John Allen Mary Bacon

Rowland Robinson Mary Allen

John   Joseph   Elizabeth   Margaret   Sarah   Rowland   Mercy   William   Mary   Rowland   Sarah   Ruth

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Martha Potter Gov. William Robinson (bolded above) Abigail Gardiner Hazard

4 others   Rowland Anstis Gardiner   7 others   Christopher Robinson Rhuhanna Champlin

Abigail   Christopher   George   Elizabeth   William   Jesse   Robert   Hannah   Matthew

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Mary (Seager) Potter Matthew Robinson (bolded above) Mary Seager Potter

John Rowland Samuel Maria Frances William Sarah Edward Hannah S. Ayrault

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Hannah's Poems

The above tree has branches extending backward in time through Scottish and English kings to the first century A.D. Lillian Millett and others have contributed to this historical account, which is also displayed on the Mormon genealogy website. From this page, one surname path from the 12th century is:

• Rowland Robinson, born 1654 in Long Bluff, Cumberland, England; married Mary Allen in 1676 in Newport, Rhode Island, having 12 children, including Mercy and William. Died in Kingston, Rhode Island in 1716.

  From History of Washington and Kent Counties, Rhode Island by J.R. Cole, W.W. Preston, 1889 Rowland Robinson, the first, ran away from his parents and escaped on board a ship from England to the colonies, and bound himself to a carpenter. By good behavior he soon got advanced in business, and bought from the Indians large tracts of land on which he built partly with his own hands the homestead in Point Judith. He married a rich farmer's daughter, had many children, and from his eldest son, William, the Robinson family are descended. Rowland Robinson was born in 1654 at or near a place called Long Bluff, in Cumberland, England. He came to this country in 1675, and in 1676 married Mary, the daughter of John and Mary Allen, who were from Barnstable, England. Rowland Robinson died at his residence, situated near the pond or cove of Pettaquamscutt river in 1716, aged 62 years. He and his wife were both buried in the Narragansett Friends' burial ground, South Kingstown, about two miles south of Tower Hill village.

• Mary Allen, born 4 February 1653 in Kingstown, Kent, Rhode Island colony. Her parents were John Allen and Mary Bacon. Mary died in Kingston, Washington County, Rhode Island in 1716
• Mercy Robinson, born about 1696 in North Kingston, R.I., married John Potter, Col.
• William Robinson, Deputy Governor of colonial Rhode Island, son of Rowland Robinson and Mary Allen, born 26 Jan 1693, No. Kingston, Newport, RI. Married first to Martha Potter having 5 children:
  
