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Subject: [FAULKNER] Ancestry Priscilla Robertson, w/o Sugar Faulkner/Forkner
Date: Tue, 12 Nov 2002 20:21:22 EST

Hello Everyone,

I (Janet Hunter) am temporarily at .

I'd like to update you on a new development in my research on Priscilla
Robertson's ancestry. IF she is the daughter of Nicholas Robertson and
Tabitha, I have found a Chancery Court Record in Brunswick County Virginia
that identifies Tabitha as Tabitha Short, daughter of William Short, d. 1769
in Brunswick Co., VA. In the case, Nicholas Robertson and wife Tabitha are
complaining about Jacob Short's failure to provide them with the portion due
Tabitha after her mother's death (I think we can all agree that executors and
administrators of estates who get in trouble with heirs for failure to
disburse should all be posthumously knighted). There is an almost identical
case for a John Robertson and daughter Elizabeth Short.

I have been waiting since September for an opportunity to view the Brunswick
Co. cases in the hopes that they would be enlightening on Priscilla but they
only mention Nicholas and Tabitha. Regarding Priscilla, I am hoping that
there is a chancery-court type. Below is a email I have sent separately to
the Robertson list, FYI. I have much more information on the individuals
named below. I have looked at printed information on William Short who d.
1769, and these two daughters do not appear to have been generally known.
The case mentions that they live "some distance", I assume in Granville Co.
for Nicholas, but don't know for sure regarding John Robertson. I also
stopped at the Brunswick Co Library and looked at the Short and Robertson
family files, but again they were not mentioned.

I am also appending the few relevant Brunswick Co. records that I have found
mentioning Buckner or Nicholas Robertson. I have not done a thorough
Robertson/Robinson search in either Granville/Warren Co NC or Brunswick
Co...but was focussing on Nicholas.

With my best regards, Janet Hunter (usually at )

EMAIL TO ROBERTSON LIST

To my Robertson Cousins (temporarily not at ),

I have finally had a chance to do a little more on my quest for determining
if the Nicholas Rob*son who died in 1794 in Granville Co. NC is the father of
my Priscilla Rob*son who married Sugar Faulkner/Fortner in 1785 in Warren
County North Carolina, and it has led me back to two Brunswick County,
Virginia Chancery Court Cases in the 1780s.

To wit:

(a) John Robertson & wife vs. Executors of William Short, Case #1782-002

(b) Nicholas Robinson & Wife vs. Executors of William Short, Case #1788-006

I obtained both of these case files. They involve the estate of William
Short who died in 1769. His will was written 22 May 1764 and probated 27 Nov
1769. The will names sons William and Jacob and indicates an unnamed
daughter married to an Abernathy. Sons William and Jacob, along with Charles
Abernathy are named as executors, the assumption being that Charles is a
son-in-law (in today's meaning). The phrase "all my sons and daughter's" is
used in reference to the division of that portion of his estate that he lends
to his wife after she dies.

In short (sorry, but had to say it), the chancery cases, which involve
failure of the executors to disburse funds due them after William Short's
unnamed wife's death -- even though they have asked in a pleasant manner
often -- identify five children. I further comment in advance, that it
appears that most Robertson genealogies name the above William Short as being
married to Sarah Robertson, daughter of John Robertson, who died in 1774 in
Granville Co. NC, with sons Nicholas and John.

The five children identified (specifically in second case)are:

(1) William Short, who dies before the 1788 case, leaving widow Elizabeth;

(2) Jacob Short, who responds to the complaints;

(3) Alice, wife of Charles Abernathy;

(4) ELIZABETH SHORT, wife of JOHN ROBERTSON;

(5) TABITHA SHORT, wife of NICHOLAS ROBERTSON:

Now even though the case doesn't help me get closer to the ancestry of
Priscilla Robertson, I do believe it does provide some information not found
on the internet at any rate, specifically two Robertson wives, and the
identity of Tabitha who may be the wife of Nicholas who dies in 1794. In
addition, I went to the Brunswick County VA library (only had about an hour)
and looked in their Short and Robertson files. Apparently there is a Short
family history that also does not show the names or husbands of these two
other daughters. There was nothing regarding this case in any Short or
Robertson family files.

