, the intention being to have a distinctively family gathering at which all should feel at home with the other members of the family. This committee was made up of Mrs. Julia A. Robinson of Taunton, Mrs. Frank Robinson of East Taunton, Mrs. Herbert E. Hall of Taunton, Miss Sarah G. Rob- inson of Middleborough, Miss Phoebe Robinson of Taunton, Mr. John D. Robinson of Taunton, Dr. A. Sumner Dean of Taunton, Mr. Orlando G. Robinson of Judson, Mass., and Mr. John C. Robinson of Middleborough, Mass.
A vote of thanks was extended to the Old Colony Historical Society for their kind offer of the freedom of their hall for this first meeting of this association ; also to Mr. James E. Seaver, their cordial Secretary, and Miss Adelaide A. Robinson of North Raynham, by whose joint efforts the organization of the associa- tion has been expedited in a marked degree.
The formal exercises in Historical Hall were then brought to a close and adjournment taken for the trip of eight miles, in special electric cars, down the banks of the Taunton River to Dighton Rock Park where an excellent ' ' shore dinner, ' ' for which " Little Rhody " is so famous, was served and enjoyed by the members, after which came the literary entertainment of the day which consisted of historical papers by Charles Edson Rob- inson of Yonkers, N. Y., an Historical Sketch of the Robinsons, early emigrants to America ; by James H. Dean, Esq., of Taun- ton, Mass., on Increase Robinson ; by Rev. William A. Robinson, D. D. of Middletown, N. Y., on Rev. John Robinson of Leyden ; by Miss Mary Gay Robinson of Guilford, Conn., on Thomas Rob- inson ; and by the Rev. George W. Penniman, of Southbridge, Mass., on the Penniman-Robinson family.
14 ORDER OF THE DAY.
Owing to a want of time the paper prepared by James H. Dean, Esq., was omitted, but is here inserted on page 15.
At the close of the reading of the historical papers, Mr. George W. Penniman of Fall River. Mass., was invited by the president to address the assembly. In his remarks Mr. Penni- man held the attention of all present in an able and entertaining manner.
This closed the exercises of the day with an invitation from Miss Adelaide A. Robinson for all the members to meet at eight o'clock at her residence in North Raynham, a suburb of Taunton, for a lawn party. Arrangements for special cars were made for all who desired to attend.
The meeting was then adjourned sine die.
The evening at the residence of Miss Robinson was a most enjoyable affair. The extensive lawn was brilliantly lighted with locomotive headlights and Japanese lanterns. Nye's Taunton Orchestra discoursed sweet music. Visiting members as they arrived were received under an artistic arch of vines and flowers. Tables of refreshments bountifully loaded were spread under the trees.
At the close of the entertainment two special cars came up from Taunton to bear away the branches of the Robinson genea- logical tree.
Thus ended the first gathering of the Robinson Family Genealogical and Historical Association, with an expression of gratitude on every lip to those who had contributed so much for their enjoyment.
INCREASE ROBINSON. SENIOR,
OF TAUNTON.
BY JAMES H. DEAN, ESQ.
|O far as known Increase Robinson was the first person bearing the name of Robinson who settled in Taunton. He was the second son of William and Margaret Robinson who came, it is thought, from Canterbury, England, in 1637 and settled in Dor- chester. Nothing whatever is known of the parent- age or birthplace of this William Robinson. Nor is it known in what ship he came or the exact date of his arrival. His name first appears as a member of the church in Dorchester in a list of those belonging to that church November 4, 1639. He was made a Freeman of the town May 18,1642, and the following year was made a member of the " Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company " of Boston.
His first recorded purchase of real estate was February 25, 1651, when he bought of John Phillips of Boston for /~i5° an estate in Dorchester "near unto Naponsett River" with the dwelling house, outhouses, barns, gardens and orchards, together with several adjacent and outlying parcels of upland and meadow, in all 73 acres. He owned and operated a corn water-mill on " Tidemill Creeke, standing on the tide in the creeke commonly called Salt Creeke or Brooke, near Captaines Neck." In this mill he met his death, as recorded in the Diary of the Rev. John Eliot in Roxbury Church Records : " Died 6, 5, i66S, Robinson, a brother of ye church at Dorchester, was drawn through by ye cog wheel of his mill and was torn in pieces and slain."
He had by his wife Margaret, four children, two sons and two daughters.
1. Samuel, baptised June 14, 1640.
2. Increase, baptised March 14, 1642. Against his name on the record appears in parenthesis (went to Taunton ).
1 6 INCREASE ROBINSON, SENIOR.
3. Prudence, baptised Dec. 1643.
4. Waiting, baptised April 26, 1646.
He married a second wife, Ursula, widow of Samuel Hosier. Of this marriage there was no issue. His wife Ursula survived him.
He left a will which was allowed July i, 1668. The larger part of his real estate he gave to his oldest son Samuel. To his son Increase, he gave four acres of salt marsh, several parcels of upland, "and halfe of all my common rights I have in Dor- chester and that with what I have already given him to bee his portion." He also gave "my sonn Increase eldest sonn that bears my name," twenty shillings. Administration was granted to his son Increase, his son-in-law John Bridge husband of Pru- dence, and his son-in-law Joseph Penniman husband of Waiting.
Increase Robinson, of whom I am to speak particularly, married, February 19, 1663, Sarah Penniman who was born May 6, 1641. She was the daughter of James and Lydia (Eliot) Penniman of Braintree. Lydia Eliot was a sister of John Eliot the Apostle to the Indians. How long the young couple re- mained in Dorchester before coming to Taunton to live we have no means of telling with exactness. It was but a very few years however, for as early as 1668 we find him interested as a pur- chaser of real estate in Taunton and vicinity. In June of that year a very important purchase was made of lands that had been previously bought of the Indians on behalf of the colony. This purchase was called The Taunton North Purchase. The con- veyance was made by a committee of the Plymouth Government to a large number of persons, ' ' Proprietors of the Town of Taunton," among whom we find Increase Robinson. This large territory in after years was divided into the towns of Norton, Easton and Mansfield.
Another large purchase was made by Taunton men the latter part of 1672, of territory lying south of Taunton and on the west side of " Taunton Great River," extending four miles down the river and four miles west from the river. This was called the Taunton South Purchase. Increase Robinson was one of the eighty-seven "associates" purchasers of this tract. The terri- tory included in this purchase together with the lands called Assonet Neck on the east side of the river, were in the year 1712 erected into a township by the name of Dighton.
In 1673 he bought the rights of Thomas Cook, Sr., in the
INCREASE ROBINSON, SENIOR. 17
township of Taunton. Cook was one of the original purchasers of Taunton.. The deed was dated March 6, 1672-3, and was in part as follows: "Thomas Cook sen'r of Portsmouth in the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations and Mary his wife, in consideration of 200 weight of good barr iron in hand paid, hath given sold and made over to Increase Robinson in ye Colony of New Plymouth, house carpenter, all that right & inter- est in ye lands in ye Township of Taunton, that is to say all that there purchase right in ye sd township as he being one of ye ancient purchasers of ye town of Taunton, to be to ye said Increase Robinson ar.d his heirs and assigns forever."
Grants of land were made to Increase on this purchase right, and to his heirs and assigns from time to time for many years. They appear to have been mostly made in the easterly part of the town. The deed was not recorded until 1758.
A conveyance of the so called ' ' Shawomet Lands ' ' was made November 12, 1677 by Constant Southworth, Treasurer of Ply- mouth Colony, on behalf of the Colony, to some thirty persons in different parts of the Colony, six of whom, Increase Robinson among them, being of Taunton, "for the sum of 800 pounds that is to say for every share or 3oth part £26 135. & 4d." The lands are described as '' containing the lands called the outlet as well as the neck itself called Shawomet. Bounded on the east by Taunton River, on the north by Tannton lands, on the west partly by Swanzey lands which were purchased of the Indians by Capt. Willet & Mr. Stephen Paine, and partly by the lands of Rehoboth if the sd Colonies' land extend so far westward, and on the south by ye sd neck." Increase Robinson was de- clared to be the owner of one share.
These lands were included in Swanzey upon its incorpora- tion in 1677, and constituted the present town of Somerset when it was set off from Swan/ey in 1 790. The origitial record book of the Shawomet Lands is still extant and upon its first page bears the following inscription :
' This Book was begun in ye year 1680. by Increase Robin- son Clark for the said purchasers."
Mr/ Robinson appears to have been an owner in the Mount Hope lands which were conveyed by a committee of Plymouth Colony to John Walley, Nathaniel Oliver, Nathaniel By field and Stephen Burton all of Boston, September 14, i6So; but to what extent or how he obtained his title a diligent search in the Bristol
f8 INCREASE ROBINSON, SENIOR.
County Registry has failed to disclose. He must have owned lands there, however, for on May 6, 1692, he with Sarah his wife conveyed to John Cary of Bristol, in consideration of thirty pounds, twenty acres of land in Bristol. On May 5, 1692, he conveyed to John Smith, carpenter, of Bristol, one isoth part of 600 acres of land in Bristol that had been laid out in common.
Mount Hope became the town of Bristol by the act of the Plymouth Court in September, 1681. Increase Robinson was a deputy to the Plymouth Court from Bristol in 1682. He was also the constable for Bristol the same year, an office at that time of much importance.- In 1685 he was drawn on the Grand Jury from Bristol. From these facts we must conclude that he was a resident of Bristol for two or three years at least and probably for a longer time, as he does not appear to have sold his lands there until 1692.
Probably because he was an owner in the Shawomet Lands which became a part of Swanzey, he was appointed by the Ply- mouth Court on a committee with Nathaniel Pecke and John Richmond, " to run the line between the countryes land att Mt. Hope and the town of Swanzey." This duty they performed to the satisfaction of the Court, November 25, 1679.
While constable of Bristol he was sued by John Saffin of Bristol, merchant, "for making a distress wrongfully upon the person of him, under the pretence of a warrant directed to the constable of New Bristoll." The jury found for the defendant the cost of the suit.
In 1680 Richard Thayer of Braintree brought a suit against Increase Robinson of Taunton as administrator of the estate of Mr. John Paine deceased. The jury found for the plaintiff in the sum of ^102 8s. 8d. and costs.
His name appears on a list of those who had been admitted as "freemen," made by order of the Plymouth Court May 29, 1670, at the foot of the Taunton list. He served on the jury at Plymouth Court in 1677 and 1681. He was one of the surveyors of highways in Taunton in 1671, his associate being John Macomber. In a list of heads of families in Taunton made in 1675 when Philip's war began, he is named. On May 25, 1680 the town accepted the report of a committee giving ' ' A list of the names of the present purchasers or proprietors of the Town of Taunton unto whom the town hath already granted or divided lands by virtue of their enjoying either purchase lots or purchase
INCREASE ROBINSON, SENIOR. 19
rights to divisions of land as followeth." In this list appears, "Increase Robinson on the rights that was Thomas Cook's." This was the right he bought of Cook in 1673 by the deed already alluded to.
In the roster of the Military Company of Taunton 1682, which was divided into four squadrons, his name is found in the first squadron.
In 1678 the Plymouth Court passed this order: "James Walker, James Wilbore and Encrease Robinson are appointed and established by the Court to take notice of such liquors as are brought in disorderly into the town of Taunton, and to make seizure thereof according to law." Verily there is nothing new under the sun. The seizure of liquors brought in disorderly or kept unlawfully has a wonderfully familiar sound.
We would very much like to know where Increase Robinson lived when with his young wife leaving his Dorchester home he first came to Taunton, and to be able to point out the spot where his first dwelling house stood. In the case of many of the "First Purchasers" the Old Proprietors Records of Taunton give the location and description of their "home lots" so called. In his case, as he was not an original purchaser, we get no light from this source. But he gave a deed to his son Increase Robinson, Jr. from which we can settle this point satisfactorily. As the deed is interesting in itself, aside from this particular, I give the prin- cipal parts of it, as follows :
" To all People to whom these presents shall come, Greet- ing. Know ye that I Increase Robinson scn'r of Taunton in the County of Bristol in the Province of Massachusetts Bay in New England, — out of that fatherly affection and good will that I bear unto my eldest son Increase Robinson, jun'r of Taunton aforesaid, have given granted aliened enfeoffed & confirmed, and by these presents do give, &c. to him said Increase Robinson jun'r, One dwelling house which I formerly lived in, which house standeth on the lot I bought of Capt. Pool, together with that spot of ground which sd house standeth upon, that is to say the length and breadth of the house together with the liberty of the house before the door, reserving always the chamber in sd house to my own use and my wife's during our lives if we see occasion to make use thereof. Furthermore I give to my sd son these divers tracts of land in Taunton as followeth — one four acre lot lying on the north side of the highway, which I l>ought of Mr.
20 INCREASE ROBINSON, SENIOR.
John Pool and lies adjoining to the lot I bought of Capt. Pool- also that strip of land I bought of Ezra Dean which lies between sd four acre lot and the lane called Hoar's lane, which four acres is to begin on the north side of the road and to run fourscore rods norward to Ezra Dean's thicket (always reserving to myself, heirs and assigns liberty of free egress and regress across sd lot unto my lot which lies on the east side of this four acre lot)— furthermore I give my sd son 4 acres of land lying on the other side of the Great River against sd house lying between Benjamin Dean's land and Nicholas White's land — also I give him my twelve acres of land in the little woods lying on the south side of James Leonard's land and on the north side of Nicholas White's land and Joseph Hall's land — also rights to arrears of land,"
&c " Memorandum — what I have here given to
my said son Increase Robinson Jun'r is to be all his portion from me his father unless I shall hereafter see cause to give him more by will or deed." Dated Dec. 21, 1698. Recorded Nov. 10, 1707.
The three lots of land first described in the foregoing deed lie adjoining each other on the north side of the highway now Dean Street, and between the east corner of Hoar's lane now Winter Street and the brook which crosses Dean Street some five or six hundred feet east from Winter Street. Capt. Win. Pool was one of the original proprietors of Taunton, and we know that his home lot was on the westerly side of the brook above mentioned and on the northerly side of the highway. The other lots between that and Hoar's lane are easily identified. Mr. Robinson does not give the dates when he bought these lots of the Pools and Ezra Dean, and the deeds are not recorded so far as I can discover, so that we are unable to tell how long he had owned them.
A controversy arose in 1681 between Increase Robinson re- ferred to as owning the land formerly Capt. Pool's and Nicholas White owning the land originally Anthony Slocum's, concerning the dividing line between them. It was referred to William Harvey, George Macey and Thomas Leonard the selectmen for decision, who fixed the line making the brook the boundary fer a large part of the way. This carries his ownership back to 1681 at least.
In Dorchester Church Records under date of March 31, 1672 it is stated — " were admitted Mr. William Pole and his wife members of the church at Taunton, and being dismissed were
INCREASE ROBINSON, SENIOR. 21
received without relation, only entering into covenant. " It is most likely that Capt. Pool conveyed his home lot to Robinson before he removed to Dorchester, and probably several years before. From all the facts I have been able to gather I conclude that Increase Robinson's first dwelling house in Taunton stood on the lot he bought of Capt. Pool.
From the description of the dwelling house in his deed to his son as "one dwelling house I formerly lived in," it maybe inferred that at the date of the deed, 1698, he was living in some other part of the town ; and of this we have abundant other proof. We know that he owned large tracts of land in the east- erly part of the town, now Raynham, and in the neighborhood of Nippenicket Pond. Mr. James Edward Seaver, of Taunton, librarian of the Old Colony Historical Society, to whom all rare and ancient documents seem to come of their own accord, has in his possession a considerable number of old papers that were found hidden in the woodwork of the chimney piece of the old Leonard house in Raynham, where they had lain for more than a hundred and fifty years. They belonged to Capt. Thomas Leonard and were orders, accounts, &c. , relating to the iron works of which he was an owner and principal manager. Among them are several original papers signed by Increase Robinson. One of these is as follows. I give an exact photographic copy.
-' ,/^v W'J4 . /Ar> —7' „ • y ^-- • -
Si<3 "X»^*3? vr""'
»*
w »' ^- . " ~
Another reads : — " Captain Leonard,
Sir praye Bee pleased to pay my son Increase eight pound of my credit for this twenty lode of cole, which will Bee for his own pit of wood and for coling my part, and I shall come and
22 INCREASE ROBINSON, SENIOR.
recon with you for ye Rest for I dout I shall not Bee out of Det hut must Bring more cole ye first of November not all. But yours to serve at all times,
Increase Robbinson Sen Neponecket in Taunton ye 16 October 1696."
From this it would seem that at that date he was living in the locality which had already acquired the name of "Neponecket" which occurs often in the old records with various forms of spell- ing, and which still clings to the beautiful lake lying partly in Taunton and partly in Bridgewater.
This fact is further shown by the language occurring in various divisions and grants of land made to him, some of which I will give.
Oct. 23, 1682. "Granted to Increase Robinson 30 acres of land at Nepinickit pond on ye southwest branch of ye pond next his own land that he hath there already on the right that was Thos. Cooks."
Feb. 9, 1696-7 a division of Titicut swamp was made among the seven owners. Increase Robinson " to have 32 acres at that end of said swamp next to his own dwelling at Neepanicket." Jan. 3, 1694 "to Increase Robinson 20 acres joining to that land that was formerly granted him on the southeast near Neepanickit Pond." Jan. 29, 1696 " to Increase Robinson sen'r 27 acres near Nepenicket."
Nov. 15, 1700 there was a layout of 72 acres at "Nipenicket" for Ebenezer and Josiah Robinson, several parcels, ' ' all which \\as granted to Increase Robinson now deceased," bounded in part by Bridgewater lands and mentioning Titicut swamp, Dead swamp and a highway leading from Bridgewater by said Robin- son's house. Nov. 14, 1700 there was a layout by Kbenezer Robinson of a way through lands formerly belonging to Increase Robinson deceased, to lead near the dwelling house now standing on said land. And he covenanted and agreed with the selectmen of Taunton to leave and cause to be left at all times a sufficient drift cartway with gates or bars for Bridgewater men to come by the southerly end of the great pond into the said way.
From these descriptions it is made certain that during the period covered by their several dates Increase Robinson owned land bordering on Nippenicket Pond, bounded in part by Bridge- water line, on which he had a dwelling house wherein he lived,
INCREASE ROBINSON, SENIOR. 2J
and that there was a road or way leading by his house through his lands which Bridgewater men had a right to use in coming to their lands on that side of the pond. Roads are among the most permanent landmarks, and I have no doubt that the present road from Raynham center to Bridgewater, in that part of it approach- ing and skirting Nippenicket Pond, is identical with the road or way laid out by Robinson and leading by his house.
On which side of the road did his house stand, and what was its exact location? The house itself has long since disappeared, but by the aid of an ancient deed and an ancient map we can fix its position satisfactorily. Ebene/.er Robinson, one of the sons of Increase who came into possession of the land on which the dwelling house stood, conveyed to John Staples of Taunton by a deed dated April 2, 1725, " that plantation of land whereon I formerly dwelt in Taunton at a place called and known by the name of Neepaneket by Nunketest Pond, with my dwelling house and barn thereon standing, and is bounded easteily by Bridgewater line," &c. "Memorandum, it is to be understood that sd Staples, heirs & assigns are from time to time to fulfill ye bonds given by sd Robinson to leave gates or bars where sd Rob- inson hath been wont to uphold them for Bridgewater men to pass thru them to their land on ye west side of ye pond."
In 1728 Morgan Cobb, surveyor, of Taunton, made a map of Taunton for the use of the General Court on which he says he has noted the situation of every particular house with the owner's surname. On this map the road leading by Nippenicket Pond is traced, and on the northeast side almost against the pond a dwell- ing house is indicated with the name of " J. Staples" against it. This then was the dwelling house of Increase Robinson, senior, and it would not be very difficult I imagine to mark the site now upon the ground. Here he passed the last years of his life and here he died, between November 5 and December 18, 1699. This is shown by the following entries taken from the ledgers of Capt. Thomas Leonard found in the old Leonard house as before noticed.
" Nov. 5, 1699, Increase Robbinson senior debtor to a potion of pills, mint water, cordiall potions tX:c. &c."
" December 18, 1699, Increase Robinson senior, his widow, credit by the works account a hundred of iron /"<>.> iSs <x>. "
The place of his burial is unknown.
