Charles H . Robinson & Eliza Ann Shaffer
At an early stage in researching the family records, I wondered how
Charles Robinson from Kings County had ever met Eliza Shaffer from Lunenburg
County. True, geographically there was a common border for the two counties
in the center backbone of the province, but this area, even today, is
quite sparsely settled. In their time, the one road from "The Valley"
in Kings County across the center of the province to the "South
Shore" in Lunenburg County would have been a difficult journey.
Until recently this was a gravel road, dusty and washboardy in summer,
and back then it was probably rutted and boggy in spring and fall. Winter
would have been the preferred time to travel.
As it happened, the difficulties of travel between Counties was not even a factor, since they were to meet in the same town. In each of their lives, the circumstances which brought them to Kentville while still in their teens involved major hardships encountered by each of the Robinson and Shaffer parental families.
Eliza's father, John Shaffer, died before 1861, and sometime before she was 7 years old. He left behind his wife, Hannah, (then about 44) with a young family of six children (census of 1861) and no reasonable means of working their farm in New Ross, Lunenburg County. By the time of 1871 census, Eliza was living and working as a servant with a George Dennison family in Kentville.
Charles Robinson was also in Kentville in 1871, and working as a servant with a John Harrington family. He was there because an equally devastating misfortune had occurred with his parents. The census of 1871 shows that his mother, Rachael Rebecca Robinson, (then 38) and younger brother, James, have had to go back to live with their parents, John and Eunice Dunham. From family recollections we know that Rachel's husband, John Robinson, had left his family and moved to Hants County. We will probably never know the circumstances behind this drastic step, and no words today can compensate for the trauma experienced then by this young family. Maybe in those days divorce was considered an equal scandal to just separating and leaving.
Charles's other brothers were "farmed out" to live with relatives and friends. Fred was with a Woodword family in Wolfville; Edmund with a Bowlby family in North Aylesford; William with the William Henry Robinson family (brother to John) on Brooklyn Street. Eliza's brothers and sisters were living in Centreville, most working as servants as reported in the 1871 census. Eliza's mother, Hannah, died of cancer in Centreville at age 52 - in 1872.
For the intervening years until 1880, we have no record.
In 1880, Charles made a contractual agreement with his maternal grandfather, John L. Dunham, which was to have a major bearing on his life - and, of course, on all the lives of his descendants yet to come. A copy of that bond, found in family papers. shows that it was signed the 14th February 1880, and is herewith quoted in its entirety (with original punctuation and spelling) as it gives a unique flavor for those times. It highlights the age-old problem of how people cope with the problems of their declining years - and the role that the next generation often plays.
"Know all men by these presents that I, Charles Robinson, of Cornwallis in Kings County, Province of Nova Scotia, Dominion of Canada, Painter, am held and firmly bound unto John L. Dunham of Cornwallis aforesaid and to Eunice A. Dunham, his wife, and to Mary Amey Dunham, his daughter, in the sum of two thousand dollars current money of the Dominion of Canada, to be paid to the aforesaid John L. Dunham, their Heirs, Executors, Administrators or Assigns for which payment well and truly to be made I bind myself, my Heirs, Executors and Administrators firmly by these presents. Sealed with my seal, dated the fourteenth day of February, one thousand eight hundred and eighty.
The condition of the above obligation is such that where the above bound Charles H. Robinson has this day purchased from the above named John L. Dunham all that certain Farm, Lot, or Tract of land where the said John L. Dunham now resided together with all and singular the buildings and apurtances thereinto belonging and having received a Deed thereof in Fee Simple duly executed by the aforesaid John L. Dunham and Eunice Ann his wife and Mary Amey Dunham his daughter and subjected to the conditions of this bond which is as follows: Namely to Maintain or Board said John L. Dunham, Eunice Ann his wife and Mary Amey Dunham his daughter comfortably and to clothe them decently during their natural lives, both in sickness and in health and when sick provide a Doctor and other attendance when necessary and said Charles H. Robinson shall pay for the same and the aforesaid Charles H. Robinson shall allow said John L. Dunham and wife and daughter aforesaid to occupy a comfortable part of the house where they now live and to have free access to the kitchen, porch and cellar and furnish said John L. Dunham, wife and daughter with good firewood prepared fit for use to burn during their natural lives and at their decease said Charles H. Robinson to give them decent Christian burial. The furniture now in possession or owned by said John L. Dunham shall be his daughter's at his death. Said Charles H. Robinson has no claim on it whatsoever.
