1. John ROBINSON, b. c1797, SC; last known to be residing in Lamar Co., TX, June 1870 (census).

• md/1 Unknown; d. before 1825, Franklin Co., TN.
• md/2 (1820/1825), in Franklin Co., TN, --?-- McDONALD, b. (1800/1810).
• md/3 before Mar 1848, Martha --?-- (assuming she was not wife #2); d. before June 1860, Lamar Co., TX.
• md/4 01 Dec 1864, in Lamar Co., TX, Sarah W. SCOTT, b. c1823, AL.

NOTE: Published Benton County marriage records show that Solomon CRABTREE married a Frances REDMAN (sic) on 20 Dec 1840; since transcriptions are “interpretative,” it seems reasonable to suggest that the bride's maiden name was actually ROBI(N)SON.  Frances was widowed in Lamar Co., TX, in 1846 then remarried in 1850.  Her second husband, Daniel T. ALEXANDER, murdered a neighbor, Jacob AKARD, in Lamar County in 1853 after an argument over a hog.  Mr. ALEXANDER then fled the state to avoid arrest.  He settled in Jackson Co., AR, and remarried there in 1867.  Twenty years after the murder, one of Mr. AKARD's sons spotted Mr. ALEXANDER in Arkansas, and he was brought back to Texas for trial.  Convicted and sentenced to a life term in the Texas state penitentiary, Mr. ALEXANDER was pardoned in 1879, after serving less than 4 years.

NOTE:  We can say with certainty that John ROBINSON’s youngest son was born between 1835-1840 in MO; that his initials were “H.J.”; and that he was alive and well in Texas as late as 26 Sep 1861.  The only man on the 1860 U.S. census closely matching this description is a Henry J. ROBERSON (b. 1839, TX) in Hopkins Co., TX (p. 155).  He was unmarried and working as a laborer in what is now known as the “East End” of Delta County (cut from Lamar and Hopkins counties in 1870).  Henry’s near neighbors in 1860 included several BLEDSOE and ROBERTS families (see below), so it would not be unusual to find a son of John ROBINSON living here.  The 1870 census finds presumably this same Henry J. ROBINSON (now b. 1840, MO) in Lamar (now Delta) County (p. 237), just 23 households from his suspected father, John ROBINSON (p. 235), and 33 households from his suspected brother, Lewis B. ROBINSON (p. 239).  Living with Henry in 1870 were his wife Eliza (b. 1840, TX) and three daughters: Bell (b. 1858, AR), Elizabeth (b. 1866, TX), and Martha (b. 1869, TX) (p. 237).  The oldest child was Bell GAGE (1857–1939), the daughter of Henry’s wife from a previous marriage.  At the 1880 U.S. census (p. 531), Henry J. ROBERTSON (sic) was recorded in the East End of Delta County with his wife Eliza, yet their dates and places of birth (1832, TX, and 1850, AR, respectively) do not match the earlier census.  Their children now included Pink (b. 1867, TX), Redy (b. 1871, TX), Bessie (b. 1873, TX), and Nannie (b. 1875, TX).  Henry’s date and place of birth were listed as (Mar 1835, TX) in 1900 and (c1840, MO) in 1910.  In spite of these disparate reports, all other evidence seems to point rather strongly to the theory that he was the son of John ROBINSON.

t.s. = tombstone
d.c. = death certificate

This examination of John ROBINSON stems from research on the McDONALD, BLEDSOE, and ROBERTS families who resided in Sinking Cove on the waters of Crow Creek in present Franklin Co., TN, in the early 1800s.  According to one source, Mary McDONALD — daughter of Daniel McDONALD and Sophia GRAHAM — married John Robinson BLEDSOE.¹  It is believed that the surname “Bledsoe” was a misplaced reference to Lewis BLEDSOE (c1793–1844), who is supposed to have married Mary’s sister Rachel about 1815.  This same Lewis BLEDSOE deeded 34½ acres in Sinking Cove to the “heirs of Daniel McDONALD” in 1825.² 

With Mr. BLEDSOE properly identified, Mary McDONALD’s husband may well have been John ROBINSON.  Indeed, a man of this name entered 100 acres in Franklin County adjoining the property of SELLS and the McDONALD heirs in 1827.³   “SELLS” in this instance was Peter SELLS (1787–1854), who was a son-in-law to Daniel McDONALD, having married his daughter Hannah in 1807.

