Joseph Robinson and Descendants

1. JOSEPH¹ ROBINSON. He wrote his will “being old and infirm” 27 October 1819, and it was probated in November of 1823, Fayette County, Kentucky, by order of the Court of Appeals.¹ The will names his wife, Molly, and “my two sons” John and Dudley. Witnesses were William Whiting, James Wilson, and Abner Wilson, Sr.²

Joseph Robinson Will

In the name of God, Amen. I, Joseph Robins_ of the County of Fayette and State of Kentucky being old and infirm in body, but of a sound and disposing mind proceed to make this my last will and testament – in form and manner as followeth, – Viz

Item, lst I give to my beloved wife Moley Robinson the choice of all my beds and furniture to have it as her own property, and not to be considered as any part of her dower.

Item, 2nd After all my just debts are paid my will and desire is that my beloved wife Molly Robinson shall have her dower as the law directs.

Item, 3rd My will and desire further is that the ballance of my estate both real and personal, except my two negro women Sarah & Millie, be equally divided between my two sons John Robinson and Dudley Robinson, and if my son Dudley Robinson chooses to take the negroes, my will and desire is that he shall have them at their value, for my will and desire is that my two sons above named shall have an equal part of my estate, and that the negroes shall be valued, except, Sarah & Milly by disinterested men and their valuation therein to the rest of my estate when it shall all be valued in like manner, and my two sons John Robinson and Dudley Robinson shall then have an equal division of the whole amount.

Item 4. My will and desire lastly is, that my two negro women Sarah & Milly be set at liberty at my death, and be no longer in bondage to any person or persons whatsoever, – and [I] do hereby appoint my two sons John Robinson and Dudley Robinson Executors to this my last will and testament, hereby revoking all others by me heretofore made, In Witness whereof I have hereinto set my hand and affixed my seal this 27 October 1819.

Joseph Robinson Seal

Attest
Wm Whiting
James Wilson
Abner Wilson Senr

State of Kentucky

Fayette County Court Sct November Term 1823

The last will and testament of Joseph Robinson Deceased was produced in open Court, examined, and proved by the oath of James Wilson one of the subscribing Witnesses thereto, & by the oath of said respondent that Wm Whiting and Abner Wilson Sr subscribed their names as witnesses to said will in the presence of the Testator and at his request, which is ordered (under the decision of the Court of appeals [)] to be entered of record, which is done accordingly.

Att James C Rodes, Clk

Joseph Robinson’s will was recorded in Fayette County, Kentucky Will Book F, page 202. [Transcribed from photocopy of microfilmed record supplied by Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives.]

Fayette County Order Book 5 (1821 – 1825), page 324, mentions Joseph Robinson’s will:

The last will and testament of Joseph Robinson deceased was produced in open court and proved by the oath of James Wilson one of the subscribing witnesses thereto, and by the oath of said witness that William Whiting and Abner Wilson subscribed said will witnesses in the presence of the testator and at his request, whereupon it is ordered (under the decision of the Court of appeals) that said will be entered on record

Present, Wm Boon T A. Russell Gent

[Extract]

John Robinson and Dudley Robinson, Exrs named in the last will & testament of Joseph Robinson, decd. $10,000 security with Benjamin Robinson & Wm Nichols. Abner Wilson, James Weathers, Abraham Ferguson, and Samuel Mallory appointed appraisers. [Record from Fayette County, Kentucky Order Book 5, page 325 (1821 – 1825). Transcribed from LDS microfilm #0232706]

Joseph Robinson owned 125 acres in the David’s Fork (of Elkhorn Creek) area of Fayette County.³ Deed records show that he acquired this land in five transactions, the last one probably in 1809. In a deed instituted 14 August 1811, Benjamin Robinson transferred 50 acres to Joseph Robinson, stating it being his one fifth part of 250 acres they had acquired together from John Craig but had remained in Benjamin Robinson’s name.⁴ The earliest land record that I have found placing Joseph Robinson in Fayette County is a deed in the Burnt Records, recorded in September 1791, in which Joseph Robinson is mentioned as an adjoining landowner.⁵ Because four of the deeds in which Joseph Robinson acquired land were dated from 1793 to 1809, I believe the earlier land holding, mentioned in the 1791 deed, is the same as the tract of 50 acres for which Benjamin Robinson made a deed to Joseph Robinson in 1811. A second recording, made 6 March 1812, of a deed instituted 19 December 1785 from John Craig to Benjamin Robinson⁶ might be this same tract despite it being for 200 acres instead of 250. This deed of 1785 (John Craig to Benjamin Robinson) and the 1811 deed (Benjamin Robinson to Joseph Robinson) were recorded on the same day. Perhaps the number of acres was adjusted downward in the second recording to reflect the deduction of 50 acres belonging to Joseph Robinson and for which he now had a proper deed. If so, it suggests Joseph came to Fayette County in 1785 or soon after, supporting the Bryan Station Church record that mentions Joseph Robinson in 1787.

Thirty acres of Joseph Robinson’s land on David’s Fork were purchased from William Robinson, 20 February 1793, William Robinson giving his bond but not making a deed.⁷ William Robinson died about 1799; and to obtain a deed for this land, Joseph sued William’s widow and heirs, named as Lucy (widow), John Robinson, Roger Robinson, William Robinson, and Joseph Robinson, through their guardian, Joseph Kelly.⁸ The suit was successful and the tract of 30 acres was deeded to Joseph Robinson 15 December 1807.⁹ The remaining parcels of land were obtained in 1804, from the trustees of John Craig (10 acres);¹⁰ in 1797, from Prince and Polly Snow (10 acres);¹¹ and on 2 March 1809, from Charles and Polly Mallory (25 acres).¹²

John and Dudley Robinson, sons and Executors of Joseph Robinson, sold what was probably Joseph’s land to William Wilson in a deed instituted 2 October 1826.¹³ This deed transferred 122-1/4 acres of land situated on David’s Fork. Another deed, instituted 6 March 1827, in which John and Sally Robinson transfer 3-1/2 acres on David’s Fork to John C. H. Alberti,¹⁴ probably accounts for the remaining land. Signatories of the 2 October 1926 deed were John Robinson and Sally his wife, and Dudley Robinson and Elizabeth, his wife. That there was no mention of Joseph’s widow, Molly, suggests she was deceased by October of 1826 as ordinarily there would have been a dower release had she been living.