24 INCREASE ROBINSON, SENIOR.
The cut here given is from a photo of a house built in 1736-7 by Josiah Robinson, Jr. , which is still standing and is occupied by a descendant. It is situated in North Raynham about half a mile west of Nippenicket Pond, upon land owned by Increase Robinson, Sr., when he first removed from Taunton to that locality.
An examination of the indexes in the Bristol County Probate Office discloses no administration taken upon his estate. I was led, however, to believe that he left a will and that there must have been administration of his estate by the recitals which I discovered in a deed given by Ebenezer Robinson to his brother Increase Robinson Jr., dated April 4, 1706, in which he conveys " all that E. Robinson's share in that land on the other side of
HOUSE OF )OS1AH ROBINSON, JR., BUILT IN 1756-7
the highway before Increase Robinson, being ^ of that parcel of land and orchard that was given to him by the will of his father Increase Robinson deceased, bounded eastward by Nicholas White, south by the Great River, west by Ezra Dean, north by the highway."
Administration of the estate of Increase Robinson, Jr., was taken by his oldest son William Robinson March 20, 1738-9. Some impulse led me to examine the papers in that estate, and to my surprise and delight I found among them the original bond
INCREASE ROBINSON, SENIOR. 25
given by Sarah Robinson as executrix of her husband's will, the important parts of which I give :
' ' Known all men by these presents, that we Sarah Robinson widow and relict of Increase Robinson late of Taunton in the County of Bristol in New England dec'd & John Cary of Bristol carpenter & James Adams of said Bristol cordwayner, do stand firmly bound and obliged unto John Saffin Esq. Judge of Probate in the full and just sum of Eight hundred pounds" .... ' ' The condition of this present obligation is such that whereas the above bounden Sarah Robinson is made executrix of the last will & testament of Increase Robinson late of said Taunton dec'd bearing date the second day of Nov. 1699, & hath now legally proved the same. If therefore ' ' &c.
Dated April 10, 1700 Signed Sarah Robinson
John Cary James Adams.
The will itself I have not found. In the removal of the County records from Bristol to Taunton in 1747 which was at- tended writh some unpleasantness, some papers may have been lost. But there was a will and it was duly proved as recited in the bond of his widow, and mentioned in the deed given by his son Ebenezer already cited. The date of the will as given in the bond was November 2, 1699, three days before the charge against him in Capt. Leonard's ledger of " a potion of pills, mint water, cordiall potions, &c. , &c." Doubtless at that time he realized the approach of death and was prompted to arrange his wrorldly affairs.
Increase Robinson and his wife Sarah Penniman had seven children, — three sons and four daughters. Increase Jr. who married Mehitabel Williams of Taunton, and died in Taunton in 1738; Ebenezer born in Taunton in 1680, married Mary Williams and died in South Raynham October 9, 1753; Josiah who died single in 1703 or 4; Sarah, who married Samuel Dean of Taun- ton; Bethiah, who married Peter Pitts of Taunton; Hannah, who married John Williams of Taunton, and Abigail, who married John Forbes of Bridgewater.
From the language used in the will of William Robinson whereby he gives " my son Increase eldest sonn that bears my name ' ' twenty shillings, it has been naturally supposed that
26 INCREASE ROBINSON, SENIOR.
Increase had a son William, but no other evidence that he had such a son has been found.
Josiah died while in sen-ice against the Indians. The tradi- tion is that he became overheated in running after a wounded deer, and in drinking from a cold spring of water died suddenly.
I have said that Ebenezer died in South Raynham. In the deed he gave John Staples in 1725 which I have cited, he de- scribed the premises conveyed as "that plantation of land whereon I formerly dwelt," showing that he had removed from there. Land was laid out to his father in 1680 in the easterly part of the town but on the westerly side of Taunton Great River in the vicinity of Titicut and Tareall Plain, and at the time he gave the deed to Staples he was undoubtedly living on this land. Referring again to the Morgan Gobi) map we find in the south- easterly part of the town near the Middleboro line a bridge across the Great River called Great Bridge, and on the westerly side of the river near the bridge a dwelling house marked Lieut. Robin- son. When Raynham was set off from Taunton in 1731, a part of the boundary was as follows : "on the south by Taunton Great River including all the land of Lieut. Ebenezer Robinson, on the southeasterly or south side of said river except that piece of land by his saw mill near the furnace, which is in Middleborough precinct." This land has been owned and occupied by some of the descendants of Ebenezer Robinson to the present day, and the bridge is called Robinson's Bridge.
Here must close this notice of Increase Robinson senior. After all how little have we been able to discover concerning him. We would gladly know more of the man himself than can be learned from his business transactions, and the offices of trust and responsibility to which he was occasionally called. From these few facts we are satisfied that he was a substantial citizen, respected by his fellow townsmen, leaving children who honored his memory and wrere an honor to him, and filling an honorable place among the early settlers of Taunton. With this we must be content.
As God ' ' renewrs the face of the earth ' ' so he renews the generations of men. The fathers and mothers die — they live again in their children and children's children.
REV. JOHN ROBINSON, OF LEYDEN.
AND SOME OF HIS DESCENDANTS.
BY REV. WILLIAM A. ROBINSON, D. D.
T is characteristic of the true hero to be modestly unconscious of his heroism. He simply goes for- ward doing his duty, and is too busy with his work to pose for effect or think of fame. Emphatically was this true of John Robinson, the Pilgrim Pastor and Leader.
But if it was difficult for him to think of himself as a hero, it is hardly less so for us fully to appre- ciate what it meant for him in his day to take the noble course his conscience prompted, and face the inner conflict and outward persecutions which he quietly braved in obeying his convictions. It requires a careful study of his life and times fully to understand the faith and courage he exemplified in pursuing the course which he took in God's name. But among the names of the heroes in God's service in that age, that of John Robinson holds honored place.
John Robinson was born near Gainsborough, Eng. , in the year 1575. Of his childhood and youth nothing is recorded save that he fitted for college and matriculated in Cambridge Univer- sity. Two Cambridge colleges claim him as a student, but Corpus Christi appears to have the best warrant for its claim. The Register of that college shows this entry: "John Robinson. F., Lincolnshire. Admitted 1592; Fellow, 1598."
He took orders after his graduation in the Church of Eng- land, but because of his modification of certain ceremonies, and his broad and progressive views, he was suspended by the Bishop of Norwich. Upon this, in 1604, he resigned his fellowship, and parted finally with the Established Church. For a time he assisted Rev. Mr. Clyfton, pastor of a Separatist Church which
28 REV. JOHN ROBINSON.
met at the dwelling of William Brewster near Scrooby in Not- tinghamshire. Later he became pastor of that little church, and in 1609, after many difficulties and persecutions, he with his church escaped to Holland. Settling finally at Leyden, he ministered to his little flock with the utmost fidelity and devo- tion. At the same time by his counsels and his writings he labored valiantly and efficiently to promote the cause of civil and religious liberty. September 5, 1615, he became a member of
THE JOHN ROBINSON HOUSE, LEYDEN.
the University of I^eyden and was held in high esteem for his scholarship and the breadth and catholicity of his views. In 1620, the younger and more vigorous portion of his flock joined in that famous ' ' pilgrimage ' ' to America, which has meant so much for this country and the world. Pastor Robinson gave them his historical " Parting Counsel," and intended himself soon to follow them to America, but was unable so to do. The father of the writer of this sketch used to say that John Robinson had one reason for deferring his journey to America, which has been a limitation upon many of his descendants — he was in debt! Be
REV. JOHN ROBINSON. 29
this as it may, his hopes for reunion with his flock in America was terminated by his death at Ley den, March i, 1625, in the 5oth year of his age. He was buried in the churchyard of St. Peter's Cathedral, in the presence of the gentry and dignitaries of the City and University.
In 1891, a Committee of the National Council of Congrega- tional Churches of this country, on which the writer of this
TOWER OF ST. PETER S.
sketch had the honor to serve, caused a handsome bronze tablet to be placed in his memory upon the wall of St. Peter's Cathe- dral at Leyden, bearing, besides the record of his name and offices, the apt inscription ' ' /// Memoria Aeterna Rtit Justus.
Of the six children of John Robinson, two sons, John and Isaac are known to have come to Plymouth, Mass, in 1630. Isaac is the ancestor of a numerous progeny. To him I trace my family line, and the facts recorded in my genealogy are as follows: —
3O REV. JOHN ROBINSON.
1. Isaac, born 1610, came to Plymouth 1630. Married first 1636, Margaret Hanford, by whom he had five children. After her decease he married in 1649 a second wife, by whom he had four children, the third of whom was,
2. Peter, born 1665, married Experience, daughter of John Manton of Tisbury, Martha's Vineyard. He finally settled in Scotland Parish, Windham, Conn. He was the father of fifteen children, of whom the fourth was,
3. Peter, born 1697, married June 20, 1725, Ruth Fuller, daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth (Thatcher ) Fuller, of Mans- field, Conn. He had twelve children, of whom the ninth was,
4. Eliab, born August 22, 1742, married Lucy Williams; resided many years in Dorset, Vt., and died in Pittsford, Vt., April 1836, aged 93 years. He had five children, of whom the youngest was,
5. Septimius, born July 27, 1790, married ist, Lucy Kings- ley, who died in 1833: 2nd, Jan. 6, 1835, Semantha Washbtirn of Montpelier, Vt. He died at Morrisville, Vt., Sept. 27, 1860. He had eight children, of whom the seventh was,
6. William Albert, born Feb. 24, 1840, married Sept. i, 1862, Lucy Camp Swift, of Morrisville, Vt. They have had two children, of whom one, Mrs. Emily M. Coleman, of Fort Dodge, Iowa, survives.
THOMAS ROBINSON. OF HARTFORD. CONN.. 1640. AND GUILFORD. 1664.
AND SOME OF HIS DESCENDANTS.
BY MARY GAY ROBINSON.
HERE stands in the town of Guilford, Conn., a half mile northwest from the center of the village, an old house in good condition, the second house on the spot, where a family by name of Robinson have been born, lived and died for the last 236 years.
In 1664 came one, Mr. Thomas Robinson, from the then young town of Hartford to settle in Guil- ford. He came with Mary, his wife, and seven children, and bought this corner lot and homestead, which for twenty-five years previous, since the settlement of Guilford in 1639, had been owned by four men, Mr. John Caffinge or Chaffinch, first owner; Thomas French, tenant in 1644; Thomas Standish, son of the famous Captain Miles vStandish, of Plymouth, Mass., 1647; Thomas Smith, 1660; William Stone, 1663, by whom it was sold to Mr. Thomas Robinson in 1664.
Thus the place passed from hand to hand till purchased by Thomas Robinson; it has been handed down in the family name from that day to this and is now occupied and owned by the Robinson name of the seventh generation.
The present house was built in 1752 by Samuel Robinson, fourth generation, Thomas, i ; Thomas, 2; Samuel, 3; Samuel, 4; Samuel, 5; Rev. Henry Robinson, 6, who left it to his widow, Mrs. Mary (Gushing Gay) Robinson, and four children, Mrs. M. E. Gallaudett, Fannie \V. Robinson, Mary Gay Robinson, Henry Pynchon Robinson, Vale College 1X63, in the seventh generation.
The houses in Guilford are built in a compact village, while the farms lie all around, salt marsh and upland, hill and meadow. The Robinson house is on land that descends slightly and the
jjo THOMAS ROBINSON.
two and a half acres of the home lot look off and up towards the east on Fair Street with its various shaped roofs, north upon a rocky ledge that has been converted into, the handsome stone mansion of Mr. Chester Kingman, which was built by Rev. E. Edwin Hall, whose wife, daughter of Rev. Dr. Malan of Geneva, Switzerland, wished to reproduce a Swiss chateau in her new American home; also a stone building, the Guilford Institute, a gift of Mrs. Mary Griffing to the youth of Guilford; south we look out upon the higher swell of land that forms Broad Street, and to the west the country road winds on over two bridges that
HOUSE OF SAMUEL ROBINSON, BUILT IN 1752.
cross two small rivers that form West river, and in the rise of ground beyond that river is the village cemetery.
Thomas Robinson, Sr. , is the remotest ancestor of whom his descendants have any knowledge. His name appears on the Guilford Records for the first time in 1664, though he might have been there earlier. He was in Hartford in 1640. There were a number of this name in the country previous to his settlement in Guilford ; a Thomas Robinson of Scituate in 1643 ; two of the name, father and son, in New Haven in 1644 > Thomas Robinson in New London, who married Mary, daughter of Hugh Wells of Wethersfield ; Thomas Robinson in Hartford in 1640, and this was the one who settled at Guilford.
This Thomas Robinson purchased of William Stone a spot containing two and one-half acres, a half mile north west of Guil-
THOMAS ROBINSON.
33
ford Green, on the New Haven road. We have in our possession a deed executed by him, bearing date October 20, 1679, convey- ing this homestead to his son Thomas.
The Guilford History by Mr. R. D. Smith, and Steiner's Guilford History, state: Mr. Thomas Robinson bought out the land which was originally owned by John Caffinge in 1 664 and afterwards became one of the wealthiest of the settlers. He was noted for a very long and very expensive lawsuit with the town, originating from his taking up land on the front of his lot which was claimed by the town. The suits which grew out of this act
were appealed eventually to the Legislature, and finally were adjusted and settled by the interposition of a committee there- from.
There was a tradition that the first Thomas Robinson went back to England. "He went to a far land," and that meant across the seas ; that he found most of his kindred in England were dead.
Thomas Robinson, Sr. , appears to have been a man of re- spectable character and standing, as the titles " Gentleman " and " Mr." are given him in the ancient records. He was, however, of a warm temperament and determined purpose and l>ecame involved in some unhappy controversies which rendered his situ- ation at Guilford unpleasant and probably induced him near the
34 THOMAS ROBINSON.
close of his life to remove to Hartford, where he was living in 1 684-5 and where he appears to have died in 1 689 at an advanced age.
His wife, Mary, died at Guilford, July 27, 1668. Two of his daughters married in Wethersfield. Mary Robinson married John Latimer in 1680, Saint Robinson married Ziba Try on. Thomas Robinson, Sr. , had difficulty with Rev. Joseph Eliot, minister in Guilford for thirty years and son of Rev. John Eliot, Apostle to the Indians. He also had trouble with Governor Leete. All these things show he was rather a testy man.
The earliest mention we have is that he appeared in a law- suit with one of the Lords in Hartford in 1640. From that time there are twenty-four years in which we know almost nothing of Thomas Robinson. He probably married in or near 1650, judg- ing from the ages of the oldest children. His youngest son, David Robinson's age and death are on a gravestone in Durham, Conn. , where they were more careful and accurate in the matter of gravestones than in Guilford, because there was a quarry near by.
Rev. Henry Robinson of Guilford, Conn., supposes his an- cestor, Thomas Robinson, Sr. , was about twenty-five years old in 1640. He is not among the first settlers of Hartford, though he is among the earliest. When he came to Guilford he was about fifty or fifty-five and seventy-five or eighty when he died in 1689. Mr. Ralph D. Smith saw the notice of his death in Hartford.
When he came to Guilford he had his wife Mary, and at the time of Mary's death, July 27, 1668, there were seven children, three sons and four daughters. His daughter, Ann Robinson, married Joseph Dudley, and from them are descended the Dudleys of Guilford and elsewhere, the Fields, David Dudley Field, Cyrus Field, Hon. Simeon Baldwin Chittenden, member of Congress from New York.
A handsome carved oaken chest, "T" on one end, "R" on the other and date "1682" is owned by Simeon Baldwin Chittenden of Brooklyn, and was at the Chicago Exposition in the Connecticut Building.
Robert Dale Owen married Mary Jane Robinson, 7th gene- ration ; the artist Wed worth Wadsworth's mother, Rose Robin- son, was 6th generation ; Colonel Francis Parsons of Hartford, on Governor Lounsbury's staff, is of the gth generation from Thomas Robinson.
THOMAS ROBINSON.
The second Thomas Robinson was the oldest of seven chil- dren. He married twice and had eight children. The two daughters of his first wife, Sarah Cruttenden, died unmarried; his second wife was Sarah Graves, their oldest son Samuel Rob- inson, married Rachel Strong of Northampton, Mass. She died in one year and left one child, Samuel. Says the Rev. Henry Robinson: "Despairing of finding her like again this Samuel Robinson remained unmarried to the day of his death, fifty-one years. He was shrewd, sensible and pious, and an exceedingly companionable and interesting man. He had no taste for public office, but was fond of books and self-culture. He was a great admirer of President Edwards and read his works much. His
CARVED OAKEN CHEST, 1 682.
only child, Samuel Robinson, 2nd, was brought up by his maiden sister, Sarah, who lived to be sixty-two. My father, the Rev. Henry Robinson, remembered this Samuel, 2nd, who died in 1802, when he was a boy of fourteen. My grandfather, Samuel Robinson, 3rd, was a lad of fourteen when his grandfather, Samuel the ist, died in 1776, and Samuel Robinson ist, was seventeen years old when his father the second Thomas Robinson died in 1712, and the second Thomas Robinson was thirty-nine when Thomas Robinson, Sr., died in 1689.
Samuel Robinson, ist, had but one child, a son; Samuel Robinson, 2nd, had but one child, a son; Samuel Robinson, 3rd, had four children, two sons and two daughters. These heads of small families lived to be old men, eighty-one, seventy-seven, seventy-seven, and my father, eighty-nine years and nine months. They married early in life, twenty-nine, thirty-five, twenty-four; the sons carried on the calling of the fathers and were farmers,
30 THOMAS ROBINSON.
and in the beginning of the nineteenth century were counted the rich farmers of this farming town. They were from generation to generation members of the Connecticut legislature. Then came four children to divide the patrimony that for two genera- tions had been transmitted to one heir alone. Two daughters marry and carry off their dowries ; Sarah married Isaac Ben ton, and their daughter Sarah, marrying Richard Starr of Guilford, removed to Mendon, 111., leaving descendants. Eliza married Col. John B. Chittenden of Guilford, and removed about 1832 to Mendon, 111., leaving numerous descendants. The two sons go to Yale College, one becomes a Congregational clergyman, the
OAKEN CHAIR.
Rev. Henry Robinson, Yale College, 1811, Andover Seminary, 1816, tutor at Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Me., 1817 ; the other, Samuel Robinson, Yale College, 1817, a teacher. The farm lands are sold, but the homestead, the second house built on the spot purchased in 1664, was inherited by the Rev. Henry Robinson and his four children. The brother, Samuel Robinson, a distinguished teacher, conducted a family school for boys in it. His son was Dr. Samuel C. Robinson, of Brooklyn, N. Y., Yale College, 1852; his daughter is Mrs. Anna C. Hyde of New Haven.
A curious oaken chair with tape loom in back is one of the relics in the old Robinson house in Guilford, and there are old deeds reaching back to 1675.
The Rev. Henry Robinson returned to the old homestead
THOMAS ROBINSON. 37
after four pastorates in Connecticut, ie, Litchfield, South Farms (now Morris), Suffield, North Killingly (now Putnam Heights) and Plainfield, spending the last twenty-two years of his life and dying there at the age of eighty-nine years and nine months, September 14, 1878.
The sixth child of Thomas Robinson, Sr. , David Robinson, and another Guilford man, Caleb Seward, were the first settlers of Durham, Conn. The Robinson line in Durham had large families, ten, twelve, sixteen children, who, as the space grew too small for them, moved away and settled Granville, Blandford, Tolland, Mass., then went to western New York, Ohio and Illinois.
The Hon. Henry Cornelius Robinson, a leading lawyer of Connecticut, who died at his home in Hartford the past winter, was a descendant of David Robinson, first settler of Durham. Isaac Chapman Bates of Northampton, Mass., Senator in Con- gress, was a descendant. David Robinson's son, Ebenezer Robinson, gave a burying ground and school fund to the town of Durham.
Early in 1 700 our Robinson ancestor owned land in Martha's Vineyard, where lived descendants of the Rev. John Robinson, of Leyden, and we hoped from that fact there might have been kinship with that line in England; the dates will not permit our descent from him.
