Robert Adams (abt. 1742 - 1806)

Born about 1742 in Somerset County, New Jersey [uncertain]

Ancestors

Husband of Elizabeth (Chambers) Adams — married about 1761 in New Jersey

Descendants

Died 19 Aug 1806 at about age 64 in Paradise Farm, Redstone Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania, United States

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Robert Adams [send private message] and Rosie Blanckenburg [send private message]

Biography

This profile was formerly under the name Robert Joseph Adams. There is no evidence that Joseph was his middle name so it has been removed.

Robert, son of Samuel Adams and Catherine Ross, was born in Somerset County, New Jersey in 1742. He married Elizabeth Chambers in New Jersey about 1761 and they migrated to southwest Pennsylvania about 1768 with Robert's parents. The first land surveys made in what is now Fayette County were made in August 1769. The Adams family settled in the region of Dunlap's Creek, which was then in Bedford County. This area became Westmoreland County in 1773 and this portion of Westmoreland became Fayette County in September 1783.

Ellis' History of Fayette County states that William Colvin was in the Redstone area as early as 1766 and established a trading business. After the date of 1768, dozens of names appear in his account-book and among them is the name of Robert Adams. Some sources say Colvin left the region in 1771.

The land just above what is now Bridgeport, on the river, embracing some three or four hundred acres, was in early times the subject of controversies - from 1769 to 1785, between adverse claimants under military permits. It was named in the official survey 'Bone of Contention.' One Angus McDonald claimed it under military permit from Col. Bouquet, dated 26 April 1763, and a settlement on it. In March 1770, he sold his claim to Capt. Luke Collins, describing the land as 'at a place called Fort Burd, to include the field cleared by me where the saw-pit was, above the mouth of Delap's [Dunlap's] Creek.' Collins conveyed it to Michael Cresap, on 13 April 1772. Cresap's executors, in June 1781, conveyed it to one William Schooly, an old Brownsville merchant, who conveyed it to Rees Cadwallader. The adverse claimants were Henry Shryock and William Shearer, assignes of George Andrew. Their claim reached further southward towards the creek, and farther up the river, covering the John Martin land. They sold out to Robert Adams and Thomas Shain. Although they had the oldest permits (in 1762) their title seems to have been overecome by the settlement and official location and survey of their adversary. The Index of Land Warrants for Fayette County, Pennsylvania shows that Robert Adams was granted a Warrant to Accept (granted after a survey was conducted) for 143 acres of land on 22 January 1798, with a date of return of 3 February 1798. Its location was described as "situate on the east side of Monongahela River about a mile above Brownsville. . .". It was part of an earlier survey that encompassed some 250 acres. ^[1]

Many of these early claims were lost or forfeited by neglect to settle the land according to law, and thus were supplanted by others. On 7 February 1798, a tract called 'Newery' (adjoining Jonas Kitts) was patented by Robert Adams, and sold by Adams to Alexander Nelan on 8 July 1799. Robert had a survey done for 300 acres on 7 March 1785 which yielded a return of 320 acres on 19 May 1789. This was the tract known as "Paradise" which was "situate on Birds [Burd's] Old Road about five miles from Redstone old Fort in Manallin [later Redstone] Township Fayette County and surveyed the 15th day of October 1785 in pursuance of a Warrant dated the 7th day of March 1785." ^[2]

The History of Westmoreland County by George Dallas Albert (1882) lists Robert Adams among Westmoreland County's Justices of the Peace, 11 June 1777. The first term of the Court of Quarter Sessions and Common Pleas for Fayette County was held in the school-house at Uniontown in December 1783, before Philip Rogers, Esq., and his associates, Alexander McClean, Robert Adams, John Allen, Robert Ritchie, and Andrew Rabb, all justices (justices of the peace) in and for the county of Westmoreland. The first record of the Orphans' Court of Fayette County is dated 24 December 1783, at which time a term of the court was held by Justices Alexander McClean, Philip Rogers, Robert Adams, John Allen, Robert Ritchie, and Andrew Rabb. The act erecting the county declared that it shall be lawful for Edward Cook, Robert Adams, Theophilus Phillips, James Dougherty, and Thomas Rodgers, or any three of them, to erect and build a courthouse and prison in Uniontown.

Robert Adams was a viewer for early roads in Fayette County, a duty essential for the locating of and land acquisition for new roads. In December 1794, a road was viewed from Meason's furnace by Pears' forge to the road from Uniontown to Redstone by John McClelland, Robert Adams, Jeremiah Pears, Samuel Stevens, Col. Joseph Torrance, and James Paull. One of the earliest roads in Luzerne Township was the one extending from James Crawford's ferry to Uniontown. A petition for the road was presented at the June 1784 sessions and among the viewers appointed was Josiah Crawford. The course of the road ran through Luzerne, Redstone and Menallen townships. At the same time, a petition for a road from Oliver Crawford's ferry to Uniontown was presented and Samuel Adams was one of the six viewers. It passed by Thomas Davidson's house, Absalom Little's and Charles Porter's, intersecting the road leading from James Crawford's ferry to Uniontown, and thence by the course of said road to Uniontown. In June 1795, a road was laid from near Robert Adams' to James Crawford's road. Among the six viewers were Robert Adams, Samuel Adams and Thomas Gregg.

Major Robert Adams served with 3rd Battalion, Westmoreland County Militia, Pennsylvania Militia during the American Revolution.

Robert Adams is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A000524.

During the American Revolution, Robert served in the 3rd Battalion of the Westmoreland County Militia as a 2nd Major. I have seen this rank referenced only in discussions of French and Russian Imperial forces of the 18th century. I do not know of its use in colonial America. Robert died on 'Paradise' farm in Fayette County, Pennsylvania 19 August 1806. The Dunlap's Creek graveyard, in the center of which stood the old Dunlap's Creek log church, contains within its stone-wall enclosure the burial place of Robert Adams.

Notes: Revolutionary War Military Service: DAR Lineage Book, volume 158(1937): Robert Adams served as 2nd Major in the 3rd Battalion, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania Militia, 1776. He died 1806 in Fayette County,Pennsylvania.

ADAMS, ROBERT Ancestor #: A000524 Service: PENNSYLVANIA Rank: MAJOR Birth: (CIRCA) 1742 Death: 1806 FAYETTE CO PENNSYLVANIA Service Source: PA ARCH, 6TH SER, VOL 2, P 279 Service Description: 1) 2ND MAJOR, 3D BATT, WESTMORELAND CO MILITIA Residence: City: MENALLEN TWP County: WESTMORELAND CO State: PENNSYLVANIA

Robert Adams passed away in 1806. ^[3]

Sources

1. ↑ Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission, https://phmc.pa.gov/Archives/Research-Online/Pages/Land-Records-Indices.aspx
2. ↑ Ibid.
3. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/146944614/robert-joseph-adams : accessed 20 February 2022), memorial page for MAJ Robert Joseph Adams Sr. (1742–19 Aug 1806), Find A Grave: Memorial #146944614, Maintained by Peter McLaughlin (contributor 48561959) Burial Details Unknown.

Acknowledgements

This person was created on 10 March 2011 through the import of Adams,Fowler,Roulston,Twilla_2011-03-09.ged.