Robinson Genealogy

Nadene Goldfoot                                      

Jamaica, Vermont-1895 by Theodore Robinson He was an artist and this is one of his many oil paintings.

The distance from Jamaica, Windham,  Vermont to Royalton, Windsor, Vermont is 82.53 miles.  I've decided that Abiathar Smith Robinson b: December 1829, my ggrandfather, came from Jamaica, Windham, Vermont since I believe that his father was actually Hiram Robinson, Jr. b: March 18, 1809 in Jamaica and mother was Sally "Sarah" Smith born January 1812 also in Jamaica, Vermont.  This is because Abiathar and his wife, Julia Ann Tuller, had moved to Wenona, Marshall, Illinois and were buried there along with Sally and her 2nd husand and their children, Thomas Russell-spouse, and son:  Martin Russell.
                                                                           

Town Hall in Jamaica, Vermont

Abiathar said on later censuses that he was born in New York and later said it was Vermont.  "In the colonial period, what is now Vermont was disputed territory, with land claims from both New York and New Hampshire. The original grants for this area, issued by the Royal Governor of New York in 1767 and 1772, were for two towns. But in 1777, the Republic of Vermont was established. Ignoring the previous grants, it gave charter on November 7, 1780 for “a tract of vacant land within this state which has not heretofore been granted.”By 1781 the village was settled and organized.  In 1790, the year we had a USA 1st census, they had 263 people.  By 1830 there were 1,553 people living here.                                                                      

Jamaica, Vermont 1907

Now to find other Jamaicans  who moved from Jamaica to Royalton or next door to Tunbridge, Vermont which Abiathar did since he met and married Julia Ann Tuller in Royalton.  They married in Tunbridge on February 29, 1852.  Was this leap year?

Today there are 7 Robinsons who are living in Jamaica, Vermont with many living in the surrounding areas.  I have found 14 male Robinsons  on findagrave who died there in the early days:
Paul                d: 1790 Athens, Windham, Vermont  not on findagrave m: Hannah Trumbull
Simon T.         d: 1813
Elijah b: 1750 d: August 6, 1826, buried in Wiswell, Cemetery in Townshend nearby. Our ancestor
Hastings W     d: 1829
Jonathan         d: 1829
 Reuben           d: 1834
Aaron W.        d: 1838
Hiram Jr.        d:  1839  not on findagrave yet, our ancestor
John                d: 1843
Amaziah         d: 1852  He's also a likely father of Abiathar Smith.
Henry J.          d: 1855
Nathaniel       d: 1864
Aaron C         d: 1864
Clarke            d: 1864
John               d: 1865
James             d: 1865 not on findagrave; our ancestor married to Abigail Burt
Hiram            d: after 1870 ? Bennington? b: in Jamaica 1789, father of Amaziah
Alonzo           d: after 1880?  b: Jamaica, Vermont 1832
Curtis             d: 1877
Joel Houghton d: 1909 b,1836 d: Jamaica m: Lucy A. Matterson

I've listed Robinsons in Royalton,  Tunbridge, and surrounding towns in Vermont : http://wwwrobinsongenealogy.blogspot.com/2004_10_01_archive.html.  this was a thorough search of the family possibilities.

Reference: http://wwwrobinsongenealogy.blogspot.com/2004_10_01_archive.html  most detailed study I've done on Robinson & family in Vermont.  check it out!  
 http://distancecalculator.globefeed.com/US_Distance_Result.asp?state=VT&fromplace=Jamaica%2C%20VT%2C%20United%20States&toplace=Royalton%2C%20VT%2C%20United%20States%2C&dt1=ChIJwdEkjs9V4IkRhhxCCyZyWYc&dt2=ChIJw7GHmMbZtEwRc4mUfKlsC0I
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamaica,_Vermont
http://wwwrobinsongenealogy.blogspot.com/2009/11/1840-census-of-jamaica-vermont-with.html
http://www.mystudios.com/artgallery/T/Theodore-Robinson/Jamaica,-Vermont-(1895).html
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=robby1940&id=I20830

Nadene Goldfoot,
daughter of Mildred Elizabeth Robinson,
granddaughter of Abiathar Smith Robinson
                                                                     

Abiathar Smith Robinson with his son, Frank Hugh Robinson and Julia Ann Tuller Frank was my grandfather. Somehow, I keep finding a Hiram that is a suitable man to be Abiathar Smith Robinson's father! So far, I have found 2 possibilities; Hiram Robinson of Jamaica, Windham, Vermont who died at age 39, and a Hiram Robinson of Stafford, Orange, Vermont who was very close to Tunbridge, Vermont, neighboring town  of Royalton, Windsor, Vermont, where wife Julia Ann Tuller lived..

