USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Hardwick > History of Hardwick, Massachusetts, with a genealogical register > Part 56
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9. ASA F., s. of Seth (4), m. Lydia J. Bassett 26 May 1858, and had Leon Augustine, b. 31 Ap. 1859; Edgar, twin, b. 17 Dec. 1861, d. 9 Jan. 1862 ; Ed- nah, twin, b. 17 Dec. 1861.
10. ALONZO, m. Martha Marsh, pub. 4 Feb. 1863, and had William Dexter, b. 21 July 1863 ; Fanny C., b. 23 Nov. 1865.
11. ALFRED H., m. Lucretia Marsh 21 Nov. 1870, and had Fanny Lucretia, b. 11 Ap. 1873 ; Milan L., b. - May 1878, d. 3 Sep. 1879 ; Myron E., b. 29 Nov. 1879 ; Florence Eliza, b. 29 Mar. 1881. ALFRED H. the f. res. at Gil- bertville, and was selectman in 1875.
12. HERBERT O. (s. of Orlando and Sarah), m. Mary E. Labelle 7 Oct. 1875, and had Inez Leona, b. 22 Feb. 1876.
CELIA, of Gr., m. Aaron Johnson 11 Sep. 1800. BETHIA, of Dana, m. Reuel Terry, pub. 26 Ap. 1807. CELIA J., m. James Sloan 16 Mar. 1837. LUCY, of Dana, m. Cyrus W. Stephens 31 Dec. 1837. ELIZABETH C., m. Joseph W. Stephens 23 Mar. 1843. FANNY, m. Hosea E. Stone, pub. 17 Oct. 1847. ESTHER G., m. Stephen King of Dana, pub. 6 Oct. 1848. BETHIA, m. Ebenezer W. Gleason, pub. 10 Mar. 1849. LOUISA A., m. John M. Ramsdell, pub. 25 May 1858. OTIS B., of Ware, m. Mary S. Smith 14 Ap. 1877.
The record of births in the Richardson Family, previous to 1854, is so im- perfect that I am unable to indicate the exact relationship of its several branches, nor am I sure whether all who are here named belong to one com- mon stock.
RICHMOND, JOSEPH, by w. Hannah, had four chil. bap. here 18 June, 1820, namely, Benjamin Franklin, Elizabeth, Waldron, and Maria; of whom Wal- dron d. (prob. unm.) 27 Dec. 1839, a. 27, and Maria m. Timothy P. Bruce 3 Mar. 1836. He prob. had other chil. JOSEPH the f. res. near the Barre line, at the place marked "J. Richmond " on the R. Map, and d. 22 Nov. 1839, a. 58; his w. Hannah (b. at Raynham) d. 23 Sep. 1861, a. 78. A singular mor- tality befell this family in 1839, when the father and two sons (perhaps three) died in the space of less than seven weeks.
2. NOAH, res. near the Barre line, at the place marked "N. Richmond " on the R. Map, and d. 16 Oct. 1846, a. 79; his w. Mercy d. 25 Sep. 1842, a. 64. They were prob. parents of Oliver O., b. about 1815.
3. JOSEPH D., prob. s. of Joseph (1), m. Catherine W. Dean of Barre, pub. 14 Nov. 1835, and d. 11 Dec. 1839, a. 34; his w. Catherine W. m. Benjamin Bassett 29 June 1847. No record of children.
4. BENJAMIN F., s. of Joseph (1), m. Mary Spooner of Barre, pub. 11 Nov. 1837, and d. 10 Nov. 1839, a. 33; his w. Mary m. Timothy Fay 20 Ap. 1842, and d. 11 Aug. 1855.
5. OLIVER O., prob. s. of Noah (2), m. Mary W. Loring of Pet., pub. 19 May 1838, and d. 6 Sep. 1840, a. 25; his w. was perhaps the Mary who m. Marcus Goodman of Dana, pub. 6 Nov. 1844.
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CHARLES, prob. s. of Joseph (1), or of Noah (2), d. 20 Ap. 1835, a. 15. LYDIA " Richman," of N. Br., m. Ebenezer Lawrence 18 Dec. 1763.
