History of Coosa County: the Robbins family (Kate Grayson's letter and H. R. Robbins's sketch)

Citation: "Sketch of the Robbins Family in Alabama (Contributed by H. R. Robbins)" and "Robbins Family (Contributed by Mrs. Kate Grayson)," in George E. Brewer, "History of Coosa County, Alabama," The Alabama Historical Quarterly 4, no. 2 (Summer 1942): 245–254; Internet Archive item histcoosacobrew, scans n497–n515, https://archive.org/details/histcoosacobrew/page/n503/mode/1up?q=Robbins.

Transcription

From the archive.org text layer; two readings ("1882" and "1880") checked against the page images, where they are printed so.

H. R. Robbins's sketch, p. 245:

During the seventeenth century one Benjamin Robbins married Miss Bostick. The result of their marriage was four sons and one daughter, Solomon, Daniel, Joel, and Benjamin. Eliza was the name of the daughter. In the early part of the eighteenth century the family moved to Alabama and settled in what was known afterwards as Autauga County […] Solomon, the oldest son, married a Miss Sellers who bore two children (Betsy and Solomon, Jr.), and died. Solomon married his second wife, Miss May Wilson, a daughter of Benjamin Wilson who moved from the State of Virginia to Alabama. The result of their marriage was four sons and five daughters. Those were Putnam, John, Thomas, and George, all of whom were killed or died in the late War Between the States, each one leaving widows and children. The daughters by the last marriage were Jane, Martha, Eliza, Adeline, and Kate.

Kate Grayson's letter to a nephew, pp. 248–254:

My father, Solomon Robbins, was born in Brunswick County, N. C., January 14th, 1791. His parents were Benjamin and Sarah Robbins (nee Wells). My father served as a private soldier through the War of 1812. With a wife and babe he came to Alabama about the year 1816, settled in Montgomery County, near Judkins Ferry on the Tallapoosa River. While living there his second child, Solomon, Jr., was born. The location proving unhealthy, he moved from there to Autauga County, settled near the Alabama River in the neighborhood of Coosawda. There his wife died, and he afterwards married Mary Wilson, daughter of an old Virginia gentleman, Capt. Benjamin Wilson, who commanded a Company of Virginia troops during the War of 1812. Captain Wilson was born in Isle of Wight County, Va., September 3rd, 1773. His father, James Wilson, was born February 14th, 1747, served as a private soldier through the Revolutionary War, and died April 12th, 1830. My father, Solomon Robbins, was marired [sic] to his last wife, Mary Wilson, May 27th, 1822. In 1882 [sic, for 1832] he moved with his family to Coosa County among the Creek Indians, and was the first white settler to found a home in that County. […] He kept the first P. O. ever established at Nixburg, although it was then called Robbinsville […]

Father and mother reared a large family, 12 children (11, I should have said, as one died in infancy), on the old home bought of the Indians, both died there and were laid to rest in the old cemetery at the Protestant Methodist church in sight of their loved home. […]

The names and ages of my father's children are as follows: Elizabeth was born in Brunswick County, N. C., March 20th, 1814. Married Esqr. R. L. Martin […] The next child, Solomon Robbins, Jr., was born in Montgomery County, Ala, April 9th, 1818. Was married to Amanda M. Funderburgh, […] died in Texas, October 7th, 1878. […] The next child, Martha Ann, was married to Rev. J. H. Mitchell […] She was born in Autauga County, Ala., February 16th, 1823, died September 6th, 1853. The next was John Wells, who was born in Autauga County, Ala., July 29th, 1824. He married Frances Weaver […] died July 30th, 1863, while in the Confederate service. The next, Mary Jane, was born in Autauga County, December 27th, 1825. She married Alexander Smith […] Died ——. The next, Eliza, was born in Autauga County, September 30th, 1828. Married W. D. Walden, a merchant of Nixburg, who was once elected to the State Legislature. He was Captain of a Company during the civil war, and was killed at the Battle of Chickamauga. She was a member of the Methodist Protestant church, and died August 2nd, 1853. The next was Wm. Peyton, who was born in Autauga County, April 18th, 1880 [sic, for 1830]. […] Married Martha Freeman. Died November 17th, 1862, while in the Confederate service. The next, Thomas Clinton, was born in Autaufga [sic] County, Ala., January 30th, 1832. […] The next was Sarah Adeline, who was born in Nixburg, Coosa County, Ala., June 10th, 1834. […] was married to Samuel Hill. Died in Texas, December 24th, 1903. The next, George Washington, was born in Nixburg, Coosa County, Ala., May 6th, 1836. […] married Susan Caroline Jackson, and died July 10th, 1863, while in Confederate […] The next, W. Kate, was born in Nixburg, Coosa County, Ala., March 18th, 1839. […] Married Charles Oliver Grayson, resides now near Tyler, in Smith County, Texas, the only one of the 12 children [living]. The next was Laura Virginia, born in Nixburg, Coosa County, Ala., March 24th, 1842, died October 13th, 1842.

[…] P. S. […] Solomon Robbins, Sr., died May 19th, 1879. Mary Robbins, his wife, died June 28th, 1878. They were both members of the Methodist Protestant church. […] In a short time after my father moved to Coosa County, his brother, Daniel A. Robbins, and family also settled near Nixburg […] His wife and my father's were sisters, both daughters of Capt. Benj. Wilson.