DNA Robinson Match Opens Door to Robinsons in Bakersfield, Franklin, Vermont with JACOB H. ROBINSON and Possible Father of Abiathar Smith Robinson

Nadene Goldfoot                                  

I haven't been this excited over my mother's family tree in a long time.  We've had this elusive ggrandfather Abiathar Smith Robinson b: 1829 NY or Vermont who seemed to have no father that we could establish with a paper trail and our Robinson line is a rare R1b Y haplogroup in that the DYS 393 allele is a 12, and not the usual 13, with most all DNA saying our connection was Irish and not English.  Grandpa's oral history, the memory of when he was 16 and had left home in a tizzy, was that his ancestors were from Wales.
                                                                       

Autosomal DNA tests after many years turned up a Sheri whose mother was a Robinson!  Wow!  It was like finding a needle in the haystack!  We had a match which included my brother, myself, my 2 children and my 1st male cousin Ken Robinson.  It consisted of a match on chromosome 1 and a big segment on chromosome 7.  I shared only 66.1cMs total with her on GedMatch.com going back 3.9 generations.  On #7 the segment was 52.2cMs. We all managed to have inherited this similar large segment of #7.   She had tested with Ancestry.  She had a secure tree whose family had come from Bakersfield, Franklin, Vermont.  Our ggrandfather's history was from Royalton and Tunbridge, Vermont.  Oh my!  However, we had no one from Bakersfield!

I had one fact.  Abiathar's wife, Royalton, Vermont born and raised, Julia Ann Tuller, was on the 1850 census in Royalton, Vermont.  Her family had a John Robinson, age 51, living with them as a farmhand.  That's when Abiathar seemed to be in the picture but not listed on their census.  He was nowhere to be found other than marrying Julia in 1852 next door in Tunbridge, Vermont.  Was it just a quirk?  Who can trace a John Robinson without a wife?  Impossible.  I could not trace him at all.
                                                             

Peter Bent Brigham founded Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston

I was not signed up again on Ancestry.com at this point and so decided to search and find what I could about this new town of Bakersfield.  I found a picture of a building there named for Peter Bent Brigham, and so I did a google search of his name, and then decided to search for this important man's genealogy.  "Peter Bent Brigham was born 4 September 1807 in Bakersfield, Vermont as the seventh of nine children born to Uriah Brigham (1757-1820) and Elizabeth (Fay) Brigham (1767-1837). Brigham was a direct descendant of Thomas Brigham (1603-1653), an early immigrant to Cambridge, Massachusetts  as well as John Bent (1596-1672) a founder of Sudbury, Massachusetts.  Brigham had little formal schooling and went to find work in Boston his early teens, when his father died. He began his career working on Middlesex Canal boats, selling fish and oysters in Boston.  He never married."                           


Descendants of Thomas Brigham

1   [1] Thomas Brigham b: 1603 in Holme-upon-Spaulding Moor, East Riding of Yorkshire, England
.. +Mercy Hunt
. 2   Samuel Brigham, Captain b: January 12, 1651/52 in Cambridge, Middlesex, Masschusetts Bay Colony
..... +Elizabeth Howe b: Abt. 1664
..... 3   ELIZABETH Brigham b: March 24, 1685/86 in Marlborough, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts
......... +SAMUEL L. Robinson b: April 20, 1668 in Newton, Middlesex, Mass/ Bristol, England
..... 3   Jebediah Brigham b: Abt. 1686
..... 3   Hephzibah Brigham
......... +Unknown Maynard
..... 3   Samuel Brigham, Captain b: 1689
......... +Abigail
......... 4   Uriah Brigham, Sr. b: 1727
............. +Sarah Breck
..... 3   Lydia Brigham
......... +Unknown Howe
. 2   Mary Brigham b: 1638
..... +John Fay
. 2   Thomas Brigham
. 2   John Brigham, Dr.
. 2   Hannah Brigham
..... +Unknown Ward
*2nd Wife of [1] Thomas Brigham:
.. +Grace Bridgham

"Another Uriah on the tree: "In 1797, Uriah Brigham left Marlboro, Massachusetts, drove an ox team with a loaded wagon up the Connecticut River Valley, across the Green Mountains, following the Lamoille River, and north 11 miles to an area known as Knowlton's Gore. In the wagon with their belongings were his wife, Elizabeth Fay Brigham, and their four small children." (I had many Fays but not Elizabeth Fay.)