Professor William Dudley, of Leland Standford University, Cal., a descendant of Thomas Robinson, found that Robinson was among the names of families of Ockley, in Surrey, England, about the time of the emigration to Guilford, Conn., 1639, of the Rev. Henry Whitfield and his company, but we have not ascer- tained as yet from what part of England our first ancestor, Thomas Robinson, came. That important quest is one which we hope our friends of this Robinson organization may help us to pursue.
THE PENNIMAN FAMILY.
BY REV. G. W. PENNIMAN.
I certainly esteem it an honor to be invited to attend this happy gathering, and to be invited to speak to you a few minutes on certain lines of ancestry in which some of us at least have a very vital in- terest. It is, I regret to say, my misfortune to be not of the tribe of Robinson. Half of the Pennimans have that honor, but I have not. A diligent search for some years has dis- covered most of my American ancestral names, but not a
Robinson do I find among them. It is clear that, notwithstand- ing all the achievements of that distinguished family, they have signal!}- failed at one point, in not fixing things so that they could claim me as a descendant. So most of what I shall say to you to-day will be as an outsider. But I am happy on the other hand to see that by going back a little farther we can claim a common Penniman ancestry.
All the Pennimans in America appear to be descended from a single pair of emigrants. It is not ' ' three brothers ' ' with us. It is not from several progenitors here and there that our family springs, making it an endless task to hunt them up and dis- tinguish them ; but it's from James and L,ydia (Eliot) Penniman that we all derive.
We have reason to be proud of our Eliot connection. Of Lydia's brother John, the " Apostle to the Indians," Hon. D. H. Chamberlain has recently said : "Of Eliot it is truth to say, no saintlier figure has adorned mankind since the star of Bethlehem
THE PENNIMAN FAMILY.
39
came and stood over where the young child lay." Lydia Eliot was baptized in Nazing, County Essex, England, 1610, daughter of Bennett Eliot, and that is as far back as we can go in deter- mining our Eliot ancestry.
Where James Penniman came from we do not know. I thought once I knew, but I find I was mistaken. There is no positive evidence of his origin. All we know is purely negative. But there are certain probabilities which are interesting. Burke says the family is of Saxon origin and first settled in Kent, that the name was originally " Pen-na-man," meaning "head chief man " ; so you see the Pennimans must have been at the head once, however it may be now. There is now, so far as I can learn (aside from one or two American Pennimans temporarily
ORMESBY CHURCH.
there), but one family of Pennymans in England. Mr. James Worsley Pennyman of Ormesby Hall assures me that neither he, nor his father, nor his grandfather, ever heard the name in Eng- land, though they have made considerable inquiry.
Ormesby Hall is in the North Riding of Yorkeshire, near the mouth of the river Tees, about four miles from the iron- manufacturing city of Middlesborough, and the estate has been in the family some four hundred years. There has been a line of eight baronets, beginning with 1628 and ending in 1852, when the name Pennyman became extinct ; but the estate fell to a cousin who assumed his mother's surname of Pennyman. The grandson of this gentleman, Mr. James Worsley Pennyman, the present head of the family, has written out for me a most interesting account of the Penniman home and family in England
4O THE PENNIMAN FAMILY.
and sent pictures of the old home. In the strife of the ijth century between royalist and puritan, Sir William Pennyman, of Marske, near Ormesby, was a most distinguished royalist. He was highly esteemed by Charles I., who appointed him governor of Oxford and colonel of a regiment of foot. While governor of Oxford Sir William died Aug. 22, 1643, and i" Christ Church Cathedral at Oxford may be seen a mural tablet commemorating his loyalty and his virtues.
But who was James Penniman, the emigrant, or Pennyman, as frequently spelt in the early records ? It is noticeable that James is a frequent name, occurring in ever}* generation of the English Pennymans, that the governor's uncle was Sir James, and that all the records of the old parish of Marske, near Ormesby, where the Governor's branch of the family then lived, are missing prior to 1631. Singularly enough they begin that year, the very year that James and Lydia Penniman came to Boston. Of course this proves nothing, but as long as we can find no trace of the name elsewhere, we may feel the force of a probability which Mr. J. W. Pennyman of Ormesby Hall thus stated in a letter to me: "If one may hazard a guess, the zealous cavaliers might look upon a round-head relative as a disgrace to the family, and might be only too glad when his emigration gave an opportunity to blot out all trace of his existence. ' '
James and Lydia Penniman joined the First church at Bos- ton, and probably lived there a few years, for James Penniman sold to Robert Meeres house and land between present Court and Sudbury Streets, overlooking Mill Cove. Was this the first Penniman home in America? It must have been a beautiful spot in the early days of Boston. As early as 1636 James Penniman was living at Mount Wollaston, now Quincy, but then a part of Boston. Their minister, the Rev. John Wheel- wright, was soon accounted a dangerous heretic, and though he and his sister, Mrs. Hutchinson, were approved and followed by the governor, Henry Vane, and most of the prominent people of Boston, Winthrop being elected governor, Wheelwright was banished and fifty of his followers were disarmed, James Penni- man among them. Savage in his ' ' Winthrop ' ' says : "In no part of the history of any of the United States perhaps can a parallel be found for this act" of disarming. And Dr. Pattee in his History of Old Braintree adds : ' ' This high handed
THE PENNIMAN FAMILY.
injustice left them without any protection to themselves or their families from the scalping knife or the horrors of Indian massa- cre." Shall we not feel proud that in those early days, when it cost so much, we find our ancestors daring to think for them- selves ?
Soon after this, in response to the petition of James Penni- man and others, the town of Braintree was incorporated May 13, 1640. James Penniman's is the first name on Braintree records, being the first in a list of six men "deputed for town affairs." He is also said to have built the first house in Braintree. Just where that house was I do not know. But it was very likely not far from the location of what are now called the ' ' Adams' cot-
PENNIMAN-ADAMS COTTAGES AT QUINCY.
tages," the birthplaces respectively of Presidents John and John Quincy Adams. In 1720 James Penniman, who must have been grandson of the immigrant James, sold this property to John Adams, father of President John Adams. A brick in the chimney jamb of the older house indicates that it was built in i6S6, and in the other house bears the date 1716. I will speak of this later. James Penniman died in 1664, and his widow married Thomas Wight of Medfield.
James and Lydia Eliot Penniman had nine children as indi- cated on Boston and Braintree records, but undoubtedly there were ten.
i. The eldest was James3, baptized in Boston, 1633, spoken of in his father's will as an educated man. He was a felt-maker and lived in Boston on the road to Roxbury, probably «>n or near Summer Street, where his son, grandson, and great grandson
42 THE PENNIMAN FAMILY.
lived after him, his son being called "surgeon," his grandson " cordwainer, " and his great grandson a "physician." This family seems to have had a large estate and to have been very prosperous, but they have died out and entirely disappeared.
2. The next child was a daughter, Lydia2 baptized in Boston 1635, and married Edward2 Adams of Medfield.
3. Next comes a son, John2 baptized 1637, married Hannah, daughter of immigrant Roger Billings, and had seven children, all of whom died young or unmarried.
4. Fourth comes Joseph2 born in Braintree Aug. i, 1639, married for first wife, who bore all his children, Waiting2 Rob- inson, daughter of William1 Robinson of Dorchester and sister of Increase2 Robinson who married her husband's sister, Sarah2 Penniman, and settled in Taunton. Probably about half the Pennimans now living descend from Deacon Joseph. I will come back to them later.
5. The next child was Sarah2 born 1641, who married In- crease Robinson, and I will leave others to speak of her and her descendants.
6. The sixth child, whose birth is not on record, was prob- ably Bethiah, who is mentioned in her mother's will (1673) as Bethiah Allen.
7. The seventh child was Hannah, born 1648, who married 1671, John2 Hall, son of the emigrant George1 Hall, who was one of the original proprietors of Cohannet, including present Taun- ton, Berkeley and Raynham, purchased from the Indian Sachem Massasoit in 1639. I suppose there are many Halls and others in Taunton and vicinity descended from our Hannah2 Penniman.
8. The eighth child was Abigail, born 1651, who would seem, from her mother's will 1673, to have married a Gary. She calls her "Abigail Carie." But Braintree Records (p. 719) give " Samuel Neale and Abigail Penniman married the 2nd mo. i8th, '78 by Captain Mason." I cannot account for this apparent discrepancy.
9. The ninth child was Mary2 born 1653^ who married Samuel Paine of Braintree.
10. The tenth and youngest child wras Samuel2 born 1655, married Elizabeth Parmenter, and probably had ten children, but only three sons who had families. These were Nathan3, Joseph3 and James3, and they all left Braintree, the two elder brothers, Nathan3 and Joseph3, going to Netmocke or Mendon,
THE PENNIMAN FAMILY.
43
for which plantation their grandfather, the immigrant James1 Penniman, had been one of the petitioners, and their uncle Joseph2 one of the commissioners to settle it, though neither of them had removed there.
The youngest brother James3 went to Medfield. And as the old Penniman place in Braintree was sold about the time that the brothers left for their new homes, I think it probable that it was James3 son of Samuel2, rather than his cousin James3 son of Joseph2, who sold this property. No wife signs the deed, and this James3 was unmarried at the time, which helps to sus- tain this theory. Certainly it was good judgment and rare fore- sight, if he sell the place at all, to sell it to the father of a president and grandfather of another president of a nation, sixty years before that nation's birth ; for by so doing the Penniman place is preserved as a mecca of pilgrimage. The Daughters of the Revolution now have charge of the John Adams house, and the Quincy Historical Society, under the most efficient manage- ment of its Curator, Mr. William G. Spear, has made the John Quincy Adams birthplace a most delightful place to visit.
I would like to dwell on the Mendon Pennimans, the de- scendants of Samuel2 of Braintree, from which branch I descend myself. They have been rovers and have scattered widely. None are left in that vicinity now, but some of them have con- tributed to the good name of the family in many States. But I must speak only a few minutes on the male descendants of Joseph2 and then close.
Deacon Joseph2 and his brother Samuel2 were the two Pennimans in the latter half of the seventeenth century, both occupying position in their day. Deacon Joseph2 was of the " Suffolk troop of Horse" and fought in Philip's War. His eldest son Joseph3 died in 1691 at twenty years of age, of the fever contracted in Phip's unfortunate crusade against Canada, that sad affair of which the Boston preachers spoke ' ' as the .awful frown of God." A second son, Moses3 became Episcopal. It is remarkable that he should thus estrange himself, as he must in a measure have done at that early day, from his brothers and sisters and kinsmen. He had a son Moses 4 who was on the war ship King George, stationed off the coast for its protection in 1758, and he is called " mariner" in his will in 1761. Moses4 had a son William5, who was a shipbuilder at Boston and later at New London, but he passed his last years at Williamstown,
44 THE PENNIMAN FAMILY.
where he died in 1 809. One of his grandsons was the late Ed- mund Burke7 Penniman, a prominent lawyer of North Adams, whose son Edmund B. 8 Penniman is now treasurer of the North Adams Manufacturing Co. There are descendants of this Wil- liam5 Penniman in Pennsylvania, and in the South and West. Another grandson was the Hon. Francis B. 7 Penniman of Pitts- burgh and Honesdale, Penn., an editor and a forceful public speaker, who took a great interest in public affairs, was highly respected and took much pleasure in looking up his Penniman ancestry. He is the only one I have found who has given the subject much attention, and he confined his search to his own line of ancestry.
I find that a great grandson of this William5 Penniman was killed at Shiloh on the Confederate side, while another Penni- man, not a near relative, was killed on the Union side in the same battle.
Now let us go back to Deacon Joseph2. His youngest son James3 married 1683, Abigail Thayer. From this couple the present stock of Braintree and Quincy Pennimans descend. They had two sons, William4 and James4, both of whom were promi- nent men and had large families. The elder, William4, a prom- inent citizen and an ardent patriot, married his mother's cousin, Ruth Tha}-er, who became the " mother of fifteen children, ten sons and five daughters, ' ' as her tombstone informs us. And eleven of these children outlived their father, who died in 1780. Of this interesting family one, Pelatiah5 went to Mendon to join his cousins, married Hannah Taft and had a farge family. His descendants all went to New Hampshire and Vermont, where many of them are now living.
Another son of this William4 wras Joseph5, who graduated at Harvard and became minister of the church at Bedford for twenty-two years, 1771-93. He left three daughters and no sons.
Another son of William4 was Mesheck5 who had two sons, Elisha6 and William6. Elisha6, born 1778, died 1831, settled in Brookline and became one of Boston's great merchants, amassing a large property for those days. Elisha' s6 eldest daughter Caro- line1 married Charles Heath, and his granddaughter, Mary C. M Heath, is the wife of Edward Atkinson. Elisha's6 second child, Almira7, after a sojourn at the famous Brook Farm Community, married Rev. David H. Barlow and became the mother of Gen. Francis Channing Barlow, who won a distinguished reputation
THE PENNIMAN FAMILY. 45
as a brave and able officer of the Army of the Potomac, and was afterward Secretary of State and Attorney General of New York. Gen. Barlow married Ellen Shaw, sister of Robert Gould Shaw, the gallant Colonel of the 54th Mass. Regiment, the first regi- ment of colored soldiers from a free State mustered into the United States service. He was killed at Ft. Wagner and his heroic life is most fittingly and beautifully commemorated in the ' ' Shaw Memorial ' ' opposite the Boston State House. A third daughter of EHsha6, Mary Jane7 Penniman, who died six months ago, was the widow of Moses Blake Williams. Her sons are Moses8 and Charles Amory8 Williams, distinguished lawyers and business men of Boston, and Dr. Harold8 Williams, Dean of Tufts Medical School.
Mesheck's5 other son, William6 went to Baltimore, married and settled there, and from him descend the several well-known business men of that city, Pennimans, Bonds, Carringtons and others, also Prof. W. B. D. Penniman of Baltimore Medical College. A branch of this enterprising Baltimore family settled in Ashville, N. C., and went into business. Mesheck's5 descend- ants have everywhere won credit for the name.
Mesheck's brother Elihu5 settled in Peterborough and later Fitzwilliam, N. H., and their descendants went West.
Bethuel5, brother of Mesheck5 and son of William4, settled in Abington, and his descendants are in Abington and vicinity, also in Middleborough and New Bedford.
The remaining children of William4 and Ruth (Thayer) Penniman remained in Braintree, where most of their progeny have continued to this day, though it is singular, how, not only here but elsewhere, the family has run to girls, and the surname remains in but comparatively few families.
William's4 brother, Deacon James4, born in 1708, married Dorcas Vinton and was one of the foremost citi/ens of ' ' Old Braintree," and chairman of selectmen for many years. John Adams says in his diary that the town meeting of March 3, 1766, was the first popular struggle of the Revolution in the town of Braintree, and the young lawyer is very happy that Deacon Penni- man of the patriot party is re-elected, and that he (John Adams) also secures the honor of an election to the board. Deacon James had eleven children and eight of them grew up, but only two sons had families, Stephen5 and Enoch s, and Enoch's5 family has disappeared.
46 THE PENNIMAN FAMILY.
Captain Thomas5 Peiiniman (son of Deacon James4 ) settled in Stoughton, served in the French and Indian War, being at the battle of Quebec, and also in the Revolution. Late in life he settled in Washington, N. H., where he died. He left no children.
Major Stephen5 (son of Deacon James4) served in the Revolutionary War with distinction. He had eight daughters and only one son, Stephen0 Jr. Stephen6 Jr. had six children who grew up and four were sons. Thomas 0. 7 the eldest, a carpen- ter, had sons, William R.8 and Thomas8, who became contract- ors and builders, the former being in his day one of the most prominent contractors in eastern Massachusetts. A daughter, Anna M.8 has been for thirty years master's assistant in the Shurtleff School for girls in South Boston.
Stephen6 Jr's. second son Stephen'1 had besides daughters, a son Stephen8 who lives in Quincy, a son Henry8 who lives in Winthrop, Me., and a son William W.H who died recently, but whose son George William9, of Fall River, is with us to-day. He and I bear the same initials, though our middle names differ. Unlike myself he has wide fame as a public speaker, especially in the important causes of temperance and Sunday School work. He has also been in the Massachusetts Legislature.
Luther7, the next son of Stephen6 Jr., had a son Major George H.8 Penniman, who was a noted lawyer and an eloquent public speaker in Detroit, and he left a son who succeeds to his father's profession.
The youngest son of Stephen6 Jr., was James Thayer7 Pen- niman, who I think is still living in Quincy at eighty-one years of age, and has a son James H.8, a leather dealer in Boston.
Thus, my friends, have I given you the briefest outline of one branch of the Penniman family, those descended from Jos- eph2 and Waiting (Robinson2) Penniman of the second genera- tion. Some of you I suppose are interested in this outline. It is very meagre, but consumes all the time I feel warranted in taking. It would, no doubt, be pleasanter to read it or refer to it occasionally than to hear it. I shall be much gratified to learn that some do feel an interest in this work which is far from finished as I would like to see it finished. I can hardly learn of a new Penniman anywhere in the country, but I want to search the land records, find more about where they lived and what they did. Though a small family, and not especially celebrated,
THE PENNIMAN FAMILY.
47
it has on the whole a very creditable record. I hope you are ready to help all you can to get together as complete an account as we can of our family name. It is a long and tiresome work, and I often think it takes too much time which might be better employed. But I believe there is profound truth in the senti- ments contained in the preface which John Adams Vinton wrote in his book which has the only printed genealogy of the Penni- man family. He says: " There is not an intelligent, public- spirited, virtuous man anywhere to be found, who can safely deny that his motives to virtue and patriotism are strongly rein- forced by the consideration — if such were the fact — that his ancestors were brave and upright men." We believe with Webster, that ' ' there is moral and philosophical respect for our ancestors, which elevates the character and improves the heart." Burke truly said, "Those only deserve to be remembered by posterity who treasure up the memory of their ancestors."
HERALDRY.
BY THE HISTORIOGRAPHER.
J. Bernard Burke in his "General Armory " says: " It is not clear that our Heraldry can be traced to a more remote period than the twelfth, or at furthest, the eleventh century. Numerous tombs exist of persons of noble blood, who died before the year looo, yet there is not an instance known of one with a heraldic bearing.
' ' At first armorial bearings were probably like surnameSj assumed by each warrior at his free will and pleasure ; and as his object would be to distinguish himself and his followers from others, his cognizance would be respected by the rest, either out of an innate courtesy or a feeling of natural justice disposing men to recognize the right of first occupation, or really from a posi- tive sense of the inconvenience of being identified or confounded with those to whom no common tie united them. When, how- ever, remoteness of stations kept soldiers aloof, and extensive boundaries, and different classes of enemies from without, subdi- vided the force of a kingdom into many distant bands and armies, opportunities of comparing and ascertaining what ensigns had been already appropriated would be lost, and it well might hap- pen, even in the same country, that numerous families might be found unconsciously using the same arms.
" Certain it is that it was not until the Crusaders that Heraldry came into general use.
" Under Edward I., seals of some sort were so general, that the Statute of Exon ordained the coroner's jury to certify with their respective signets, and in the following reign they became very common, so that only such as bore arms used to seal, but others fashioned signets, taking the letters of their own names, flowers, knots, birds, beasts, &c. It was afterward enacted by statute, that every freeholder should have his proper seal of arms; and he was either to appear at the head court of the shire, or send his attorney with the said seal, and those who omitted this duty were amerced or fined.
HERALDRY. 49
' ' The earliest Heraldic document that has been handed down to us is a Roll of Arms, made in the years 1240 and 1245. It contains the names and arms of the Barons and Knights of the reign of Henry III., and affords incontrovertible evidence of the fact that Heraldry was at this time reduced to a science."
We further learn from Mr. Burke that three other similar collections were made, "The Siege of Carlaverock," a Roll of Arms temporary with Edward II., and another with Edward III. These were published by Sir Harris Nicholas. The Roll of Edward II. was made 1308-14, and included the names of about eleven hundred and sixty persons located in the counties. The fourth Roll, that of Edward III., Burke says, " appears to have been compiled between the years 1337 and 1350. Its plan was most comprehensive, embracing the arms of all the Peers and Knights in England. ' '
In the reign of Henry V., Nicholas Upton compiled his "The Boke of St. Albans," which is the first known work on the sub- ject. King Henry V. issued his proclamation prohibiting the use of heraldic ensigns by all who could not show an original and valid right. This did not, however, include those who bore arms at Agincourt. Notwithstanding the royal edict the abuse continued and to such an extent that it gave rise in the sixteenth century to the establishment of the " Herald's Visitations, docu- ments of high authority and value." Burke says that, "All persons who can deduce descent from an ancestor whose armoral ensigns have been acknowledged in any one of the Visitations, are entitled to carry those arms by right of inheritance."