RIDDLE, JAMES M., m. Tryphosa F. Woodis, of W. Brk., pub. 23 Dec. 1849, and had Eugene Leslie, b. 25 Oct. 1850.
RIPLEY, JEPTHAH, by w. Lucinda -, had Lorenzo, b. 27 Dec. 1825; Adeline Maria, b. 1 Dec. 1826.
RIXFORTH, HENRY (generally written Rixford), m. Sarah Stanford 22 Feb. 1781. No record of children. He served in the Revolutionary War 1775, 1776, 1777, 1778, 1780.
ROACH, MAURICE, by w. Elizabeth, had John, b. 16 Nov. 1866; David, b. 30 Sep. 1868; Elizabeth, b. 15 Aug. 1871 ; Catherine, b. 14 Dec. 1873 ; Maurice, b. 15 July 1876.
ROBBINS, JOSEPH, m. Ann Maria Granger, pub. 23 Nov. 1851, and had Joseph Elmer, b. 21 May 1853, d. 25 Oct. 1854. JOSEPH the f. d. 19 Dec. 1858, a. 31 ; his w. Ann Maria d. 30 June 1857, a. 29.
2. LYMAN, by w. Mary, had Samuel, b. 26 Mar. 1865; Lyman, b. 18 Aug. 1878.
EMORY, s. of Samuel and Anna, b. at Belchertown, d. unm. 9 Mar. 1877, a. 62. NANCY, m. David Thresher of N. Br., pub. 17 Sep. 1850.
ROBERTS, JOHN, m. Elizabeth Fay, in Grafton, 5 June 1746 ; she d. 4 Nov. 1750, and he m. Sarah Abbott 1 Ap. 1752. His chil. were John, b. 27 Oct. 1747 ; Hannah, b. 28 July 1749; Elizabeth, b. 25 Jan. 1753; Josiah, b. 27 Feb. 1754; Sarah, b. 11 Ap. 1756. JOHN the f. was a farmer, and one of the principal founders of the Separate Church. He prob. rem. about 1761, with many of that church, to Bennington, and perhaps afterwards to Morris- town, Vt.
SUSANNA, of Brk., m. Joseph Foster, pub. 9 Feb. 1751-2. BENJAMIN, m. Martha Heart of Leicester, pub. 9 Oct. 1754, and (2d) Martha Abbott, 29 Feb. 1764. MALVINA, m. Almon G. Stevens, pub. - Ap. 1852. VICTOR, m. Leonora Taylor, pub. 9 Nov. 1867.
ROBINSON. As several families of this name have resided here between whom no kinship can be traced, I shall, for the sake of convenience, arrange the names in three sections.
SECTION I.
ROBINSON, WILLIAM, by w. Elizabeth, had Elizabeth, b. -; Hannah, b. 13 July 1671, d. 5 Oct. 1672; William, b. 10 July, 1673 ; Mercy, b. 7 Aug. 1676 ; David, b. 23 May 1678 (" lame and helpless " in 1695); Samuel, b. 20 Ap. 1680; Jonathan, b. 20 Ap. 1682. WILLIAM the f. res. in Cambridge during most of his life; he d. in 1693, when all his chil. except Hannah were living.
2. SAMUEL, s. of William (1), m. Sarah, dau. of Samuel Manning of Billerica, 23 Mar. 1703-4 ; she d. 19 July 1709, and he m. Elizabeth, dau. of Capt. Samuel Brigham of Marlborough, 16 Oct. 1711. His chil. were Sarah, bap. 22 July, 1705, d. young ; Samuel, b. 4 Ap. 1707 ; Dorothy, b. 19 Ap. 1709 ; Persis, b. 7 Sep. 1712; Edmund, b. 7 June 1714, d. 25 Nov. 1716; Sarah, b. 3 Oct. 1717. SAMUEL the f. kept a tavern in Cambridge until 13 June 1721, when he sold his house and removed to Westborough. Adminis- tration on his estate was granted to his w. Elizabeth 24 Ap. 1724, and her brother, Jedediah Brigham, was appointed guardian to the only surviving son, Samuel, then in his nineteenth year, 25 Feb. 1725-6. See Hist. of Cambridge, p. 644.