I decided to look for THE CORRECT father of Abiathar Smith Robinson, my great grandfather, in cemeteries, so looked next door to Royalton, Vermont's Tunbridge, where Abiathar and Julia Ann Tuller got married.  There had to be a reason for that, and I know that the Durkees had a cemetery there named for them. Julia's mother was a Durkee. I used http://findagrave.com for my searches.

 We use familytreedna for our DNA testing called familyfinder.   I found: that my 1st cousin Robinson has 1525 matches on FTDNA and 140 of them are now marked as coming from his father's genealogy tree.  His father was my mother's brother.  Family tree shows that my cousin's ancestors were 0.1% of the population of England, 0.1% of the population of Scotland and 0.2% of the population of Ireland. Our DYS 393 allele is a 12 and not a 13, so we are rare Robinsons!  And Robinson is the 16th most popular surname, too.  In fact, on my tree which shows several possibities of fathers for Abiathar, I find I have 16 Hiram Robinsons!  It was a very popular name.

Originally, I thought a Hiram Robinson (1809-1839) married to Sally /Sarah Smith were his parents as they were from Jamaica, Windham County, Vermont and Sally had been a Smith.  Sally wound up in Wenona, Marshall, Illinois when she had remarried Thomas Russell in 1841 after Hiram had died.  My grandfather, Frank Hugh Robinson, was born in Wenona, Marshall, Illinois, being Abiathar moved there after returned from Canada after the Civil War, so there is this connection as well as SMITH.
 The distance between Jamaica and Royalton, Vermont is a N and S direction of 82.5 miles.
Descendants of Hiram Robinson, Jr.

1   Hiram Robinson, Jr. b: March 18, 1809 in Jamaica, Windham County, Vermont d: 1839 in Jamaica, Windham,  Vermont
.. +Sally "Sarah" Smith b: January 1812 in Jamaica, Windham County, Vermont d: August 30, 1905 in Wenona, Marshall, Illinois
. 2   [1] Abiathar Smith Robinson b: December 1829 in New York/  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 Defenbaugh Walters b: November 1832 in Ohio d: July 05, 1918 in Streator, Bruce Twp, La Salle, Ill
. 2   Oscar L. Robinson b: Abt. 1831 in Jamaica, Vermont d: Bef. 1837
. 2   Riley Robinson b: 1831 in Prob. Jamaica, Windham, Vermont d: Abt. 1865
. 2   Nahum Hial Robinson b: April 03, 1834 in Jamaica, Windham, Vermont d: October 04, 1921 in West Wardsboro, Windham, Vermont
..... +Catherine Lois Vaile b: June 01, 1838 in Winhall, Bennington, Vermont d: December 31, 1920 in West Bardsboro, Windham, Vermont
. 2   Oscar L. Roberson Robinson b: October 17, 1838 in Bennington, Bennington, Vermont d: March 13, 1923 in Wenona, Marshall, Illinois
..... +Sarah E. Powell b: September 10, 1848 in Green County, New York d: March 12, 1924 in Wenona, Marshall, Illinois
. 2   Avis Mash Robinson b: October 07, 1839 in Jamaica,  Vermont d: March 05, 1932 in Ogden, Weber County, Utah
..... +James Mosher Wright b: September 26, 1832 in Ranssdaer County, New York d: July 29, 1915 in Ogden, Weber County, Utah
UPDATE: 6/4/17:  DNA test on male Robinson from this line shows that DYS 393 is a 13.  Ours is a 12.  This rules them out.  Also, their history shows that there was no son named Abiathar Smith Robinson.  This is the most conclusive part of information.
                       A Look At Another Hiram Robinson

Hiram Robinson (1806-1892) from Strafford, Orange, Vermont , is a man I once  thought  before that he was Abiathar's  father, because Tunbridge, where Abiathar and Julia Ann married, is also in Orange County and Strafford is close to Tunbridge.   Hiram  had been married to Zeruiah Tyler.

 Now Hiram and Zeruiah are biblical names.  Zeruiah /zəˈruːjə/ (‎צרויה, sometimes transliterated Tzruya or Zeruya) is a figure in the Hebrew Bible. She was a sister of King David. According to 1 Chronicles 2:13-16 and also the Babylonian Talmud (Shabbat 55), Zeruiah was a daughter of Jesse (sister to Abigail another of Jesse's daughters according to 2 Samuel 17:25). Zeruiah had three sons, Abishai, Joab, and Asahel, all of whom were soldiers in David's army (and also David's nephews). Hiram had been the king of Tyre and was friendly with king David.  Abiathar was the son of Abimelech, chief priest at Nob, took refuge with David who later appointed him high priest.  I thought it fitting for these two young parents to pick a biblical name.