Of the Crests, Burke has this to say: " The Crest yields in honour to none of the heraldic insignia. It was the emblem that served, when the banner was rent asunder, and the shield broken, as a rallying joint for the knight's followers, and a distinguish- ing mark of his own prowess Nisbet and some
other writers contend that these heraldic ornaments might be changed according to the good pleasure of the bearer, but this has long been forbidden by the Kings of Arms. If crests be the distinguishing tokens by which families may be known (and this seems most assuredly to be the intention of the device), one might as well alter a coat of arms as a hereditary crest.'
Of the Motto, Guillim says it is " a word, saying or sentence which gentlemen carry in a scroll under the arms, and sometimes over the crest." Burke says, " It had its origin most probably,
5O HERALDRY.
in the ' cri Jc guerre' or the watchword of the camp, and its use can be traced to a remote period. Camden assigns the reign of Henry III. (1216-72) as the date of the oldest motto he ever met with. Other authorities, however, carry up the mottoes to much earlier epoch. Be this as it may, their general usage may be accurately dated, if not from an earlier period, certainly from the institution of the Order of the Garter, and after that celebrated event (1344-50) they became very general, and daily grew in favour.
"Mottoes may be taken, changed, or relinquished, when and as often as the bearer thinks fit, and may be exactly the same as those of other persons. Still, however, the pride of an- cestry will induce most men to retain unaltered the time-hon- oured sentiment which, adopted in the first instance as the memorial of some noble action, some memorial war cry, or a record of some ancient family descent, has been handed down from sire to son through a long series of generations. ' '
It will be noticed that no mottoes grace the arms illustrated in this booklet. The reason for it is I failed to find a motto attached to any of the earliest coats of arms borne by the Rob- insons. At a later date they appear in the arms of descendants, but as there was nothing to show that they belonged to the origi- nal arms I omitted them. The following are some of the mottoes given in the description of the armorial bearings of the descend- ants of the early Robinsons, viz:—
Robinson of Yorkshire and Robinson of Lancastershire have the same motto, Virtu te, non verbis. (By bravery not by words.)
Robinson of Tottenham, Virtus pretiosior auro. (Virtue is more precious than gold. )
Robinson of Cornwall, Loyal an mart. (Loyal to the dead.)
Robinson of Buckinghamshire, Vincam Malum bono. (I will conquer evil by good.) Granted in 1731.
Robinson of Beverly House, Toronto, Can., Propere et pro- vide. (Quickly and cautiously.)
Robinson of London, Spes mea in future est. (My hope is in the future. )
Robinson of Scotland, Intemerata fides. (Uncorrupted faith.) Robinson of Dublin, Ireland, Faithful.
HERALDRY. 51
The Rt. Hon. Sir Hercules George Robert Robinson, Bart., Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St. Michael and St. George, P. C., Legi regi fidus. (Faithful to the law and to the King.)
Robinson, Earl of Ripon, Qi/a/is ab incepto. (The same as from the beginning. )
Robinson of Rokeby Hall, County of L,outh, Sola in Deo Salus. (Salvation in God alone.)
Robinson, Lord Rokeby, Non nobis solum sed toti mundo nati. ( Not born for ourselves alone, but for the whole world. )
Robinson of Silksworth Hall, County of Durham, descended from William Robinson of Durham, living in 1502, Post nubila Phoebus. (Sunshine after clouds. )
Robinson of Somerset, Spes mea in faturo cst. (My hope is in the future.)
COLORS.
The colors common in the Shields and Crests are seven, viz: Gold designated as Or. Silver designated as Argent. Blue desig- nated as Azure. Red designated as Gules. Green designated as Vert. Purple designated as Purpiire. Black designated as Sable.
ARMS.
In the descriptions of the Arms,
Attired means both horns of the stag.
Baron, the arms of husband.
Chevron, lines resembling a pair of rafters to support the
roof of a house.
Cinque foil, five leaved grass issuing from a ball for its center. Crenelle, a black background. Couped, cut off. Crueily, small crosses. Femme, the arms of wife. Gaze, an animal looking full faced. Guardant, an animal looking full faced. Impaled, the division of the shield by a vertical line. Lozenges, a square figure on the shield. Milrind, the iron in the center of the mill-stone and b\
which it is turned. Neb n lee , waved lines.
52 HERALDRY.
Orle, one or two lines passing round the shield.
Passant, an animal in a walking position.
Regardent, an animal looking backward.
Scmee, sprinkled evenly over the surface at regular intervals.
Slipped, torn off from the stem.
Trefoil, three leaved grass.
Trippant, an animal with the right foot uplifted.
Unguled, hoofs of a different color from the body.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PLATES.
PLATE I . Coat of Arms of the family of Green, formerly written de la Greene, the name being derived from their ancient possessions in Northamptonshire where they were seated as early as the year 1250. An ancient Robinson family was also located here and intermarried with the Greenes.
PLATE 2. Arms of " William Robinson out of ye North." Con- firmed by the Herald of Arms in the visitation of Leices- tershire in 1619, and of London in 1633. (Harleian publications, pages 182, 204. )
The ancestor of William Robinson was probably located in the county of Northumberland. We find his descendants in the counties of Durham, York, Lancaster, Nottingham, Lincoln, Leicester, Northampton, Suffolk, Hertford and Middlesex, bear- ing titles of nobility. It is claimed by descendants in England that the Robinsons were Saxon Thanes before the time of Wil- liam the Conqueror. Burke in his " Genealogical Dictionary of the Peerage and Baronetage," Edition of 1898, says: " The Rob- insons have been seated in Lancashire for three centuries and are Lords of the Manor of Chatburne in that county.
Plate 2 is also the armorial bearing of " Thomas Robinson, Esq., of the Inner Temple, London, chief Prothonotary of His Majestic' s Court of Common Pleas, and created a Baronet in 1683 ; descended from Nicholas Robinson of Boston in Lincoln- shire, Gent., who lived in the time of King Henry the Seventh." (1485-1509.) " He beareth Vert on a Chevron between three Bucks tripping, Or, as many Cinquefoils, Gules." ("A Display of Heraldry, by John Guillim, Pursuivant at Arms." London, 1724, 6th edition, page 158.)
In the same work page XI, in the department of " Honour Civill," we read that "The Company of Leather Sellers," incor-
HERALDRY.
=,4 HERALDRY.
porated in 1383, bore as there arms: "Three bucks trippant Argent, regardent, Gules." An ancient Robinson family in Kingston-upon-Hull, bore as their arms: "Vert, a chevron be- tween three bucks trippant." The Robinsons of Kentwell Hall in Suffolk, bear the arms as displayed in Plate 2. Also Robinson of York and London, 1634, bore the same arms ; also borne by Charles B. Robinson, Esq., of Hill Ridgevvare, Staffordshire, England, 1826.
To distinguish one branch of the family from another, and the younger from the older, something was added to or altered in the arms, called ' ' Difference. ' ' This we find in the arms of William Robinson of London, a descendant of "John Robinson of Crosthwayte, county of York" who married Anne Dent. ("The Publications of the Harleian Society, Vol. 17, page 204, Visitation of London, 1633-4-5.) He bore the same Coat of Arms as in Plate 2, with the " Difference " of a star on the shield just below the crest. In the same Visitation of London, Thomas Robinson another descendant of John Robinson, bore the same Arms with the ' ' Difference ' ' of his substitution of a crescent in place of the star.
Robinson of Beverly House, Toronto, Can., bears the same Arms with the " Difference" of the chevron being nebulee and in its apax a unicorn's head couped which occupies the place of the upper cinquefoil. Arms. " Per chevron, Vert and a/,., on a chevron, neubulee, between three stags, trippant or, a unicorn's head couped between two cinquefoils, of the first. Crest, a stag trippant or, semee of lozenges az., and resting the dexter forefoot on a milrind sa."
The ancestor of these Robinsons was John Robinson of Crostwick in the parish of Ronaldkirk, county of York, who was born about 1550, and who married Anne Dent and was the great- grandfather of the Right Rev. John Robinson, D. D., Lord Bishop of Bristol in 1710, and of London in 1714. Another great grand- son was Christopher Robinson, Esq., of Cleasby, county of York, who emigrated to America in the time of King Charles II. and was appointed on the i6th of January, 1679, Secretary to Sir William Berkley, Governor of the Colony of Virginia. He mar- ried Elizabeth Potter. It was their son, Col. John Robinson, known as " Speaker Robinson," who was president of the Vir- ginia Council. He married Catherine Beverley, and was the father of Col. Beverlev Robinson of New York who commanded
HERALDRY.
56 HERALDRY.
a regiment in the British Army in the Revolution, and who mar- ried Susannah, a daughter of Frederick Philispe, Esq., of New York, and the Philispe Manor at Yonkers, N. Y.
Another branch descended from John Robinson of Crost- wick, was Rev. Richard Robinson, D. D., Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of all Ireland, and who was created Lord Rokeby. A descendant from this branch was Alexander Robinson who was born in 1750, in the county of Armagh, now the city of Londonderry, Ireland, and died in Baltimore, Md., in 1845. A great grandson, William A. Robinson, Esq., is a prominent and influential resident of Louisville, Ky.
Plate 2 is also with " Difference " the arms — " Vert a chev- ron between two cinquefoils pierced in chief and a Stag trippant in base or. Crest, A Stag trippant or." of Robinson of Herring- ton, Co. of Durham, " descended from William Robynson, living in 1502."
PLATE 3. Arms of Sir Medcalf Robinson of Newby, county of York, Baronet extinct in 1689 ; the great-great-grandson of William Robinson an ancient and eminent Hamburgh merchant born in 1522, Lord Mayor of York, 1581, elected M. P. for the city, 1584 and 1588, and again Lord Mayor 1594; died in 1616 aged 94 and was buried at St. Crux, York ; the ancestor of the Marquess of Ripon, Sir Fred- erick John Robinson. Sir Medcalf Robinson married Margaret, a daughter of Sir William D'Arcy of Whitton Castle in the Bishoprick of Durham. "He beareth Baron and Femme; the first Vert, Cheveron between three bucks standing at gaze, Or, impaled with Azure, crucily three Cinquefoils, Argent by the name of D'Arcy."
PLATE 4. Arms of Sir John Robinson of the city of London, Alderman, Knight and Baronet, and Lieutenant of his Majesty's Tower. "He beareth quarterly crenelle, Gules and Or. In the first quarter upon a Tower, Argent, a Lion passant guardant. Secondly, Vert, a buck passant within an Orle of Trefoils slipped, Or. The third as the second. The fourth as the first. Crest, stag trippant." (See Plate 9.)
PLATE 5. Arms of John and Richard Robinson "Descended from ye Robinsons in Yorkshire" (London, Herald's visitation 1634.) Crest, stag trippant. Also the arms
HERALDRY
' t
58 HERALDRY.
of Thomas Robinson of Rokeby Park, Co. of York, and his son Richard Robinson, D. D., Archbishop of Armagh, Primate of all Ireland, created Lord Rokeby, and who was born on the 5th of January, 1718. Also the arms of Sir John Robinson, Knight, Lord Mayor of the City of London, eldest son of the venerable William Robinson, archdeacon of Nottingham in 1635.
PLATE 6. Crest of the Arms of Robinson of Tottenham, Eng., and Robinson of Ireland.
PLATE 7. Crest of Nicholas Robinson of Boston. PLATE 8. Crest of Robinson of Somerset Co., England. PLATE 9. Crest of Robinson of Cornwall, South wald and Suf- folk Co., England. PLATE 10. Crest of Robinson of Tottenham, England.
PLATE 1 1 . Crest of Robinson of Northampton and Northum- berland, England.
PLATE 12. Crest of Robinson of Buckinghamshire Co., Eng.
PLATE 13. Crest of Robinson of Yorkshire Co., England.
PLATE 14. Crest of Robinson (Earl of Ripon.)
PLATE 15. Crest of Prof. Robinson, Edinburgh, Scotland.
PLATE j6. Seal used on letters written by Governor Edward Hopkins, of Connecticut, 1640-54. This is the same as the crests of Robinson of Northampton and Northumber- land counties in England. (See Plate 1 1 . )
PLATE 17. Seal used by Governor Edward Hopkins of Con- necticut, 1640-54.
PLATE 18. Seal of George Robinson2 of Rehoboth, Mass., found on a deed executed by him in favor of his brother John8 , dated i3th of February, 1718.
PLATE 19. Seal on deed of John Robinson2 (Yeoman) "for and in consideration of Love, good will and affection which I have and do bare towards my Son Jonathan3 Robinson, (Husbandman) of the Town aforesaid." (Rehoboth) Dated March 10, 1725. Also the same found on a deed of his " to my son Jonathan Robinson of Rehoboth afore- said (Yeoman)." Dated the 2ist day of September, 1737.
The seals of George and John Robinson indicate the same
HERALDRY
6O HERALDRY.
line of descent as that of Sir Medcalf Robinson of Newby. (See Plate 3. )
In the August issue of the "Heraldic Journal" for 1865, published in Boston, there is a copy of Isaac Child's list of " The Gore Roll of Anns, ' ' regarded as an accurate copy of the valu- able work of Samuel Gore, or John Gore, heraldic painters in Boston.
The earliest arms recorded are dated 1701-2, and the latest in 1724. In the list of ninety-nine individuals for whom arms were made there is no one by the name of Robinson, which goes to substantiate the claim made by descendants of George1 Rob- inson of Rehoboth, that he brought over with him a parchment copy of the arms which appear on the deeds of his sons, George and John.
COAT OF ARMS OK " YE ROBINSONS FROM THE NORTH,
THE ENGLISH HOME OF THE EARLY ROBINSONS,
EMIGRANTS TO AMERICA.
HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE ROBINSONS. EARLY EMIGRANTS TO AMERICA.
BY CHARLES EDSON ROBINSON.
HAVE been invited by the worthy Secretary of this Association to read at your Convention a paper on George Robinson of Rehoboth and his descendants. I am sure, however, that you will be far better pleased with an outline of my genealogical re- searches during the twenty years in which I have been engaged in this fascinating work.
It has been altogether a labor of love with me. No one who makes the subject a study may expect to reap financial profit from the undertaking. The expenditure of time and money will far exceed all possible reimbursement accruing from the publication and sale of a family genealogy. And yet there is unmeasured satisfaction in prosecuting the work. I have found it a source of both pleasure and rest to delve in the records of Robinson ancestry at the close of the fatiguing labors of the day.
On first taking up the work I met with but little encourage- ment. Letters written for information, to a large extent, seem- ingly fell on uncultivated ground for they brought no return. Others to whom I applied became enthusiastic and gave me much valuable data which will receive due acknowledgment in the genealogy I am hoping to publish in the near future.
There are those present who have prepared interesting papers on their line of ancestry which will command your atten- tion, therefore I need but briefly mention their lines in this paper. More than twenty years have passed since I first took up the task of tracing my Robinson ancestry. I presume that there is not one here to-day who twenty years ago knew as little of their ancestral line as mvself.
62 ROBINSONS — EARLY EMIGRANTS TO AMERICA.
It was in the earl}- Spring of 1880 that my second son, then a lad of sixteen summers, came to me with the query, " Father, are we descended from the Rev. John Robinson of Leyden ?"
This was one of the most natural questions in the world for a child to ask of his parent, who was a Robinson. Of course that parent ought to know when from his cradle his eyes had often sought with wonderment that picture on the wall which in after years he was told was John Robinson bidding farewell to his little church flock as they were gathered for their embark - ment on the Mayflower to cross the trackless waters seeking for a new and unknown home in a land of savages and forests.
I could only say to my boy, " Henry, I do not know, my father has been dead for ten years, I never heard him say ; my grandfather, the Rev. Otis Robinson, died the year before my birth, you know our Bible record says that he was born in Attle- boro, Mass., on the yth of June, 1764, further back I cannot go." " But father, how can I find out, I want to know?" I suggested that he write to the late Rev. Ezekiel Gilman Robinson, D. D., then the president of Brown University in Providence, that it was just possible that he knew of the origin of the Robinsons of Attleboro.
This Henry did, several letters passing between the professor and himself. From him he learned that the professor was de- scended from a George Robinson who bought land of the Indians and settled in Rehoboth from which Attleboro was taken ; that this George had a son Samuel who was his great grandfather, and who owned and lived upon the farm in Rehoboth, then owned and occupied by himself and which he inherited ; that the old house unfortunately wras destroyed by fire some seventy years previous and all the old papers and documents were then burned, which might, perhaps, have thrown some light on the origin of the family.
All this was exceedingly interesting, yet it was no evidence, only a supposition, that we were from the same ancestral tree. Further research was delegated to his brother Ned, who was two years Henry's senior, and who was about to visit Boston relatives, to stop over for a day at Attleboro and examine the town records. This he did, at the same time having an interview with the late John Daggett, Esq., the well-known historian at Attleboro, who traced his Robinson relationship through Patience Daggett who married Noah Robinson my great-great-grandfather.
ROBINSONS — EARLY EMIGRANTS TO AMERICA. 63
On the 1 5th of June, 1881, our son Henry, who had become greatly interested in his Robinson ancestry, and who was the first to inspire within me the desire to dig down to the root of the tree, crossed over the river to join his ancestors on the other shore. I took up the work he was called upon so suddenly to abandon, with a determination to collect all the knowledge obtainable on the subject of our own branch of the Robinson family. With this end in view I visited Attleboro and Rehoboth, examined the town records, instructing the town clerks to furnish me a
HOUSE OF GEORGE ROBINSON, SR., BUILT BY HIM ABOUT 1 660.
certified copy of every record of a marriage, birth and death of every person by the name of Robinson to be found on the books of the town. I also employed a competent person to give me an abstract from the land records of every transaction in land by any one by the name of Robinson in Attle1x>ro and Rehoboth.
The old homestead of George Robinson, Sr., is now a part of the farm of George H. Robinson of Seekonk, Mass. The old house is still standing and occupied. It is supposed to have been built about 1660, by Mr. Robinson who is designated as a car- penter, and by him transferred to his son John for "love and affection," Feb. i, 1689.
64 ROBINSONS — EARLY EMIGRANTS TO AMERICA.
George Robinson's marriage is found recorded on the books of Rehoboth to Johanna Ingraham, June 18, 1651. They had eight children :
1 Mary, born May 30, 1652, who married Thomas Wil- marth, June 7, 1674.
2 Samuel, born October 3, 1654, who married Mehitabel Read, October 10, 1688, and was the ancestor of the late Rev. Kzekiel Oilman Robinson, D. D., long the president of Brown University,
MRS. SARAH ROBINSON ATHERTON, 1OO YEARS OLD, JUNE I, I QOO.
3 George Jr., born February 21, 1656, who married, Nov. 17, 1680, Elizabeth Guild and was my ancestor.
4 Elizabeth, born April 3, 1657, married, April 18, 1685, William Carpenter, who was the clerk of the proprietors Land Records of Rehoboth and Attleboro.
5 William, born March 29, 1662, who never married. He was a weaver. His will was dated July 10, 1690, and proved May 19, 1691.
6 Benjamin, born January 8, 1664, married, July 30, 1693, Rebecca Ingraham.
7 John, born November 29, 1668, married, first about 1690,
Mary - (perhaps Mary Cooper), and second, August 8,
1698, Judith Cooper, daughter of Thos. and Mary Cooper. John inherited from his father the old home place previously men-
ROBINSONS — EARLY EMIGRANTS TO AMERICA. 65
tioned and was the ancestor of Mrs. Samuel Atherton (Sarah Robinson) of Peru, O., who was 100 years old on the ist of June, this year, and whom to-day you have elected an honorary member of your association.
8 Nathaniel the last child, was born November i, 1673, and died an infant on the gth of November of the same year.
There is a legend in the family of Preserved Robinson, who was born in Attleboro, March 27, 1786, a son of Ezekiel, who was the grandfather of the Rev. Ezekiel Oilman Robinson, D. D., previously mentioned, that their ancestor George Robinson, came over from Scotland at the age of sixteen, and purchased from the Indians in 1640 the farm of 250 acres, which the Rev. Ezekiel Oilman Robinson, D. D., inherited, and which his son now occupies.