John ROBINSON’s naming of a son "Lewis Bledsoe" in 1827 almost certainly connects him to Franklin Co., TN, although not necessarily to Mary McDONALD.  In fact, one researcher suggests that Mary was the wife of Jacob SELLS, Peter’s brother.⁴  Perhaps John actually married Mary’s sister Martha.⁵  Because the evidence proves that Lewis Bledsoe ROBI(N)SON was the product of at least a second marriage, it seems reasonable to assume that Mary (or Martha) was John’s second wife — if indeed he married a McDONALD at all.

Census records consistently indicate that John was born about 1797 in South Carolina.  It is not known when he arrived in Tennessee, but he may be the same John ROBINSON who witnessed the will of William STEWART in Franklin County in January 1816.⁶  Another witness to STEWART's will was Graham ROBERTS.  Mr. ROBERTS not only later acquired property next to Peter SELLS in Sinking Cove,⁷ but he also witnessed the aforementioned deed in which Lewis BLEDSOE sold land to the McDONALD heirs in 1825.

Peter SELLS is the only known heir of Daniel McDONALD recorded on the 1830 U.S. census of Franklin Co., TN.  The others, it appears, had already begun a westward migration that eventually led them to Benton Co., MO.  In May 1836, on motion of Lewis BLEDSOE, the Benton County Court appointed John ROBINSON as guardian of Frances and Mary ROBINSON.⁸  This not only establishes a continued association between these two men, but also provides an approximate date for the ROBINSONs’ arrival in Missouri.  Three years later (December 1839), Lewis BLEDSOE became “curator of [the] estate of Sarah ROBINSON, minor daughter of John ROBINSON in place of said ROBINSON who was heretofore her legal gnd. and whose powers and duties are hereby revoked.  BLEDSOE ordered to pay $140 as curator.”⁹  The circumstances leading to this change in conservatorship are not known.

The 1840 U.S. census of Benton County finds John ROBINSON (b. 1790/1800) just two households away from Lewis BLEDSOE (p. 62).  Also recorded in the ROBINSON household were John’s wife, presumably Miss McDONALD (b. 1800/1810), and eight children — six boys and two girls, all under the age of 15 years.  In September 1844, John received a federal land patent¹⁰ for 124 acres identified as the east fractional quarter of Section 1, Township 40 North, Range 23 West.¹¹  This tract was located on the Osage River about two miles northwest of Warsaw in Benton County.  John earlier had assigned (sold) this land to Lewis BLEDSOE and one George ALEXANDER, so he evidently never took possession of the property.  Mr. BLEDSOE and his brother-in-law, William A. McDONALD, each acquired federal patents in this same general area, as did Solomon CRABTREE.  In 1842, Mr. CRABTREE and his wife Frances (nee ROBINSON, #12 above) sold approximately 317 acres located in Sec. 18, Twp. 40N, Range 22W (about 1½ miles west of Warsaw).¹²

Dr. Henry Graham McDONALD, yet another of Daniel McDONALD’s sons, moved to the Republic of Texas in 1837.  Apparently for his service in the Texas army, he received a grant of 1,280 acres in Red River (now Lamar) County.¹³  This property was located in what was later known as the Pleasant Grove (now Howland) community 10 miles southwest of Paris, the seat of Lamar County.  The ROBINSONs joined him there a few years later.  In an affidavit tentatively dated February 1863, Lewis ROBERTSON (sic, #14 above) stated that he “knew [Dr.] McDONALD since 1841 – lived neighbor to him.”¹⁴  The CRABTREEs also moved to Lamar County sometime between 1842 and 1846.¹⁵