Hiram and Zeruiah are buried in Stafford Cemetery, Orange County, Vermont, which is the same county that Tunbridge is in.  Hiram would have been 23 years old at Abiathar's birth, and Abiathar would have been their 1st child.  Zeruiah would have been 21 years old, perfect ages.  Hiram would have been 46 years old when Abiathar got married in Tunbridge, next door.  Zeruiah would have been 44 years old.  

Robinson Cemetery

From the US Post Office in Strafford village, go north on Brook Road for about 4-1/2 miles. The cemetery appears to be in the center of a large field. I'll need to get directions.

Strafford Cemetery

This cemetery is on the north end of Strafford village.

Descendants of HIRAM ROBINSON

Descendants of Hiram Robinson

1   [2] Hiram Robinson b: Bet. December 06, 1805 - 1806 in prob. Strafford, Orange, Vermont d: February 06, 1892 in Strafford, Orange, Vermont
.. +Zeruiah Zeruah A. Tyler b: January 19, 1808 in Strafford, Orange, Vermont d: September 03, 1847 in prob Strafford, Orange, Vermont
. 2   [1] Abiathar Smith Robinson b: December 1829 in New York/  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 Unknown Walters b: November 1832 in Ohio d: July 1918 in Streator, Illinois, age 85
. 2   [3] Marinda A. Robinson b: 1832 in prob. Strafford, Orange, Vermont
. 2   [4] Daniel Robinson III b: January 03, 1834 in prob. Strafford, Orange, Vermont d: April 02, 1904 in Strafford, Orange, Vermont
..... +[5] Louisa Eloesa A. Fullam b: November 15, 1833 in Vermont d: March 26, 1911 in Strafford, Orange, Vermont
. 2   [6] Emily M. Robinson b: 1841 in prob. Strafford, Orange, Vermont
*2nd Wife of [2] Hiram Robinson:
.. +Abigail George b: October 20, 1815 in Vermont d: February 26, 1901 in Strafford, Orange, Vermont
.

Nadene Goldfoot                                                                              

In writing one of my articles in defense of Israel, I came across Condoleezza Rice, former Secretary of State,  and Susan Rice and their involvement.  I wondered if they were sisters, being they were both involved in politics in the Obama Administration.  Condoleezza was born in 1954.  She has earned a PhD and was Secretary of State from 2005 to 2009.

Then I had another thought.  Rice sounded familiar in another way.  I checked my family tree maker program and sure enough, in my extensive New England Robinson family tree, I had 25 Rice people listed.  Oh my gosh!  Don't tell me!  We could be related!

Somewhere along the line, Black people took on the surname of their owners.  Though my Robinson--Rice people were New Englanders, somehow, either they connected with them or Rice had an awful lot of slaves who were distributed all over the states then part of the USA.
                                                                   

Dr. Condoleezza Rice b: 1954 Birmingham, Alabama

Condoleezza Rice's genealogy had been done in August 2010 by the TV program, Finding Your Roots, done by Henry Louis Gates, Jr., a very well loved program that I have enjoyed watching.  He stated that he traced her family back to her great great grandmother, Sinai or Zina by name, a single woman with 5 children.  Blacks were used to breed more slaves, and this evidently was what was happening.  Truly, her ancestors were slaves in the USA.
                                                                         
Condi, as she is called, was born on November 14, 1954 in Birmingham, Alabama to John Wesley Rice Jr., a minister, and Angelina Rice nee Ray.   Her mother,  Angelena Ray,  was the daughter of Albert Robinson Ray III. (There's a Robinson connection).  He had worked in several jobs including builder, miner, and blacksmith. He had been born somewhere between 1893 and 1895. He ran away from home at 13. Her mother was Angelina Ray.  I looked at my tree and of course, I had 13 Rays listed.  
 http://www.indepthinfo.com/condoleezza-rice/antecedents.shtml

I did not see a connection, though it did connect with a Robinson.