Perhaps it was front this same source that the Rev. George Robinson, born in Attleboro, November 23, 1754, a Baptist min- ister of Killingly, Conn., West Bridgewater and Harvard, Mass., and Wilmington, Vt. , obtained his information for his little pamphlet, published in 1831, entitled "Genealogy and Family Register of George Robinson, late of Attleboro, Mass., with some account of his ancestors. Compiled in 1829."
The first page of this register, a little book 3^ inches by 6 inches containing 36 pages of printed matter and as many more of blank pages, gives this information : " Mr. George Robinson was son of Nathaniel Robinson who was the son of George Robinson, who came from Scotland about 1680, and settled in Attleboro, Mass."
The facts are that George Robinson instead of coming from Scotland about 1680, was born in Rehoboth, Mass., on the 2ist of February 1656, and married in Dedham, November 17, 1680, Elizabeth Guild. All of his nine children were born in Rehoboth, Mass. The birth of Nathaniel, which Mr. Robinson fails to state, was February I, 1692; his death, August 1,1771, when the com- piler of the register was 27 years of age — Nathaniel being 32 years of age when his father died.
Some six years ago I spent a day with George H. Robinson at his home in Seekonk, now a part of the original farm of the first George of Rehobo.th. He has a fine residence not far from the old farm house built by George, Sr., about 1660, which I vis ited with much interest. I learned that originally the whole broad side of the house opened like a door through which, in winter, a
66
ROBINSONS — EARLY EMIGRANTS TO AMERICA.
yoke of oxen attached to a sled loaded with a large log, was driven into the kitchen in front of the open fire place which oc- cupied the entire end of the house, when the log was rolled upon the fire, making what was known in those days as the ' ' back log ' ' of the fire.
Through the kindness of Mr. Robinson I obtained some old wills and deeds, which came from the attic of the old house, which were from one hundred to two hundred years old. One of the documents dated March 25, 1734, bore the signature of John Robinson who was born on the 2Qth November, 1669, a son
MOVING THE "BACK LOG " FOR THE KITCHEN FIRE.
of the first George, and was a deed from him of the old home place to his son Jonathan.
Another paper bore the signature of John's brother George, my great-great-great-grandfather, and was a deed 182 years old, of George to John, which bore the date of February 13, 1718.
The seals on both of these documents placed opposite the signatures were in sealing wax and bore the imprint of what is supposed to have been a signet ring upon which had been en- graved a coat of arms which is herewith reproduced from an enlarged photograph of the same. .
On another deed of John2 Robinson to his son Jonathan3, bearing the date of March 10, 1725, was the sealing wax imprint of a stag trippant, which I have also reproduced from an enlarged photograph, evidently the crest of the coat of arms. The imprint
ROBINSONS — EARLY EMIGRANTS TO AMERICA. 67
of this crest also appeared on another deed of John to his son Jonathan, dated Sept. 21, 1737.
The finding of these imprints on the seals of these old deeds go far towards substantiating the claim made by some of the descendants that George1 Robinson of Rehoboth, the emigrant, brought over with him from the old country a parchment coat of arms which was in colors, gold, green, red and black ; that it was handed down from father to son in the line of Preserved5 Robinson, (Ezekiel4, Ebenezer3, Samuel3, George1 ) until unfor- tunately lost some forty or more years ago.
Ezekiel4 Robinson was the grandfather of the Rev. Ezekiel6 Gilman Robinson D. D., of Brown University, in whose family
IMPRINT OK COAT OF ARMS ON DEED OF FEBRUARY I}, 1718.
the parchment coat of anus was well remembered by a niece of his, who for a time was the custodian of the document, and pro- nounces the device on the seals of the deeds as identical with the parchment coat of arms.
The Robinsons of Rehoboth and Attleboro were all patriotic in the Revolution. My great-grandfather, Enoch Robinson was captain of a company which marched to Roxbury the evening of April 19, 1775, after the news of the battle of Lexington and Concord. My grandfather, Rev. Otis Robinson, was but ten years of age at the time, and wild to accompany his father, as also was his brother, Obed, two years his senior. Hoth of these lads on arriving at the age of fourteen enlisted in the army. My
68
ROBINSONS — EARLY EMIGRANTS TO AMERICA.
4;
^ W/^r^^^S^^^y^^ ^V'fy?'
, i^^^^^^^^S^K^^
^%^^*mii^^^^^ ;;i
^,9-O^t^v /fd-^c /-^t^^c. otCM/jjt. >?«(>/?/,,«
^ ft &«?$*&?&</ 4/k'-^,.
/ /• , s'7.-' - , . *. f> " " - f \
PHOTO COPY OF DEED OF GEORGE8 ROBINSON TO MIS BROTHER JOHN, DATED FEB. IJ, \"J\8.
ROBINSONS — EARLY EMIGRANTS TO AMERICA. 69
grandfather, who was a little under the regulation height, stood on his tip- toes when measured, so fearful was he that he might be rejected on that account. Thirty others who bore the name of Robinson, all his near relatives, were in the service.
Enoch Robinson his father, had a contract with the govern- ment for gun locks which he manufactured at Robinsonville, Attleboro Falls, Mass., where later 011 was manufactured " pinchbeck " jeweller}-, which was an alloy of copper and zinc, resembling gold. Peddlers travelled on foot from the factory into Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont and New York, selling their wares. Here was also established the first metal
IMPRINT OF STAG TRIPPANT ON DEED OF MARCH I O, I 725.
button factory in the United States, by Obed and Otis Robinson in 1812.
What would these two pioneers in the business now say could they but visit the Attleboro jewellery establishments and inspect the goods now manufactured on the sight of their old factory ?
It was from my effort to trace the ancestry of George Rob- inson of Rehoboth that I was led to investigate other lines of Robinsons.
The first Robinson in America whom I find a record of was with Captain John Smith in Virginia. His Christian name is not given. On the loth of December, 1607, Capt. John Smith started up the Chickahominy River to trade with the Indians.
7O ROBINSONS — EARLY EMIGRANTS TO AMERICA.
He left the camp at Jamestown in charge of a Mr. Robinson and Emery. On his return, a month later, January, 8, 1608, he found that both Robinson and Emery had been killed by the Indians.
In 1620, Richard Robinson came from England at the age of 22, in the ship " Bonaventure" bound for Elizabeth City, Va.
A John Robinson, aged 21, came from England in the "Mar- garet and John " for Virginia in 1622.
James Robinson at the age of 35, came from England in the ship "Swan" for James City in Virginia in 1623.
Matthew Robinson at the age of 24, came from England in the ship " Hopewell " for Elizabeth City, Va., in 1623.
Isaac Robinson at the age of 2 1 , came over from England in the ship " Lyon " in 1631, for Massachusetts. He was the son of the Rev. John Robinson of Leyden, and the ancestor of all the Robinsons in America, who are descendants of the Rev. John, as there is no evidence that his widow and other children ever came over to this country as has been claimed by several writers.
It almost passes belief that so little should be known, as is now known, of the Rev. John Robinson of Leyden, the father of the Pilgrims. It is not known for a certainty where he was born, and nothing whatever of his parentage. It is supposed that he was a native of some parish in Lincolnshire, Eng. , and we also find the statement that he was in the " enjoyment of a living" — a pastorate — near Great Yarmouth, in the county of Norfolk. The year of his birth has been established by that of the record of his death at Leyden, Hoi., at the age of 50, on the ist of March, 1625. His remains lie beneath the pavement of St. Peters Church in Leyden. From a census of the inhabitants of Leyden in 1622, we learn of the members of his family, which comprised Bridget White, his wife; his son John at the age of 16; daughter Bridget, 14 years of age; son Isaac, 12; daughter Mercy, 10; daughter Favor, 8, and Jacob, an infant born Feb. 7, 1621.
Very many have been led astray by a little book bearing the title " Items of Ancestry," published in 1894, in which the com- piler makes this statement :
" Nicholas Robinson, born at Boston in Lincolnshire, in 1480, was the first mayor appointed in 1545 by King Henry VIII. His son Nicholas2 Robinson, born in 1530, was the father of Rev. John Robinson (of Leyden), born 1575."
ROBINSONS — EARLY EMIGRANTS TO AMERICA. 71
There is not a scintilla of evidence that the Rev. John Rob- inson of L,eyden was the son of Nicholas2 Robinson. There is no son John in the record of the list of his children, and nothing whatever to warrant the statement. We trust that it will be the good fortune of this association to win the gratitude of America, by discovering the birthplace and ancestral line of this most noted man.
Robert Robinson, at the age of 41 or 45 (both ages are given) came over from England in the ship ' ' Christian ' ' for Massachus- etts, March 16, 1634. This may have been the father of the Robert Robinson of Newbury, Mass., whom Coffin, the historian says, was born in 1628, and married Mary Silver, Oct. 26, 1664.
In 1635 a Charles Robinson and an Eliza Robinson came to Massachusetts, but I find no further record concerning them.
On the I yth of June, 1635, the ship " Blessing " brought to Massachusetts, Nicholas Robinson, aged 30, Elizabeth aged 32, Kate aged 12, Mary aged 7, John aged 5, and Sara aged \y2. I find no further record of this family.
On the 1 6th of Sept., 1635, Isaac Robinson, at the age of 15, embarked for Lynn, Mass., in the ship " Hopewell." I have found no further record of him.
There was a Patrick Robinson and a Releaster Robinson who embarked for Massachusetts in 1635. Neither their ages nor the name of the ship are given, and no further records of them have been found by me.
In 1635 William Robinson was booked for Massachusetts. It has been thought that this William may have been the William of Dorchester, in the memory of whose son Increase you have gathered to-day.
Be that as it may, I find at the New England Historical Rooms in Boston, the English publication of Joseph Meadows Cowper, published 1892, which comprises the Canterbury mar- riages, births and deaths in the parish of St. Dunstans, 1568-1618. Under the date of Oct. 14, 1637, I find the marriage record of " William Robinson of St. Dunstans, Canterbury, bachelor, about 21, married at Patrixbourne, Margaret Beech, same place, virgin, of the like age, daughter of Agnes Beech, alias Streeter, now wife of Mr. Streeter of the same place."
From the fact that William Robinson of Dorchester is on record as having for his first wife Margaret - - and second
wife Ursula (Streeter) Hosier, is it not possible that this William
72 ROBINSONS — EARLY EMIGRANTS TO AMERICA.
Robinson of St. Dunstans, Canterbury was the William of Dor- chester ?
The Streeter genealogy, by Milford B. Streeter, of Brooklyn, N. Y., published in 1896, says that Ursula Streeter was the daughter of Stephen and Ursula Streeter of Gloucester, Mass., in 1642, and Charlestown, Mass., 1644, and that Ursula first married, Oct. 13, 1656 or 1657, Samuel Hosier of Watertown, who died July 29, 1665; that her second marriage was about 1666 to William Robinson of Dorchester.
Seven by the name of Robinson embarked from England for Virginia in 1635, they were
John, June 6, age 19, ship "Thomas and John."
John, age 32, Matthew, age 24, June 23, ship " America."
Thomas, July 24, age 24, ship " Assurance."
Henri, July 26, age 26, ship " Primrose."
Joyce, Aug. 15, age 20, ship " Globe."
Mary, Aug. 21, age 18, ship " George."
And for St. Christopher, Jan. 6, 1634, on the ship " Barba- does " was Edward Robinson at the age of 18.
In 1635 there were eight by the name of Robinson who were booked for the Barbadoes, viz :
David, at the age of 20, John, at the age of 19, both on the ship " Bonaventure," April 3.
Thomas, at the age of 31 , on the ship "Ann and Elizabeth," April 24.
William, at the age of 26, on the ship " Matthew," April 21.
John, at the age of 19, on the ship " Expedition," Nov. 20; Thomas, at the age of 15, on the same ship Nov. 15.
Leonard, at the age of 20, on the ship " Falcon," Dec. 19, and James, at the age of 15, on the same ship Dec. 25.
In the fourth series of the Massachusetts Historical Collec- tions, Vol. 4, page 560, we find a letter of Brampton Gurdon to Gov. Wentworth in which he states that ' ' Robinson that lived at little Waldenfield, England," came over in 1636 with his wife and six children in company with Mr. Nathaniel Rogers.
In 1639, Jeremiah Robinson from Singleton, Southampton, England, was on board of the ship "Virgin," May 30, at the age of 28, for the Barbadoes.
Under the date of April n, 1637, Ellen Robinson, age not given, sailed from ' ' England in the ship ' ' Mary Ann ' ' for Massachusetts.
ROBINSONS — EARLY EMIGRANTS TO AMERICA. 73
Under the date of May 12, 1652, in the ship "John and Sarah ' ' from England for Massachusetts were the following named Robinsons, no ages given, viz:
Alester, Charles, Daniel, James, John and Patrick.
In 1664, Joseph Robinson aged 19, came over from England to Ipswich, Mass.
There was a close relationship in trade in early times between the Barbadoes and New England, and we find family connections also, and it is quite likely that the Robinsons in both places were related to a greater extent than we now find recorded.
The town records of Salem show that William Robinson and his wife Isabella were residents of that town as early as 1637. He was a tailor by trade, and they had children : Ann, born Dec. 3, 1637; Samuel, born Jan. 26, 1640, died 1678; Mary, born March 12, 1643; Timothy, born April 20, 1644, died 1668; Esther born May 28, 1646; Martha, born Feb. 2, 1647, lived four days; John who died in 1678, and Joseph.
In this same year, 1637, Anna Robinson, a widow, was ad- mitted into the first church in Salem, also a Mrs. Robinson, is recorded in 1638, with two in her famil}% as sharing three-fourths of an acre of marsh and meadow lands. A John Robinson was also admitted as a member of the church in Salem this year.
The number of the families in Salem in 1638 was about 225.
On the 3oth of March, 1640, a grant wras made in Salem of one-half an acre of land to Norris Robinson who had two in his family.
On the 2nd of June, 1641, John and Richard Robinson were admitted as freemen of the Massachusetts Colony at Salem. On the 1 8th day of May, 1642, William Robinson was admitted as a freeman of Salem, as was also another of the same name on the 27th of December of this year.
On the 4th of February, 1647, there is a record of Dorothy Robinson's marriage in Salem to Edward Faulkner.
In 1648 a Thomas Robinson, Sr. , and Jr., are on the tax list of Ipswich.
The will of John Robinson, a wheelwright of Ipswich was proved on the 30th of March, 1658. He left no children.
March i, 1657, is the date of the death of John Robinson of Ipswich. This may have been, and probably was the father of John Robinson, who, with eleven others from Ipswich and New-
74 ROBINSONS — EARLY EMIGRANTS TO AMERICA.
bury were the first settlers of Haverhill, Mass., in 1640. There was also a Joseph Robinson living in Ipswich at the age of 19, in 1664.
To Thomas Robinson, of Boston, a cordwainer by trade, and his wife Margaret, a daughter Jane was born Sept. 16, 1646. On the death of Margaret he married Sarah, whose surname is not given.
In 1640 Thomas Robinson was a member of the Church at Roxbury. He had a wife, Silence, and brother Joseph and William and a sister Elizabeth who married a Wells.
John Robinson was made a freeman of Dorchester hi 1641. There was a Richard Robinson of Charlestown, Mass., who was made a freeman June 2, 1640. He had a wife Rebecca and children: John and Richard who were baptized May 31, 1640. By some it is said that he was a brother of John Robinson of Dorchester.
July 2, 1640, Thomas Robinson was defendant in a suit in court at Hartford. This Thomas is claimed to be the ancestor of the Robinsons of Guilford, Conn.
One Thomas Robinson is on record at Scituate, Mass., as being "able to bear arms" in 1642. He was a deacon of a church. I^ater he removed to Boston where he died on the 23d of March 1665 or 1666. His will was dated on the 1 7th of March of the same year, in which he mentions his son John as a mer- chant in England. He was married three times; first to Mar- garet by whom he had five children, viz :
John, born about 1635, the merchant in England.
Samuel, born about 1637, a merchant in Boston who died a single person, Jan. 16, 1661-2.
Josiah, an apprentice to Joseph Rocke, a merchant who mar- ried a sister of Thomas Robinson's first wife. He died in Boston April 17, 1660.
Ephraim.born about 1641 , who died in Boston, Sept. 22, 1661 •
Thomas Robinson's second marriage was to Mrs. Mary Woody, the widow of John Woody of Roxbury, and the daughter of John Cogan of Boston, by whom he had five children :
Thomas, baptized in Scituate, March 5, 1653-4, died June, 1700.
James, born in Boston, March 14, 1654-5, died Sept. 4, 1676.
Joseph, baptized in Scituate, March 8, 1656-7, died April, 1703.
ROBINSONS — EARLY EMIGRANTS TO AMERICA. 75
* Mary, baptized in Scituate, Feb. 28, 1657-8, died an infant.
Mary, baptized in Scituate, Nov. 6, 1659, who married Jacob Greene of Charlestown, Mass., and died Sept. 22, 1661.
Thomas Robinson's wife, Mar}- Cogan Woody, died Oct. 26, 1 66 1. His third marriage was to Mrs. Elizabeth (Locks) Sher- man, widow of Richard Sherman of Boston. This Thomas Rob- inson was the ancestor of a family of Robinsons who settled in Barre, Hardwick and Rochester, Mass.
There was a Thomas Robinson, Sr. , in New Haven, Conn., Jan. 4, 1643, and on the 1st of July, 1644, both Thomas Robin- son Sr. and Jr. , took the oath of allegiance there.
There was a Francis Robinson who was a resident of Saco, Me., in 1643, who was called as a counsellor in the interest of Ferdinand Gorges and Captain John Mason in the matter of the large land grants called " Laconia Grants." This grant was made Aug. 10, 1622. The territory covered was bounded by the rivers Merrimac, Kennebec, the river of Canada (now the St. Lawrence) and the Ocean.
Abraham Robinson died in Gloucester, Mass. , on the 23d of February, 1645. His son Abraham is said to have been the first child born on that side of Massachusetts Bay. A long line of Robinsons are descended from him, of which is the Hon. David I. Robinson, late Mayor of that city.
There is the record of the marriage in Boston, Feb. 21, 1653, of James Robinson, a mariner, to Martha Buck. They had four children : Sarah, born in Boston, March 24, 1659; John, born in Boston, Sept. 17, 1662, and who died Aug. 13, 1663; James, born in Boston, July 21, 1667; Elizabeth, born in Boston about 1669. In 1673 he gave his estate in trust to John Hall and Thomas Brattle for the use of himself and wife during life, then for his daughters Sarah and Elizabeth. From this we may safely infer that his son James was not then living.
There was a Thomas Robinson on the tax list of Salisbury, Mass., May 18, i6=>2.
One Nathaniel Robinson, of Boston, a mariner, and his wife Damaris - - had six children, all born in Boston, vi/ :
Nathaniel, born Aug. 29, 1655; Elizabeth, born Feb. 24, 1056-7; David, born Feb. 10, 1666; Mary, born June 22, 10(18; Robert, born July 28, 1(171; Damaris, born Dec. 29, 1674. The daughter Mary died in Dorchester, Jan. 21, 1718. Damaris married in Boston, May 3, 1699, Ebenezer Dennis.
76 ROBINSONS — EARLY EMIGRANTS TO AMERICA.
A Thomas Robinson was a resident of Long Island, N. Y., in 1657, and was one of the patentees in a land grant under Gov- ernor Dongan in 1686. From him are descended probably the most of the Robinsons now on Long Island.
George Robinson of Boston, was married by Governor Endi- cott, to Mary Bushnell, Oct. 3, 1657. She was born in Boston, Dec. 12, 1638, and was the daughter of John and Martha Bush- nell. George Robinson was one of the first members of the first fire engine company in Boston. The records of Boston give only three children born to George and Mary Robinson, there were probably others. The three children were George, born March 30, 1658; John, born Dec. 6, 1661; Martha, born March 31, 1665. '
Mention is made on the records only of the son George who married first, Dec. 28, 1680, Sarah Beale, who died in Needham, May 5, 1 703. His second marriage was to Sarah Behoney, Aug. 4, 1703. She was born in Boston Aug. 12, 1688, the daughter of Peter and Sarah (Ball) Behoney. George and Sarah (Beale) Robinson's children were all born in Needham, viz: Beriah, born Jan. 7, 1684; George, born July I, 1685; John, born March 4, 1688; Ebenezer, born Sept. 22, 1692; Samuel, born Oct. 13, 1695.