  • Rowland Robinson, born 1719 (*), married Anstis Gardiner (see notes on family below), died 1806 (*)
  • John Robinson, born 1721, died 1739
  • Margaret Robinson, born 1722, married William Mumford in 1745 (*), died 1768 (*)
  • Elizabeth Robinson, born 1724 (*), married Thomas Hazard in 1745 (*), died 1804 (*)
  • Martha Robinson, born 1725 (*), married Latham Clarke in 1747 (*), died 1768 (*)
  William's wife Martha died 1725. William married again on 2 Mar 1727 in Rhode Island to Abigail Gardiner Hazard, having 8 more children:
  • Christopher Robinson, born 1728 (*), married Rhuhanna Champlin, died 1807 (*)
  • William Robinson, born 1730 (*), married Hannah Brown in 1752 (*), died 1785 (*)
  • Thomas Robinson, born 1722, married Sarah Richardson in 1752 (*), died 1817 (*)
  • Abigail Robinson, born 1732 (*), married John Wanton in 1751 (*), died 1754 (*)
  • Sylvester Robinson, born 1734 (*), married Alice Perry in 1756 (*), died 1809 (*)
  • Mary Robinson, born 1736, married John Dockray in 1756 (*), died 1776 (*)
  • James Robinson, born 1738 (*), married Nancy Rodman
  • John Robinson, born 1742 (*), married Sarah Peckham in 1761 (*), died 1801 (*)
  Gov. William Robinson died 19 Sep 1751 in Point Judith, Washington, RI; he was a wealthy man. Kathy Bossy of the Pennaquamscutt Historical Society in Wakefield, RI, has said that an oil painting of William Robinson exists, but the subject in this painting seems to be a different William Robinson
• Martha Potter, born 20 Dec 1692 in North Kingston, Newport, R.I., married Gov. William Robinson having 5 children listed under William above. Martha died 1725
• Rowland Robinson, born 8 Oct 1719, son of Martha Potter and William Robinson. His birth announcement appears in Vital Record of Rhode Island volume 5 page 54. Rowland married Anstis Gardiner on 31 Dec 1741 or 1742. This couple had 3 children, Hannah (1746-1773), Mary (1751-1777), and William (1758-1804, married Ann Scott). Source of this information is the book The Gardiners of Narragansett, by Caroline E. Robinson and Daniel Goodwin. Rowland's daughter Hannah was reputed to be very beautiful, and cute stories of her courtship by Peter Simons grace the Hazard book (* see below; this is the "Rowland Robinson" of the title). Rowland and Anstis Robinson seem not to have been blessed with any grandchildren, though both Hannah and William married.
• Anstis Gardiner, born 23 March 1721, married Rowland Robinson (born 1719) on 31 Dec 1741 or 1742, died 26 December 1773, daughter of John Gardiner and Mary Hill. John Gardiner and Abigail Gardiner (the 2nd wife of Gov. William Robinson) were siblings. The family of John and Abigail Gardiner is displayed on the Mormon website
• Abigail Gardiner Hazard. Born Abigail Gardiner on 24 Sept 1700 in Point Judith, Rhode Island, married Caleb Hazard on 19 Nov 1719, and this couple had 3 children: William, Dr. Robert, and Caleb. Caleb died in 1726, and Abigail remarried to Gov. William Robinson on 2 March 1727. Abigail's family tree has been traced through 50 generations of Scottish and English royalty back to the first century, though there are multiple interpretations for Anglo-Saxon records before 600 A.D. Among these royal ancestors is the legendary King Coel ("Old King Coel"), who would then be Hannah's (great)⁵⁰-grandfather ! whose birth is variously put sometime in Britain's late Roman era (300-400 AD), and he died about 420 AD.
• Chistopher Robinson, first child of Gov. William Robinson by his 2nd wife, born 1728, married Rhuhanna (Susannah) Champlin in 1752, died 1807. Vital Record of Rhode Island vol 10 page 347 by James Arnold (marriages), reads "Christopher Robinson and Ruhama Champlain, of Col. Christopher, at the home of the bride in Charlestown by Dr. James McSparran (St. Paul's Church) on November 30, 1752". Christopher's children were :
  • Abigail Robinson, born 20 Jan 1755, married Stephen Potter in 1772, died 1803. Her birth is announced in Vital Record of Rhode Island vol 5 page 54
  • Christopher Champlin Robinson, born 1756 (*), married Elizabeth Anthony in 1790, died 1841 (*)
  • George (1758-1780 *)
  • Elizabeth (1760-1822 *, married Mumford Hazard, no children)
  • William C. (1763-1803, married Frances Wanton).
  • Jesse (1764-1808, married Hannah T. Sands)
  • Robert (1765-1831, married [1] Sarah Congdon and later [2] Ann Deblois)
  • Hannah (1769-1849), married a John Perry and they had children:
    • Robinson Perry
    • John G. Perry
    • Oliver Hazard
    • others
  • Matthew (1772-1825)
  The Rhode Island Cemetery index lists Christopher Robinson (1728-1807) buried in the Riverside Cemetery, High Street, Wakefield.
  In the book Gardiners of Rhode Island by Caroline E. Robinson and Daniel Goodwin, on page 75, is written: "Chistopher Robinson was born December 31, 1727, and died in 1807. He married, November 30, 1752, Rhuhannah Champlin, a daughter of Colonel Christopher and Hannah (Hill) Champlin, of Charlestown, and a descendent of John Howland, a passenger on the Mayflower. Christopher Robinson inherited a fine estate from his father, with the original Manor House built by his grandfather, Rowland Robinson. [...] Mr. Robinson was a royalist during the Revolutionary War, or, possibly, not quite that. But he was impeached and sent away from his home, as being too near the seashore, because he furnished cattle and farm supplies to the British, in common with the majority of the farmers living in Point Judith. The cattle and farm produce were taken, with leave or without it, by the enemy, and it required considerable self- denial to refuse to take pay for the same. That there were palliating circumstances is proved by the fact that, after a short detention, in East Greewich, Rhode Island, he was allowed to return home, on his parole. His wife, Rhuhanna, was born January 11, 1735-6, and died November 28, 1783. Her uncle, Jabez Champlin, who was a sea captain, brought over from England a beautiful tall clock, which is still retained in the family of his great-grandson, Christopher Robinson. It dates back possibly to 1750. [...] The Mayflower descent is as follows: John Howland's daughter Desire married Captain George Gorham. Their daughter Mercy married George Dennison. Their daughter Elizabeth married Christopher Champlin, Jr. Their son Christopher married Hannah Hill. Their daughter Rhuhanna married Christopher Robinson."
• Rhuhanna (Susannah) Champlin, born 1731, died 1783. Vital Record of Rhode Island vol 10 page 347 by James Arnold, reads "Christopher Robinson and Ruhama Champlain, of Col. Christopher, at the home of the bride in Charlestown by Dr. James McSparran (St. Paul's Church) on November 30, 1752". An extensive genealogy of the Champlin family is available through the Millett family in Arizona. Reba Schweitzer is also reseaching the Champlin family.
• Hannah Robinson, daughter of Christopher Robinson and Rhuhanna Champlin, married John Perry, son of James and Mercy Potter. He died 1834, aged 69 (source book, Gardiners of Rhode Island by Robinson and Goodwin)
•  

