James Robinson of Middletown, Connecticut

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Permalink Reply by Pam White on September 18, 2009 at 4:40pm

Hi GeneJ,

Thanks for your reply. I'll try to upload a family group sheet. There's not much else there. Courthouse records in Middletown have been searched: deeds (the only land was land Hannah inherited from her first husband and she lived there until her death) and probate record (nothing). The Hale cards which index newspaper clippings had nothing as did the Barbour Collection. We've (my sister lives near Middletown so has done a lot of the footwork there) assumed he died prior to the 1800 census but there's always a possibility he just deserted his family.

They were pretty much unknown. Nothing written about them. In fact my sister talked to an expert in Cromwell genealogy (they lived in what became Cromwell) who said she knew all the Main Street families and there was no Robinson. My sister showed her that they indeed lived on Main Street to which she just said that she had never come across them in any records. They certainly knew how to keep a low profile.

Yes, I am a member of NEHGS and my sister has been getting the Nutmegger for years--no likely candidates have been mentioned there as well. We don't even know when he was born. His wife was born ca 1745 so he may have been a similar age. We haven't even found a tombstone for him. We had a hard time finding hers, she was buried as Hannah Wilcox (first husband's surname).

Pam

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Permalink Reply by Pam White on September 19, 2009 at 12:13pm

Hi GeneJ,

Yes, I had seen those two Robinsons. I know my sister had researched them quite some time ago and they were pretty much dead ends. Robert apparently went to Windsor and was in Hartford County through the 1830 census. Not much more could be found on him. He is probably a contemporary of James given his marriage date (1772). I don't recall what she had said about Lydia other than to remember she had discounted her. I sent her an e-mail asking but she hasn't answered yet. She's been doing a lot of the Connecticut research since she's in the area (and therefore able to use the original sources) and I'm more than a 12-hour drive away (and stuck with what I can get online or from the FHC which is what's already been searched).

I also checked the book you mentioned on Google. It doesn't seem to have any new information (unfortunately the whole book isn't available online). I did notice they had the name of Hannah's second husband wrong--Joseph Robinson rather than James.

I should have mentioned I also checked Revolutionary War pension files and found no likely James. It seems every avenue comes to a dead end.

I appreciate the effort and suggestions. I'm beginning to think that James arrived on a UFO. :)

Permalink Reply by Pam White on October 15, 2009 at 1:31pm

GeneJ,

Sorry for taking so long to respond--was away w/o email and am now catching up. I also talked to my sister who said she had thoroughly searched the Robinsons a few years ago. She had thought Lydia was part of the Durham ones but in rechecking the 1790 census myself, I see Durham was actually in New Haven County at that time so Lydia was NOT in Durham but in Middletown. She definitely needs to be researched although nothing yet has turned up. There was an earlier Lydia Robinson but she died in the 1770s. Lydia had 1 male over 16 in her household (a son or worker perhaps) and it's hard to know whether she was a Robinson by birth or marriage.

Yes, we have tried tracking the two brothers of Richard but they seem to have left no trace. The Durham bunch also has a James and John which makes it difficult to say the least. In a church record in Middletown was a notation that a James (I think rather than John but I may be wrong) Robinson died at sea. No mention of which Robinson family he belonged but he may have been one of them. I also wondered why Richard was indentured out (to one John Rogers) but neither of the others were.

No, there were no other Robinsons in 1800 in Middletown other than Hannah.

Yes, 1785 is the earliest I have Bezaleel Thrasher in Middletown and he may have been gone by then. The notice was to a group named (one of which was Bezaleel) as owing taxes for 1778-80. He may have left by 1785 which the notice was placed and therefore missed paying taxes. By 1788 he was in Wethersfield although he apparently went back to Middletown as he was on the 1790 census and died there in 1803 according to the Middletown Vital Records (although there aren't any Thrashers on the 1800 census there as head of household).

Pam