By his second wife Sarah Behoney, there is a record at Needham of two children born to them: David, born May 5, 1 704, and Jonathan, born Feb. 4, 1 705.
At Marlboro there is the record of the birth of Dorothy Rob- inson, Feb. 20, 1709, and a Hannah Robinson, date not given. Some descendants claim them as children of this George and Sarah.
The Robinsons of Needham, Dudley and Webster, Mass., and Hartwick N, Y., are from this line, with a long line of de- scendants from Maine to California.
We find a David and Jonathan Robinson as residents of Exeter, N. H., from 1657 to 1683. They, with Stephen and John Robinson, were probably the sons of John Robinson of Ipswich, who was one of the first settlers of Haverhill, Mass., and who removed to Exeter, N. H., in 1657, and was killed by the Indians in 1675. He was also the ancestor of William Robinson who founded the Robinson Female Seminary at Exeter, and the Sum- merville Academy at Summerville, Ga., as also of the Robinsons of Exeter, Brentwood, Epping, Raymond, Newmarket, Hampton and adjoining New Hampshire towns.
ROBINSONS — EARLY EMIGRANTS TO AMERICA.
77
Rowland Robinson, who was born in Long Bluff, Cumber- land, Eng., came to this country in 1662 and at first resided in Newport, R. I., afterwards at Narragansett. He married in 1675, Mary, the daughter of John and Mary Allen of Barnstable, Eng. Mr. Robinson and his wife were Quakers and were the ancestors of the Robinsons of Narragansett, Newport, R. I., and
KOWI.AND E. ROBINSON.
New Bedford, Mass. Mrs. Hetty (Robinson) Green, the richest woman in America, is a descendant. vShe was the daughter of Edward Mott Robinson of New Bedford and New York, from whom she inherited the foundation of her fortune.
Vermont claims as her son an illustrious descendant of Row- land Robinson, the emigrant, in the personage of Rowland K. Robinson, Vermont's celebrated blind author, artist and poet, born in Ferrisburg, Vt., May 14, '1X33, a great-great-great-grand- son of the first Rowland.
78 ROBINSONS — EARLY EMIGRANTS TO AMERICA.
Mr. Robinson is the youngest of four children and inherited the homestead which his great-grandfather, Thomas, located in the Green Mountain State, in 1791, then just admitted into the Union.
It fell to the lot of youthful Rowland to follow the plough, fora time, on. his father's farm. But with that inborn desire, inherited from his mother, Rachel Gilpin, the daughter of a New York artist, for a visible display of nature as he saw it, he was led to seek employment in New York City as a draughtsman and wood engraver, in which vocation his skill from 1866 to 1873 enlivened the pages of Harper's, Frank Leslie" s and other illustrated periodicals.
HOME OF ROWLAND E. ROBINSON, FERRISBURG, VT.
But there was the old longing ever uppermost, for the fields and woods, rod and gun. Besides, the exacting night work pre- ceding publication days, bore most heavily on his eyes, never strong, constantly admonishing him to return to the Green Hills of his native State.
His most fortunate marriage with Miss Anna Stevens, in 1870, a woman of high intellectual ability and indomitable energy, decided his future. He returned to his farm, where since then his creations have emanated to gratify the true lovers of nature.
Stimulated by his wife, he applied his genius and pen in contributing to the American Agriculturist, depicting the life of game animals and birds. Other sketches followed which ap- peared in Forest and Stream, on whose editorial staff he was
ROBINSONS — EARLY EMIGRANTS TO AMERICA. 79
appointed and still remains to-day. His first magazine article, " Fox Hunting in New England," appeared in Scribner' s in 1878. Later it was incorporated as a chapter in the Century Company' s " Sport with Rod and Gun." He became a contributor to The Century, Harper' s, Scribner's, The Atlantic and Lippincotf s Maga- zine and others, illustrating with pen and pencil his productions.
Mr. Robinson began to have serious trouble with his eyes in 1887, which within a year left him almost totally blind, and all too soon afterwards the light of day was shut out forever from his vision. This was far, however, from incapacitating him in his labors. Some of his most enjoyable productions have been issued to the public through the means of a grooved board used by him in spacing and guiding the lines of his manuscript, which is afterwards prepared for the press by his faithful wife and daughter.
His books, "Uncle 'Lisha's Shop," "Sam Level's Camps," " Danvis Folks," " Uncle 'Lisha's Outing," " A Danvis Pioneer" and " In New England Fields and Woods" are largely of a dialect nature, but a faithful reproduction of Vermont Yankeeisms and the French Canuck of sixty years ago.
Mr. Robinson stands among the first in the list of dialect writers. His " Antoine's Version of Evangeline " is one of the best specimens of his skill, a few lines of which I give :
'•M'sieu Fores' Strim :
" One evelin we'll set by the stof-heart, a smokin tabacca, As fas' as de chimney was smokin de spruce an' de balsam. M'sieu Mumsin he'll mos' mek me cry wid his readin' a
story, was write, so he say, by a great long American
feller, Baout a Frenchmans, he'll lose of hees gal 'long go, in
Acadie, You'll hear of it, prob'ly, haow one gone on one sloop, one
on anodder."
But Mr. Robinson is as gifted in his choice of English, and is also regarded as authority on the history of his State. At the request of the publishers of the American Commonwealth Series he wrote a valuable volume of the series, " Vermont a Study of Independence." Years before he showed ability of a high type in his chapter on Ferrisburg for Miss Hemenway's Gazetteer of Vermont. His books are widely read and are regarded as authoritative in the field where they have won their fame.
8O ROBINSONS — EARLY EMIGRANTS TO AMERICA.
Mr. Robinson* is an invalid and a great sufferer from an internal cancer, and yet he is not despondent, but with the aid of his energetic wife, is still prosecuting his work and adding to his fame as Vermont's distinguished blind author in his new manuscript story of " Sam Level's Boy."
William Robinson resided in Braintree, Mass., in 1662, but who he was or from whence he came I have been unable to learn.
Stephen Robinson who was taxed for land on Oyster River, in Dover, N. H., in 1663, was probably Stephen, the son of John of Exeter.
James Robinson of Dorchester, married, Sept. 27, 1664, Mary Alcock, who was born in 1645, and died in Dorchester on the i3th of March, 1718. She was without doubt related to Thomas Olcott, the proprietor of a lot in Cambridge, Mass., in 1640, who later on removed to Hartford, Conn., and her name should properly be spelled Olcott in place of Alcock.
Samuel Robinson of Hartford, Conn., had by his wife, Mary, five children, all born in Hartford : Sarah, born 1665; Samuel, born 1668; Mary, 1672; John, 1676; Hannah, 1679.
Thomas Robinson, a resident of New London in 1665, mar- ried Mary Wells, daughter of Hugh Wells. They had children, Thomas, Samuel and several daughters.
James Robinson was a resident of Scarboro, Me., in 1666. He married Lucretia Foxwell by whom he had four daughters, names not given.
Nathaniel Robinson, of Boston, in his will filed March 2nd, 1667, mentions his brother Jonathan and sister Mary, but no wife or child.
John Robinson of Topsfield, Mass., by his wife Dorothy Perkins, had seven children: Samuel, born Nov. 22, 1668; Thomas, born March 18, 1671; John, born Jan. 16, 1673; Daniel, born Sept. 16, 1677; Jacob, born June 2, 1680; Dorothy, born Dec. 8, 1682; Joseph, born Dec. 16, 1684.
William Robinson, living in Watertown, Mass., in 1670, upon a farm situated on a narrow neck of land, claimed by both
*Mr. Robinson died in his own home at Ferrisburg, in the same room in which he was born, on the 15th of October, 1900, at the age of 67. The Vermont legislature, then in session, jointly passed resolutions of regret and condolence, paying high tribute to his memory. He is survived by his devoted wife and loving daughters, Mary and Rachel, the latter a cherished member of our Association.
ROBINSONS — EARLY EMIGRANTS TO AMERICA. 8 1
Concord and Watertown, but wholly in Watertown, married, probably in Cambridge, Mass., as early as 1667, Elizabeth Cutter who was born in Cambridge, July 15, 1645, a daughter of Richard Cutter and his wife Elizabeth Williams. She was born in Eng- land about 1626, and came to Massachusetts with her father, Robert Williams, who was born in 1608, and was by trade a " cordwayner " in Norfolk, county of Norwich, England. They sailed for America on the "John and Dorethy " on the 8th of April, 1637. The daughter- was admitted to the church in Rox- bury, Mass., in 1644, and died in Cambridge on March 5, 1662. Of the ancestry of William1 Robinson I will speak presently.
William1 Robinson and his wife, Elizabeth Cutter, had seven children, viz.:
i st. Elizabeth2, born in Cambridge in 1669, who married, Dec. 20, 1693, Daniel Maggrigge of Watertown.
2nd. Hannah Ann2, born in Cambridge, July 13, 1(171, died in Cambridge Oct. 5, 1672.
}d. William2, born in Cambridge, July 10, 1673, married Elizabeth Upham and died in Newton in 1754.
4th. Marcy2, born in Cambridge, Aug. 7, 1676.
5th. David2, born in Cambridge, May 23, 1678.
6th. Samuel2, born in Cambridge, April 20, 1680, died in Westboro in 1724.
7th. Jonathan2, born in Cambridge, April 20, 1682.
William2 married Elizabeth Upham and removed to Newton where he had a large farm in what is now Auburndale, where he was one of the selectmen of the town. David2 was lame and helpless and died single. Samuel2 married twice, first to Sarah Manning, March 23, 1703, and second to Elizabeth Bingham, Oct. 16, 1711, daughter of Captain Samuel Bingham of Marl- boro', Mass.
Samuel2 Robinson was the father of Samuel3 Jr., who was born April 19, 1707, and married in May, 1732, Mary Leonard of Southboro', Mass., and resided for a short time in Graf ton. Mass., moving from thence to Hardwick, Mass., in the spriirg of 1735. He was captain of a military company in the old French War and in 1748 was stationed at Fort George. On his return to Massachusetts he took the Hoosac River route, a branch of which carried him to what is now Bennington, Yt. The fer- tility of the soil attracted his attention to such an extent, that later on he induced a company of his associates to join him
82 ROBINSONS — EARLY EMIGRANTS TO AMERICA. -
in purchasing a former grant of this territory made by Governor Benning Wentworth of New Hampshire. This was accomplished in 1761, and in the month of October of this year, with his fam- ily and others, removed to Vermont and made the first settlement at Bennington, where he was very prominent in political matters, being appointed the first magistrate of the territory.
Mr. Robinson was with the original settlers in the land grant controversy between New York and New Hampshire, in which the State of New York, through its Governor, claimed jurisdiction over the territory of Vermont, and made grants of land which had been previously granted by the Governor of New Hampshire, Benning Wentworth (and from whom Benning- ton received its name). Sheriffs under Governor Golden, of New York, were sent into the territory to evict settlers holding grants under Governor Wentworth. This gave rise to the famous com- pany of bold and fearless men styled "Green Mountain Boys," under the command of Col. Ethan Allen and Seth. Warner. Mean- time a petition to the King was drawn up, signed by over one thousand of the settlers and grantees asking not only for relief against the New York patents, but to have the jurisdiction of the territory restored to New Hampshire. Samuel Robinson was chosen to bear this petition to England and to lay their griev- ances before the King. On this mission he sailed from New York on the 25th of December, 1766, arriving in Falmouth on the 3oth of January following, and immediately proceeded to London, where he met with much opposition from the New York combination of wealth and influence. However, notwithstanding the great disadvantage under which he was placed, and without prestige or money, he succeeded in obtaining from His Majesty an order under date of July 24, 1767, prohibiting the Governor of New York " Upon pain of His Majesty's highest displeasure, from making any further grants whatever of the lands in ques- tion till His Majesty's further pleasure should be known con- cerning the same."
Mr. Robinson remained in London for several months look- ing after the interests of the petitioners. Unfortunately he was taken down with the small pox in the month of October of the same year which culminated in his death on the 27th of the month. He was buried in London.
While the decree of the King acted as a temporary stay upon the Governor of New York, it was not until the breaking
ROBINSONS — EARLY EMIGRANTS TO AMERICA. 83
out of the Revolutionary war, when the lesser trouble was lost in the greater struggle for independence, that New York, for a time, ceased to claim further jurisdiction over this territory.
In 1776 Vermont petitioned the Provincial Congress, then in session in Philadelphia, for admission into the Confederacy, but being opposed by New York they withdrew. In' 1777 Vermont declared her independence, and in July of the same year, again applied for admission into the Confederacy, but was again refused. Four years later, Congress offered to receive her with a considerable curtailment of her boundaries, but this her indig- nant people refused. In 1790 New York had evidently grown
MRS. SARAH. ROBINSON COLLECTING GENEALOGICAL RECORDS.
tired of the contention and offered to relinquish, for the sum of $30,000, all claims to territory or jurisdiction in the State. To this Vermont acceded, and this is the price she paid to be ad- mitted into the Union on March 4, 1791, after fourteen years of independence.
This Samuel3 Robinson branch of the Robinsons have been very prominent in the affairs of Vermont, two of his descendants having been governors of the State.
Mrs. Sarah (Harwood) Robinson, daughter of Peter and Margaret Harwood, of Bcnnington, born Oct. 3, 1775, and wife of Samuel Robinson of Bennington, who was born Jan. 5, 1774, a great-grandson of the first Samuel, compiled a small book which was published in 1837, entitled a "Genealogical History of the Families of Robinsons, Saffords, Harwoods and Clarks."
84 ROBINSONS — EARLY EMIGRANTS TO AMERICA.
Her information was collected under difficulties and obtained in journeying over the country on horse-back. She made an error at the outset, in the department devoted to the Robinsons, in the statement that Samuel Robinson was born in Bristol, England, in 1668, and emigrated to Cambridge, Mass., where he died in 1730. We now know that he was born in Watertown, Mass., April 20, 1680, and died in Westboro', Mass., in 1724, and that he was a son of William Robinson of Watertown, M*ass. , previously mentioned as married to Elizabeth Cutter. He may have come over from Bristol, England, but I find no evidence that it was his native town. I am inclined to think him a brother of George1 Robinson of Boston.
Another line of Robinsons sprang from Joseph Robinson, who was born in 1644-5, and died on the i^th of June, 1719. He married on the 3Oth of May, 1671, in Andover, Mass., Phebe Dane, a daughter of Rev. Francis Dane of Andover. They had five children, all born in Andover:
Dane, born Feb. 2, 1671, died Dec. 3, 1753, married Jan. 18, 1693, Mary Chad wick.
Dorothy, born Feb. 21, 1673, died Dec. 23, 1675.
Joseph, born - - 1678, died April 9, 1761, married March 20, 1706-7, Elizabeth Stevens.
Phebe, born July 21, 1682, married in 1710, John Johnson.
Hannah, born July 6, 1685, probably died young.
There seems to be some confusion as to dates respecting Jonathan Robinson of Exeter, N. H., who undoubtedly was a son of the John Robinson who was the first to settle in Haver- hill, Mass., and removed to Exeter in 1657. One statement is that he was born about 1648, married Elizabeth - — , and
died Sept. lo, 1675; that an inventory of his estate is on record at Salem; that his wife Elizabeth, and son David, administered upon the estate which was submitted to the court held at Hamp- ton Falls, N. H., in 1676.
Another statement is that Jonathan Robinson, born about 1648, was a resident of Exeter, N. H., 1657-1716; that his will was dated in 1710, and proved in 1716; that he took the oath of allegiance Nov. 30, 1677, at Exeter, N. H.; that he was " tything master" in 1678, and one of the selectmen in 1695, and joined the church in 1698; that he married Sarah — — about 1670,
and had eight children all born in Exeter, viz. :
John2, born Sept. 7, 1671, will proved July 7, 1749.
ROBINSONS — EARLY EMIGRANTS TO AMERICA. 85
Sarah2, born Oct. 29, 1673.
Hester2, born Aug. 12, 1677.
Elizabeth2, born Sept. 6, 1679.
Jonathan2, born July 9, 1681, died about 17^8.
David3, born July 28, 1684, removed to Stratham; died after 1767.
James2, born Dec. 7, 1686; removed to Stratham; (called Captain James).
Joseph2, born May I, 1691; removed to Haverhill Oct. I, 1698, living in Exeter, 1710; died after 1767; married, had a son Joseph.
A careful examination of all the records would doubtless remove the obscurity surrounding this Jonathan1.
A Samuel Robinson died in Fairfield, Conn., in 1674 leaving a widow and perhaps children.
There was an Andrew Robinson of Charlestown, Mass. , who
married Elizabeth — , and had two daughters : Elizabeth,
born in 1677, and Mary, born in 1679.
Both daughters were baptized on the loth of October, 1693. Elizabeth was recorded as 16 years of age and her sister Mary as 14. The father, Andrew, was on the tax list in Charlestown, Aug. 21, 1688.
January 16, 1679, Christopher4 Robinson of Cleasby, county of York, England, received the appointment of secretary to Sir William Berkeley, Governor of Virginia, and came to America. He was born in 1645. He was a great-grandson of John Robin- son of Crostwick, parish of Ronaldkirk, England, who was born about 1550 and married Ann Dent. This John was the great-grandfather of the Right Rev. John Robinson, D. D., who was born in 1650, and was Lord Bishop of London in 1710 and 1714. He died in London in 1723.
Christopher4 Robinson died in 1690. He married Eli/.abeth Potter, a daughter of Christopher Potter, and was the father of Col. John8 Robinson, who was commonly called " Speaker Rob- inson," and who was President of the Council in 1734, and mar- ried Catherine Beverly, daughter of Robert Beverly, Esq., of Virginia, formerly of Beverley, Yorkshire, England. They had seven children among whom was Col. Beverly6 Robinson, a com- manding officer in the British Army in the Revolutionary \Yar.
This branch of the Robinsons, being torics in the Revolu- tion, were banished from the country, and their property confis-
86 ROBINSONS — EARLY EMIGRANTS TO AMERICA.
cated. Some returned to England, others went to New Bruns- wick, Nova Scotia and Toronto, in Canada, where they were given grants of land by the English Government for their fidelity to the King. A few descendants have returned to New York within the past forty years.
Col. Beverly6 Robinson was born in 1722, and died in 1792. He married in 1748, Susannah, the eldest daughter of Frederick Philipse, Sr., and his wife Joanna, the youngest daughter of Anthony Brockholes, the fourth governor of New York after its cession by the Dutch to Great Britain.
Col. Beverly6 Robinson had large estates in New York. From the first of the trouble writh America and the mother country his sympathies were entirely with England. At the commencement of the war he raised two battalions, principally from his own tenantry, and joined the British army. He held an important staff situation during the greater part of the hostil- ities, and at the end forfeited his vast property, which, had he been on the winning side, might have made him the Rothschild of America.
Col. Beverly6 and Susannah Robinson had ten children, seven of whom, five sons and two daughters, reached maturity, viz. :
Beverly7 Jr., a colonel in the arm}-, who married Miss Ann Dorothea Barclay and had fifteen children.
Morris1, a lieutenant colonel in the arm)", married Margaret a daughter of Dr. Waring.
John7, who married Elizabeth, a daughter of Judge Ludlow, and became Speaker of the Assembly in New Brunswick.
Susannah Maria7, born in 1761 and died unmarried in 1833.
Joanna7, born in 1763, and who married the Rev. R. Slade, rector of Thornbury, England.
Sir Frederick Philispe7, K. C. B., a lieutenant-general in the army, who married first, Grace Bowles, the daughter of an Irish gentleman. His second wife was a Miss Fernyhoe, of Strafford, England.
Sir William Henry7, K. C. H., a commissionary general in the army, who married Catherine, a daughter of Cortland Skinner, Esq., attorney general of New Jersey.