  Matthew Robinson, born 1772, youngest of 10 children of Christopher Robinson. Matthew married two women named Mary Seager Potter (see below). (#135 in Potter genealogy book) on 24 Apr 1803; Matthew and his 2nd wife were grandchildren of Rowland Robinson. Vital Record of Rhode Island vol 21 page 518 (deaths) by James Arnold, reads "Matthew Robinson, Esq [died] at South Kingstown American of December 6, 1825" (newspaper Providence American); volume 19 page 96 gives Matthew's death as 30 Nov 1825 (newspaper Providence Patriot); volume 20 page 45 of this same work reads (interestingy) "marriage of Sylvester R. Hazard to Gulielma Maria Babcock, of and at South Kingstown, by Matthew Robinson, Esq., April 23, 1820". [Sylvester Robinson Hazard and Guhlma Babcock have entries on the Mormon Family website]. Other marriages officiated by Matthew are recorded (1809) in Volume 5 page 27 and volume 19 page 313. Penny Krogstrand research found that Matthew was appointed Justice of the Peace for South Kingstown in 1808 by the Rhode Island General Assembly. Matthew died when Hannah was at most age 14 (Hannah's birth dates range from 1811 to 1822, Matthew's from 1821 to 1825), and Hannah left few direct memories of her parents, except the name of her first child "Edmund Matthew Landis". Probate for Matthew Robinson was sought from South Kingston, Rhode Island, but not found. Personal information for Matthew is more fully discussed in an earlier tree. See email Matthew Robinson is listed for the 1820 census as living in South Kingston, Rhode Island, with the following children : one male child age less than 10 (probably S. Ayrault) one male child age 10-16 (probably Edward) no male children between 16 and 18 3 male children age 16-26 (probably Rowland, Samuel, and William) one male age more than 45 (Matthew himself) 3 female children age less than 10 (probably Frances, Sarah Ann, and Hannah) 1 female child age 10-16 (probably Maria) no female children age 16-26 one female age 26-45 (his wife Mary) The Rhode Island Cemetery index lists a Matthew Robinson (1773-1825) buried in the Riverside Cemetery, High Street, Wakefield.

  Member of Matthew's family, possibly Lucy Smith Potter

• Mary (Seager) Potter (1st). Penny Krogstrand cites a record in Ancestry.com as follows : "Matthew, the youngest of 9 children, married twice to young women whose names seemed identical. The first wife, born Mary Seager, daughter of Samuel and Alice (*)Segar, had married John Potter, Jr. in 1789. They had 3 children between 8 Apr 1792 and 30 Aug 1795. John died in 1798 and his widow married Matthew 29 Dec 1798 (The Providence Gazette reported the event). She lived four more years, bearing twins John P. and Rowland Robinson 1800 and another son, Samuel S. in 1801, the year in which she died.

  This first marriage was noted in the Providence Gazette (from Vital Record of Rhode Island vol. 15 Pg.396):
  "Robinson, Matthew and Mrs. ---- Potter, widow of John, Jr., at South Kingstown, Gazette of Dec 29 1798" . A similar notice appears in the Chronicle dated 3 Jan 1799 (from Vital Record of Rhode Island vol. 16 Pg.100)