3. SAMUEL, s. of Samuel (2), m. Mercy, dau. of Moses Leonard and gr .- dau. of Moses Newton, 29 May 1732. At the time of their marriage they res. in Southborough, but soon rem. to Grafton. Their chil. were Elizabeth, b. 24 Dec. 1733 (recorded here but prob. b. in Grafton), d. young; Leonard, b. here 10 July 1736; Samuel, b. 9 Aug. 1738; Moses, b. 15 Mar. 1741; Paul, b. 17 Dec. 1743, d. . - 1754; Silas, b. 17 Mar. 1745-6; Mercy, b. 8 Oct. 1748, m. Col. Joseph Safford of Bennington, and d. 7 May 1814 ; Sarah, b.
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13 Nov. 1751, m. Benjamin, s. of Capt. Stephen Fay of Ben., and (2d) Gen. Heman Swift of Cornwall, Conn .; David, b. 4 Nov. 1754; Jonathan, b. 24 Aug. 1756; Anna, b. 4 Oct. 1759, m. Isaac Webster of Ben. -. SAMUEL the f. res. in Grafton a short time after his marriage, and rem. to Hk. in 1735 or 1736, where for the next quarter of a century he was one of the most active and ener- getic citizens; 1 selectman ten years, assessor three years, and town clerk four years. He was elected 30 Ap. 1746, deacon of the church, which office he resigned 2 Mar. 1748-9, and became deacon of the Separate Church, which was organized at or about that time. He was captain of a company in the French War during the regular campaigns, from 1755 to 1759 inclusive, with the possible exception of one year. Attracted by the beauty of what is now Bennington, which place he visited on his return from one of his campaigns, he organized a company, purchased the rights of the chartered proprietors, and commenced, in 1761, a settlement in the unbroken wilderness. Here, as well as in Hardwick, he was active and prominent; he " was the acknowledged leader in the band of pioneers in the settlement of the town, and continued to exercise almost a controlling authority in the affairs of the town the remainder of his life." 2 In the long and bitter controversy between New York and New Hampshire, concerning the territory then called the New Hampshire Grants, but which now constitutes the State of Vermont, he was actively engaged un- til the premature close of his life. His energy and ability were recognized by Governor Wentworth, who commissioned him, 8 Feb. 1762, justice of the peace, he thus " being the first person appointed to a judicial office within the limits " of that territory.8 As a final resort, he was appointed to present a petition to the king for relief. He sailed from New York, 25 Dec. 1766, landed at Falmouth 30 Jan. 1767, and soon afterwards arrived at London.4 He was partially successful in his mission, but it was left incomplete by his death, of small-pox, 27 Oct. 1767. He was buried in the cemetery connected with the church of his favorite preacher, Rev. George Whitefield, and a monu- ment, with an elaborate inscription,5 was erected to his memory in the cemetery
1 While in Hardwick, he res. first in the westerly part of the town, but soon rem. to a place on the turnpike, somewhat more than a mile northerly from the Common. His farm contained nine hundred acres, and the house stood at or near the spot marked " Old House," on the R. Map. On his re- moval to Bennington, 15 Sep. 1761, he sold six hundred acres of this farm to Capt. Daniel Wheeler, describing it as the "easterly part of my homestead." The house was probably the same which was soon afterwards destroyed. In the Boston Weekly News-Letter, dated Monday, August 18, 1773, it was announced that, "On Friday last, about ten o'clock, the dwelling-house of Capt. Daniel Wheeler, of Hardwick, with the furniture, was consumed by fire; the loss is computed at upwards of £500." Thus perished what might have become a very interesting landmark.
