Births, Deaths, Military Service

Here's just what I've organized so far:


Births
1. Malinda Jane [McRobie] Kight - 20 Apr 1829 (see Gravestone transcription).

2. Henry Thomas Kight - 12 Nov 1828 (see Gravestone transcription).

3. Abraham Archibald McRobie - 26 Feb 1836 (see Death Certificate transcription).


Deaths
1. John William McRobie - 19 Feb 1877 in Swanton, Garrett County, MD (see pension application transcription under Military Service).

2. Malinda Jane [McRobie] Kight - 30 Apr 1896
Kight Cemetery Transcription, online transcription. Mineral County West Virginia Genealogy. http://www.rootsweb.com/~wvminera/mineral.htm (accessed 25 Aug 2007).
Name: Malinda J. Kight
4/20/1829-4/30/1896
Buried w/ Henry Kight
67 yrs 10 days old

3. Henry Thomas Kight - 25 Aug 1910
Kight Cemetery Transcription, online transcription. Mineral County West Virginia Genealogy. http://www.rootsweb.com/~wvminera/mineral.htm (accessed 25 Aug 2007).
Name: Henry Kight
11/12/1828-8/25/1910
Buried w/ Malinda J. Kight
81 yrs, 9 mos, 13 days old.

4. Abraham Archibald McRobie - 31 Dec 1917
Transcription of Death Certificate:
County: Garrett County
Village or City: Deer Park
Name: Abraham A. McRobie
Sex: Male
Color: White
DOB: 26 Feb 1836
Age at Death: 81 yrs, 10 mos, 5 days
Occupation: Farmer
Birthplace: near Swanton, MD
Father's name: John McRobie
DOD: 31 Dec 1917
Cause of Death: [illeg] Nephritis
Place of Burial: Eagle Rock
Date of Burial: 3 Jan 1918
Undertaker: [illeg] Sharpless

5. Thomas R. McRobie
Garrett County Cemetery Records. FamilyHart's Garrett County, Maryland Genealogy Site. http://midatlantic.rootsweb.com/MD/garrett/cem.html (accessed 19 Aug 2007).
Bittinger Church Cemetery
Bittinger, Maryland
Name: Thomas R. McRobie
DOB: 1844
DOD: 1901


Military Service
1. John William McRobie - War of 1812
Transcription of Pension Application:
Soldier: John McCrobie
Widow: Delilah McCrobie
Service: Pt., Capt. P. Conner
Enlisted: 11 Aug 1814
Dismissed: 10 Oct 1814
Residence of Soldier: 1851, 1855, 1871, Allegany Co., MD
Residence of Widow: 1878, Swanton, Allegany Co., MD
Maiden Name of Widow: Delilah Murphy
Marriage of Soldier and Widow: Oct. 19 1829, Swanton, MD
Death of Soldier: 19 Feb 1877, Swanton, MD

2. Abraham Archibald McRobie - Union Army, American Civil War
National Park Service. U.S. Civil War Soldiers, 1861-1865 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2007. Original data: National Park Service, Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System, online , acquired 2007. (accessed 15 Aug 2007).
Name: Abram A. McCrobie
Side: Union
Regiment State/Origin: Maryland
Regiment Name: 3 Potomac Home Brig., Md. Inf.
Regiment Name Expanded: 3rd Regiment, Maryland Infantry, Potomac Home Brigade
Company: D
Rank In: Private
Rank Out: Corporal
Alternate Name: Abraham A./McCrobie
Maryland Soldiers in the Civil War, Vol 1. [online database]. Ancestry.com http://www.ancestry.com (accessed 25 Aug 2007).
NAME.: McRobie, Abraham A.
RANK.: Corporal.
DATE OF ENLISTMENT OR MUSTER IN.: Dec. 7, 1861
DATE OF MUSTER OUT OR DISCHARGE.: May 29, 1865
REMARKS.: Veteran; taken prisoner. June 29, 1862, Moorefield, Va.
Organization Index to Pension Files of Veterans Who Served Between 1861 and 1900. Civil War Pensions. National Archives. Pub No. T289, roll 201; digital image. Footnote.com http://www.footnote.com (accessed 15 Aug 2007).
Name: Abraham McRobie
State: Maryland
Arm of Service: P.H.B. Md. Inf.
Company/Regiment: D, 3
Date filed: 9 Apr 1901, 6 Mar 1907
Date of death: 12 Dec 1917
Place of death: Altamont, Maryland
*Date of death does not match death certificate.