  The second wife was born Mary Seager Potter, daughter of Henry Potter and Mary Seager (dau. of Joseph and Alice Segar; cousin to the first Mrs. Matthew Robinson), and bore seven children between 1803 and 1814. The Providence Journal reported her death as 9 Jan 1828, in her 44th year, at Providence, after a long illness." Both Matthew and his 2nd wife were grandchildren of Rowland Robinson. Gardiners of Rhode Island by Caroline E. Robinson and Daniel Goodwin, on page 75, is written : "996. Matthew Robinson, was born 1772, and married, Mary S. Potter, who died in 1801, aged 24 years. He married, second, in 1802, Mary Potter. He died 1821. She died in 1836, aged 54 years."
  Later in this same book is written as follows (similar to Recollections of Olden Times) :
  Children by his (Matthew Robinson's) first wife
  1705 John P. Robinson, was born in 1799, and died in 1801
  1705a. Rowland Robinson, was born 1799, and died in 1874
  1706. Samuel S. Robinson, was born in 1801, and died in 1874
  By second wife
  1707. Maria Robinson, was born 1803, and died in 1831, unmarried
  1708. Frances Wanton Robinson, was born 1804, and died in 1845. She married, in 1842, Benjamin Balch
  1709. William C. Robinson, was born 1806, and died in 1822.
  1710. Sarah Ann Robinson, was born in 1807, and died in 1832.
  1711. Edward Robinson, was born in 1809, and died in ____. He married, in 1835, ____.
  1712. Hannah Robinson, was born in 1811, and married in 1841, Edward Larned.
  1713. S. Ayrault Robinson, was born in 1814, and died unmarried.
  The numbers 1705 through 1713 are not commented upon later in this book.

• Mary Seager Potter (2nd), born 1783, married 24 April 1803 to Matthew Robinson, died 9 January 1828 (alt 1836); see above account of these two wives with the same name. Vital Record of Rhode Island vol 21 page 518 (deaths) by James Arnold, reads "Mary S. Robinson, widow of late Matthew Robinson of South Kingstown, at Providence in 44th year, January 9, 1828". Mormon records identify a "Mary L. Potter, married 1797", and a Mary Seagar Potter (married to Matthew Robinson on 24 April 1803, died 9 Jan 1828). The Rhode Island Cemetery index lists a Mary Seager (Potter) Robinson, born "1783c", died 9 Jan 1828, buried in Swan Point Cemetery, Blackstone Blvd., Providence , R.I.

  Even at the later death date, her youngest children were still teenagers, were probably then cared for by a relative: a likely care-giver is the family of Christy Potter (brother to Mary Seager Potter). Thus, Mary's daughter Hannah left a book of poems contributed by friends and relatives, and within this book are poems signed by Joseph S. Potter, also Lucy S. Potter, and probably Charles T. Potter. Published genealogies of the Robinson and Potter families reveal these three people to be children of Christy Potter and Lucy Smith. These poems are the major link between Hannah's two families: the family in Rhode Island before marriage, and the family in Illinois after marriage.

  As a footnote, Mrs. John Potter attended the 1906 funeral of Valentine Mott Vermilye, brother-in-law to Emiline (Davids) Cox, and a Kate Potter (same as "Mrs. John Potter") is mentioned in the will of Henry Davids (Emiline's brother). John Potter and Hannah's mother (Mary Seager Potter) are related through their distant ancestor, Nathaniel Potter, born 1644 in Emgland, but it is unlikely that Hannah and John (who knew each other) were aware of their relationship. The name "Segar" also arises in the Brown family

Children of Matthew Robinson and Mary Seager Potter. Dates are from the Hazard book (* below). It is likely that these dates are off by several years, but the birth order is probably correct. Explanations given below.
1. John P. Robinson, born 1799, a twin, died 1801, aged 2 years
2. Rowland Robinson, born 1799, a twin, married 1834; died 1859, aged 60 years; left children
3. Samuel S., born 1801; married 1825; died 1874, aged 73 years; left children
4. Maria, born 1803, died 1831, aged 27; was never married. The Rhode Island Cemetery index lists a Maria Robinson, born "1821c", died 1849, buried in North Burial Ground, North Main Street, Providence, R.I.
5. Frances W. Robinson, born 1804; married Benjamin Balch 1842; died 1845, aged 41 years; left no children. The Rhode Island Cemetery index lists a Frances W. Balch (born 1812c, died 16 Jun 1845) buried in Grace Episcopal Cemetery, Elmwood Avenue at Broad Street, Providence.
6. William C. Robinson, born 1806; died 1827, aged 21 years. The Rhode Island Cemetery index lists a William C. Robinson (1806-1827) buried in the Riverside Cemetery, High Street, Wakefield.
7. Sarah Ann Robinson, born 1807, died at age 25 (this age from the Hazard book). The Rootsweb cemetery index lists a Sarah Anne Robinson, born "1815c", died 19 June 1843, the exact date of a dedicated poem, buried in Grace Church Cemetery, Elmwood Avenue at Broad Street, Providence, Rhode Island, in Plot 244, which contains members of the Balch family (see sister Frances above). Of course, 1843 minus 25 is 1818, rather than 1807.
8. Edward W. Robinson, born 1809; married 1835; had children (according to Hazard). An Edward W. Robinson is listed in the 1880 Rhode Island census as having been born in 1809, with wife Julia A. Robinson, who was born about 1821 in New York, living in Baltimore. He is also listed in the 1870 Baltimore census (born 1810c in R.I.) living with his wife, 14-year-old daughter Fannie and 2 unrelated people.
9. Hannah Potter Robinson, born 1811, from Hazard book, which also states that Hannah married an Edward Larned, who cannot be located in any US census, and whose name may have been mis-copied from hand-written accounts used by Hazard.