2 Jennings' Memorials of a Century, p. 204
3 Ibid. p. 206.
4 Early Hist. of Vermont, p. 85. Ten days before he left New York, and ap- parently on his way thither, he conveyed to his son Samuel all his land in Massachusetts, so that, in case he should not live to return, the settlement of his estate might be more easy ; it was described as, "all the land I own in the township of Hardwick and County of Worcester and Province of Massachusetts Bay, namely, one meadow lot, three acres and three quarters; also a piece of land where formerly stood a small meet-
ing-house, containing one acre and a half ; and three hundred acres or thereabouts, on the west side of the farm I formerly lived on; also one hundred and sixty acres on Greenwich River in said town, with all other lands I own in said town; with some land in the Township of Greenwich, namely, the farm Joseph Kidder formerly lived on, con- taining three hundred acres or thereabouts, and one hundred acres near or adjoining said Greenwich meeting-house, and also one hun- dred acres in the second Division, and also the west half of the original Lot 47, being about fifty acres, with all and every parcel of land or lands which I now own in said Township." Dated at New Haven 15 Dec. 1766, and acknowledged before "Roger Sherman, Assistant." The "small meet- ing-house" was that which had been used by the Separate Church, and stood on the easterly side of the old road, long ago dis- continued, from the Common to the house marked "J. Gorham " on the R. Map, and about midway between that house and the present road to Ware. The land conveyed by this deed was more than 1,000 acres, in addition to the six hundred acres previously sold to Capt. Daniel Wheeler.
5 The age of Capt. Robinson and of his wife is overrated by two years on their head-stones; his being called 62 years in- stead of 60, and hers 82 years instead of 80. Such errors, especially in regard to aged persons, are frequently found on head- stones.
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ROBINSON.
at Bennington Centre. His w. Mercy, who was born at Marlborough, 1 Dec. 1714, d. at Bennington, 5 June 1795.
4. LEONARD, s. of Samuel (3), m. Rebecca, dau. of Samuel Billings, 31 Aug. 1758; she d. 18 Nov. 1765, at Bennington, and he m. Mercy, wid. of Silas New- ton and dau. of Deac. John Freeman, 13 Mar. 1766; not being happy in her new relation, she returned to Hardwick, and he m. Eunice Holmes of Dedham about 1768. His chil. were Sarah, b. 20 Ap. 1759, m. Jonah Brewster of Ben- nington, and d. 11 Sep. 1816 ; Lydia, b. 17 Jan. 1761, m. Moses Rice of Ben., and d. in May 1827 (these two were b. in Hk .; the fourteen following in Ben.) : Rebecca, b. 27 Ap. 1763, m. David Cutler of Ben., and d. 3 Sep. 1827 ; John, b. 15 Feb. 1765, m. Hannah Smalley; Samuel Leonard, b. 23 Mar. 1767; Jo- seph, b. 22 Ap. 1769, m. Rhoda Hawks, and d. 3 Sep. 1814; Benjamin, b. 6 Mar. 1772, d. 18 Sep. 1775; Elizabeth, b. 13 Ap. 1774, d. 26 Oct. 1776; Eu- nice, b. 15 Feb. 1776, m. Martin Hopkins; Hannah, b. 17 Mar. 1778, m. He- man Hopkins; Leonard, b. 31 Mar. 1780, d. 29 May 1781; Leonard, b. 1 Mar. 1782, m. Sarah Atherton, and d. in 1835; Persis, b. 11 Feb. 1784, m. James Brown, and d. 30 July 1811; Anna, b. 12 Ap. 1786, m. Valentine Goodrich ; Luther, b. 16 Feb. 1787, d. at Swanton 5 Jan. 1811; Diantha, b. 22 Jan. 1792, d. at Swanton 14 Ap. 1823. LEONARD the f. served in the French War, 1757, and was a member of the company commanded by his brother Samuel in the Bennington Battle. It is related by Rev. Mr. Jennings, as one of the tra- ditions still extant, that " Leonard Robinson, whose aim was quick and deadly, declared that every time he shot he saw a man fall. 'But,' said he, ' I prayed the Lord to have mercy on his soul, and then I took care of his body.'" He was reputed to be a very pious man; but Mr. Jennings adds that " his piety would seem to have been of that kind that ' trusts God, but keeps the powder dry.' "1 He res. in Bennington until late in life, when he rem. to Swanton, and d. 29 Sep. 1827, a. 91 ; his w. Eunice d. 10 Mar. 1826, a. 76.