From this I discovered that Elizabeth Brigham b: 1685 had married Samuel L. Robinson b: 1668 and I had him already on my tree, as I had worked any Robinson I had to death until I could not trace their line anymore and would come to a brick wall.  

It was while on the webpage about Bakersfield and Peter Brigham that searching brought me to the webpage of geni.com where I found this history.  

Samuel L. Robinson had been married to Sarah Manning in 1704  and had had 3 children on my tree and evidently had married Elizabeth Brigham in 1711 and they had no children that I know of.  Sarah could have died or they became Mormons allowing 2 wives, more likely the first idea.  Dorothy was born on April 19, 1709, and I believe was the 3rd child born with Sarah and Samuel Robinson, Captain born before-c1707 and c1709.   Samuel was well known marrying Mary Leonard May 29, 1732 in Southboro, Worchester, Massachusetts.  Yes, all this early history was in Massachusetts.  People kept using the same common first names and with Robinson, 16th most popular name in the USA, it made tracking people most difficult.  I'm one of those terrible people who have relied on other people's trees posted on ancestry, hoping they knew what they were doing.  I'm afraid many of us are guilty of this.  I did use as much as I could find of the resources on ancestry, though, but could not go to original records being I live in Oregon.  I did do that, though, on my close relatives who had lived here from my father's side.

                                                           

Brigham Academy, named for a famous native son, Peter Bent Brigham

Now I had a foot in Bakersfield through Peter Bent Brigham, so I now looked at Sheri's tree and wrote down all the information from ancestry.com.  to add to my sketchy facts.  

Descendants of JACOB Robinson

1   [1] JACOB Robinson b: Abt. 1790 in New York

.. +Olive Clemens b: 1816

. 2   Jacob Robinson b: 1838 in Bakersfield, Franklin, Vermont

. 2   Andrew Robinson b: 1839 in Bakersfield, Franklin, Vermont

. 2   Truman "Trusty" Robinson b: May 1840 in Bakersfield, Franklin, Vermont

. 2   Mary Jane Robinson b: 1843 in Bakersfield, Franklin, Vermont

. 2   Sophronia Robinson b: 1846 in Bakersfield, Franklin, Vermont

. 2   David Robinson b: 1850 in Bakersfield, Franklin, Vermont

..... +Rosina E. Peters b: 1851 in Fairfield, Franklin, Vermont

..... 3   Bertha Robinson b: 1876 in Bakersfield, Franklin, Vermont

..... 3   Anna Robinson b: February 1878 in Bakersfield, Franklin, Vermont

..... 3   Arthur David Robinson b: January 1880 in Bakersfield, Franklin, Vermont

..... 3   Elizabeth Robinson b: May 1883 in Bakersfield, Franklin, Vermont

..... 3   Laura Robinson b: September 1884 in Bakersfield, Franklin, Vermont

..... 3   Florence Robinson b: April 1886 in Bakersfield, Franklin, Vermont

..... 3   Eva Maud Robinson b: August 1888 in Bakersfield, Franklin, Vermont

..... 3   Mary Robinson b: January 1889 in Bakersfield, Franklin, Vermont

..... 3   Melvile Robinson b: May 1895 in Bakersfield, Franklin, Vermont

*2nd Wife of [1] JACOB Robinson:

.. +Mary J. b: 1805 in Vermont

Sherie could not go back but had found the record that Jacob's father was JOHN ROBINSON.  I had the elusive John Robinson 51 on the Tuller census born in 1799.  Interesting.  Now the need was to search for a proper John Robinson.  My elusive John was born later than Sherie's possible John.  

On my tree, I already had a Leonard Robinson and had a CHILD Robinson listed under his son John S.Robinson  just where the age of Jacob's father-John would fit.  I decided to place him there.  I knew from the census that a tally mark had listed a child of that age and any census before 1850 just listed people with tally marks.  I had not found anyone on hard copy for that slot before.

Descendants of Leonard Robinson, Sgt.

