U.S. Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ -- USGenNet Inc. -- Please read the U.S. Data Repository Copyright Statement on the following page: ------------------------------------------------------------------- Robinson and Proudfoot Families ------------------------------------------------------------------- The History of Barbour County, West Virginia, From its Earliest Exploration and Settlement to the Present Time by Hu Maxwell The Acme Publishing Company, Morgantown, W.Va., 1899 Pages 446-448 Robinson and Proudfoot Families. Among the first settlers of what is now Barbour County were the Robinson and Proudfoot families. More than a century ago these families came from the East and settled on Taylor's Drain. That beautiful valley with its rich state of cultivation, as it is today, was made so by the energy and industry of the two families named, together with the Woodford family, which married into the Robinson family. The hum of the bee and the song of the bird have taken the place of the howl of the wolf. Just across the Delaware in New Jersey lived James Robinson and Elizabeth Davis (who became his wife) when the old Liberty Bell proclaimed that Independence had been declared. No doubt they joined with the populace in that greatest of all American celebrations, July 4, 1776. Some twenty years later, James Robinson and his family, consisting of his wife and two sons, Job and John, came to what was then Harrison County, stopping a short time in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, where their daughter Elizabeth was born. The four other children, William, Jane, Mary and James, were born in their new home on the headwaters of Taylor's Drain. James Robinson and his wife were of English descent, and she was a Quaker, possessed of the estimable qualities of that religious sect. He died in 1835 and his wife in 1840. They were buried in the beautiful cemetery of Mary's Chapel, which is near the site of their old homestead. The history of their children is as follows: Job Robinson; son of James and Elizabeth, was born in New Jersey, died in Barbour County and was buried at Mary's Chapel. He married Nancy Thompson, and their children were John S., Henry, Elizabeth, Job, Rebecca and Nancy. John Robinson, born March 23, 1793, son of James and Elizabeth, was born in New Jersey, died in Barbour, was buried at Taylor's Drain. He married Mary Proudfoot, born June 12, 1787, and their children were James, Elias, Leanor, John, Elizabeth, Mary, Agnes, William and Jacob. Of these, Jacob, the youngest, is the sole survivor. This family and part of Job Robinson's family are the only ones of the numerous descendants of James Robinson that remained in Barbour County. All the others migrated to the West. John Robinson was an American soldier in the War of 1812, Elizabeth Robinson, daughter of James and Elizabeth, was born in Pennsylvania and died in Iowa. She married Thomas Proudfoot, and their children were Jacob, Catherine, Jane, James, Harriet, Elias, Emily, Caroline, Charles and Martha Ann. William Robinson, son of James and Elizabeth, born in Barbour died in Calhoun County, married Katherine Weaver. Their children were, Frank, Job, Harvey, Abbey, Rachel, Louisa, James, Loucetta and Elizabeth. Jane Robinson, daughter of James and Elizabeth, was born in Barbour, died in 1858, was buried at Taylor's Drain. She married William Proudfoot. Their children were, Edith, Leanor, Elizabeth, John, James R., Julia Ann, Edward and Sally. Mary Robinson, daughter of James and Elizabeth, was born and died in Barbour, and was buried at Mary's Chapel, which was named for her. She married Jacob Woodford, and their children were, William, Robert, James, Benjamin, John and Hannah. James Robinson, son of James and Elizabeth, was born in Barbour and died at or near Gallena, Illinois. William Robinson, son of John and Mary (Proudfoot) Robinson, was born in what is now Barbour, then Harrison County, September 20, 1827, and spent the greater portion of his life on Taylor's Drain, in Pleasant District. In 1850, when he was twenty-three years of age, he was married to Mary Sayre, and they made their home near the place of his birth. He owned a large farm which engaged his attention, although he worked nearly all his life at his trade, shoemaking. Ten children were born to them of whom nine attained the ages of maturity, one dying in 1863, at the age of eighteen months. Those living, named in the order of their ages, beginning with the eldest, are, Mrs. Isaac Means, residing at Evansville, Preston County; Prank P., near Grafton, Taylor