Searching Vermont's Three Towns in Windham for Abiathar's Father: Another To Consider Seriously

Nadene Goldfoot                                                                     

Townshend,  Windham, Vermont

I've been rechecking my work on my tree and came to the idea that Abiathar Smith Robinson, my ggrandfather,  must tell us that Smith is the maiden name of his mother.  That's why I've always thought that Hiram Robinson married to Sally Smith were his parents.  None of the other possible fathers have this connection of a Smith woman.

Abiathar seems to be an unusual biblical name seldom used.  I looked at Amaziah Robinson's 1840 census and it just fits. It shows that his unknown wife must have been 45 or close to it to have a son from 10-14, and Abiathar at 11 years of age in 1840 would have just fit in this family.  His wife would have been 45 years old when Abiathar was born, explaining why there weren't more children born.  Amaziah was the same age as his wife.

Amaziah is a biblical name like Abiathar.  This is what caught my attention.  A man like Amaziah might name his son in a similar fashion.  In fact, this might denote that they were quite religious.
                                                                   

 Amaziah of Judah, pronounced /æməˈzaɪ.ə/, was a king of Judah, the son and successor of Joash. His mother was Jehoaddan (2 Kings 14:1–4) and his son was Uzziah (2 Chronicles 26:1). ... The Hebrew Bible considers him a righteous king.  David was king of Judah, and so was his son, Solomon.  
                                                                      

Abiathar (אֶבְיָתָר, Evyatar, "the [divine] father is pre-eminent" or "father of plenty"), in the Hebrew Bible, son of Ahimelech or Ahijah, High Priest at Nob, the fourth in descent from Eli (1 Sam. 23:6) and the last of Eli's House.  Abiathar was the only one of the priests to escape from Saul's massacre;  he fled to David at Keilah, taking with him the ephod and other priestly regalia (1 Sam. 22:20 f., 23:6, 9). He was of great service to David.

The fact that we've never seen any brother mentioned on the 1870 and 1880 or even 1900 census shows he may not have had any siblings, as the 1840 shows.  There were just 3 in the family of the appropriate ages.  

There are two other Abiathars listed in this era. 
Descendants of Abiathar Robinson

1  [1] Abiathar Robinson b: June 22, 1788 in Foxborough, Norfolk,  Massachusetts d: May 02, 1853 in Foxborough, Norfolk,  Massachusetts
.. +Nancy Fisher b: Abt. 1799 in prob Foxborough, Norfolk, Massachusetts
*2nd Wife of [1] Abiathar Robinson:
.. +Lucretia H. Strange b: November 14, 1800 in Taunton,  Bristol, Massachusetts
*3rd Wife of [1] Abiathar Robinson:

.. +Laura Ann Smith b: Abt. 1790 in Foxborough, Norfolk, Massachusetts

Descendants of Abiather Robinson

1  Abiather Robinson b: August 08, 1750 in Granville, Hampden County, Massachusetts d: Bef. 1850

.. +Buelah Parsons b: February 01, 1753 in Enfield, Connecticut d: Bef. 1853

   I even have another Amaziah on our vast tree:
Descendants of Amaziah Amasiah Amassah Wilson Robinson

1  [1] Amaziah Amasiah Amassah Wilson Robinson b: November 15, 1825 in Athens, prob. Jamaica, Windham, Vermont d: June 02, 1904 in Pelham, Hampshire, Massachusetts
.. +Freedom Whitney b: 1825
*2nd Wife of [1] Amaziah Amasiah Amassah Wilson Robinson:
.. +Harriet Hewitt b: 1830 in Vermont d: December 28, 1899 in Prob. Pelham, Hampshire, Massachusetts
*3rd Wife of [1] Amaziah Amasiah Amassah Wilson Robinson:
.. +Diantha Holloway b: December 1843 in Massachusetts

This seems to indicate a certain amount of religious observance in these Robinsons.  The names like Hiram, Amos, Elijah and Eli were also very popular, names from the Old Testament.  
                                               

Notice, Townshend's neighbors are Jamaica and Athens. 