1   [2] Leonard Robinson, Sgt. b: July 27, 1736 in Hardwick, Worchester, Massachusetts

.. +Rebecca Billings b: January 03, 1737/38 in Hardwick, Worchester,  Massachusetts

. 2   Sarah Robinson b: April 20, 1759 in Hardwick, Massachusetts

..... +Jonah Brewster b: Abt. 1759 in Bennington, Vermont

. 2   Lydia Robinson b: January 17, 1761 in Hardwick, Massachusetts

..... +Moses Rice b: Bet. 1755 - 1760 in Bennington, Vermont

. 2   Rebecca Robinson b: April 27, 1763 in Bennington, Vermont

..... +David Cutler b: Abt. 1760 in Bennington, Vermont

. 2   JOHN S. Robinson b: February 15, 1765 in Bennington, Vermont

..... +Hannah Smalley b: Abt. 1766 in Bennington, Vermont

.
Descendants of JOHN S. Robinson 1 JOHN S. Robinson b: February 15, 1765 in Bennington, Vermont .. +Hannah Smalley b: Abt. 1766 in Bennington, Vermont . 2 [1] John Robinson b: 1786 in Bennington, Bennington, Vermont ..... +Elizabeth Cushman b: Abt. 1790 ..... 3 One Robinson b: Abt. 1811 ..... 3 Two Robinson b: Abt. 1812 ..... 3 Three Robinson b: Abt. 1813 . *2nd Wife of [1] John Robinson: ..... +Ann Kune b: Abt. 1786 in prob. Bennington, Bennington, Vermont . 2 Justus Robinson b: 1787 in Bennington, Bennington, Vermont ..... +Abby Waite b: Abt. 1760 ..... 3 Lydia Robinson b: Abt. 1775 ......... +Christopher Hogudone b: Abt. 1775 ......... 4 Smalley Robinson Hogudone b: Abt. 1790 ......... 4 James Robinson Hogudone b: 1790 . 2 Lydia Robinson b: July 07, 1789 in Vermont ..... +Christopher Hogudone . 2 James Robinson b: 1790 in Bennington, Bennington, Vermont . 2 Smalley Robinson b: 1791 in Bennington, Bennington, Vermont . 2 [2] JACOB Robinson b: Abt. 1790 in New York ..... +Olive Clemens b: 1816 ..... 3 Jacob Robinson b: 1838 in Bakersfield, Franklin, Vermont ..... 3 Andrew Robinson b: 1839 in Bakersfield, Franklin, Vermont ..... 3 Truman "Trusty" Robinson b: May 1840 in Bakersfield, Franklin, Vermont ..... 3 Mary Jane Robinson b: 1843 in Bakersfield, Franklin, Vermont ..... 3 Sophronia Robinson b: 1846 in Bakersfield, Franklin, Vermont ..... 3 David Robinson b: 1850 in Bakersfield, Franklin, Vermont ......... +Rosina E. Peters b: 1851 in Fairfield, Franklin, Vermont ......... 4 Bertha Robinson b: 1876 in Bakersfield, Franklin, Vermont ......... 4 Anna Robinson b: February 1878 in Bakersfield, Franklin, Vermont ......... 4 Arthur David Robinson b: January 1880 in Bakersfield, Franklin, Vermont ......... 4 Elizabeth Robinson b: May 1883 in Bakersfield, Franklin, Vermont ......... 4 Laura Robinson b: September 1884 in Bakersfield, Franklin, Vermont ......... 4 Florence Robinson b: April 1886 in Bakersfield, Franklin, Vermont ......... 4 Eva Maud Robinson b: August 1888 in Bakersfield, Franklin, Vermont ......... 4 Mary Robinson b: January 1889 in Bakersfield, Franklin, Vermont ......... 4 Melvile Robinson b: May 1895 in Bakersfield, Franklin, Vermont . *2nd Wife of [2] JACOB Robinson: ..... +Mary J. b: 1805 in Vermont . 2 Semantha Brush Robinson b: 1800 in Prob. Bennington, Bennington, Vermont ..... +Edward Henderson Swift b: September 29, 1805 in Manchester, Vermont

It was John S. Robinson  who had a CHILD Robinson that I assumed, hope and pray was Jacob's father, John Robinson.  He was my John S. Robinson already on my tree.  

