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John Robinson (abt. 1708 - abt. 1787)

Major [uncertain] John Robinson
Born about [location unknown]
Ancestors ancestors
Husband of — married about 1734 [location unknown]
Husband of — married about 1745 [location unknown]
Husband of — married about 1769 in Middlesex, Virginiamap
Descendants descendants
Died about at about age 79 in Urbanna, Middlesex, Virginia, United Statesmap [uncertain]
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Profile last modified | Created 25 Mar 2011
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Biography

From Wm and Mary Quarterly: " JOHN3 ROBINSON (born about 1708), in the chart in the Virginia Magazine XV., 445-450, is represented as having only two wives, but in the chart in my possession he had three, which is certainly correct. The former account does not distinguish as to the issues, while the latter does. Then, in the Virginia Magazine XVII., 206, the abstract of the will of John Robinson errs in making Matthew Whiting's wife Elizabeth, sister of John Robinson, whereas she was his daughter, as shown by two certified copies of his will in the records of the old Williamsburg Chancery Court. He had a large estate and is called "Major" in various wills. He made his will in 1785, and it was proved in 1787.

ISSUE by first wife, Ann Reade:

1. Judith4, "daughter of John and Anne Robinson", born Sept. 14, 1736 (register and chart). She never married. She made her will December 8, 1805, and it was proved February 24, 1806. In it she names brothers Peter, William, and Robert Robinson, "Judith Robinson daughter of my brother Robert Robinson". Her brother William, whom she made her chief legatee, was made executor.

2. Christopher4, "son of John and Anne Robinson", born April 2, 1738 (register and chart), died without issue, as in 1791, according to the Surveyor's Book of Gloucester County, his land on the Planketank River was divided among his brothers and sisters and their children to-wit: "Priscilla Elliott's part, John's, William's, Peter's, Judith's, Robert's, Elizabeth Whiting's, Thomas Wyatt's orphan's part, Christopher Robinson's part, and Mary Robinson's part".

3. Elizabeth4 (chart) married Matthew Whiting, Jr., (marriage bond March 31, 1764, John Robinson, security. QUARTERLY VII., 192). Issue two or more children: Mary Robinson Whiting, married William Curtis on June 5, 1790, (register) and Matthew Whiting, Jr., named in his Aunt Mary Robinson's will (1803).

ISSUE by second wife Frances Yates, daughter of Rev. Bartholmew Yates, and widow of Rev. John Reade of Middlesex and King William Counties:

4. Mary4 unmarried (chart). Her will, dated March 10, 1803, was proved July 4, 1803, she freed all her slaves, the males at 21 and the females at 18 years. Names niece Frances Yates Robinson, daughter of her brother John Robinson; nephew Matthew Whiting, and the other children of my late sister Whiting. Major James Ross and nephew Matthew Whiting executors.

5. William4 Robinson, probably the "son of John Robinson and Frances his wife, born April 11, 1749" (Register). He married (Family Bible) Elizabeth Lilly, (daughter of Thomas Lilly, captain in the Virginia State Navy during the War of the Revolution, and Lucy Burwell, his wife (who was a daughter of Carter Burwell and Lucy Ludwell Grymes, born October 23, 1750) on May 15, 1806, and another daughter, Lucy Burwell Lilly, married (1) Thomas E. Churchill, of Middlesex, (2) John Darby (see Churchill Family in QUARTERLY VIII., 50). In his will dated in Middlesex County, November, 1807, William Robinson names his wife Elizabeth, daughter Lucy Lilly (born January 1, 1807), mentions wife with child, and makes Carter B. Berkeley and wife executors; witnesses: Lucy B. Churchill, Needler robinson, Henry Heffernan, Will Wake, Tom Stiff. His inventory shows that he had a posthumous child Judith Willantina F. Robinson, and the Bible shows that she was born March 9, 1808. She married John R. Taylor; her sister Lucy Lilly Robinson married Benjamin Temple (Meade, Old Churches, &c., I., 382; QUARTERLY XIII., 140); and had twelve children (1) Elizabeth Lilly, (2) Virginia Nelson, (3) Molly Brooke, (4) Robert Henry, (5) Charles Wellford, (6) Benjamin Brooke, (7) Judith Willantina, married Dr. J.P. Harrison, (8) John Taylor, (9) William Skyren, (10) Bernard Moore, (11) Ludwell, (12) Lucy Lilly, (the last now living in Richmond, unmarried). Elizabeth Lilly Robinson, married 2dly, Mr. Chowning of "Locust Grove".