3. Francis Marion McRobie (son of John William) - Union Army, American Civil War
Historical Data Systems, comp.. American Civil War Soldiers [database on-line] Ancestry.com http://www.ancestry.com (accessed 18 Aug 2007).
Name: Francis McRobie ,
Enlistment Date: 19 Dec 1861
Side Served: Union
State Served: Maryland
Service Record: Enlisted as a Private on 19 December 1861.
Enlisted in Company D, 3rd PHB Infantry Regiment Maryland on 19 Dec 1861.
Mustered Out Company D, 3rd PHB Infantry Regiment Maryland on 29 May 1865.
Organization Index to Pension Files of Veterans Who Served Between 1861 and 1900. Civil War Pensions. National Archives. Pub No. T289, roll 201; digital image. Footnote.com http://www.footnote.com (accessed 15 Aug 2007).
Name: Francis McRobie
State: Maryland
Arm of Service: P.H.B. Md. Inf.
Company/Regiment: D,3
Filing Date: 23 Jul 1890
Organization Index to Pension Files of Veterans Who Served Between 1861 and 1934. Civil War Pensions. National Archives. Pub No. T288; digital image. Ancestry.com http://www.ancestry.com (accessed 25 Aug 2007).
Name: Francis McCrobie
Widow: Lucy McCrobie
Service: D-12 Md. Inf., D3 P.H.B. Md. Inf.
Filing Date: 23 Jul 1890, 2 May 1904

4. Thomas R. McRobie
Historical Data Systems, comp.. American Civil War Soldiers [database on-line] Ancestry.com http://www.ancestry.com (accessed 18 Aug 2007).
Name: Thomas McRobie ,
Enlistment Date: 19 Dec 1861
Side Served: Union
State Served: Maryland
Service Record: Enlisted as a Sergeant on 19 December 1861.
Enlisted in Company D, 3rd PHB Infantry Regiment Maryland on 19 Dec 1861.
Mustered Out Company D, 3rd PHB Infantry Regiment Maryland on 19 Dec 1864.
Organization Index to Pension Files of Veterans Who Served Between 1861 and 1900. Civil War Pensions. National Archives. Pub No. T289, roll 201; digital image. Footnote.com http://www.footnote.com (accessed 15 Aug 2007).
Name: Thomas R McRobie
State: Maryland
Arm of Service: P.H.B. Md. Inf.
Company/Regiment: D, 3
Date File: 19 Jul 1890


I also found records for Andrew McRobie. I don't know for sure which Andrew this is, but I'm assuming it is John William's son, and not Elisha Dewitt's, based on the date of death. This would also explain why John William's Andrew doesn't appear on the censuses after 1860. If anyone has any information to the contrary, I'd love to see it!

National Park Service. U.S. Civil War Soldiers, 1861-1865 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2007. Original data: National Park Service, Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System, online , acquired 2007. (accessed 15 Aug 2007).
Name: Andrew McCroby
Side: Union
Regiment State/Origin: West Virginia
Regiment Name: 3 West Virginia Cavalry
Regiment Name Expanded: 3rd Regiment, West Virginia Cavalry
Company: E,B
Rank In: Private
Rank Out: Private
National Cemetery Administration. U.S. Veterans Gravesites, ca.1775-2006 [database on-line]. Ancestry.com http://www.ancestry.com (accessed 25 Aug 2007).
Name: Andrew Mc Croby
Service Info.: PVT 2 W VA CAV
Death Date: 27 Nov 1863
Cemetery: Arlington National Cemetery
Cemetery Address: C/O Director Arlington, VA 22211
Buried At: Site 7520

Clan Donnachaidh

So this post doesn't have much to do with our family tree, but I thought you all would find it interesting. I did a little digging about the McRobies in Scotland and came across this lovely little page about the Donnachaidh Clan.

Clan Donnachaidh

It's the story of the Robertsons, one of the oldest (if not the oldest family in Scotland). The name Donnachaidh is actually Gaelic for Duncan. Duncan is considered the first chief of what was to become the Robertson line.

This quote at the bottom caught my attention:
"Other surnames taken by clansmen include Reid, Stark, Duncan, Roy, Inches, McInroy, McRobie, Collier, Donachie, MacLagan."

I can't say for sure if the McRobies that were living in Aberdeen have any connection to the Robertsons, or their McRobies, but there's always a good chance.

The Donnachaidh Clan also has a website at: www.donnachaidh.com

If anyone would like to know without a doubt, there's a link on the page where you receive instructions on how to take a DNA test. The test is based on the Y chromosome (for reasons explained on the site), so tests can only be done on a male member of the family.

Thought that was a fun tidbit to share.

Notes So Far

Time for another head count. I now have on my list 205 confirmed direct descendants of William McRobie. This is based solely on census and marriage records. I'm going to take a break from censuses for a little while and focus on trying to confirm dates (birth dates, marriage dates, death dates...) for as many people as I can. I'm also in the middle of compiling Civil War information including: soldiers, regiments, battles, deaths, pensions, etc. That should be up here soon as well.