In consequence of Col. Beverly Robinson's adherence to the King, the large estates which he held at Frederickburg, High- lands upper patent, Philipse Manor, property at Tarrytowai
ROBINSONS — EARLY EMIGRANTS TO AMERICA. 87
and Yonkers-on-the-Hudson, in right of his wife, were confis- cated by the American Congress.
The English government, in consideration of this loss, gave "compensation money" to Frederick Philispe, the father-in-law of Col. Beverly6 Robinson, as the head of the family, ,£60,000, and to the children £\ 7,000 each. The smallness of the sum was accounted for on the ground that by the terms of the treaty of peace the estates would be secured to the family, and especially so, as L,ieut. Col. Roger Morris, who married Mary6 a sister of Col. Beverly Robinson's wife, had, before entering the British army, made over his property to his children, some of whom remained lawful to the American cause.
The American government was not aware of this transaction, and it wTould have evolved a law suit to establish the claim, which was not then deemed advisable. Finally the matter was left with Capt. Henry Gage Morris, a son of Lieut. Col. Roger Morris, who, in 1809, in behalf of himself and the heirs, sold all their reversionary rights to the property for the sum of £20,000 to John Jacob Astor. This was probably but a tithe of the value of the confiscated property as it must then have had a value of several millions of dollars.
Thomas Robinson appears as a resident of Wallingford, Conn, in 1680. His daughter, Saint, was married on the iSth of August of this year to Bezabeel Lattimer.
Jacob Robinson married in New Haven, Sarah Hitchcock, in 1690, and had six children all born there:
John2, born Dec. 3, 1691, married Mary Barnes.
Thomas2, born Dec. 5, 1693.
Sarah2, born Dec. 24, 1695, married Samuel Bradley.
Hannah2, born Feb. 24, 1698.
Mary2, born about 1700, married Moses Sanford.
Eliakim2, born April 2, 1706, was named for his grandfather Hitchcock.
It is not impossible that this Jacob Robinson was the Jacob who was the son of Isaac2 Robinson of Barnstable. a son of the Rev. John1 of Leyden.
A Thomas Robinson who, by his wife Lydia, daughter of Nathaniel Ackley of Kast Hadden, Conn., had a daughter Mary, born in East Hadden, Conn., Aug. 23, 1(195, who married Charles Williams. This Thomas may also have been a son of Isaac Robinson of Barnstable. If our supposition is correct it will account for the two sons of Isaac Robinson not otherwise located.
88 ROBINSONS — EARLY EMIGRANTS TO AMERICA.
Samuel Robinson, an old sea captain of Massachusetts, born about 1700, had three children: Seth2, Jonathan2, and a son Joseph-, born about 1734, who married Rpsannah, and had ten children, among whom was Nathan3, born April 22, 1764, and. died Dec. 2, 1860, who resided in Shaftsbury, Vt., and moved to Floyd, Oneida, Co., N. Y. He was the father of Joseph Lee4, Asenath4 and Ebenezer4 Robinson, who joined the Mormons in 1830. The latter, with others, set the type on the first Mormon Bible, when but 18 years of age. All three of these Robinsons were with the Mormons when they were driven from Oneida, N. Y., to Nauvoo, 111., and from thence across the plains to Utah. Later, when the doctrine of polygamy was promulgated, Ebenezer4 strenuously opposed it, removing to Davis City, Iowa, where he published a monthly called " The Return," in which he denounced the system of polygamy and urged the return of the Mormons to the true and original faith as promulgated in the Mormon Bible. It may not be generally known that the Mormon Bible is very outspoken in its condemnation of polygamy, but such is the fact. I have received many very interesting letters from Ebenezer4, also from his brother Joseph Lee4, who em- braced the doctrine of polygamy and took unto himself five wives. As may be presumed there is a long line of descendants from this branch of the family.
William Robinson of Swansey, who married Martha Bourne, May 26, 1720, and had five children, was in all probability the son of William of Salem. Many of the descendants in this line were Quakers.
Gain Robinson of Bridgewater, who was born in Ireland in 1682, and died in East Bridgewater in 1763, came to Massachu- setts about 1720, landing at Plymouth. He resided awhile at both Braintree and Pembroke, but finally settled in East Bridge- water. Three of his great-great-grandsons, viz. : Increase4, Charles4 and Enoch4, were quite prominent in the iron business in Taunton and Bridgewater and have many descendants.
Gain Robinson may have been a brother, and probably was, of Thomas Robinson, an emigrant from Ireland about the same date, and who settled in Donegal, Lancaster County, Pa., and is the ancestor of the Rev. T. H. Robinson, D. D., a professor of theology in the Western Theological Seminary, Allegheny City, Pa.; also of Henry Robinson, another emigrant from Ireland about the same date, who settled in Eastern Pennsylvania, and
ROBINSONS — EARLY EMIGRANTS TO AMERICA. 8q
from whom the Hon. Henry Robinson, Ex-Governor of Iowa, is a descendant. It is also said that another brother came over with the others and went East. This may have been the Dr. Moses Robinson, who was in Gushing, Me., as early as 1727, and left a long line of descendants. Both Gain and Moses had an Archibald and other children bearing the same names.
Traditional history places the ancestors of these emigrants among the "Covenanters in the early part of the seventeenth century. In the course of events, the church of Scotland, which was Presbyterian, decided to purge itself from every form of Popery, retaining its own simple form of worship. Thereupon arose a most terrible and cruel persecution of the Covenanters."
It was after enduring a long season of untold suffering that a company of this persecuted people decided to leave Scotland and colonize in the north of Ireland. In this company were Gain Robinson, his brothers and sisters, father and mother.
A Josiah Robinson said to have come from Uxbridge, Mass., married Anna Buxton, in 1738, and settled in Spencer, Mass., leaving a long line of descendants.
There was a John Robinson who married at Kittery, Me., Dec. 10, 1722, Sarah Jordan. It also appears that there was a John Robinson born in Kittery, July 8, 1709, a son of Captain John and Martha Robinson. It was probably one of these Johns who worked on Fort William Henry, on Goat Island, in 1723. There was also a John Robinson, at Cape Elizabeth, Me., who married Mehitable Woodbury in 1738, from whom the Hon. Frank W. Robinson, the Mayor of the city of Portland, Me., is descended.
In closing this long list of Robinson ancestors the question arises, whence did they come? Surely there must be a com- mon ancestor, only a generation or two further back, for some of the number at least? Research of the Old Country records establishes the fact that the Robinsons originated in the north of England, in the counties bordering on Scotland, a hardy yeomanry, bearing as their armorial ensign the stag trippant. And to-day the stag in some form is the principal feature in the arms of all Robinsons.
Henry Bouglunan Guppy, M. B., in his " Homes of Family Names in Great Britain" published in 1890, says that "The name ot Robinson has its great home in the North," that the Robinsons, are "distributed all over England, except in the
OX> ROBINSONS — EARLY EMIGRANTS TO AMERICA.
southwest where the name is either absent or extremely rare. The great home is in the Northern half of the country, the numbers rapidly diminishing as we approach the South of Eng- land. Northamptonshire may be characterized as the most advanced stronghold of the Robinsons on their way to the metropolis. ' '
On searching the American records, for the connecting family links with the mother country, the conviction becomes almost firmly established that, with few notable exceptions, our Robinson ancestors sought to eliminate all trace of their ancestry, and to sever all connection with the land of their nativity. Notwithstanding this we have every incentive to push forward our good work, for hidden in some obscure recess we will be sure to find the object of our search.
If the silent graves in our cemeteries could but speak, our longing for knowledge would be appeased. But our legacy is — '•' search thoroughly every record with the determination to win from obscurity every item of information, then the victory will be ours.
Some twelve months or more ago, we read in one of the best of our New York dailies a long communication from Boston, setting forth the investigation of Spiritualism by Prof. James H. Hyslop, of Columbia University, through Richard Hodgson, 1,1,. D., of Cambridge University, the head of the American Branch of the Societ)r for Psychical Research, and his celebrated medium, Mrs. L. A. Piper. The article further stated that the late Bishop Phillips Brooks had become deeply interested in Mrs. Piper's sittings in the last years of his life; also Prof. James of Harvard, Prof. Newbold of the University of Pennsylvania, the Rev. Minot J. Savage, W. D. Howells, Dr. S. Weir Mitchell of Philadel- phia, Prof. Langley of the Smithsonian Institute, Profs. Shaler, Trowbridge, Norton and Nichols of Harvard, and William E. Gladstone.
With the feeling that here was an open door for obtaining information from our ancestors, and that we must let no oppor- tunity pass, I addressed a letter to Prof. Hodgson, outlining the information desired, suggesting that it would be an excellent test of Mrs. Piper's power to communicate with departed spirits, and that no person in America could have the slightest information as to the knowledge we sought, but that time and money would be spent to investigate the truth of what
ROBINSONS — EARLY EMIGRANTS TO AMERICA. 9!
she might impart. The following is the reply received from the Professor :
AMERICAN BRANCH
OF THE
Society for psychical Research.
RICHARD HODGSON, LL. D.,
SECRETARY AND TREASURER.
5 BOYLSTON PLACE. BOSTON, MASS., July 28, 1899.
CHARLES E. ROBINSON, ESQ.,
Dear Sir : — Your letter of July 151)1 reached me only this morn- ing, owing to its being misaddressed.
I regret that there will not be any opportunity of putting any enquiries on your behalf through Mrs. Piper. She stopped sitting several weeks ago, and will not resume until about next November.
Further, her trances are arranged chiefly by the trance personali- ties themselves. Very little opportunity is given to make any en- quiries at all on behalf of outsiders, and very little opportunity is given, indeed, for outsiders to have any sittings. I have had for a long time a very long waiting list of persons who have prior claims, and I cannot hold out any hope that we shall be able to make any enquiries on your behalf.
Enclosed please find circulars of our Society.
Yours sincerely,
R. HODGSON.
Imagine my disappointment and dismay on reading this epistle from the Professor. No information was to come to us through the mediumship of Mrs. Piper. She was not of that oracular school. I trust some of you may be more fortunate than myself in seeking for knowledge in the spirit land.
But as to the origin of the name of Robinson. Who was the first to bear the name and where did he live ?
In speaking of this a few days ago to a most worthy Chris- tian lady, whose good opinion I most highly prize, I made the remark that it has only been about nine hundred years that the people had surnames. This started the good woman on her favorite theme, and led her to make this rejoinder : ' Why, Mr. Robinson, how can you say this, have you forgotten your Bible ? Just read the i6th verse of the 3rd chapter of St. Mark where it says : 'And Simon he surnamed Peter.' '
92 ROBINSONS — EARLY EMIGRANTS TO AMERICA.
As I may be again called to account, should I fall into the same error, it is well that I keep on the safe side and say that nine hundred years ago the people were in clans without sur- names, except as one tribe was designated from another and all bore the same common surname.
From the earliest advent of articulate man names must have been given to tribes of humanity, to animals, to places and things. How else could they have been distinguished ?
From the historical works on this subject we learn that the earliest of personal names are those which indicate not an in- dividual but a group, made up naturally of kinsmen and so desig- nated for reasons of convenience.
Previous to the year 1000, family names were entirely un- known. Sixty to seventy years later, on the ascendency of William the Conqueror, to the throne of England, surnames began very slowly to be adopted, but so little progress did it make that another hundred years passed before it had extended much be- yond the higher nobility, and even as late as the year 1300 the old custom still clung of designating a person by his or her given name.
On the advent of William the Conqueror, the Anglo-Saxon gentry adopted the Christian names brought over by their king, of William, Robert, Richard and Henry, in place of their Anglo- Saxon names, Alfred, Edgar, Egbert and Ethelred. Later on, during the reign of Henry III., 1216 to 1272, it became impera- tive among the gentry to assume surnames, indeed it became a matter of disgrace not to have a double or family name.
We read that the marriage of the natural son of Henry I., to the wealthy heiress of Baron Fitz-Hamon wras objected to by the lady in these words :
" It were to me a great shame. To have a lord with outen his twa name."
It was during the time of the " pet name epoch," so called, which dated from about the year eleven hundred, that the nick- name of Robin appeared from the Teutonic name of Robert. From Robin to Robinson was but a step.
There is probably no other surname more prolific in its legendary character than that of Robin and Robinson. In this connection we call to mind the beautiful legend of the robin plucking a thorn from the crown Christ wore when bearing His
ROBINSONS — EARLY EMIGRANTS TO AMERICA. 93
cross. "As Christ bore His cross to the place of His crucifixion, wearing the crown of thorns on His brow, a robin alighted upon His head and plucked from the crown a thorn which pierced its own breast, dyeing it not only with its own blood but with that of our Saviour, thus becoming the ancestor of our Robin-red-breast of to-day."
It was the robin who covered the babes in the woods with a blanket of leaves when left by their cruel uncle to their fate, and a friend informs me that to this day children refrain from throwing stones at the robin.
The celebrated Robin Hood lies buried, we are told, at Kirkless, once a Benedictine nunnery, in Yorkshire, England, with the following remarkable inscription on his tombstone :
" Here undernead dis laitle stean laiz robert earl of huntingtun near arcir ver az hie sa geud and pipl kauld in robin hood sick utlawz az hi an iz men vil england niver si agen Obiit 24 (1214) Kal Dekembris 1247."
" Robin Hood's Wind." This, in Lancaster, is the name given to a wind that blows during the thawing of the snow, and derives its name because it is alleged that Robin Hood once said that he could stand any wind except a thaw wind.
"All round Robin Hood's barn." This simply means the corn fields in his district.
"Robin O' the Wood." This is the first mention of Robin Hood in English literature, and is found in the B text (second version) of Skeat. The date is supposed to be about 1377.
"To sell Robin Hood's pennyworths," says Fuller in his "Worthies," is " spoken of things sold under half their value, or, if you will, half sold half given."
"Robin Hood Festival." This is an ancient festival held on the first and succeeding clays in May. and from which undoubtedly originates our celebration of the first day of May.
"Robin of Redesdale." Under his leadership fifteen thousand farmers and peasants, in 1468, marched to Banbury and captured the Earl of Pembroke.
94 ROBINSONS — EARLY EMIGRANTS TO AMERICA.
" Robin of Doncaster. " The History of Doncaster, England, by Dr. Edward Miller, contains this enigmatical epitaph :
" How, How, who is hear I Robin of Doncaster and Margaret my feare that I spent that I had that I gave that I have that I left that I lost A. D. I579-"
'.' Bonny Sweet Robin," was the tune to a ballad in (594, en- titled, "A doleful adew to the last Erie of Darby."
" Robin Concience." This is a quaint poem written by Martin Parker and bears the date of August 3, I 579. It is said to have been the second book published by John Walley. It bears the title of ' ' Robin Concience with i j Songs in i i j parts. ' ' It purports to give the trials of ' ' Robin in his Pro- gress through Court, City and Country; with his bad Enter- tainment at several Places ' ' in search of an honest man. I have time and space for but a few stanzas :
" I have been quite through England wide, With many a faint and weary stride. To see what people there abide,
that loves me :
" Poor Robin Concience is my name, Sore vexed with reproach and blame ; For all wherever yet I came,
reproach me.
" To think that Concience is despised, Which ought to be most highly prized : This trick the devil hath devised,
to blind men ;
" 'Cause Concience tells them of their ways, Which are so wicked now-a days. They stop their ears to what he says, unkind men.
AT THE MERCHANTS.
" Quoth he, " Friend Robin, what doest thou, Here among us merchants now? Our business will not allow
to use thee :
ROBINSONS — EARLY EMIGRANTS TO AMERICA. 95
" For we have traffic without thee, And thrice best, if thou absent be ; I for my part will utterly
refuse thee."
WITH THE MILLER.
" Away with Concience I'll none such, That smell with honesty so much ; I shall not quickly fill my hutch
by due toll ;
" I must for every bushel of meal, A peck, if not three gallons, steal, Therefore with thee I will not deal,
Thou true soul."
" Robin Goodfellow. " This is the title of " a curious jest book, published in 1639." A copy was sold about fifty years ago for £25. IQS.
" Robin Cushions, " is the name given in England to a green moss, turf tipped with crimson.
" Round Robin." This is said to have originated in Yorkshire, the English home of an ancient Robinson family. " In the East Riding of Yorkshire the term is designated of a petition in which all the names are signed radiating from a center so as to render it impossible to discover who was the first to sign it. ' '
The name of ' ' Round Robin ' ' is also given in Eng- land to a small pan cake ; also to a sacramental wafer. In Dr. Peter Heylin's controversy, over his church His- tory, with the Rev. TJiomas Fuller, he says: "The sacrament of the Altar is nothing else but a piece of bread, or a little predie round robin."
" Robins Last Shift," was the title of a Jacobite newspaper, "or Weekly Remarks and Political Reflections upon the most material news. Foreign and Domestic, by George Flint, Gent. , London, printed by Isaac Dalton, in the year 1717." There were but eleven issues of this publication when it was suppressed for its unsparing severity of the conduct of James II. and his adherents.
"Robins," as the cognomen of a political party, may have been a revival of the title of "Robins" which was given to the opponents of Mr. John Coventry (son of the
96 ROBINSONS — EARLY EMIGRANTS TO AMF.RICA.
Lord Keeper) who, in the interest of the Court, was a candidate for Somersetshire. Why they were so called I have not been able to learn.
"Robinson Crusoe." Daniel Defoe evidently gave this name to the heio of his world-wide read story after a family by the name of Robinson Cruso (without the final e) living at King's Lynn, Norfolk. We are told in English "Notes and Queries ' ' that ' ' the name has been borne by father and son from time immemorial."
When Defoe was attending school at Stoke Nevving- ton he associated with a student by the name of Cruso who ma}' have been of this King's Lynn family.
Umbrellas were called ' ' Robinsons ' ' when first introduced into England. In France, for a century, they went by the name " Un Robinson." William Bates of Birmingham, England, in a paper of fifty years ago, says the name originated " from the huge umbriferous machine beneath which the hero of Defoe sheltered himself on his island from the ardor of a tropical sun."
"Robinson." This is the name given to a rustic garden by a Parisian hostess, "reviving an old fashion of the days of Marie Antoinette, who often gave ' Robinsons ' at the Trianon or St. Cloud."
" Quicker than Jack Robinson." Francis Gross, the English antiquarian and historian, tells us that this expression came from the action of a most volatile individual by the name of John Robinson who, in calling upon his neigh- bors would disappear before his name could be announced. But to return to the origin of our family name of Robinson. It came from some man of olden times who was known by the name of Robert and who had a favorite son to whom he gave the pet nick-name of Robin, this Robin having a son who went by the name of Robin's son, or for short, Robinson. We must not, however, fall into the error of supposing that the name originated from any one Robert, as it was a common name in many clans.
Many familiar surnames have been derived from Robert. That of Robarts, Roberts, Robertson, Robins, Robison and Robson. Then we have the nick-name of Dob for Robert, from which has come Dobbs, Dobson, Dobbins, Dobinson, Dobbinson
ROBINSONS — EARLY EMIGRANTS TO AMERICA. 97
and Dobynette, and from Hob, another nick-name for Robert, has come Hobbs, Hobson, Hobbins, Hopkins and Hopkinson. Then from the Welsh we have Ap-robert, Ap- robin, Probert and Probyn.
Many surnames were derived from the location of the resi- dence of the individual. Thus a family living on a hill, who had previously been known by the name John, would be identi- fied as "John on the Hill," which in the course of time would be shortened to John Hill. His children would first be known as " John's sons," and later on some bright, pushing member of the family would adopt the name of John Johnson. In like manner an individual living near a small stream of water, who was known by the name of Robert, would be identified as Robert
JOHN ON THE HILL. ROBERT BY THE BROOK.
by the brook, or in time as Robert Brook. His first favorite son might bear the pet-name Robin which in another generation would develop into Robinson. Thus we see how impossible it is to tell from what Robert the name of Robinson first came.
But who can say that the origin of the name will not some day be known. With all the wonderful researches now being pushed forward with so much vigor in Egypt, and the astonish- ing finds that are made, may it not be possible to trace our family back even to Adam ?