Then I looked at my Ray list.  I have an Albert Ray on my tree! The year coincides!  Could it be the same man?
Descendants of Albert W. Ray

1   Albert W. Ray b: June 14, 1871 in Wilmington, Vermont d: June 06, 1951 in Wilmington, Vermont
.. +Corrine Blodgett b: Abt. 1871
*2nd Wife of Albert W. Ray:
.. +Oral M. Blodgett b: Abt. 1872

Her African ancestors were sharecroppers.  She, from DNA testing, is 51% african, 40% European and 9% Asian which would be Native American.  Her mtDNA haplogroup is from the Tikar people in Cameroon which is in Central Africa.  It could be L1, common in Central Africa, but I'm not sure as it's not listed in her article.    Her family tree can only go back 3 or 4 generations, found here.
                                                                     
Susan Elizabeth Rice was born November 17, 1964 in Washington DC. to Dr. Emmett J. Rice (1919-2011) and Lois Dickson Rice nee Fitt.  Her maternal grandparents were Jamaican.

 She is our 24th National Security Advisor appointed July 1, 2013.    She was the former United States Ambassador to the United Nations, confirmed in 2009.  It was she who walked out when Netanyahu was about to give his speech in the UN for an important luncheon date that infuriated me!  Now I find out that  our Rice ancestor, Edmund Rice b: 1594 match!  He's on both our trees!

These ladies, born in the same month but 10 years apart, are in the same occupation and under the same president, Barak Hussein Obama.  This is quite a coincidence.

The only way to see if we share a connection is to have an autosomal DNA test.  This at Family Tree DNA is called the familyfinder test.  It's also offered at 23&Me.  I'm listed in both companies.  If we share so much as 5cMs on one of our 23 chromosomes, the test would pick it up.  It would have to be that a Rice owner was the sire of some of his slaves of which one of these ladies had as an ancestor.  It's entirely possible.

Part of my Rice Tree is as follows:
Descendants of Thomas Rice

1   Thomas Rice b: Abt. 1572 in prob. England
.. +Catherine Howard b: Abt. 1573 in prob. England
. 2   Edmund Rice b: Abt. 1594 in prob. England d: May 31, 1663 in Marlboro, Middlesex, Massachusetts
..... +Mercie Hurd b: Abt. 1595
..... 3   Ruth Rice b: September 29, 1659 in Sudbury, Connecticut d: March 1741/42
......... +Samuel Welles b: April 13, 1660 in Wethersfield, Hartford, Connecticut d: August 28, 1731 in Hartford, Hartford County, Connecticut
..... 3   Ann Rice b: Abt. 1661 in prob. Connecticut
Here's a very New England Rice family:
Descendants of Moses Rice

1   Moses Rice b: Bet. 1755 - 1760 in Bennington, Vermont
.. +Lydia Robinson b: January 17, 1761 in Hardwick, Massachusetts d: May 1827
. 2   Moses Rice b: 1778 d: 1814
. 2   Aaron Rice b: 1779
. 2   Samuel Rice b: 1781
. 2   Lydia Rice b: 1784
. 2   Liefe Rice         b: 1786
. 2   Benjamin Rice b: 1788
. 2   Elijah Rice b: 1790
. 2   Heman Rice b: 1792 in Broom, New York
. 2   Junio Rice         b: 1794
. 2   Ruth Rice         b: 1796
. 2   Susanna Rice b: 1799
. 2   Child Rice         b: 1801
Descendants of Seith Rice

1   Seith Rice b: Abt. 1709
.. +Dorothy Robinson b: April 19, 1709 in Cambridge, Middlesex, Massachusetts d: October 27, 1767
Descendants of Alvina Abigail Rice

1   Alvina Abigail Rice b: September 1873 in Sherwood. Langlade, Wisconsin
.. +Louis Albert Robinson b: April 15, 1858 in Calumet, Menasha Ward 1, Winnebago, Wisconsin d: October 13, 1944 in Phlox, Langlade, Wisconsin
. 2   Orral Austin Robinson b: July 20, 1900 in Wisconsin d: October 15, 1971 in Gleason, Lincoln, Wisconsin 54435
..... +Rita M. b: 1909 in Wisconsin d: January 21, 1966 in Wisconsin
..... 3   Evelyn F. Robinson b: 1925 in Wisconsin
..... 3   James A. Robinson b: 1928 in Wisconsin
..... 3   Gerald G. Robinson b: 1929 in Wisconsin
..... 3   Barbara Robinson b: 1931 in Milwaukee, WIsconsin
..... 3   Anna Robinson b: 1932 in Milwaukee, WIsconsin
. 2   First Twin Robinson b: October 10, 1903 in Norwood, Langlade, Wisconsin
. 2   Second Twin Robinson b: October 10, 1903 in Norwood, Langlade, Wisconsin
. 2   Lillian R. Robinson b: 1905 in Norwood, Langlade, WI
. 2   Arthur J. Robinson b: 1907 in Norwood, Langlade, WI
..... +Unknown
. 2   Myrtle M. Robinson b: 1908 in Norwood, Langlade, WI

