Holbrook line: Daniel Robins, Scots Prisoner of War

 Some of his story doesn't make sense to me, so you may sense some skepticism in parts of this post.  But parts of it are well documented, and bring another part of history to life.  It's one thing to read about the sad fate of many Scots prisoners of war and another thing to realize that "they" include our ancestor.  This story, however, does appear to have a happy ending.

We don't know for sure who Daniel's parents were, nor where exactly he was born in Scotland.  His name may have been Robinson, or Robertson, before he arrived in New England.  The most likely parents seem to be Richard and Mary Robinson, and if this is correct, he was born in 1627 in Struan, Blair Athol, Scotland.  That's a tiny village pretty much in the center of Scotland, north west of Edingurgh and southwest of Aberdeen.  It's likely that Daniel grew up in a poor family, as most Scots in that area were poor farmers at that time.

We don't know when or why Daniel entered the Royalist army supporting Charles II against Oliver Cromwell.  He may have been conscripted, or he may have seen military service to the King as a duty.  We do know that he fought in the last battle of the English Civil War, the Battle of Worcester, in 1651 and that is when he, along with about 10,000 others, was captured and eventually sent to the New World as indentured servants, with little or no chance of returning home.  

Daniel may have been fortunate in having been sent to New England rather than the West Indies or Bermuda.  He arrived in 1652 on the "John and Sara" and was indentured to Nathaniel Foote of Connecticut, who died in 1655.  His term of indenture was for 6-8 years and Daniel was well treated by the family, so he stayed on with them until his term was up.  Indentured servants were generally given a clothing outfit, and perhaps tools for whatever trade he may have learned when they had completed their service, and Daniel was then a free person (not a freeman). 

The Foote family was of Wethersford, Connecticut, but by 1663 Daniel is in New Haven, Ct. where he married Hope Potter on February 10, 1663.  He must not have been penniless by this time, in order to be able to afford a wife and potential family.  Hope was the daughter of William and Frances Child Potter, and she came from a difficult family background, so perhaps she was seeking escape as much as anything.  Did he marry her for love, because of pity, or because she was available?  One source says that Hope was related to the Foote family, but I haven't figured that connection out yet.

Whatever the reason, the couple settled down in New Haven for a few years, and Daniel apparently acquired or purchased land there, as well as "goods".  Their first two or three children were born in New Haven, and then the couple pulled up stakes and moved to Woodbridge, New Jersey, where Daniel was granted 173 acres of land in 1669, the same year that the village was granted a royal charter.  (Daniel apparently received further grants, including one that his heirs received after his death, based on his standing as a first settler of the town.

Daniel and Hope had perhaps as many as 8 more children in Woodbridge, before Hope died a year after her last child was born in 1686.  We can conclude that however their marriage started, Daniel loved her because when he died in 1714, he requested that his body be buried next to Hope's, which was a distance of some 28 miles (in the summer, on poor roads.)  It's a tribute to his family that they honored this request.

Daniel was part of the town civic life.  He was overseer of the highways in 1680, and helped oversee the construction of a causeway over a creek, which later became a bridge large enough for carts.  In 1688 he was both constable and tax collector.  By 1692 he was serving as both sergeant to the court and to the militia.  He is gone from Woodbridge records soon after, as he moved to Crosswick, N.J. 8 years after Hope died, purchasing a large tract of land there, and living out his remaining years there. 

We don't know how the family resolved their religious differences.  Hope came from a Puritan family, although she had reason to dislike them, and Daniel was most likely Presbyterian in background.  Did they find common ground?  Some of their children became members of the Society of Friends (Quakers) and it is possible that Daniel and his family worshiped with them, also.  

Daniel is described as being short (5 foot tall) with dark curly hair and blue eyes.  One interesting detail is that he played a harp (no further description, but probably hand held).  He is not known to have been literate but he knew his Bible, for his children had mostly names from either the Old Testament or the New.  Richard would seem to be the exception.

When Daniel died, he described himself in his will as a yeoman (farmer owning land).  He disposed of several properties in his will but I've not located an inventory.  It seems, however, that he had enough assets to support several family members. including two daughters of his deceased son Nathaniel.  Our indentured servant had come a long way.  

The line of descent is:

Daniel Robins-Hope Potter

Joeph Robbins-Hannah Pack

Bethia Robbins-John Nations

Christopher Nation-Elizabeth Swaim

Joseph Nation-Jerretta Vickery

Elizabeth Nation-Christopher Myers

Phoebe Myers-Adam Brown

Phoebe Brown-Fremont Holbrook

Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard

Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen

Their descendants