The earliest mention of Joseph Robinson’s wife, Molly, was as a witness, together with Joseph Robinson, Richard Mitchell, and William Haley to a deed in which Roger Mallory made a deed of gift of land to William Robinson, recorded 8 April 1794.¹⁵ Although the number of acres is missing from this fire-damaged record, this was probably the same land William Robinson later sold to Joseph Robinson and for which Joseph had to sue to obtain a deed after William’s death. I do not know anything further of Molly Robinson other than she was still alive when Joseph made his will in 1819.

Joseph Robinson was a slave holder. Tax records show he held eight slaves in 1823, presumably the year he died. His will provided that two slaves, Milly and Sarah, be set free at his death. I did not find a record of Sarah’s emancipation, but Joseph’s executors, John and Dudley Robinson, freed Milly in 1824.¹⁶ Another of Joseph Robinson’s slaves, Ben, was freed in 1827.¹⁷ Both Milly and Ben are mentioned also in the records of David’s Fork Baptist Church as slaves of Joseph Robinson.

Early records of David’s Fork Baptist Church, the first record dating from 15 December 1802, list Joseph Robinson as a member. The records of David’s Fork Baptist Church can be accessed online at the present time.¹⁸ These online records show Joseph Robinson was an active member during 1803 and 1804. In May of 1804 the records show Joseph wished to relinquish the office of Deacon. Joseph is noted as being involved in other church matters as well, including being delegated to “talk to” wayward members. An article on this church, appearing in “Kentucky Pioneer and Court Records,” has a members list, including Joseph and Molly Robinson, and stating they were dismissed in March of 1805.¹⁹ I do not know where they attended church after this date.

Prior to the founding of David’s Fork Church, Joseph Robinson attended Bryan Station Baptist Church. The records of the Bryan Station church, located on North Elkhorn Creek in Fayette County, show this church was formed in May, 1786. Reverend Ambrose Dudley, Agnes Ellis, Anne Dogges, Sarah Davis, and William Tomlinson met on the Third Saturday in May 1786 to lay down the principles by which the church would operate. At a meeting on the third Saturday in June of 1786, the church received new members, William Turpin, and Sarah McLaughlon from Peters Creek Church, Sarah Saunders from Deep Creek, North Carolina, and Margaret Robertson (Robinson) and Elizabeth Doggett from Massaponax Church (Spotsylvania County, Virginia) by Letters.

The date is missing from my photocopied page of the Bryan Station Church records, but before the third Saturday in January, 1787, the Church received into fellowship, Frances Rice, Benjamin Robinson and Mildred Robinson. Another entry in the Church records, the date also missing, but before the third Saturday in May, 1787, states “Joseph Robinson and his Sister have no Objection against joining our Society.” Records of a meeting of Bryan Station Church held on the Fourth Friday in October of 1800, mention Deacons, Benjamin Robertson (Robinson) and Joseph Robertson (Robinson). Records over the next year mention names of several Robinsons who were received for baptism, including two John Robinsons. Benjamin and Joseph Robinson both had sons named John Robinson who were about the same age. Other Robinsons mentioned were Benjamin Robertson (Robinson), Jr.; Lewis Robertson (Robinson); Charles Robertson (Robinson); and Polly Robertson (Robinson). Benjamin Robinson, Jr. and Charles Robinson were sons of Mildred and Benjamin, and the Polly Robinson named here is probably their daughter. Two other names of new members of 1801 are of interest: Sally Berry, who married John Robinson, son of Joseph, and Fanny Berry (Sally Berry’s sister), who married John Robinson, son of Benjamin. Sally and Fanny G. Berry were daughters of Thomas Berry, Jr., and Mildred Allen of Clark County.

Joseph Robertson (Robinson) is mentioned again in the Bryan Station Church records in April of 1801, when he is named, along with Bartlett Collins, Leonard Young, Benjamin Roberts, Asa Thompson, William Rash, William Ellis, and John Mason to hear and determine a dispute between John Hulitt and James Parrish and report back to the Church.

For several years, Bryan Station Church held meetings on alternate dates at both Bryan Station on North Elkhorn Creek and in the David’s Fork community, with Ambrose Dudley serving as pastor to both groups. At a meeting of the Bryan Station Church held on the third Saturday in August of 1801, a motion was made to dismiss a number of members in order to form a separate church in the David’s Fork community. It was agreed that “. . .the following members be Dismist accordingly, To wit, Benjamin Robertson [Robinson], Joseph Robertson [Robinson], James Welch and Richard Mitchell. . . .to the Number of 294 in the whole.”²⁰

Children of Joseph and [-?-] Robinson:

+	2	i.	John2 Robinson, born 25 September 1779, in Virginia; died 10 September 1850 Fayette County, Kentucky; married 21 April 1802, Sarah Berry, Clark County, Kentucky.
+	3	ii.	Dudley Robinson, born 1780–1790; died before 15 June 1849, Logan County, Kentucky; married Elizabeth Cusenberry, 5 September 1809 (bond date), Bourbon County, Kentucky.