5. SAMUEL, s. of Samuel (3), m. Hannah Clark of Barre, pub. 15 Ap. 1758; she d. 29 Nov. 1766, and he m. Esther Safford of Bennington, 6 Ap. 1767. His chil. were Mary, bap. here 3 Sep. 1758, d. at Bennington 28 Aug. 1761 ; Persis, b. here 22 Nov. 1759 ; the following ten chil. were b. at Benning- ton: Hannah, b. - Jan. 1770, m. Charles Follett, and d. 31 July 1831 ; Esther, b. 16 Dec. 1771, m. Asahel Hyde ; Samuel, b. - Jan. 1774, m. Sarah Har- wood (she compiled a genealogy of the Robinson and Harwood families, 1837, and d. 10 Sep. 1854, a. 80) ; Benjamin, b. 11 Feb. 1776, a physician, settled in Fayetteville, N. C., where he d. in 1857; Polly, b. 16 July 1778, d. young; Betsey, b. 18 Ap. 1781, m. Jared Sears; Safford, b. 9. May 1784 ; Hiram, b. 15 Aug. 1786; Lucy, b. 11 Dec. 1789, m. Erastus Montague; Sarah, b. 8 Oct. 1791, m. William Haswell. SAMUEL the f. inherited his father's military spirit. At the age of seventeen he was a member of the company commanded by his father in 1756, and the next year was adjutant of Col. Ruggles' regi- ment. He and his brother Leonard, with their families, were members of the first company which commenced the settlement of Bennington 18 June 1761. " He was an active man in the New York controversy and in the other early affairs of the town ; in 1768 was chosen town committee, in place of his father, deceased ; commanded one of the Bennington companies of militia in Benning- ton Battle; performed other important military services during the war, and rose to the rank of colonel. In 1777 and 1778 he had charge, as overseer,. of the Tory prisoners ; and in 1779 and 1780 represented the town in the Gen- eral Assembly, and was for three years a member of the Board of War. He was the first justice of the peace appointed in town under the authority of Vermont, in 1778, and was also, during the same year, one of the judges of the Special Court for the south shire of the county, and in that capacity sat on the trial and conviction of Redding." 2 He d. 3 May 1813, a. 74; his w. Esther d. 30 Sep. 1843, a. 93.
6. MOSES, s. of Samuel (3), m. Mary, dau. of Capt. Stephen Fay, pub. 25 July 1762 ; she d. 12 Feb. 1801, and he m. Susanna, wid. of Maj. Artemas
1 Memorials of a Century, pp. 197, 221.
2 Ibid. p. 222.
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Howe of N. Br., and dau. of Gen. Jonathan Warner of Hardwick. His chil., all b. in Bennington, were Moses, b. 16 Nov. 1763, m. Ruth Dewey, and d. 29 or 30 Jan. 1825; Mary, b. 3 Ap. 1765, d. - Nov. 1769; Aaron, b. 4 May 1767, m. Sarah Hopkins, and (2d) Mary Lyman; Samuel, b. 10 Feb. 1769, m. Samantha Brush, and d. 7 Jan. 1820; Nathan, b. 4 Mar. 1772, m. Jerusha Staniford, and d. 27 Sep. 1812 (their son John Staniford Robinson, b. 10 Nov. 1804, grad. W. C. 1824, a lawyer, representative two years, senator two years, Governor of Vermont in 1853, res. in Bennington, and d. 24 Ap. 1860 at Charleston, S. C.); Elijah, b. 12 Aug. 1774, d. young; Elijah, b. 15 Mar. 1778,
d. young ; Fay, b. - 1783, m. Seraph Howe, and d. 2 Nov. 1816. MOSES the f. was one of the foremost citizens of Bennington and of Vermont. He was elected deacon 22 May 1789, and remained in office through life. " He was chosen town clerk at the first meeting of the town, and for nineteen years; colonel of the militia, and at the head of his regiment at Mount Independence on its evacuation by Gen. St. Clair; member of the famous Council of Safety at the time of the Battle of Bennington, and during the campaign of that year; chief justice in the Supreme Court on its first organization, and for ten years, when he was elected, 1789, to the office of governor of the State by the Legislature; in 1782 one of the agents of Vermont in the Continental Congress; and on the admission of Vermont into the Union one of the senators in " Con- gress " 1 in 1791. The degree of A. M. was conferred on him by Y. C. in 1789, and by D. C. in 1790. He rem. to Bennington with his father in 1761, and d. there 26 May 1813; his w. Susanna d. 2 Ap. 1844, a. nearly 77.