So...the question is the identity of the above Nicholas and John Robertson,
and their descendants. Recalling that John Robertson who dies in 1774 in
Granville has sons Nicholas and John, as does his brother Israel -- AND that
at the time according to Virginia law, the marriage of an uncle to a niece
was illegal and subject to nullification and all issue would be illegitimate
-- IF indeed Sarah Robertson Short named in her father John's 1774 will was
married to the above William Short, d. 1769, the Nicholas and John Robertson
married to the two Short ladies are more likely the sons of Israel or another
Robertson because Israel's son John is said to be married to Mary Gower (or
do I have this all wrong?).

I plan to research this more closely, but at the moment I am hoping for a
trip to the NC state archives to look more closely at Granville and Warren Co
records on the estate of Nicholas Robertson (hoping wildly for a
chancery-type court case there also) and my Priscilla Robertson. See my
post here at genforum for more information. Of particular relevance you will
note that a Buckner Robertson seems to be a child of Nicholas d. 1794. A
Buckner Robertson is a witness to deed in 1768 in Granville Co., NC. This
presents me with some math problems if Nicholas d. 1794 in Granville is the
Nicholas baptised in Bristol Parish 21 Sep 1731, son of Israel and Sarah.
While I understand that often baptisms occurred some time after births, it
seems that Israel and Sarah would have had to have been married very young,
or Israel baptised several years after birth which doesn't seem likely, to
have had a son of age in 1768.

http://genforum.genealogy.com/robertson/messages/5809.html

Regarding incest laws, the relevant statute is found in Hening's Statutes at
Large, Volume IV, page 244, Section V.

FYI, it appears as though both cases were eventually dismissed. I very much
look forward to any of your comments on this.

My best Regards, Janet (Baugh) Hunter

SOME BRUNSWICK COUNTY REFERENCES


Will Book 5 - Brunswick Co VA

96 (246) - Inventory of the estate of William Short dec'd 10 Jun 1787. Noted
was Wm Short son of William Short, Buckner Robinson. Returned to Court July
1788 by John Short, his excr. (Note will of William Short Sr mentions sons
John, William, Thomas, daughters Mabell, Susanna Clayton, Mary Wall, and wife
Sarah.).

NOTE, this was William Short, son of William Short, d. 1769.

Brunswick Co, Deed Book 7,

page 625 (244) Amey (x) Short, Wm (x) and John (x) Short of Brunswick Co to
Nicholas Robinson of SAME 27 Dec 1760 30 pounds VA. 231 acres on both sides
of Beaver Pond on Sturgeon Run. Also signed by Emily (mark) Short Wit:
Charles Clayton, James Love, Nanny Clayton. Proved 28 Mar 1763 John
Robinson CC


Brunswick Co. Deeb Book 9,

page 459 (226) Nicholas(s) Robertson (Robinson) of St. Andrew Parish in
Brunswick Co to William Abernathy of sd parish. 18 Apr 1765 38 pounds VA. 116
acres on Beaver Pond Branch of Sturgeon Run joining Thomas Thomas, William
Short, Fields. Wit: Thoms Thomas, John Short, Thomas Short. Proved 24 June
1765, again 24 Sep 1765 & again 24 Oct 1768. N Edwards Jr. DCBC


Brunswick Co. Chancery Court Cases

http://www.lva.lib.va.us/ChanceryWebQ/ChanceryBasicQuery.asp#basicdatastart
http://www.lva.lib.va.us/whatwehave/local/chancery/index.htm

BRUNSWICK CO Not Filmed Not Filmed
JOHN ROBERTSON & WIFE VVS Versus EXRS OF WILLIAM SHORT 1782-008

BRUNSWICK CO Not Filmed Not Filmed
NICHOLAS ROBINSON & WIFE VS EXRS OF WILLIAM SHORT 1788-006

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