WILLIAM ROBINSON [#146], b. abt. 1640, d. between 22 Mar and 26 Jun 1693, m. abt. 1667 ELIZABETH CUTTER (dau. of Richard Cutter and Elizabeth Williams), b. Cambridge, MA 15 Jul 1645, prob. d. before Mar 1693.
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] For more information on this topic, see the Park Family.
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
Children:
1. Elizabeth, b. 27 May 1669, m. 20 Dec 1693 Daniel Maggrigge 2. Hannah Ann, b. 13 Jul 1671, d. Cambridge, MA 5 Oct 1672 3. William, b. Cambridge 10 Jul 1673, d. Newton, MA 25 or 28 Jan 1754, m. Elizabeth possibly Upham, d. Newton 17 Dec 1747 (age 69) 4. Mercy, b. Cambridge, MA 7 Aug 1676, d. Watertown, MA 31 Dec 1740, m. 7 Nov 1695 Nathaniel Whitney, b. Watertown 25 Mar 1674-5, d. Watertown 2 Sep 1730 5. David, b. Cambridge 23 May 1678 6. Samuel, b. 20 Apr 1680, d. 1724, m(1) 23 Mar 1704 Sarah Manning, b. 26 Aug 1681, d. 19 Jul 1709, m(2) 16 Oct 1711 Elizabeth Brigham 7. Jonathan, b. 20 Apr 1682, d. 1753, m. Watertown 19 Jun 1706 Ruth Morse, b. 15 Apr 1684, d. 25 Apr 1759
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