Thursday, November 05, 2009

 

Discovering Pastor John Robinson in Holland with Pilgrims

Hi Cousins,I'm so excited. I've been wrong so many other times, but feel this is really a possibility. I got the book "The Mayflower" by Kate Caffrey, publishers are Stein and Day/New York yesterday and have been reading it along with watching the Pasadena Rose Parade and am convinced I have our original Robinson.

Though Robinson is the 22nd most popular surname in the U.S.A, there was only one Robinson that came here after the Mayflower. This is so exciting.

There was a famous John Robinson, born in 1576, who was educated at Cambridge as a minister. He was the leader with Brewster in forming the Separatist group which were the Puritans or Pilgrims that came here. He was an instigator in taking the group to Holland, even was put in jail in England when caught trying to leave. He finally got there and lived in Leyden, Holland, and was quite the leader, debator, etc. He didn't manage to get to the new world, but.....he married Bridget White.

They had three children: John, Bridget, and Isaac. Now, Isaac fulfilled his father's wishes of going to the new world. He didn't make it on the Mayflower, but is listed as a surviving settler of New Plymouth. and arrived in Mass. in 1632. His wife came with him. She was Margaret Hanford.They were married in 1636, and she was the niece of Hatherley, who was Timothy Hatherley who died in 1666. His wife was Alice Collard who died in 1642. He was another founding father. He was one of 5 men who bought the Friendship.

There are no other Robinsons listed. I think I found the needle in the haystack. I'm only able to site my grandfather Frank Robinson's oral family history which he was most proud of that his family came over not on the Mayflower, but one after it. This would fit the description.

The father, John, was a teacher in Scrooby in 1607-1608, and was a Pastor in Leyden, Holland in 1609-1625. He didn't get to go to the new world because he died of the "plague" on March 1, 1625. He was not yet 50 years old. The plague may also have been smallpox. He worshipped in St. Peters Church in Holland and lived at Clock Alley. The book gives lots of details of where he lived. In Holland he lived in the Groene Port or Green Door. He had been offered the church to be in New Netherland (New Amsterdam)? when he went which he didn't. He must have learned Dutch being they lived there a long while, and write and printed church things in Dutch.
By the way, on the Mayflower were the Fullers, so close to Tullar/ers. The Fullers Edward and Samuel helped to write the Mayflower Compact.

There was a pastor by the name of John Smyth 1606-1607 at Gainsborough. I'm thinking of the family Smith Abiathar was named for.

This might explain Abiathar's strictness about the Sunday Frank Hugh's horse was in danger with the bull, and evidently died from the encounter, causing Frank to leave home. The Puritans were so strict. It may have had a long lasting effect on the family.

Happy New Year,Nadene

Hi Cousins,My book arrived today called "Plymouth Colony". On page 431 it lists an Isaack Robbinson who on March 27, 1634 was rated the amount of 9:00 (taxed) as determined by a group including Gov. Thmas Prence, William Bradford, etc. That could be the Robinson my grandfather spoke of who came over on a ship after the Mayflower. He was one of the 1627-1634 arrivals.

So, if we try to trace the descendents of Isaac Robinson, we may find our particular Abiathar Robinson.(Isaac was the son of John Robinson the minister, who stayed in Holland.)
In the book "Hopkins of the Mayflower" by Margaret Hodges,page 158, it says that John Robinson was a Separatist and the movement began before 1578 when a Cambridge scholar named Browne preached and denounced the Church. Separatists took the Bible as their only guide. Their position was far more extreme than that of the Puritans, who still thought the Established Church could be reformed. The Separatists reasoned that if all men just attend church, whether or not they had any faith, the solemn ceremony was a mockery. All men were sinners, and Christ had come to save sinner, but if the churches were filled with men who had no interest in being saved, the chosen few should leave the Church and make a fresh start. John Robinson was deprived of his office in England by the king. He became the preacher of the Scrooby congregation. Master Robinson's sermons lasted 2 or even 3 hours, spoke from Holy Scriptures and from memorable sayings of wise and learned men and his own experience. He had a gentle heart. He believed it was possible for his people to praya, sing psalms or read the Scriptures with members of the Church of England.

12/15/02 In the book "Stepping Stones, the pilgrims own story, p. 81, it says that in November about 12 months after the Pilgrims came, the ship "Fortune" arrived with 35 persons, mostly lusty young men. Need to see if a Robinson was on board. John Adams, Jonathan Brewster, Philip Delano and Thomas Prence was on board.
Comments:
Hi Nadene, not sure how I found your blog. Think it was something received recently from Donald Robinson regarding DNA testing.

I am a direct descendant of Rev. John Robinson, pastor to the Pilgrims. I hope to visit Holland in the next year or so to visit Leiden and to see the church and house of Reverend Robinson.
 
Wonderful! I thought I was related and not sure. My male cousin took the DNA Y haplogroup test and is an R1b1a2a1a1b4 or in more modern terms, R-L21. The test of 67 alleles start with DYS 393 and ours was a 12. I think your line is a 13. We matched a lot of Irish; more than English. I need to hear from some Robinsons for Pastor John Robinson and find out what their haplogroup is.
 
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