Robison family papers

The Robison family resided in Portland, Me., and were active in maritime business ventures, including the Atlantic Slave Trade in support of their rum distillery. Thomas Robison Sr., ca. 1742 – 1806, was born in Stromness in the Orkney Islands. He arrived in the American colonies after 1760 and settled at Albany, NY, for about ten years, after which he moved to Falmouth Neck (Portland). A Loyalist, he left Maine and served in the British Army at Detroit and Niagara during the American Revolution until about 1780. He lived at L’Assumption, Upper Canada in 1781-1782, then returned to Portland, where he lived from 1782 to early 1804. He travelled to England in the winters of 1780-1781, 1782-1783, and 1799-1800.

Thomas Robison was in the dry goods business or fur trade in Niagara, where he got into debt and sold out. When he came to Portland, he set up a distil-house specializing in rum. He bought land along the Fore River, constructed a wharf and various other buildings, and was one of the original proprietors of the nearby Portland Bridge. He put Ann (later Park) Street, named for his daughter, through his land to Main (later Congress) Street, extending straight off his wharf to Main Street. Thomas Robison was occasionally called "Capt. Robison" (probably his military rank during the war). His involvement with ships was typically to build, outfit or load, with others sailing them. His ships (outfitted, owned or partnered) participated in the Triangular Trade with much business in the West Indies. His business engaged in trading enslaved people and the dry good commodities associated with the Triangular Trade, the former of which was in-part unlawful due to Massachusetts (Maine) law. Robison actively and overtly evaded this law. Records for the ship Eagle within the collection, in which Robison was a part owner, document his participation in the Atlantic Slave Trade. His son-in-law Thomas Hodges worked in this capacity on behalf of Robison.

Robison's sons Samuel, Thomas and William were seamen for varying lengths of time. Thomas Sr. did captain one voyage himself, which ended in disaster from which his business never fully recovered. Not far from Amsterdam, his ship Eliza was captured (Sept. 20, 1796) by the British frigate Unicorn and taken to London, where he remained until November 1797. A few months later at the trial, the cargo and "everything but the ship" was condemned, his losses being in excess of £3,000.

Robison was involved in several firms, including Robsion, Edgar & Reed (see also Coll. 928), and in business with William Edgar from approximately 1782 to 1784. Thomas' son Robert Ilsley Robison and William A. Hyde were in the oil business from 1838 to at least 1854, and probably later with general merchandise; the firm of Anson S. Robison and Joseph L. Northam was in existence from 1842 to 1844, selling cloth, dry goods, whale oil, and general merchandise.

In 1767, Thomas Robison Sr. married Elisabeth Cartwright, the daughter of Richard Cartwright (1720 – 1794), who lived in Albany, NY, before moving to Kingston, Upper Canada before the American Revolution. Elisabeth was born in 1750 and survived her husband.

Children of Thomas Robison and Elisabeth Cartwright:

• 1. Hannah, b. 21 Aug 1768?, married Stephen Codman of Boston 20 Nov 1788.
• 2. Jane, b. 21 July 1772, married (1) Thomas Hodges 1790; (2) Robert Ilsley, Portland postmaster, 1803.
• 3. Samuel, b. 21, July 1772, twin to Jane.
• 4. Betsy, died young?
• 5. Martha, b. 19 March 1777 – 1845. Married Dr. Anson Smith of Burlington.
• 6. Thomas Jr., 30 Nov. 1778 – 1829 (?), carried on his father's distilling business with Robert and Henry Ilsley. Married Eliza Home (1784-aft 1846) on 1 Nov 1802.
• 7. Richard, b. Nov. 1781 – 1831. Married Mary Secord (d. Jan 1836?) of Kingston.
• 8. Ann b. 21 Oct. 1786, m. Rev. George O'Kill Stuart of Kingston before 1824.
• 9. William 9 Oct. 1788 – 10? March 1851, m. Caroline Patch, had two children.
• 10. Eliza, b. 7 Oct. 1790, m. Lemuel Weeks Jr., of Portland, ca. 1809.

• 1. Thomas III Robison, b. 16 Sept. 1803. Was a seaman, eventually settled in Savannah and operated a sawmill. He was disappointed in love and swore never to marry.
• 2. Ann Robison, b. 27 Sept. 1805. Married Jacob Smith after 1841 and had at least two children.
• 3. Robert Ilsley Robison, b. 10 Jan. 1808. Married Jane Sisson Northam 13 April 1841 and had a daughter, Jane, who died young. Robert thereafter moved to New York, d. 1868.
• 4. Sarah Jane Robison, b. 18 Aug. 1810.
• 5. Elizabeth Cartwright Robison 26 March 1813 – 14 Nov. 1816.
• 6. Ellenorah Cummings Robison. B. 5 Sept. 1815, m. her cousin Thomas Weeks Robison after 1835.
• 7. Anson Smith 24 March 1818 – 10 May 1844

Robison genealogy as it pertains to the collection is detailed below. See collection source file for more information.

Richard Cartwright was born in London Oct. 18th, 1720, came to New York on the ship Dolphin February 10, 1741. He married Hannah Beasley 23 of August 1743 at Albany, NY. She was born there 9th of March 1726.

Their known children:

• Elizabeth Cartwright, born in Albany, NY, May 17, 1750.
• Henry Cartwright, born in Albany, NY, drowned at sea.
• Susannah Cartwright, born in Albany, NY, July 17, 1744. Died very young.
• Richard Cartwright, born in Albany, NY, Feb. 2, 1767.

• Hannah Robison, born in Albany, NY, Aug. 21, 176-.
• Jane Robison, born in Albany, NY.
• Samuel Robison, born in Albany, NY, July, 1772.
• Bettsy Robison, born in Detroit.
• Martha Pollard Robison, born in Niagara, Can., March 19, 1777.
• Thomas Robison, born in Niagara, Can., Nov. 30, 1778.
• Richard Robison, born in L’Assumption, Can.
• Ann Ellis Robison, born in Portland, Oct. 21, 1786.
• William Robison, born in Portland, Oct. 9, 1788. Died Kingston, C.W. March 12, 1851.
• Elisa Robison, born in Portland, Oct. 7, 1790.