William Robinson, of Watertown

Find a Grave Memorial William Robinson

William was a lineal descendant (grandson) of Reverend John Robinson, pastor of the 1620 Mayflower Pilgrims at Leiden, Netherlands, and his wife Bridget White.

• https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Robinson-6681

WILLIAM ROBINSON

• born: abt. 1640 - England or Massachusetts Bay Colony
• died: between 22 Mar and 26 Jun 1693, of Watertown
• parents: unknown

Married

1. about 1667 ELIZABETH CUTTER (dau. of Richard Cutter and Elizabeth Williams), b. Cambridge, MA 15 Jul 1645, prob. d. before Mar 1693.

William Robinson appears first in Concord, Massachusetts, but soon after that in Newton, Massachusetts, as a signer of the secession petition, in 1678. He is also found of record in both Cambridge and Watertown.

From The Ancestry of Hattie E.J. Bruce

Copyright © Michael J. Roman, 1968-2000, all rights reserved. The information contained herein may be printed, copied, and/or distributed in part or in whole for personal use only provided this copyright notice is attached to the printout, copy, or distribution. Commercial use is expressly prohibited.

William Robinson was probably born about 1640 and married in this country about 1667 Elizabeth Cutter, born July 15, 1645. In the records William Robinson is styled sometimes "of Watertown", sometimes "of Cambridge", and sometimes "of Newton". This confusion is not difficult to understand when the uncertain boundaries of the early towns are kept in mind. Watertown is the oldest of these towns. As early as September 7, 1630 "The Court ordered that the town upon the Charles River be called Watertown". It was the fourth town formed in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and next to Dorchester was the earliest to keep formal records. When Cambridge was formed, part of Watertown was given to it, and William Robinson lived in that part of Cambridge called Cambridge Village, which afterward became Newton. His farm lay along the south bank of the Charles River.[1/17] William may have been born in England or Massachusetts.

The inhabitants of Cambridge Village on the south side of the river, as early as 1654, began a movement to seperate from Cambridge, and for 35 years the struggle did not cease until they obtained what they wanted. Finally 52 freemen of Cambridge Village petitioned the General Court (commencing May 8, 1678) "to grant us our freedom from Cambridge and that we may be a township of ourselves without any more dependence upon Cambridge - and that you would please give us a name". The petition, commonly called The Petition of Secession, was granted, and Cambridge Village was set off from Cambridge and later was christened Newtown, taking the former name of Cambridge. William Robinson was the eleventh name of the fifty-two signers of the petition.[1/18]

William made a will, dated March 22, 1693, the will being made and witnessed on his death bed, in which he bequeathed "unto my dafter Elizabeth Robinson all My Estate lands goods & Chattels here in Watertown" and states that "david & jonathan My two children shall have thair Maintenance And be Carefully brought up by My Dafter herein before Named". The will was witnessed by Thomas Woolsen and Francis Fullam.[3/28:104] In the will William Robinson, 21 years of age, Mercy Robinson, about 20 years of age, and Samuel Robinson, about 15 years of age, were left without mention. David, then 17 years old, was lame and helpless, and Jonathan was 13 years of age. The will was presented for probate on June 26, 1693 but was disallowed on account of informality. That is, some of the children were left out. William Robinson, Jr. was appointed to administer upon the estate in 1695. The court allowed the moveable estate to go to Elizabeth but ordered that the real property be divided among the heirs. William's reasoning for leaving out some children is found in a record dated at Charlestown November 21, 1698 "Thomas Woolson and Francis Fullam The Two Wittnesses Subscribed to ye within written will of William Robinson Deceased prsonally appearing made oath that they were prsonally prsent and Saw ye sd Deceased Wm Robinson Sign & Seal and heard him publish and declare the within written to be his Last will and Testament and also yt he then did nominate and appoint Elisabeth Robinson his Daughter to be ye sole Executrix of ye said will which was omitted by ye Scribe being in haste and forgetting to Enter ye same according to his ye sd Decesd Direction, in sd will, and yt then ye said Wm Robinson when he so did was of good understanding and of a disposing minde, then declaring yt his omission of his other children in sd will was not for want of affection to yem, but only out of his tender Care for ye providing for his lame childe and also ye youngest that was not Capable to help itselfe and yt Goodwife Sanders & other women were in and about ye house till yt Said will was makeing and read, to the Deceased to his full Content and satisfaction".[1/21]

The record of the marriage between William Robinson and Elizabeth Cutter can no longer be found, however the union is proved in the Middlesex County Probate and Deeds. In 1726 and 1727 William Robinson's children, William, Jonathan, Elizabeth Gregory, and Mercy Robinson released to John and Samuel Cutter all claim to Richard Cutter's estate, being the right of their mother, Elizabeth Robinson, deceased, unto the estate of her father, Richard Cutter. Richard Cutter had a second daughter named Elizabeth whom he mentioned in his will as Elizabeth Hall. In 1728 she quitclaimed her right in her father's estate to her two nephews John and Samuel Cutter.[5/39:113119]

The last fact is the final bit of proof needed to verify that Richard had two daughters named Elizabeth and that William Robinson married the first of them.[4/33:105] Elizabeth (Cutter) Robinson must have died prior to 1693 as she is neither mentioned in her husband's will of that year nor was she mentioned in her father's will of the same year.

REF:

1. The Robinson Family - Jane Bancroft Robinson, 1903
2. Newton Vital Records
3. Middlesex County Probate (First Series Docket 19394)
4. New England Historic Genealogical Register, 1879
5. Middlesex County Deeds
6. The History of Cambridge - Lucius R. Paige, 1877
7. The Robinson Genealogy - The Robinson Genealogical Society, Vol. 10, 1926

William Robinson appears first in Concord, Massachusetts, but soon after that in Newton, Massachusetts, as a signer of the secession petition, in 1678. He is also found of record in both Cambridge and Watertown. His will, made March 22, 1693, offered for probate June 26 of the same year, was disallowed because of informalities. All of his children, except Hannah, were then living. His wife's name was Elizabeth Cutter, and their children were: Elizabeth, born 27 May 1669 in Concord and married, December 20, 1693, Daniel Gregory (1672-1736) the original Scottish immigrant of the Gregory family of America, she died 2 Jan 1749 in Framingham; Hannah, born July 13, 1671, in Concord, died in Cambridge, October 5, 1672; William, born July 10, 1673 in Newton became the founder of Auburndale and married Elizabeth Upham (1678-1747) daughter Lt Phineas Upham (1635-78) and Ruth Wood (1635-93) on Mar 3 1741, he died Jan 28 1754 in Newton; Mercy, born August 7, 1676 in Watertown married Nathaniel Whitney (1675-1730) on 7 Nov 1695, she died 31 Dec 1740 in Watertown; David, born May 23, 1678 in Newton, died Dec 7, 1773 in Newton; Samuel, born April 20, 1680 in Cambridge went on to be the tavern owner in Cambridge Square from (1714-20) and married Sarah Manning (1681-1709) on Mar 23 1703 and had 3 children then married Elizabeth Brigham, he died Apr 24, 1724 in Westboro; Jonathan, born April 20, 1680 in Cambridge married Ruth Morse (1684-1759), daughter of Jonathan Morse and Abigail Shattuck, she died Feb 18 1754 in Lexington. From William Robinson came many prominent and leading families of this nation.