Here is the most recent descendant chart:
William_McRobie_Confirmed_Descendants.rtf

Here is the most recent gedcom:
William_McRobie_Descendants.ged

Some notes on these files:

Joseph McRobie is still not included, though I have talked to another researcher that has shown me evidence that he is actually John McRobie's and Mary Margaret Murphy's son. I am trying to collect a little more evidence, and hope to include this in the next round. Here is what she had to say:
" Joseph McRobie was the son of John (Josh) and Mary Margaret Murphy McRobie. This John was the son of Elisha McRobie. John (Josh) McRobie died Feb. 1858 and his wife died before 1860. John and Mary Margaret McRobie died in Allegany Co. WV. They had 8 children."

Jane McRobie is listed as a daughter of Andrew (son of John William). This information comes via another researcher that says to have found it in the Sanders book. There are no census records to confirm this.

All birthdates are approximate and based on census records. A lot of times ages will vary a few years from census to census as opposed to just adding 10 years. (i.e. A person will be listed as 26 on the 1860 census and 38 on the 1870 census.) I attribute this mostly to the enumerator mishearing, guessing, or being lazy. I have saved copies of all of the census records transcribed, if anyone would like to see them.

Marriage Records until 1870

Some notes on the following marriage records:
1. These are all pulled from online databases. Some are transcriptions from books and others are compilations from Ancestry.com records. They should not be considered fact in anyway, but rather a guideline for further research.
2. Everything under the headline (bolded names) is pulled directly from the source. This should account for any date and spelling discrepancies.
3. I have made personal notes in italics. All the notes refer to the previous research showcased in this blog. All speculation is based only on what I've found so far, and not on unsourced information.
4. If anyone has any sourced information (i.e. Bible records, Church records, Marriage licenses, etc...) to confirm these, I would love to see them. It will be awhile before I can make the trip to Maryland myself. Please email me at GMcRobie@gmail.com

Here is the text file: McRobie_Marriages_Until_1870.rtf

Couples included in this file:
William McRobie & Sarah Paugh
John McRobie & Margaret Murphy
Andrew McRobie & Elizabeth Ann Murphy
Sarah McRobie & Martin King
Sarah McRobie & John Manly
Elisha Dewitt McRobie & Cerria Tasker
Melinda Jane McRobie & Henry Thomas Kight
Michael McRobie & Elizabeth Tasker
Elizabeth McRobie & John Miller Jr.
Elizabeth McRobie & Phillip H Paugh
Sarah McRobie & John Paugh
Abraham McRobie & Nancy Friend
Eleanora Silena McRobie & Samuel Kelly
Hannah McRobie & John Fry
William P. McRobie & Sarah Manley
Samuel Asbury McRobie & Sarah Weimer
Ellen McRobie & John Beckman
Hester McRobie & Joshua Mason
Lucy McRobie & William Tichenell
Susan Ann McRobie & Richard Tasker
Wade McRobie & Margaret Miller
Harriet McRobie & William E Coffman
Francis Marion McRobie & Lucy McRobie
Rhoda McRobie & John W. Harvey
Martha McRobie & Roland McRobie
Thomas R. McRobie & Elizabeth Beyer
Rachel McRobie & David Machin
Jane McRobie & Peter Bouers
Susan McRobie & Henry Bray
John J. McRobie & Susan Jane Paugh
Nancy McRobie & Claudious L. Nelder
William McRobie & Rachel Lewis

Information may include the following:
Names
Marriage dates
Marriage bann dates
Residences
Place of ceremony
Ages
Officiant

Unsolved Mysteries

So I've decided to make a post solely dedicated to the mysteries surrounding the McRobie family lineage. I'll continuously update this one post instead of creating a new one every time.


Mystery #1:
Who was William McRobie's [1] wife?

Mystery #2:
Who were John William McRobie's first two wives?

Mystery #3:
Who were Joseph McRobie's real parents?

Mystery #4:
Who was Elisha Dewitt McRobie's [1] first wife?

Mystery #5:
Who were Elisha Dewitt McRobie's [2] real parents?

Mystery #6:
Who were Nancy Catherine Friend's (wife of Abraham Archibald McRobie) parents?

1870 Census

Here is the text file containing transcriptions of the 1870 census. I'm still looking for a few people, and will update this list if I find them.