County; Louisa V., who married Lon Wilson, of Barbour County; Sarah A., who married Thomas J. Allen, of East Peru, Iowa; Mary M., Rev. John S. Robinson, now of Weston, West Virginia, of the M. E. Conference; David W. and Charles W., (twins) the latter is cashier of the Bank of Mannington, at Mannington, Marion County; Rose, who married Scott H. White, of West Superior, Wisconsin; and Ira E., of Grafton, Prosecuting Attorney of Taylor County. The Robinsons were southern Democrats, but they remained loyal to the Union and to the Stars and Stripes during the Civil War. William Robinson left his home on Taylor's Drain early in the war, and moved to near Knottsville, in Taylor County, where he would be less exposed to annoyances from Confederates and their sympathizers. Having previously purchased a farm and tannery there, he took up the pursuits of peace in his new home, and industriously followed his calling. He operated the tannery at Knottsville during the war and after its close. He resided at Knottsville fourteen years, a model citizen, a man without enemies, whose character was a guide to the young. He was a member of the M. E. Church, and held an official position in it nearly all his life. After his residence in Taylor he returned to his former home in Barbour and made it his place of residence till the end of his life. His death, due to paralysis, came suddenly November 23, 1896, and he was buried at Taylor's Drain. He was never an office seeker. In 1890 he was nominated on the Republican ticket in Barbour for the legislature, without his consent and without his knowledge; and although Barbour was then strongly Democratic, he lacked only sixty-eight votes of being elected. Jacob W. Robinson, son of John and Mary (Proudfoot) Robinson, was born on Taylor's Drain, Barbour County, February 20, 1829. He was twice married, first on November 20, 1855, to Elizabeth Ann, daughter of Albert and Mary (Thompson) Carter, and four sons were born to them, William Fletcher, James P., Lloyd D. and John A. He was married the second time on July 1, 1869, to Belinda, daughter of Philip and Christina (Miller) Wolf, and they have two sons, Ellis B. and Clarence Elliott. Nearly the whole of the first fifty years of his life was spent on Taylor's Drain; and in 1877 he moved to Philippi to make it his home and to perform the duties of deputy sheriff and jailer, to which position he had been chosen. Prior to that time he had, for four years, from 1866 to 1870, filled the office of District Treasurer for Pleasant District, and as such he collected disbursed and accounted for the taxes of that district. During that time the majority of the school houses in that district were built and he paid for them with the public money. When he moved to Philippi it was to act as deputy for J. W. Talbott, who was then Sheriff. When Jacob Hudkins was elected Sheriff in 1876, Mr. Robinson was appointed his deputy for the west side of the county and collected the taxes there. He served in that capacity until 1880, and then became proprietor of the Robinson House, now the Valley House, in Philippi; and in 1883 built an addition to it. In 1885 he was elected Sheriff and filled the office four years. Afterwards, when a vacancy occurred in the office, he was appointed to fill it; and when B. B. Rohrbaugh was elected Sheriff in 1896, Mr. Robinson was again chosen as deputy and jailer. He is a member of the M. E. Church, South, and a Democrat. Lloyd D. Robinson, born on Taylor's Drain, December 22, 1861, son of Jacob W. Robinson, was married October 19, 1887, at Philippi, to Prudie S., daughter of Edward F. and Lydia A. Grant. Children, Opal, born December 29, 1890; Neil, born April 27, 1893, died June 29, 1894; Harry Grayden, born May 26, 1896. Mr. Robinson is a member of the M. E. Church, of Bigelow Lodge No. 52, A. F. and A. M.; in politics is a Democrat; lives at Philippi, and has held the following offices: Deputy Sheriff three years; Recorder of Philippi several years; Mayor of Philippi 1896; was the first postmaster in the State appointed under Grover Cleveland, and held the position four years and twenty-seven days. In 1896 he was chairman of the Democratic Executive Committee, and is now a member of the Congressional Executive Committee for Barbour County. ------------------------------------------------------------------- If you've reached this file through a SEARCH, you can access other biographies for Barbour County, WV by going to the following URL: http://www.us-data.org/wv/barbour/bios.html -------------------------------------------------------------------