6. Robert4, "son of John and Frances Robinson, was born August 29, 1750" (Register and chart). He was student at William and Mary in 1780, and went away with his cousin Christopher to join the British army in New York, where he had another cousin Col. Beverley Robinson (Sabine's Loyalists). He had (1) Judith mentioned in the will of her aunt Judith, (2) John Robinson of Nova Scotia, born in 1786, and father of Mr. T. M. Robinson, now living in St. John, New Brunswick. (3)Other children. (See Sabine's Loyalists).

7. John4 Robinson (chart) married Deborah Dunlop, (daughter of Rev. William Dunlop and Deborah his wife) on April 17, 1784. He died at "Green Branch", Middlesex County (a place devised to him by his father). His will, dated September 15, 1818, and recorded in Middlesex County, names son William D. Robinson, daughter Deborah E.C. Robinson, sons Benjamin F. Robinson and Christopher Robinson, wife's father William Dunlop. His daughter, Frances Yates Robinson, named in Mary Robinson's will, was probably dead at this time.

8. Catherine4 (chart) married Thomas Wyatt July 2, 1785, had one child.

ISSUE by third wife Miss Churchill. She may be Priscilla, daughter of Col. William Churchill, who made his will in 1782, or Hannah Churchill daughter of Armistead Churchill of Wilton House at Bushy Park Virginia.

9. Peter4 (chart) married first --------; second, in 1818, Milly Humphreys.

10. Priscilla4 (chart) married ----- Elliott. From a bill in Chancery in the Chancery in the Williamsburg District it appears that Seaton and John Elliott were her heirs.

Will of Major John Robinson 1785. From the family papers of Judge Francis Wyatt Smith, “Smithfield”, King and Queen County. Particularly the papers of James Webb, Attorney. [Note: I found this will folded up in between the leaves of an old account book at “Smithfield”. After it had been copied, I replaced it and presume it is still there. 13. F.] Endorsed: Copy of Majr Robinsons Will for Mr J Elliott 50 lb Tobo. Further endorsed on another fold of the document: Thos Wiatt married Katherine Robinson July 1785. devise of L 300 - James Hall married Priscilla Robinson dec’r 1795 devise of L 300. heretofore married to John Elliott.

