Robert Crossman, of Taunton

Not the son of Robert Crossman, of Taunton. Not the son of Isabell Tripp (who was not John Crossman’s wife).

Retrieved from https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Crossman-81 on 6 May 2023 and then edited.

This is the profile for Robert Crosman/Crossman, who lived in Dedham in 1643-1653 and Taunton in 1653-1692.

Disputed Parentage

Baylies, in his 1830 Historical Memoir of the Colony of New Plymouth, indicated that there was an earlier settler of Taunton, Massachusetts named John Crossman and that Robert Crossman of Taunton was his son. In that work, however, Baylies cited no evidence for those assertions and only mentioned John Crossman twice. First, when, in apparent explanation for why there was no John Crossman in the 1643 list of Taunton men 16-60 able to bear arms, he stated that "John Briant and John Crossman were probably above sixty."[1] Second, when he stated in a footnote discussing what came of some of the earlier settlers of Taunton that "John Crossman was dead, leaving a son by the name of Robert."[2] The evidence for existence of an early settler named John Crossman appears to have been a list of the initial purchasers that Baylies had discovered. Baylies' transcription of this list was presented by him in his introduction to Emery's 1853 "Ministry of Taunton" and includes the name of John Crossman.[3] … < continued at Wikitree >

Birth seen as 11/01/1632 at St. Andrews, Devon, England

Family

First Marriage

Robert married Sarah Kingsbury in Dedham on the 25 of the 3 mo. (25 May) 1652,[24] shortly before his removal to Taunton.

Children

Robert and his first wife, Sarah, had the following children, all born in Taunton, with the exception of the first child:

1. Sarah, b. probably about March 1652/3 in Dedham,[43] m. John Woodward[31]
2. John, b. March 16, 1654[44][45][31] (must be 1653/4), m. January 7, 1689 Joanna Thayer[31]
3. Mary, b. July, 16, 1655,[44][45][31] m. John Gould of Taunton[31]
4. Robert , b. August 30, 1657,[44][45][31] m. Hannah Brooks of Rehoboth[31]
5. Joseph, b. April 25, 1659,[44][45][31] m. November 1685 Sarah Alden[31]
6. Nathaniel, b. August 7, 1660,[44][45][31] d. March 8, 1675/6 killed by Indians in Wrentham, age 15.[46][31]
7. Eleazar, b. March 16, 1663[44][45][31] (1662/3?), d. October 26, 1667[44][45][31]
8. Elizabeth, b. May 2, 1665,[44][45] m. Nathaniel Hayward of Bridgewater[31]
9. Samuel, b. July 25, 1667,[44][45] m. 1st Elizabeth Bell,[31] m. 2d widow Mary Gulliver,[31] m. 3d Anna Case,[31] m. 4th Mary, widow of Joseph Jones[31]
10. Mercy, b. March 20, 1669[44][45][31] (1668/9?), m. January 26, 1687[/8?] John Thrasher[31]
11. Thomas, b. October 6, 1671,[44][47] d. during Phipp's expedition to Canada in 1696, age 25[31]
12. Susanna, b. February 14, 1672/3[44][47][31], d. unmarried[31]

Second Marriage

Robert married, second, Martha (Billington) Eaton, the widow of Samuel Eaton. No record of their marriage has been found. But they were probably married shortly after December 7, 1687 when Robert Crosman of Taunton entered into an agreement with Martha Eatton of Bristol, widow of Samuel Eaton ("she being forthwith to be my maried wiffe"), to give her during her life all the lands that Crosman purchased of Capt. Foster of Dorchester and all his moveable goods.[48][49]

Biography

The “Genealogy of the Crossman Family” states that there is no absolute proof he was the son of John Crosssman, of Providence, but many genealogists seem to think he was. The book, "History of Taunton," clearly says he was a son of John Crossman. This man was one of the first proprietors of Dedham, Massachusetts, since he signed the covenant for the town in 1636. He may have been in America before his father, but it is possible they came together. He is on the second list of purchasers for Taunton. This list was probably made about 1643.

He was apprenticed as a young man to a Joseph Kingsbury of Dedham and later married Sarah Kingsbury, Joseph's daughter, on May 25, 1652. He paid taxes in Dedham from 1642 to 1653.

In 1653/1654, he moved to Taunton, Massachusetts, with his wife and one child. All of the subsequent children were born in Taunton. He had a large family of 12 children.

He was a skilled mechanic and carpenter. One writer says he was the drum maker of New England. He was employed in the making and repair of arms and assisted in building the ancient Taunton iron works. He was selected by the town of Dedham to build a mill which attests to his mechanical skills. In 1679 to 1682 he was a surveyor of highways.

He apparently had a hot temper which at times caused him problems. In 1675, he was convicted of cursing a selectman of Taunton and sentenced to a day in stocks.

His wife, Sarah died sometime in about 1868. He married a second time in 1687 to Mrs. Martha Easton of Bristol, Massachusetts. This woman was the widow of Samuel Easton and daughter of Francis Billington. He died in 1692 after being married to Martha for only 4 years. She died four years later in 1695.

Estate divided 25 Jul 1696. The descendancy chart from Family Archives, Descendants of Robert Crossman, Vol. 1, #1921 gives a death date of 1652 inTaunton, Massachusetts. This must be an error since it also shows children born to this man as late as 1672/1673.

[Phil McCracken, 4016 W. Friendly Ave., Greensboro, NC 27410, pmccrac900@aol.com, 336-294-2292 as of February 8, 2000.]

Robert Sr. was apprentice to Joseph Kingsbury, then he was a drum and gun maker. He was called "the Drum Maker of New England" of Dedham and removed to Taunton in 1654. Married Joseph's daughter, Sarah Kingsbury. Robert was largely employed in making and repairing of arms. He assisted in building the ancient iron works of Taunton. In 1690 Robert Crossman fitted out with guns and drum the soldiers in Capt. Samuel Gallop's Co. for the Canada expedition.

Robert Crossman is the inventor of the Crossman Air Rifles. He and his father came from England. His mother is unknown, although her name may have been Sarah. There is no record of her at this time, but she was not known to have come to the America on the ship with her them. She may have passed away from illness prior to their arrival.

He and his father John, also were one of the first to purchase land from the Indians, rather than steal from them.

It was said that Robert's wife Sarah had heavily drank and would find herself in jail as she would talk back to the constables (constables on patrol, hence, COPS where is was derived)

Sons & Daughters of Robert Crosman

Taunton Proprietors' Records. FamilySearch Film #008712930. Image 176 of 463. Link to image at < familysearch.org >

References

• 1.Author: Robert Owen Crossman
  • Title: "Genealogy of the Crossman Family"
  • Publication: Name: 1977;
  • Note: Robert Owen Crossman, "Genealogy of the Crossman Family" (1977), Source Medium: Book.
• 2.Author: Samuel Hopkins Emery
  • Title: "History of Taunton, Massachusetts."
  • Publication: Name: Syracuse, New York, 1893;
  • Note: Samuel Hopkins Emery, "History of Taunton, Massachusetts." (Syracuse, New York, 1893), Source Medium: Book.
  • Page: p. 86
• 3.Author: New England Historic Genealogical Society
  • Title: Massachusetts Town Birth Records
  • Publication: Name: The Generations Network, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 1999;
  • Repository:
  • Name: www.ancestry.com

Note:

• New England Historic Genealogical Society, Massachusetts Town Birth Records (Provo, UT, USA, The Generations Network, Inc., 1999).
• Page: Database online.
• Text: Record for John Crossman
• https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Crossman-31
• https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Crossman-81