Descendants of JOHN S. Robinson

1   JOHN S. Robinson b: February 15, 1765 in Bennington, Vermont

.. +Hannah Smalley b: Abt. 1766 in Bennington, Vermont

. 2   [1] John Robinson b: 1786 in Bennington, Bennington, Vermont

..... +Elizabeth Cushman b: Abt. 1790

. *2nd Wife of [1] John Robinson:

..... +Ann Kune b: Abt. 1786 in prob. Bennington, Bennington,  Vermont

. 2   Justus Robinson b: 1787 in Bennington, Bennington, Vermont

..... +Abby Waite b: Abt. 1760

. 2   Lydia Robinson b: July 07, 1789 in Vermont

..... +Christopher Hogudone

. 2   James Robinson b: 1790 in Bennington, Bennington, Vermont

. 2   Smalley Robinson b: 1791 in Bennington, Bennington, Vermont

. 2   [2] JACOB Robinson b: Abt. 1790 in New York

..... +Olive Clemens b: 1816

. *2nd Wife of [2] JACOB Robinson:

..... +Mary J. b: 1805 in Vermont

. 2   Semantha Brush Robinson b: 1800 in Prob. Bennington, Bennington, Vermont

..... +Edward Henderson Swift b: September 29, 1805 in Manchester, Vermont

Bennington was a haven for Robinsons.  I had so many Robinsons from here.  They had moved to Royalton, scene of an Indian attack in early days, and next door Tunbridge, so why not Bakersfield? 

So, according to my edited tree, Abiathar Smith Robinson b: 1829 is now the son of the elusive 

John Robinson b: 1799  on Royalton, Vermont's Tuller census. He was the son of 

Thomas Robinson b: c1775 Vermont  He was son of 

Joseph Robinson b: 1756 Shaftsbury, Bennington, Vermont/ New York son of

Joseph Robinson b: 1734 Hardwick, Worchester, Massachusetts/Vermont  son of

Samuel Robinson, Capt. b: 1705-1707 Cambridge, Middlesex, Massachusetts  son of

Samuel L. Robinson, b: 1668 Newton, Middlesex, Mass/ Bristol, England-married to Sarah Manning with the 3 children and to Elizabeth Brigham. son of

William Robinson b: c1640 Bristol, Glouchester, or Yorkshire,England, who sailed to America and lived in Cambridge, Middlesex, Massachusetts.

The new additions from Bakersfield are:
Descendants of JACOB Robinson

Descendants of JACOB H. ROBINSON (one generation)

1  [1] JACOB H. ROBINSON b: 1790 in New York/ Vermont, My two DNA matches also are on this tree to the best of our knowledge:
d: October 14, 1867 in Bakersfield, Franklin, Vermont
.. +Mary J. b: 1805 in Bakersfield, Franklin, Vermont d: in Bakersfield, Franklin, Vermont
*2nd Wife of [1] JACOB H. ROBINSON:
.. +Olive Polly Clemens Clement b: August 1816 in Ferrisburg, Quebec, Canada/Vermont d: December 03, 1900 in Bakersfield, Franklin, Vermont

1   [1] JACOB H. Robinson b: Abt. 1790 in New York
.. +Olive Clemens b: 1816
. 2   Jacob Robinson b: 1838 in Bakersfield, Franklin, Vermont
. 2   Andrew Robinson b: 1839 in Bakersfield, Franklin, Vermont
. 2   Truman "Trusty" Robinson b: May 1840 in Bakersfield, Franklin, Vermont
. 2   Mary Jane Robinson b: 1843 in Bakersfield, Franklin, Vermont
. 2   Sophronia Robinson b: 1846 in Bakersfield, Franklin, Vermont
. 2   David Robinson b: 1850 in Bakersfield, Franklin, Vermont
..... +Rosina E. Peters b: 1851 in Fairfield, Franklin, Vermont
..... 3   Bertha Robinson b: 1876 in Bakersfield, Franklin, Vermont
..... 3   Anna Robinson b: February 1878 in Bakersfield, Franklin, Vermont
..... 3   Arthur David Robinson b: January 1880 in Bakersfield, Franklin, Vermont
..... 3   Elizabeth Robinson b: May 1883 in Bakersfield, Franklin, Vermont
..... 3   Laura Robinson b: September 1884 in Bakersfield, Franklin, Vermont
..... 3   Florence Robinson b: April 1886 in Bakersfield, Franklin, Vermont
..... 3   Eva Maud Robinson b: August 1888 in Bakersfield, Franklin, Vermont
..... 3   Mary Robinson b: January 1889 in Bakersfield, Franklin, Vermont
..... 3   Melvile Robinson b: May 1895 in Bakersfield, Franklin, Vermont
*2nd Wife of [1] JACOB Robinson:
.. +Mary J. b: 1805 in Vermont