1870_Census_Transcribed.rtf

People contained in this census:
Abraham McRobie Household
.....Nancy [30]
.....Columbus [12]
.....Harriet [9]
.....Estelle F [7]
.....Elizabeth [4]
.....Ellen [2]

Andrew McRobie Household
.....Elizabeth [46]
.....Lucinda [20]

Daniel McRobie Household
.....Kezia [26]
.....Mary [1]

Eleanora Silena McRobie [Kelly] Household
.....Delilah L [12]
.....David [10]
.....Elizabeth [8]
.....Roda A [6]

Elisha Dewitt McRobie Household
.....Zenith [63]
.....Elisha D [15]

Elizabeth McRobie [Paugh] [Phillip Paugh Household]
.....Phillip Paugh [41]
.....Isaiah [19]
.....Jane [15]
.....Jonathan [12]
.....David [5]
.....Daniel W [2]

Ellen McRobie [Beckman] [John Beckman Household]
.....John A Beckman [33]

Francis McRobie Household
.....Lucy [27]
.....Flora [4]
.....Virginia [2]

Francis McRobie Household
.....Huldy [21]
.....Lorenzo M [2]
.....Emma W [9 mo.]

Hannah McRobie [Fry] [John Fry Household]
.....John Fry [50]
.....Catharine [6]

Henry McRobie Household
.....Elizabeth [20]

Hester A McRobie [Mason] [Joshua Mason Household]
.....Joshua Mason [48]
.....Mary E [9]
.....Nancy [7]
.....John [5]
.....Abraham L [4]
.....Francis L [2]
.....Lucy [2 mo.]

Michael McRobie Household
.....Mary E [33]
.....George W [7]

Samuel Asbury McRobie Household
.....Sarah [39]
.....John W [8]
.....Joseph [5]

Sarah McRobie [Paugh] Household
.....William [14]
.....James [9]

William McRobie Household
.....Sarah [54]
.....Goldie [19]
.....Hannah [17]
.....James S [15]
.....Fanny [13]
.....Nancy J [10]
.....Mary R [4]
.....Patrick [1]

William Hampton McRobie Household
.....Margaret [22]
.....Mary [3]
.....John [1]

William P McRobie Household
.....Sarah [39]
.....Lafayette [17]
.....Mary [15]
.....Howard [10]
.....Singleton [9]
.....Francis [7]
.....Gertrude [6]
.....Victoria [4]
.....William H [ 2]
.....Theodore [1]

Melinda Jane McRobie [Kight] [Henry Kight Household]
.....Henry Kight [42]
.....Ezra [19]
.....Mary E [14]
.....Laura A [8]
.....Rebecca J [7]
.....Lydia M [6]
.....Henry J [4]
.....Jacob R [2]
.....Victoria F [3 mo.]

Info Update

So here is the all new confirmed descendant chart:
William_McRobie_Confirmed_Descendants.rtf
For those of you with genealogy software I have even created a gedcom file:
William_McRobie_Descendants.ged

This lists only those who I have confirmed via censuses and other reliable sources up until 1860. Some notes on them:

Sarah McRobie (daughter of John William & [Unknown])--thanks to an exchange with Marylynn Glover, I have confirmed that John William was indeed married twice before Delilah Murphy. Sarah is a daughter by his second wife that was born between John (1824) and Hugh (1828). She does not appear on the 1850 census with her family. She is said to have died young, as does Hugh. Hugh, however, does appear on the 1850 census at the age of 22.

So the chart has been altered as follows:
John & First Wife - Andrew
John & Second Wife - John, Sarah, Hugh, Melinda
John & Delilah - Eleanora, Abraham, Elizabeth, Francis, Hester, Thomas

I have left Joseph off of this version of the chart until I can confirm his parents. I still am of the belief that he was not a biological son, but I can always be wrong.


As for Elisha Dewitt's Line I have had to make some assumptions. The first being the real parents of Elisha McRobie [b. 1854]. He first appears on the 1860 census in a very broad household. Elisha Dewitt is listed as the head of household, married to Azenath. Michael is living at his father's house with his wife Elizabeth, and their daughter Nancy. Susan has returned home [presumably widowed] and three younger children are listed with her: John (7), Elisha (6), Elizabeth (5). Even though most of the unsourced family trees I have seen attribute Elisha to Elisha Dewitt, I think it is just as possible that he is really Susan's son from her first husband. To be fair it's not outside the realm of possibility that all three (John, Elisha, and Elizabeth) are all Elisha Dewitt's and Azenath's children. This is definitely something that will need to be researched much further.

Also William P's first wife, Lucinda, seems to have died between 1850 and 1860. In 1860 he is married to Sarah. I'm going to guess that from the gap in age between Mary (b. 1855) and Howard (b. 1859) that Lucinda died after Mary and William remarried Sarah. I have yet to find any records to back this up.