7. SILAS, S. of Samuel (3), m. Susanna, dau. of Thomas Weeks, 2 Oct. 1766, and had Paul, b. - June 1768, m. Anna Safford, and d. - 1824; Susanna, b. - 1770, m. - Sparrow, and (2d) Wheeler Branch, and d. 2 Nov. 1806 ; Silas, b. - Mar. 1772, m. Esther Goffe. SILAS the f. rem. to Bennington with his father in 1761. Though less distinguished than his brothers in official transactions, he exhibited the family energy in the New York controversy, and was imprisoned in the Albany jail nearly a year for his participation in the " riots," so styled, but was at last liberated without trial.2 During the Ben- nington Battle, while his brother Moses was performing his arduous duty at the Catamount Tavern as one of the Committee of Safety, Silas and his broth- ers Leonard and David were in the midst of the conflict, as members of the company commanded by their brother Samuel. After the war he is said to have rem. to St. Albans, where both he and his w. Susanna died.
8. DAVID, s. of Samuel (3), m. Sarah, dau. of Capt. Stephen Fay; she d. 25 Jan. 1801, and he m. Eunice Walbridge; she d. 25 June 1813, and he m. Nancy, wid. of George Church of Hartford. His chil. were Sarah, b. 27 May 1775; David, b. 12 July 1777, grad. W. C. 1797, a lawyer, res. in Ben., and d. 15 Mar. 1858; Ruth, b. 8 May 1779; Stephen, b. 15 Aug. 1781, a member of the Assem- bly and judge of the County Court, m. Sarah Hubbell, and d. 26 June 1852; Hiram, b. 10 Aug. 1783, d. 20 Feb. 1784 ; Hiram, b. 15 Feb. 1785, d. - Sep. 1786; Heman, b. 1 Feb. 1787, m. Betsey Wadsworth, had twelve chil. (of whom Judge Albert D. Robinson was one), and d. 26 Feb. 1837. DAVID the f. rem. " to Bennington with his father in 1761, being then a lad of seven years. He was in the Battle of Bennington as a private in the militia, and afterwards rose by regular promotion to the rank of major-general, which office he re- , signed about 1817. He was sheriff of the county for twenty two years, ending in 1811, when he was appointed United States marshal for the Vermont Dis- trict, which office he held for eight years, until 1819." 8 He d. 11 or 12 Dec. 1843, a. 89; his w. Nancy d. 18 Dec. 1845, a. 82.
9. JONATHAN, S. of Samuel (3), m. Mary, dau. of John Fassett, and had Jonathan Edwards, b. 4 Aug. 1777, grad. W. C. 1797, was a lawyer, town clerk nine years, and judge of the County Court in 1828; Mary, b. 8 Sep. 1781, m. Col. Orsamus C. Merrill, and d. 1 Feb. 1831; Henry, b. 26 Aug. 1788; "he was successively paymaster in the army, clerk in the pension office, brig- adier-general of the militia, and for ten years clerk of the County and Supreme
1 Memorials of a Century, p. 234.
2 Thompson's Hist. Vermont, pt. ii. p. 21.
3 Memorials of a Century, p. 239.
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Court;" 1 Isaac Tichenor, b. 17 Aug. 1790, m. Maria, dau. of Deac. Aaron Hubbell, and d. - 1866. JONATHAN the f., like his father and his elder brothers, was distinguished for energy and intellectual vigor. " He was a law- yer, and was early in public life. He was town clerk six years ; represented the town thirteen years; was chief judge of the Supreme Court from 1801 to 1807. He was then chosen senator to Congress, to fill the vacancy occasioned by the resignation of Israel Smith; and was also senator for the succeeding term of six years, which expired March 3, 1815. In October 1815 he became judge of probate and held the office for four years, and in 1818 again repre- sented the town in the General Assembly."2 The degree of A. M. was con- ferred on him by D. C. in 1790. He went to Bennington in his boyhood, and d. there 3 Nov. 1819, a. 63. His w. Mary d. 15 July 1822, a. 67.