Within the ancient city of Nippur, a considerable portion of whose walls have been laid bare, parts of which were built more than four thousand years before Christ, who knows but what we
98
ROBINSONS — EARLY EMIGRANTS TO AMERICA.
may read the story on some monument yet to be unearthed whereon is recorded the story of Adam and his downfall ; of his expulsion from the garden of Eden ; of the mighty wind which carried his companion and himself in a cloud of dust far out into an unknown land where he lay insensible for a time ; of his search for Eve, and when found, of their grief over their unfor- tunate condition, and vows of repentance for their sin ; how in the midst of their deep sorrow they were visited by a bird bear- ing in its beak a seed from the apple which had been the cause of their great calamity ; of the planting of the seed in the earth by Adam's own right hand, with the prayer that it might grow into a tree whose branches thereof would cover his children's children ; of his naming the land after the bird who brought the seed, that it might henceforth be known as the land of Robin and the people thereof as Robinsons.
PHOTO CUT OF THE EXCAVATIONS AT NIPPUR.
MEMBERS OF
ROBINSON FAMILY GENEALOGICAL AND HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION.
HONORARY MEMBER.
Atherton, Mrs. Sarah Robinson Peru, Huron Co., Ohio.
LIFE MEMBERS.
Brewer, Professor William H 418 Orange St., New Haven, Conn.
Robinson, Mr. Charles Edson 319 Warburton Ave., Yonkers, N. Y.
Robinson, Mr. Charles Kendall 529. Second St., Brooklyn, N. Y.
Robinson, Charles P., Esq 31 Nassau St., New York.
Robinson, Daniel Webster, Esq Burlington, Vt.
Robinson, Miss Emily E 1513 Corcoran St., Washington, D. C.
Robinson, Franklin, Esq 203 Cumberland St., Portland, Me.
Robinson, Mr. Frederick A Maiden, Mass.
Robinson. Hon. Gifford Simeon Sioux City, Iowa.
Robinson, Mr. Roswell R Maiden, Mass.
Robinson, Mr. Willard E Maiden, Mass.
Verner.Mrs.Murry A. (Birdie Barbara Bailey), Cathalyce Parke, Pittsburgh, Pa.
MEMBERS.
Armstrong, Mrs. Mary A. Robinson Adrian, Mich.
Atherton, Mr. George Watson Peru. O.
Austin, Mr. C. Downer P. O. Box 1225, New York City, N. Y.
Barbour, Mr. Edward Russell 49 Neal St., Portland, Me.
Beeman, Mrs. Phebe Stone P. O. Box 624, Warren, Mass.
Boynton, Mr. Edgar A Hornellsville, N. Y.
Brenniman, Mrs. C. D Brooklyn, Iowa.
Brett, Mr. George Greenwood 50 Cedar St. , Somerville, Mass.
Brigg, Martha Anna Robinson . 150 Pitman St., Providence. R. I.
Bronson.'Mrs. E. P. (Ida Robinson) 1704 Hayes St., Nashville, Tenn.
Butler, Mrs. Ellen Robinson Peru, Ohio.
Carter, Miss Martha C 143 Main St., Oneida, N. Y.
Catlin, Mrs. Mary Robinson 304 So. First St., Rockford, III.
Chargs, Mrs. Julia C., Box 65 Central Square, Oswego Co., N. Y.
Cobb, Miss Jessie 65 Clinton Place, Newark, N. J.
Cogswell, Mrs. William (Luella Childs) 117 Summer St., Medford, Mass.
Cole, Mr. L. D Newburyport, Mass.
100 MEMBERS OF ASSOCIATION.
Comey, Miss Hannah Robinson Foxboro, Mass.
Comey, Mr. John Winthrop 52 West 54th St., New York, N. Y.
Comey, Miss Vodisa J Foxboro, Mass.
Comings, Mr. Alfred Cario, 111.
Comings, Mr. Uriel L P. O. Box 550, Windsor, Vt.
Crawford, Mrs. Mark L. (Annie C.). . . .'. ...27 Iowa Circle, Washington, D. C.
Crumb, Mrs. Adelaide V. (Kilburn) 147 Main St., Oneida, N. Y.
Gushing, Mrs. Hannah Robinson Pawtucket, R. I.
Cushman, Mr. Willard Robinson Attleboro Falls, Mass.
Danielson, Mr. Simeon Danielsonville, Conn.
Dean, Miss Bertha L 22 Clinton St., Taunton, Mass.
Dean, James H., Esq 94 Dean St., Taunton, Mass.
Dean, Mr. N. Bradford ' 88 Dean St., Taunton, Mass.
Devoll, Mrs. Mary R. G Long Plain, Mass.
Donavan, Col. John St. Joseph, Mo.
Douglass, Mr. Willard Robinson. ...New York Life Bldg., Kansas City, Mo.
Dow, Mr. Herbert B 136 Congress St. , Boston, Mass.
Dow, Mrs. Judith Ellen Robinson 75 Front St., Exeter, N. H.
Dows, Miss Amanda . Cazenovia, N. Y.
Dyer, Mr. Benjamin F South Braintree, Mass.
Elmes, Mr. Carleton Snow North Raynham, Mass.
Farson, Mrs. Robert Bruce (Clara M. C.) St. Charles, 111.
Farwell, Mrs. John V 109 Pearson St., Chicago, 111.
Feakins, Mrs. Martha Kirk Kirkland, 111.
Fuller, Mrs. A. C 99 Union St. , Blue Island, 111.
Fuller, Mrs. Mary R 101 Austin St., Cambridgeport, Mass.
Gilmore, Mr. Abiel P. R Long Plain, Mass.
Gilmore, Mrs. Chloe C. D Long Plain, Mass.
Gordon, Mrs. Lillian Sophia Robinson u Major St., Toronto, Can.
Goward, Mr. William E Easton, Mass.
Graves, Mr. Charles B New London, Conn.
Hall, Mrs. George G. (Isabela Martha) 78 Beacon St., Boston, Mass.
Hall, Mrs. Herbert E. (Emily A) Taunton, Mass.
Hammond, Mrs. Ashley King (Jessie Robinson).
5727 Delmar Ave., St. Louis, Mo.
Hammond, Miss Cora E Boonton, N. J.
Harnden, Mrs. M. J Rowland, Iowa.
Harris, Mr. Charles 68 Mason Bldg., Boston, Mass.
Haskins, Mrs. H. M. R McLean, N. Y.
Hayman, Mrs. Mattie Knox 301 East 7th St., Little Rock, Ark.
Heath, Mrs. Bertha R 13 Garden St., Nashua, N. H.
Hemingway, Mrs. Celia E. R McLean, N. Y.
Hitch, Mrs. Louisa A. R 119 Mill St., New Bedford, Mass.
Holman, D. Emory, M. D 330 West 57th St., New York, N. Y.
Holmes, Miss Mary E Sharon, Mass.
Hubbard, Mrs. Charles D. (Gertrude Robbins) Erie, Pa.
MEMBERS OF ASSOCIATION. 1O1
Jenkins, Mr. E. H.( (Director Conn. Agricultural, Experimental Sta.)
New Haven, Conn.
Jenkins, Mr. James Jr 80 Washington St., Oshkosh, Wis.
Jenkins, Mrs. Robert E. (Marcia Raymond).. 89 E. Madison St., Chicago, 111. Jones, Mrs. Calista Robinson Bradford, Vt.
Kauffman, Mrs. J. S York St. , Blue Island, 111.
Kennedy, Mr. Elijah Robinson 33 Prospect Park West, Brooklyn, N. Y.
Keyes, Mr. Arthur H Rutland, Vt.
Kimble, Mrs. E. M 322 High St., Rowland, Iowa.
Kirk, Mrs.J. Frank (Abbie F. Robinson) 264 Pleasant St., New Bedford, Mass.
Lacy, Mrs. Mary Robinson Dubuque, Iowa.
Lakin, Mrs. Augusta A Bennington, N. H.
Larned, Mr. Charles 1025 Tremont Bldg., Boston, Mass.
Leach, Mrs. Agnes Amelia (Robinson) Franklin, N. H.
Lee, Mrs. Frederick H 20 William St., Auburn, N. Y.
Leech, Mrs. Angeline Box 297, Frankfort, N. Y.
Lewis, Mrs. J. F. Sumner Foxboro, Mass.
Linnell, Mr. John W., Jr Maiden, Mass.
Litchfield, Mr. Wilford J Southbridge, Mass.
Little, Mrs. G. Elliotte (Mary Robinson) 640 West End Ave., New York.
Lothrop, Mrs. Elizabeth H North Raynham, Mass.
McClelan, Hon. Arthur R Riverside, New Brunswick, Can.
MacLachlan, Mrs. Harriet R 550 Chenango St., Binghamton, N. Y.
Miller, Miss Carrie E 36 Cottage St., Lewiston, Me.
Miller, Frank, Esq., Pres. D. O. Mills Bank Sacramento, Cal.
Mower, Mr. Calvin Robinson. Box 474, Rockford, 111.
Norton, Mrs. Mary J Wood's Hole, Mass.
Osgood, Mrs. Mary Satterfield Estherville, Iowa.
Packard, Mrs. Fred. L. (Josephine A.) i . . .North Easton, Mass.
Paine, Mrs. Walter J 120 Tremont St., Boston, Mass.
Payson, Mrs. Julia A Box 344, Medfield, Mass.
Penniman, Mr. Bethuel New Bedford, Mass.
Penniman, Mrs. Eliza A 3 Elm St., Quincy, Mass.
Penniman, Mr. George W Clinton, Mass.
Pelton, Mrs. F. Alaric (Mabell Shippie Clarke) Arden, N. C.
Pettee, Mrs. Maria W Foxboro, Mass.
Pierce, Mrs. H. F Tekamah, Neb.
Pinney, Mrs. Wm. H. (A. Augusta Robinson)
350 Central St., Springfield, Mass.
Pitcher, Col. David Austin 821 A Union St., Brooklyn, N. Y.
Poor, Mrs. Janette H. South Exeter, Me.
Potter, Miss Emma 322 Irving Ave., Syracuse, N. Y.
Price, Mrs. E. R North Attleboro, Mass.
Richmond, Mrs. Howard 32 George St., Providence, R. I.
Richmond, Mrs. L. M Klburn, 111.
102
MEMBERS OF ASSOCIATION.
Robinson, Mr. Albert William.
Robinson Robinson Robinson Robinson Robinson Robinson Robinson Robinson Robinson
Robinson Robinson Robinson Robinson Robinson Robinson Robinson Robinson Robinson Robinson Robinson Robinson Robinson Robinson Robinson Robinson Robinson Robinson Robinson Robinson Robinson Robinson Robinson Robinson Robinson Robinson Robinson Robinson Robinson Robinson Robinson Robinson Robinson
Ricker, Mrs. Lizzie P .............. 217 West Boylston St., Worcester, Mass.
Robinson, Mr. A. Warren ...................................... Napa, Cal.
Robinson Miss Adelaide A ......................... North Raynham, Mass.
Robinson, Mr. Adrian G .................... 504 Central Ave., Hanford Cal.
. P" °' E™ 2933- Boston, Mass. I I Monadnock St., Dorchester, Mass. Mr. Alfred J ............................ 4 State St., Bangor, Me.
Mrs. Annette ..................... . ...... North Raynham, Mass.
Miss Annie E ................ 20 Webster Ave., Somerville, Mass.
Mr. Arthur ................................... Clear Lake, Minn.
Mr. Benjamin F ....... 603 North Pine St., Colorado Springs, Col.
Prof. Benjamin Lincoln ........ 42 Shepard St., Cambridge, Mass.
Mr. Bernard Noyes .............. 134 Boylston St., Boston, Mass.
Caroline D ........................................ Castine, Me.
Capt. Charles A., 104 West Chelton Ave.,
Germantown, Philadelphia, Pa. Mr. Charles D .................................. Newburg, N. Y.
Mr. Charles E ..................... 140 Oxford St., Portland, Me.
Mr. Charles F ........................... North Raynham, Mass.
Mr. Charles H ................. 264 Dayton Ave. , St. Paul, Minn.
Mr. Charles H .......... 322 Fourth Ave. No., Great Falls, Mont.
Mr. Charles L ......... Western National Bank, New York, N. Y.
Capt. Charles T ...................... Broadway, Taunton, Mass.
Mr. Clement F .................................. Brunswick, Me.
Mr. Cyrus R ............................... East Concord, N. H.
Hon. David I ................................ Gloucester, Mass.
Mr. Denison ........................... ..... Hewlett Hill, N. Y.
Dr. Edwin Putnam .................. 12 High St., Newport, R. I.
Miss Emily A .................................... Exeter, N. H.
E. M ............................................. Phillips, Me.
Miss Flora B ..................... P. O. Box 344, Medfield, Mass.
Mr. Frank C .............................. East Taunton, Mass.
Mr. Francis Walter ...... 15 Thetford Ave., New Dorchester, Mass.
Hon. Frank Hurd ........................... Hornellsville, N. Y.
Mrs. Franklin (Martha A. S.)..2O3 Cumberland St., Portland, Me. Mr. Fred. W ..................... 458 Boylston St., Boston, Mass.
Mr. George A ............................ West Mansfield, Mass.
Mr. George F ................ 20 Webster Ave., Somerville, Mass.
Mr. George H .................................. Pawtucket, R. 1.
Mr. George O ....................... Moffat Bldg., Detroit, Mich.
George O., Esq ................................ South Paris, Me.
Mr. George Rensselaer.. Chestnut, Cor. I2th St., Philadelphia, Pa. Mr. George W ...................................... Elburn, 111.
Dr. Hamlin Elijah ............................... Mary ville, Mo.
Mr. Harold L ................................... Uniontown, Pa.
Mrs. Harriet H ..................... 35 Lincoln St., Maiden Mass.
Miss Hannah B ................................ Somerset, Mass.
Miss Helen M ...... ............................. McLean, N. Y.
Miss Helen R .................................... Maiden, Mass.
Robinson, Hon. Henry ...................... . ...... Box 5, Concord, N. H.
MEMBERS OF ASSOCIATION.
103
Robinson, Mr. Henry M Danbury , Conn.
Robinson, Mr. Herbert L 322 Fourth Ave. No., Great Falls Mont.
Robinson, Mr. Herbert S Paxton, Mass.
Robinson, Mr. Herbert Woodbury Box 1839, Portland, Me.
Robinson, Brig. Gen. H. F Phoenix, Ariz.
Robinson, Mr. Horatio Alvin 13 Garden St., Nashua, N. H.
Robinson, Mr. Horace Ravenna, Neb.
Robinson, H. S Andover, Mass., and 60 State St., Boston, Mass.
Robinson, Mr. Increase Waterville, Me.
Robinson, Miss Jane A Maiden, Mass.
Robinson, Dr. J. Blake 217 Cumberland St., Portland, Me.
Robinson, Mr. James Bartlett 307 Wethersfield Ave., Hartford, Conn.
Robinson, Mr. John C Middleboro, Mass.
Robinson, Mr. John H 55 Kilby St., Boston, Mass.
Robinson, Dr. John H Homer, N. Y.
Robinson, Mr. Joseph H Farmington, Utah.
Robinson, Rev. Joseph H Pelham Manor, N. Y.
Robinson, Rev. Julian B West Boylston, Mass.
Robinson, Mr. Leonard Leland Hotel, Emporia, Kas.
Robinson, Miss Lillian L St. Cloud, Minn.
Robinson, Miss Maria L 178 Main St., Orange, N. J.
Robinson, Miss Marie D 40 Somerset Ave., Taunton, Mass.
Robinson, Martha G 19 Walden St., Lynn, Mass.
Robinson, Miss Mary B Chester, Place, Wellsborough, Pa.
Robinson, Miss Mary C Q3 Chandler St., Worcester, Mass.
Robinson, Miss Mary C 44 Thatcher St., Bangor, Me.
Robinson, Miss Mary Elizabeth 140 Oxford St., Portland, Me.
Robinson, Miss Mary Gay Guilford, Conn.
Robinson, Miss Myra S 91 Cottage St., Pawtucket, R. I.
Robinson, Mrs. O. P. (Mary Louise) '..56 East Third St., Corning, N. Y.
Robinson, Mr. Orin Pomeroy 56 East Third St., Corning, N. Y.
Robinson, Mr. Orlando G Raynham, Mass.
Robinson, Prof. Oscar D 501 State St., Albany, N. Y.
Robinson, >Ir. Philip Eaton 284 High St., Medford, Mass.
Robinson, Miss Rachael Ferrisburg, Vt.
Robinson, Dr. Reinzi Danielson, Conn.
Robinson, Miss Sarah D Box 368, Bloomington, 111.
Robinson, Miss Sarah G Middleborough, Mass.
Robinson, Mr. Sam S Linden Lake, Mich.
Robinson, Mr. Samuel R Antrim, N. H.
Robinson, Mr. Samuel S Box 126, Pontiac, Mich.
Robinson, Miss Sarah J 178 Pleasant St., Attlehoro, Mass.
Robinson, Mr. Silas Luce, Neb.
Robinson, Mr. Solomon D Falmouth, Mass.
Robinson, Mr. Sylvanus Smith Metamora, 111.
Robinson, Mr. Thomas Box 35, Dedham, Mass.
Robinson, Rev. Wm. A., D.D 115 East Main St., Middletovvn, N. Y.
Robinson, Mr. William A 49 Drummond St., Auburn, Me.
Robinson, Mr. William A Gloucester, Mass.
IO4 MKMBERS OF ASSOCIATION.
Robinson. Mr. William H West Chazy, N. Y.
Robinson, Mr. William H 375 Main St., Worcester, Mass.
Robinson, W. G Oswego, N. Y.
Robinson, Mr. William L East Gloucester, Mass.
Robinson, Mr. William M 29 Madison Ave., Grand Rapids, Mich.
Robinson, Mr. William Philip Auburn, N. Y.
Robinson, Mr. William Whipple 117 So. Olive St , Los Angeles, Cal.
Rowland, Rev. L. S Lee, Mass.
Ruggles, Mr. Henry Stoddard Wakefield, Mass.
Sherman, Hon. Buren Robinson Vinton, Iowa.
Sherman, Miss Evelyn M Waterloo, Iowa.
Sherman, Miss Florence Belle Waterloo, Iowa.
Sherman, Mr. James P Waterloo, Iowa.
Sherman, Mr. Ward B 315 41 st St., Chicago, 111.
Sinclair, Mr. John E Station A, Worcester, Mass.
Southworth, Mrs. A. C Lakeville, Mass.
Spaids, Mrs. Susan E 3245 Indiana Ave., Chicago, 111.
Spaulding, Mr. Edward Russell 40 Purchase St., Boston, Mass.
Speare, Mrs. Alden (Caroline M.) 1023 Centre St., Newton Centre, Mass.
Stebler, Mrs. Jordan (Ellen Walker).. Madison & Eutaw Sts., Baltimore, Md.
Stanford, Mrs. Lydia F. R Chatsworth, 111.
Steenburg, Mrs. Laura H Burdick, Kas.
Storms, Mrs. Lucretia R Boston, Mass.
Stotesbury, Mrs. Sarah Louise 6362 Sherwood Road, Philadelphia, Pa.
Tracy, Mrs. Sarah D. R Raynham, Mass.
Verner, Miss Alyce Chip Cathalyce Parke, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Verner, Miss Catharine Bailey. Cathalyce Parke, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Verner, Master James Parke Cathalyce Parke, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Waterman, Mrs. Zeno (Sarah Wood Robinson).g Everett St., Taunton, Mass.
Weeks, Mrs. Edmund Cottle Tallahassee, Florida.
Wellington, Mrs. B. W. (Anna Robinson)..? West Second St., Corning, N. Y.
Wetherell, Mrs. Erminie C Holyoke, Mass.
Whitten, Mrs. Marcia F 132 Magazine St., Cambridgeport, Mass.
Whittemore, Miss Lucella Washburn 358 Pleasant St., Worcester, Mass.
Williamson, Mrs. Mary Robinson 704 North State St., Jackson, Miss.
Wilson, Mr. George L 591 Lincoln Ave., St. Paul, Minn.
Wright, George R., Esq Wilkes Barre, Pa.
C
THE LIBRARY UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
Santa Barbara
THIS BOOK IS DUE ON THE LAST DATE STAMPED BELOW.
I6T 291988
RETDOCT28198811
1
Series 9482
3 1205 00131 5926
UC SOUTHERN REGIONA
A 001 078 056 7
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