Not long after his arrival in the Republic of Texas, John ROBINSON claimed a 320-acre grant on Moore’s Creek in Lamar County — just above the North Sulphur River and southeast of Dr. McDONALD’s homestead.¹⁶  The property was surveyed on 17 May 1841 with William BLEDSOE and Joseph REDDIN as "chain bearers."  John sold 100 acres of his headright in March 1848.¹⁷  This deed showed the signature of John ROBINSON and the mark of his wife, Martha ROBINSON.  Although Martha is listed here as John’s third wife, she just as easily could have been his second.  This even may lend credence to theory that he married Martha McDONALD — again assuming that he married a McDONALD at all.

Records of the Lamar County Probate Court reflect a protracted and somewhat confusing custody battle between John ROBERSON (sic) and Henry G. McDONALD over one Isaac McDONALD (aka I.M. McDONALD), a minor heir of Sophia McDONALD, dec’d.¹⁸  In March 1847, John petitioned for guardianship of the 13-year-old orphan, pledging to send him to school for 18 months, provide him with substantial clothing, treat him fairly, “learn him the principles of Farming," and furnish him a good common horse, saddle, and suit of clothes when "he arrives at the age of 21.”  John’s petition also refers to an earlier court order appointing H.G. McDONALD as Isaac’s “tutor” (guardian): “...the said McDONALD does not wish to carry out his appointment but is desirious [sic] that your petitioner be appointed said tutor and that the order so appointing him be resinded [sic] by your Hon[or] and that your petitioner be appointed.” 

Just six months later, Henry G. McDONALD requested that he be made guardian of Isaac, “a minor residing in the family of John ROBERTSON [sic] ... and is now living without a legal guardian.”¹⁹  Dr. McDONALD posted a $100 bond and took the guardian’s oath in September 1847.  In July 1850, however, the court approved a motion removing him as guardian, “at the cost of H.G. McDONALD.”

Neither John ROBINSON nor Isaac McDONALD has been located on the 1850 U.S. census, possibly suggesting that they were living together just beyond the census taker’s reach.  John next appears on an 1854 scholastic census of Lamar County with two children between 6 years and 16 years of age — probably his own sons, John and Henry.²⁰

In May 1859, Lewis B. ROBISON (#14) was appointed administrator of the estate of his deceased brother James.²¹  The probate file contains numerous records regarding James’ property, both real and personal, valued at about $2,000.²²  One particular item of interest is a listing of heirs dated 26 Sep 1861.  Because James was unmarried at the time of his death, his estate descended to his father and siblings, including those “of the half blood, to wit, Polly STEWART and the heirs of Francis [sic] CRABTREE, dec’d, to wit: Alexander, Sarah Ann and John CRABTREE / and the heirs of Polly²³ MOORE ... all minors / names not known.”  This document bears the signature of L.B. ROBISON.

The 1860 U.S. census of Lamar County, Precinct No. 3, shows John ROBBINSON (sic) to be a widower with real property valued at $1,100 and personal property worth $300 (p. 105).  He was living with his son John and grandson, Henry ALEXANDER, and his near neighbors included two of his children (L.R. [sic] ROBINSON and I. HICKMAN) and also Henry G. McDONALD.  L.B. ROBINSON, John ROBINSON, and Jackson (perhaps Henry J.) ROBINSON later joined the 9th Brigade of the Texas Militia, organized in Precinct (or Beat) No. 3 in August 1861.²⁴   John registered to vote in Lamar County on 11 Jul 1869, claiming to have lived in the state and county for 20 years and in the precinct (No. 3) for just 2 years.

John ROBINSON remarried in 1864 and was enumerated with his new wife in Lamar County's Beat No. 2 on the 1870 U.S. census (p. 235).  The area in which they lived may have become part of Delta County upon its creation in 1871.  John then disappeared from the records, and nothing more is known of him.