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10. SAMUEL LEONARD, s. of Leonard (4), m. Kezia, dau. of Deac. Eben- ezer Willis, 20 June 1793, and had Susanna, b. 27 Dec. 1793, m. Thomas El- well, 25 Ap. 1819, and d. 16 Nov. 1822; Clarissa, b. 27 Aug. 1795, m. Ira Ramsdell 11 May 1823; Chloe, b. 11 Oct. 1797, m. Benjamin Rider, Jr., of Charton, O., 17 Sep. 1827; Marcus, b. 3 Oct. 1799, m. Deborah Brown of Enf. 25 Mar. 1822, and d. 19 Mar. 1835 (his w. Deborah m. Alexander Bart- lett of Pelh. 5 Dec. 1838); Adeline, b. 6 Nov. 1803, m. Thomas Elwell 19 Oct. 1823; Ebenezer Willis, b. -; besides these he was probably father of Lucinda, b. - -, m. Warren Day of N. Sal. 30 Mar. 1829; Samuel L., b. -, m. Sally S. Moulton 19 Ap. 1835; Kezia, b. - , m. Warren Billings of Amh., pub. 20 May 1843; Mary, b. - 1814, d. 7 Aug. 1818, a. 4. SAM- UEL LEONARD the f. was brought here by his mother when a young child, was a farmer, res. on the westerly border of the town near the southeast cor- ner of Greenwich, at the place marked "S. Robinson " on the R. Map. Though not in public life, he exhibited many of the sterling characteristics of his race. He d. 18 Jan. 1863, a. nearly 96; his w. Kezia d. 13 July 1856, a. 80.
SECTION II.
ROBINSON, THOMAS, having lost his first w., m. Mary, wid. of John Woody and dau. of John Cogan 3 of Boston, 11 Jan. 1652-3; she d. 26 Oct. 1661, and he m. wid. Elizabeth Sherman. His chil. were John, b. - , a merchant (named in his father's will 17 Mar. 1665-6, and then " supposed to be in England ") ; Samuel, b. - , a merchant, d. unm. 16 Jan. 1661-2, a. 24; Josiah, b. - , " apprentice to Mr. Joseph Rocke," 4 d. 17 Ap. 1660; Ephra- im, b. - , d. 22 Sep. 1661; Thomas, bap. at Scituate 5 Mar. 1653-4; James, b. at Boston 14 Mar. 1654-5, d. - Sep. 1676 ; Joseph, bap. 8 Mar. 1656-7, m. Sarah -, and d. - Ap. 1703; Mary, bap. 28 Feb. 1657-8, d. young; Mary bap. 6 Nov. 1659, m. Jacob Green, Jr., of Charlestown 8 Jan. 1676-7. THOMAS the f. was in Scituate as early as 1640, when he bought land of William Gillson, and represented that town in the General Court of Plymouth at its session in October 1643. He was also deacon, probably of the second church in Scituate.5 In August and September, 1654, he bought two estates, adjoining each other, on the westerly side of Washington Street, directly op- posite to the Old South Church, in Boston, bounded on the south by the lot on which the Province House was afterwards erected, and having a depth of two hundred and seventy feet. Here he prob. res. during the remainder of his life, though he seems to have retained his connection with the church at Scituate, as all his children by the second marriage, except James, were bap- tized there. There are reasons for believing that he was son of the celebrated REV. JOHN ROBINSON of Leyden, pastor of the Church of Pilgrims which came to Plymouth in 1620. Isaac Robinson, unquestionably a son of the Rev.
1 Memorials of a Century, p. 248.
2 Ibid. p. 244.
3 John Cogan (otherwise written Coggan) is said by Snow (Hist. Boston) to have "opened the first shop in Boston; " it was on the northeast corner of Washington and State Streets.
4 Joseph Rocke was a merchant, and mar- ried a sister of Deacon Robinson's second wife.
5 Deane's Hist. of Scituate, pp. 35, 275, 332, and Plymouth Col. Rec., ii. 63.
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John Robinson, settled at Scituate at the same time, or at very nearly the same time, that Thomas made his purchase of a homestead there ; and it is not unreasonable to infer kinship. At the same time, it must be confessed that no authentic evidence of the supposed fact has yet been discovered, and that the name Thomas is not found in any known catalogue purporting to contain the names of his children. But whatever his ancestry, Deacon Robinson wrought out a good name for himself, which he left as a rich inheritance to his poster- ity. He d. 23 Mar. 1665-6 ; his w. Elizabeth d. in 1667.
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