Descendants of Beulah Rice

1   Beulah Rice b: 1763 in Worcester, Massachusetts d: July 13, 1844 in Cotton, Switzerland, In
.. +Winthrop Robinson b: April 22, 1761 in Stratham, Rockingham, New Hampshire d: November 05, 1836 in Cotton, Switzerland, In
. 2   Algernon Sidney Robinson b: July 23, 1787 in Massachusetts d: September 22, 1862 in Edgington, Rock Island, Illinois
..... +Abigail Harding b: April 10, 1803 in Ontario, New York
..... 3   Isabella Robinson b: May 23, 1833 in Indiana d: Bet. 1897 - 1899 in Arapahoe, Furnas, Nebraska
......... +Eli Nie Allen

Descendants of Susan Mack Rice

1   Susan Mack Rice b: Abt. 1749
.. +Ebenezer Pitman b: Abt. 1749
. 2   Lydia Pitman b: March 25, 1769 in Meredith, Belknap, New Hampshire d: March 23, 1859 in Meredith, Belknap, New Hampshire
..... +John Robinson b: May 03, 1759 in Meredith/ Belknap, Stratham, Rockingham, New Hampshire d: March 07, 1848 in Meredith, Belknap, New Hampshire
..... 3   Susan Robinson b: 1785 in Meredith, Belknap, New Hampshire d: 1864
......... +Abram Swain b: Abt. 1785
..... 3   Ebenezer Robinson b: August 25, 1787 in Meredith, Belknap, New Hampshire d: June 09, 1826 in Meredith, Belknap, New Hampshire
......... +Betsey Tenney Shaw b: 1793 d: 1878 in Prob. Meredith, Belknap, New Hapshire
..... 3   Chase "Charles" Robinson b: October 26, 1789 in Meredith, Belknap, New Hampshire d: July 09, 1880 in Meredith, Belknap, New Hampshire
......... +Sally Sarah Wadleigh b: March 16, 1793 in Meredith, Belknap, New Hampshire d: April 16, 1879 in Meredith, Belknap, New Hampshire
..... 3   Sally Robinson b: July 24, 1792 in Meredith, Belknap, New Hampshire
......... +Timothy Chase b: Abt. 1792
..... 3   Noah Robinson b: September 03, 1794 in Meredith, Belknap, New Hampshire d: August 12, 1874
......... +Betsey St. Clair b: 1778 d: 1855
..... 3   Jonathan Robinson b: August 22, 1797 in Meredith, Belknap, New Hampshire d: November 30, 1850 in Meredith, Belknap, New Hampshire
......... +Charlotte Smith b: 1801 in New Hampshire
..... 3   JOSHUA Robinson b: July 1801 in prob. Meredith, Belknap, New Hampshire/Vermont
......... +Sophiah Ervine b: Abt. 1820 in Beaver Valley, Columbia, Pennsylvania
..... 3   Abigail Robinson b: 1802 in Meredith, Belknap, New Hampshire
..... 3   John Pratt Robinson b: October 03, 1805 in prob. Meredith, Belknap, New Hampshire
..... 3   Betsey K. Robinson b: November 28, 1815 in prob. Meredith, Belknap, New Hampshire
......... +Daniel Randlett b: Abt. 1814
Descendants of Edmund Rice

1   Edmund Rice b: Abt. 1594 in prob. England d: May 31, 1663 in Marlboro, Middlesex, Massachusetts
.. +Mercie Hurd b: Abt. 1595
. 2   Ruth Rice b: September 29, 1659 in Sudbury, Connecticut d: March 1741/42
..... +Samuel Welles b: April 13, 1660 in Wethersfield, Hartford, Connecticut d: August 28, 1731 in Hartford, Hartford County, Connecticut
..... 3   Thomas Welles b: February 14, 1691/92 d: May 14, 1767
......... +Martha Pitkin
. 2   Ann Rice b: Abt. 1661 in prob. Connecticut
.................................................................................................................................................................
My Edmund Rice above matches Susan Rice's ancestor, Edmund Rice!  Lo and Behold!  What a shock!  But the two ladies don't seem to be related to each other at all!  
Resource:  http://www.pbs.org/wnet/finding-your-roots/blog/condoleezza-rice-and-the-complexities-of-race-in-america/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Condoleezza_Rice
http://www.biography.com/people/condoleezza-rice-9456857#political-career
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Rice
http://rootsrevealed.blogspot.com/2014/09/the-tikar-people-of-cameroon.html
http://www.wikitree.com/genealogy/Rice-Family-Tree-1085