Little if any research has been published on the Robinson family found in 18th century Fauquier and Prince William Counties in Virginia. In Fauquier County, Virginia baptism records along with wills and deeds help to identify this family and points to Stafford County, Virginia as the county of origin for this particular family. Specifically, researchers interested in the Eskridge family of Kentucky can associate Elizabeth Robinson who married George Eskridge as a descendant of Col. Willliam Robinson of Stafford County. I have conducted only a limited search of records in published abstracts and the encouraging signs found so far indicate that this family could be well documented by existing records back to the believed original emigrant, Col. William Robinson of Stafford County, Virginia. I hope that others will use this rough framework to expand on my work and provide further information on these people.
Elizabeth Robinson, the wife of George Eskridge is identified as a Robinson by her husband's Revolutionary War Pension, which includes a statement from the Clerk of Prince William County, Virginia that the couple were married. The marriage record was signed by Nathaniel Robinson who is presumed to be her father. Unfortunately, Prince William County records have mostly been lost in war; however, Nathaniel's family is believed to be the Robinsons found in neighborning Fauquier County whose records are extant and provide us with a family lineage. Additional clues that helps us to establish Nathaniel Robinson as the father of Elizabeth Eskridge are the naming patterns found among her children (naming her second eldest son "Nathaniel Robinson Eskridge") and the records relating to Elizabeth's brother William Robinson who came to Kentucky with the Eskridge family. Like George Eskridge, William Robinson is also found on the 1800 tax list for Fauquier County, Virginia. In this tax record William is specifically listed as “son of Nathaniel Robinson” apparently to distinguish him from another William Robinsons in the county. William Robinson is further identified in the records of Fauquier by his marriage into the Pinkstone family. Together this circumstancial evidence certainly points to Elizabeth's father as Nathaniel Robinson.
Nathaniel Robinson does not appear in Fauquier’s tax records for 1800 and it is believed that he resided in neighboring Prince William County that was also the parent county of Fauquier. His daughters marriage certificate provided by the courts in Prince William County confirm her residency in that county as well. Though few records survive of Prince William County, excellent record are found both in Fauquier and Stafford Counties, are the “child” and “parent” counties to Prince William. In 1750, Fauquier church records for Overwharton Parish show the baptism of a son Nathaniel to Benjamin Robinson and his wife Sarah Stacy. As Benjamin had married Sarah only three months earlier, it is believed that Nathaniel is the orphan child of Benjamin's first wife Catherine. The name "Catherine Campbell" is used in the naming patterns among the Robinson family, suggesting Catherine's maiden name, though we have not yet found clear proof of her connection to the Campbell family. Little else has been discovered regarding Nathaniel Robinson.
Benjamin Robinson of Fauquier County, VA
Benjamin Robinson married first Catherine, whose maiden name is unknown and secondly to Sarah Stacy in on th 02nd of January 1750. By Sarah Stacy, Benjamin Robinson had a son Nathaniel who was baptized at Overwharton on the 20th of April 1750. Nathaniel’s baptism at Overwharton and being named in Benjamin's will provide us with the most likely candidate for Nathaniel Robinson of Prince William County. Benjamin Robinson made his will on the 11th of January 1785 and it was proved in Fauquier County on the 28th of February 1785 anming his chidren:
Benjamin was a man of wealth, leaving behind 26 slaves, although most were children. Record in Fauqier indicate that some of his children lived and had issue in Fauquier. Abstracts of Overwharton Parish indicate that Benjamin is the son of Henry Robinson of Stafford County by Henry's first wife Mary. Benjamin and his brother Christopher came to Fauquier from Stafford.
In Stafford County, the will of Henry Robinson is found recorded in 1753. Henry married first Mary and secondly Winifred Bailes. From his first marriage, Henry had sons Christopher and Benjamin; both men turn up in Fauquier County and both have children whose baptisms are found in the Overwharton Parish Register. Also residing in Stafford County is Maximillian Robinson who researchers identify as the son of Col. William Robinson a prominant planter in the region. Maximilliam named a son "Harry". Col. William Robinson is the first emigrant of this family and is said to have come to Virginia from Yorkshire, England about 1695. Col. William Robinson became Sheriff of Richmond County in 1708. By 1721, his land fell into King George County and he is found as a Justice of the Peace in that county and later is elected to House of Burgess for Stafford in 1731.
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