Samuel Stephen ROBINS/Combemartin

[honestdonna]

Does anyone have any information regarding ss robbins/robins of Combemartin or any of their family. He has the only matching birthday and name of my greatgrandfather that I can find in England.  His birthplace was recorded as Plymouth in the family bible but we are unable to trace this.  He was born in 1826 and emigrated to Newfoundland .  He shows up in no other census but of course this may because he died or emigrated elsewhere and is not actually my relative. 

[amazon510]

Have you tried posting in the Channel Islands forum?  Robin was a prominent Jersey merchant family that was involved in trade to Newfoundland and other parts of Eastern Canada.  There was also a certain amount of trade and migration back and forth between Plymouth and the Channel Islands - could be that your SS Robins happened to be born in Devon but the family was from Jersey. 

You could also check out the Channel Islands Family History Society.  There is one researcher listed under Member Interests who is researching Robins.

Do you know to which part of Newfoundland your Robin emigrated? 

Jennifer.

[honestdonna]

Hi Jennifer
Thanks for your reply.  SS Robins allegedly told his grandson that he stowed away on a ship from the Channel Islands when he was 15, as his mother told him to go to the new world, where the streets were paved with gold.  However another family member hired a geneologist from the Channel Islands, and there is no record of him.  So I think the family bible is inaccurate and that SS robbins  from Combe Martin is likely my g-g-grandfather.  He was still living in Combe Martin at 15.  He had just turned 15 at the time of the census.

He settled in the Port aux Basque area and had a slew of children.  Many settled in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, and I am related to thousands there, more so than in NFLD.

Rumour has it that he lived in caves for a while.  Not surprizing for a 15 year old with no money.  I believe he eventually became a master mariner, which likely indicates some level of education and drive.  He managed to carve out a life for himself in very harsh conditions.

[jamesvprice]

I wonder about this guy. My 3-Great-Grandmother's sister Grace Paine had a son in 1850 which she named Samuel Robins. They lived just down the coast from Plymouth in Torquay Devonshire. There is no record of her marriage to anyone named Robins. Grace stayed close to my ancestor as they moved about Southern England. Grace had anther son about 1855, which she named William Robins, no father on that one either, but William Paine was Grace's Dad.