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                                                   Descendants of Amaziah Robinson

1  Amaziah Robinson b: January 01, 1785 in Athens, Windham, Vermont d: February 12, 1852 in Townshend, Windham, Vermont
.. +Unknown b: Abt. 1784 in Athens, Windham, Vermont d: in Townshend, Windham, Vermnt
. 2  [1] Abiathar Smith Robinson b: December 1829 in New York/  Tunbridge, Orange/ Jamaica, Windham, Vermont d: October 07, 1904 in Wenona, Marshall, Illinois
..... +Julia Ann Tuller b: December 18, 1834 in Royalton, Windsor, Vermont d: December 02, 1887 in Wenona, Marshall, Illinois
. *2nd Wife of [1] Abiathar Smith Robinson:
..... +Mary Jane Deffenbaugh Walters b: November 27, 1832 in Hocking County, Ohio d: July 05, 1918 in Streator, Illinois, age 85

                                                                                          

Athens Pond

Descendants of Amaziah Robinson

Generation No. 1

1.  AMAZIAH⁶ ROBINSON  (ELIJAH⁵, PAUL⁴, GEORGE³, GEORGE², GEORGE¹) was born January 01, 1785 in Athens, Windham, Vermont, and died February 12, 1852 in Townshend, Windham, Vermont.  He married UNKNOWN 1828.  She was born Abt. 1784 in Athens, Windham, Vermont, and died in Townshend, Windham, Vermnt.

Notes for AMAZIAH ROBINSON:

7/6/08  I found on 1860 census:

Royalton, Windham, Vermont, where Abiathar Smith Robinson's wife, Julia Ann Tuller was born and raised,  was known for the Indian raid that happened there since some children were kidnapped and taken away.  

                                                                       

Indian Raid on Royalton, Vermont

7/31/10:    In the latter part of October, 1780, soon after the burning of Royalton by the Indians, two men at work in a remote part of the town were alarmed by the whoops and yells of Indians. They quit work and spread the alarm as fast as possible. The people, frightened almost out of their senses, hurried away with their women and children with all possible dispatch, expecting from each tree that they passed to be saluted by an Indian tomahawk or scalping knife. Jonathan PERHAM and family decamped in such haste that they left their oven heating and their oxen chained to a tree.

 The report was spread with the greatest rapidity through the neighboring towns, that Athens was destroyed by the Indians. The whole country round about was soon in arms to defend themselves and property from the merciless foe. Some spent the whole night in preparing their guns and ammunition, and the fearful apprehension of impending destruction chased sleep from every eye.

                                                                         

 Their fear, however, was soon changed to chagrin, for it was found that the hallooing of a hunter, aided by imaginations rendered susceptible by fear, amounted in the course of a few hours to the destruction of a fine settlement and the massacre of its inhabitants, but it didn't happen.  They were just scared.   The scare rapidly passed away and tranquility was restored.

Towns close by are: Townshend, Westminster, Brookline, Rockingham and Grafton.

Could this be Abiathar Smith Robinson's father?  Boy Robinson born 1830 could be Abiathar b: 1829. 

111/4/14/  Athens, Vermont is very close to Jamaica, Vermont.  Now I"m wondering if Abiathar's father couldn't have been Amaziah Robinson, son of Elijah Robinson 1750 of Massachusetts.  

Originally I had picked Hiram Robinson born in Jamaica, Vermont in 1809 with wife Sally Smith as a father.  Amaziah was born Jan 1, 1785.  It's all a part of the same tree that leads to a George Robinson b:1685 in Watertown, Massachustts,  just one generation down the line.  Athens is a town in Windham County, Vermont, United States. The population was 340 at the 2000 census. Wikipedia

  

More About AMAZIAH ROBINSON:

Burial: Wiswell Cemetery, Townshend, Vermont

Census: June 01, 1840, Athens, Windham, Vermont age 50-60 (55)