  Several iffy things here.  No paper records on Abiathar's father or Jacob's father, John, and even the John, father of Jacob.  I never would have known, though, that we had a branch going into Bakersfield without finding the DNA and Bakersfield, I know.   I call this an educated guess.  At age 82, I don't have much more time to solve my puzzle of where our Robinsons had come from.  Our grandfather had told us that his ancestors came over not on the Mayflower but a ship after that.  His connection with his family ended when he was 16 and ran away from home due to a spat he had with his father, a very religious man  Frank Hugh, our grandfather, had his favorite horse in Wenona, Illinois in a field and the bull had gotten in it, putting the horse in danger.  It was Sunday-the Sabbath-and Frank intended to rescue his horse but his father Abiathar Smith, wouldn't let him and I guess the results were bad-causing Frank to leave and never return.  He leaves me with lots of questions  One thing I have found; lots of preachers in the Royalton, Vermont area in those days.
I'm now updating this article at the age of 3 more months to go and I'll be 85.  You need patience in genealogy.  I accidently ran into another match today, a 4th cousin. with only 7 segments that matched me with a total of only 30cMs with the longest segment being 14cMs.  That turned out to be a gold mine.  The matcher had an extensive Robinson tree with many of my Robinson tree people!  We could have connected through many of these Robinsons.  

I've switched parents now from my earlier theory I thought was absolute to this one. My software genealogy program, Family Tree Maker, allows me to do this.  One never knows.  We do make errors.

Update: 3/22/17  Oh oh.  I haven't had to switch a father on Abiathar but I have set my software to show that Thomas Robinson is the unknown father and not a natural father.   It didn't take me long.  I've been on ancestry since 6:30am and find that because of not knowing who John Robinson of Tunbridge, Abiathar's presumably the father, I really was wrong about having a Thomas Robinson, b: March 12, 1782 in ?, then of Chester being John's father and d: Dec 24, 1850. Thomas turned out to be a lawyer.  It appears that he never had a son.   I had the family tree connection but it's been so long, I can't remember why.  Not enough resource recorded.  Shame on me!  Now I know why it's so important to document your findings!  Anyway, it turns out that Thomas of Chester was documented well for Chester, but not connected of course, to this new connection to the elusive John of Tunbridge.  Thomas's parents turned out to really be  James Robinson of Chester, a pioneering settler of Chester, Windsor, Vermont.  Chester is a good connection being Royalton is also in Windsor County.  James's wife was Mary Payson.  Thomas's wife was Polly Henry.  Now I'll have to look for other parents for John of Tunbridge.  With John as the father of Abiathar, I have less knowledge about our deep history now than ever.  This is a science.  You start with a premise and try to prove you are right.  You get lots of false leads, and keep on testing it out and trying to find the answer.

Update:  3/24, 2017:  I found a better John Robinson already on my multi-Robinson tree to connect to Sheri's tree.
I have changed John Robinson, the connection to Sherie's tree.  I had picked John Robinson b: 1799 on Tunbridge.  She didn't know who her John was, only that the father was John Robinson.  I have been presuming Abiathar's father was the John Robinson on the 1850 census with the Tullers.

I'll start with Jacob H. Robinson b: 1790 Vermont on Sheri's tree
JOHN ROBINSON b: 1760 Lebanon, Connccticut
Ichabod Robinson b: 1720 Duxbury, Massachusetts
John Robinson, Reverend, b: 1670 Duxbury, Massachusetts
Samuel Robinson b: 1640 Dorcester, Massachusetts
William Robinson b: 1615 Canterbury, England
John Robinson b: 1588 Barton St. David, Somerset,  England

We come out with the same people! Ichabod Robinson b: 1720.  I believe I get to keep this one and it has the DNA match with Sheri this way.  

Resource: Sheri's tree on FTDNA

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Bent_Brigham
http://vermonthistory.org/research/vermont-women-s-history/franklin-county-driving-tour/bakersfield