   Paul Bunnell, author of a book on the Robinson family, writes: "my Robinson Book ...... I did this book for a friend, William Champlin Robinson III who lives here in Massachusetts. He had original letters going back to the 1700-1800's. The Hannah Robinson info came from a letter that William Champlin Sr. dated 22 April 1930 to the Newport Historical Society on the family genealogy. This part of the letter was not clear so that is why I placed "?" by her husbands name (Edward Larned).

   Alternatively, Hannah Potter Robinson was born 16 June 1820 in Kingston, Rhode Island. Hannah died of pneumonia 4 January 1901, in Chicago; Hannah's Cook County death certificate was obtained, but it does not reveal information on her parents. Hannah created a high-quality photo album and was the object of a book of poems.

10. S. Ayrault Robinson, born 1814; not married. The Rhode Island Cemetery index lists a Stephen Ayrault Robinson, born 1799, died 8 April 1877 buried in the Riverside Cemetery, High Street, Wakefield, who is likely the son of Matthew's brother William C. Robinson. There is also a Stephen Ayrault Robinson, cousin of Rowland Hazard (Rowland married Mary Peace), and this Stephen Ayrault Robinson was already in business with his cousin in 1789. Hence , the name "Stephen Ayrault Robinson" had apparently gained enough favorable notoriety that it was copied.

Furthermore, if we assume that the birth dates in Hazard's book are all wrong by exactly the same number of years, then we can calculate the error size from the 1820 census as follows. Hazard's book states that the two oldest daughters were born in 1803 (for Maria) and 1804 (for Frances). The 1820 census shows only one daughter age 10 or more, which must be the oldest daughter Maria. The next youngest daughter (born the following year according to Hazard) had not reached aged 10 at census time. Thus, Maria must be exactly 10 years old at census time (1820), and thus was born in 1810. The book claims Maria was born in 1803, 7 years earlier, which now becomes an estimate of error size for the dates in the book. The book also claims Hannah to be born in 1811. If all dates in the book are 7 years too early, then Hannah would have been born in 1818, which is only two years earlier than recorded for Hannah Robinson who married Edmund Landis.

Another estimate of the error size in Hazard's book uses Hannah's sistar Sarah, who died 19 June 1843 and is listed in Rootsweb cemetery index as born "1815c", buried in Grace Church Cemetery, Elmwood Avenue at Broad Street, Providence, Rhode Island, in Plot 244, which contains members of the Balch family. Hazard lists Sarah as born 1804, 11 years before the (approximate) birth date on her gravestone. Eleven added to Hazard's birthdate for Hannah would give Hannah's birth in 1822c. Alternately, Hazard's book states that Sara died at age 25, which would place her birth at 1818. The age difference between Hannah and Sarah was about 4 years (from Hazard), placing Hannah's birth at 1822c.

A similar estimate uses Hannah's sister Francis. Rootsweb cemetery index lists Francis W. Balch as born "1812c", 8 years after Hazard's date of 1804. Adding 8 to Hazard's birthyear for Hannah gives 1811 + 8 = 1819.

Sources of the above information include:

1. (* references in above text) the book Recollections of Olden times; Rowland Robinson and his unfortunate daughter, by Thomas R. Hazard, 1879 reprinted 1998. The book is interesting, but there are some details are undependable.
   
2. Mormon records
   
3. Potter Genealogy via Penny Krogstrand: Full name of the published genealogy is, "Genealogies of the Potter Families and Their Descendants in America to the Present Generation, with Historical and Biographical Sketches" Edited by Charles Edward Potter and copyright 1888 . Penny is a granddaughter of Arthur Platt Potter.
4. There is a Robinson Genealogical Society, through professional genealogist Paul Bunnell, email "BunnellLoyalist@aol.com"
5. Vital Record of Rhode Island, 21 volumes, by James Arnold (1906), hence not available to Thomas Hazard. This work is a well-indexed compilation of brief but useful announcements of Rhode Island births, marriages, and deaths which appeared in vintage newspapers and church records.