John Robinson Estimated Birth Year1829, Carew/Monkton

[Alexrob75]

Good Afternoon, looking for information on my GG Grandfather, have a record on the 1861 census but haven't been able to find anything before that. On the census it shows he's married to Elizabeth (ne้ Nicholas) Robinson and has 5 children.

to compound matters my grandmother told us a story that either John or his father (name unknown) changed their surname from Robertson to Robinson to sound more English, but don't know if this can be verified in any way

thanks
Alex

[osprey]

well, he was Robertson in 1851 census when he was lodging with the Nicholas family.

1851 Grove, Jeffreston HO107/2475 folio 729 pg 11
David Nicolas head mar 51 wood forrister
Anne wife 57?
Elizabeth dau 22 landrymaid
John son 18 gardiner
Anne dau 15
David son 11
Benjamin son 7
John Robertson lodger 22 stone dresser b. Carew
all born Jeffreston except where noted

marriage ref
John Robinson june qtr 1851 Narberth vol 26 pg 999 with Elizabeth Nicholas on the same page

1841 census Tything Barn, Carew HO107/1448/4 folio 16 pg 6
William Robertson 60 mason
Elizabeth 50
William 20 mason journeyman
Sarah 13
John 12
Margaret 20
all born in county
William was buried in Carew 11 Jan 1849 aged 79, abode Tything Barn

[Alexrob75]

Well, what do you know....she was right!

many thanks, osprey

I'm guessing for pre-1841 I'll need to go to the archives or parish records office?

[osprey]

some of the parish records are available on Findmypast, but there's not much in the way of records for Robertson or Robinson in Carew.
 Elizabeth from the 1841 census was buried as Robinson 11 Nov 1849 aged 70, abode noted as Pater (Pembroke Dock).
There was a Mary Robertson aged 30 of Tything barn buried 1 May 1838, a Margaret Robinson aged 10 months buried 12 May 1818, and a William Robinson buried in 1801 before ages were noted but likely to be an adult as it doesn't say son of.
John's marriage is there and confirms his father as William, a mason.
It could be that the family used both variants of the name, and, given that I'm not finding baptisms as yet, they could be non-conformist.

There's an interesting family in Monkton in 1851 headed by James Robertson aged 39 born Carew & a mason. The family is over 2 pages so it could be co-incidence, but James, his wife & first 3 children are enumerated as Robertson, and the 3 children on the next page are Robinson. HO107/2476 folio 592 pg 31.

 

[Alexrob75]

Hi Osprey

My dad found information that his grandfather (Samuel J Robinson) was born in Monkton circa 1861, so the Monkton connection kind of fits

he's listed on MY grandfather's birth certificate as a Recorder at HM Dockyard Pembroke Dock, so I'm thinking his mother moved there when she got older and that's where she died

maybe this James is William's brother or cousin?

does non-conformist mean they were not protestants or that they didn't want to baptise their children?

[osprey]

Non-conformist means not established church but it's ok, found  baptisms in Carew now with more variants, Robiston & Robeston
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FM9S-XPP

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FM9S-WNL

including John
30 march 1828 John Robeston, son of William & Elizabeth

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FM9S-DRG

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FM9S-W2Z

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FM9S-4K3

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FM9S-CHF

[osprey]

William Robeston, widower, of St Issells, married Elizabeth Eynon otp 23 Dec 1809 in Begelly, both signed with their mark, and one of the witnesses was Thomas Robeston.

There's a baptism in St Issells of Mary, daughter of Wm & Eliza Robeston 13 Dec 1807 and a burial of a child Elizabeth Robeston 7 Oct 1808 in the same parish.

[Alexrob75]

i need to put all this information on paper to make sense of it,

if the marriage happened in 1809 then their daughter Mary was born out of wedlock? or if he's listed as a widower is it possible Mary's mother is a different Elizabeth?

[osprey]

think she's a daughter of the first marriage, the wife is Eliza, not Elizabeth.