I John Robinson of the Parish of Christ Church in the County of Middlesex In the State of Virginia do make, constitute and declare this to be my last Will and Testament as follows: I recomend my Soul to Almighty God the Creator of it hoping for a glorious Resurrection at the great day of Judgment thro’ the merits of our blessed Savior Jesus Christ: My Body I commit to the Earth to be buried as my executors shall think fit: I hope I shall die a tue son of the Church of England, and I profess to believe as the Athanation Creed teaches As to my temporal Estate I bequeath that as follows Emprimis I give and bequeath my land In Middlesex County as follows, I give my home plantation to my three Daughters Judith, Mary and Priscilla Robinson for their lives or till they marry or chuse to move off, and at their deaths, marriage or moving off I give It to my son William Robinson and his heirs forever. Item I give and bequeath my Quarter plantation to my aforesaid son William and his heirs forever. Item I give the tract of Land I purchased of Cob William Churchill commonly called Green Branch to my son John Robinson and his heirs forever Item I give and bequeath the land, negroes household and kitchen furniture stocks of Cattle and hogs and sheep I purchased of Jonathan Watson Esqr to my son Christopher Robinson and his heirs forever Item I give to my Daughter Mary Robinson the following Negroes: her maid Patt, her children and future increase and Glascow and Sarah the negroe woman I lent Mr Samuel Metcalf her children and her future increase Item I give and bequeath to my Daughter Judith Robinson the following; Patt at the Quarter, her children Grandchildren and their future increase, Kate her children and their increase and Sampson . . Item I give to my Daughter Katherine Robinson the following negroes Betty and her children, Mary, Anthony Tamas, Coder Jane and their future increase Item I give to my Daughter Priscilla Robinson the following negroes Eve her children and their future increase and a young wench called Shier her child and their future increase.... Item I give to my son John Robinson the following Negroes: Moll, her daughter Mary and their future increase . . . Item I give to my son Robert a Negroe man named James Booker Item I give to my son William Robinson the following Negroes: Franky, her children, Cordrice her children and their future increase and Davy . . . Item I give to my son Peter Robinson a Negro Man called Soloman. As to the Money I have in the British funds at present or whenever that money may be at my death I dispose of it In the following manner Imprimis I give and bequeath to my daughters Judith, May, Katherine and Priscilla Robinson three hundred pounds Sterling each Item I give and bequeath to my Daughter Elizabeth Whiting three hundred pounds Sterling to purchase a tract of Land to be held in trust for her by my Nephew Mr Benjamin Robinson so as to prevent her husbands having any right or title thereto; which land she is to dispose of at his death to whichever of her children she may think proper . . . Item I give and bequeath to Mary Robinson Whiting eldest Daughter of Matthew Whiting and my Daughter Elizabeth Whiting three hundred pounds Sterling . . . Item I give and bequeath to my son John Robinson eight hundred pounds Sterling Out of which he is to pay what remains at this time unpaid for the land I bought of Colonel William Churchill item I give and bequeath to my son Robert Robinson twelve hundred pounds Sterling Item I give to my son William Robinson three hundred pounds Sterling Item I give and bequeath to my Son Peter Robinson one Thousand pounds Sterling to be laid out by my Executors in land and negroes In equal proportions Item I give to Elizabeth Robinson daughter of my nephew Benjamin Robinson one hundred pounds Sterling Item After the above mentioned Legacies and my debts are paid I give the remainder of the money to my son Christopher Robinson It Is my will [and] desire that whatever money may be owing to me at my death shall be equally divided among my children I give to my Daughters Judith, May, and Priscilla Robinson all the stocks of Cattle, Hogs and Sheep that may be on my home plantation at my death. I give my Daughters Judith Mary and Priscilla Robinson my riding chair and the following Horses Forester, the grey Mare and grey horse I give to my son Peter Robinson the mare called his colt and the sorrel horse Damon I give to my son William Robinson the following horses a white mare called Benjamin and her colt, a sorrel horse called Smouker and another young sorrel horse that he rides at present. It Is my desire that my Daughters Judith, May and Priscilla Robinson should have my household and kitchen furniture It is my desire that my Estate be not appraised or inventory taken of it I appoint my friend Philip L Grymes Esq’r and my Nephew Mr Benjamin Robinson, my Sons Christopher Robinson and William Robinson and my daughters Judith and Mary Robinson Executors and Executrixes of this my last will and Testament The words “in land and negroes” between the lines twenty two and twenty three were written before the signing the will. The words are In the third page. Declared to be my last will and Testament this 21st day February 1785 John Robinson (seal]. Wit: William Stiff, Simon Laughlin, Thomas Edwards.

The following is intended as a Codicil to my last will and Testament It is my desire that whatever incumberances whether by Mortgages or otherwise may be on the land I have bequeathed to my Son William Robinson be paid off out of the money I have directed my other debts to be discharged with Declared to be a codicil to my last will and Testament this 28th day of Jany 1786 John Robinson [seal]. Wit: William Stiff, John Rootes, Thomas Stiff.

At a Court held for Middlesex County at the court house in Urbanna on Monday the 23d day of July 1787 This last will and Testament with the codicil of John Robinson deceased was presented in Court by Philip Ludwell Grymes one of the Executors therein named and the same was proved by the Oath of Wm Stiff one of the Witnesses thereto and the Codicil was proved by the Oaths of the Witnesses thereto and ordered to be Certified and on their motion of the said Executor who made Oath according to Law Certificate Is granted him for obtaining a probate in due form giving Security, whereupon he with Edmund Berkeley his security entered into and acknowledged their Bond In the penalty of Twenty thousand pounds with condition according to Law. Leave is given to the other Executors to qualify when they shall think proper Test Will Churchill Truly recorded Test Will Churchill C.C. Copy Will Churchill.

Additional information on this Robinson Family can be found in the following document: William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine, Vol. 18, No. 3, 1910: [1]

Sources

  • William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine, Vol. 18, No. 3, 1910: [2]
  • Virginia Colonial Abstracts, Kings and Queen County, Records Concerning 18th Century Persons, page 346




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Comments: 2

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I've noticed before that both Willliam Stiff and Thomas Stiff were witnesses to his will. The 1804 will of William Stiff names his daughter Nancy (likely Ann Stiff) Robinson and his grandsons, Peter B. Robinson, William Robinson, and Jacob Robinson. I've never been able to figure out where, or if, their father, Peter Robinson, fits within this Robinson family, but it seems like he should. This couple did not marry until 1796, a grandson perhaps?
posted by Honi Kleine
Gosh, I don't know. I'm afraid I only have info on his daughter C[K]atherine.
posted by Fontaine Wiatt

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