And if Mary Amey Dunham should or does not get married at any time then in such case she shall have no further claim on said Charles H. Robinson for maintenance or clothing except a wedding. Also said Charles H. Robinson does hereby agree to pay debts due by said John L. Dunham to Rufus Lawrence and Stuber Sweet amounting to fifty dollars. And also said Charles H. Robinson doth hereby agree to pay the fifty dollars that he will still owe John L. Dunham to John E. Dunham two years after the death of said John L. Dunham. In case the said John L. Dunham does not draw any during his life time but if he should require any of the said C.H. Robinson do hereby agree to pay the amount required and to take a receipt for the same the sum required not to exceed the said fifty dollars. And if any of the said fifty dollars should not be required by said John L. Dunham (as per Receipts will show) said balance shall be paid to said John E. Dunham as above stated, and said Charles H. Robinson doth further agree and is in Mutual Agreement of John L. Dunham that Provided any difference arise at any time between the said Charles H. Robinson and the said J.L. Dunham, Eunice Ann his wife and Mary Amey Dunham that in such case reference shall be had to Stubert Sweet and Joseph B. Elliott and their decision shall be binding on both parties and in the case of the removal of either or both by death or otherwise in such case another suitable person or persons shall be chosen in his or their stead and their united directions shall be conclusive and binding. Now if the above bound Charles H. Robinson, his Heirs, Executors or Administrators do and shall well and truly pay or cause to be paid in a satisfactory manner the debts mentioned in the above condition to the different persons named therein and the fifty dollars above stated in the condition of this bond and in all respects fully comply will all the engagements and conditions therein mentioned in the provisions made for their support and maintenance and the full allowance of all the privileges set forth and in every respect do fully comply with and perform so as to give no just cause of complaint in respect thereto to the said John L. Dunham and Eunice Ann his wife and Mary Amey Dunham his daughter aforesaid then the foregoing obligation to be and become void. Otherwise to remain in full force and virtue."
|
Signed, Sealed and Delivered IN PRESENCE OF JOHN E. DUNHAM JOHN MILLS |
CHARLES H. ROBINSON |
Thus, in 1880, Charles bought the Dunham property and agreed to look after and care for his maternal grandparents in sickness and health for the rest of their lives. This commitment he kept, as we will see. Interestingly, this document reveals his full bold signature with middle initial, H. At some later time he use a middle name, Edward, and the H was unused. Speculation is now that the H may have been for "Howard" as that was to become the name of his first son.
His uncle, James William Henry Robinson, who also had three given names, and rarely used James, was known as William Henry and Uncle Henry.
In the same year, 1880, Charles was preparing to get married - and no doubt the bond agreement with his grandfather was part of his planning.
The marriage of Charles Robinson and Eliza Shaffer was solemnized on 26th July, 1880, in the 23rd year of her Majesty's reign, in Kentville, by the Methodist minister, Rev. Paul Prestwood. Charles signed the marriage license as Charles H. Robinson, bachelor, age 27. Eliza signed clearly as Eliza Shafner, spinster, age 26. The signature of Eliza, with surname Shafner, can be understood in the following context. There was uncertainty beginning with John Shaffer about the proper surname spelling and it is highly possible that John himself did not know the original German spelling of Schaeffer. Eliza's brothers and sisters living in Centreville at the same time in 1871 reported their surname as Shafer. Eliza's birth date remains somewhat of a mystery because of conflicting information. Gladys recalls a date of May 18, 1852 and the tombstone record shows 1852. However, the census of 1871 has Eliza at age 15, and therefore born about 1856. This date is suspect because census records for age are often undependable, particularly since we do not really know who reported the information to the census enumerator at the time. A more likely date of 1854 can be calculated from the age of 26 on the marriage license for Eliza in 1880.
According to family remembrances, Charles and Eliza went to the Boston area, where he began an apprentice program to become a painter, specializing in wood-graining techniques and surface marbleizing. Also according to family remembrances, they would have stayed there, if they had not been called back to Lakeville to care for the Dunham kin (as incidentally he had agreed to do in the bond contract with his grandfather, John L. Dunham).
Thus they settled in Lakeville, Kings County, Nova Scotia, in the Dunham house right on the shore of Silver Lake in Lakeville. By 1897 this Robinson family had grown to eight children - a family snapshot shows Eliza and Charles's mother, Rachael Rebecca, outside the home by the lake. Yet to be added to the family were George (b.1900) and Gladys (b. 1903). At some time the family moved across the road to a house formerly occupied by the Episcopal Bishop (or some say, the Presbyterian minister for the area), and this house is currently occupied by Charles's youngest son, George and his wife, "Belle". The old Dunham-Robinson home on the lake was lost in a fire.
Charles was able to support this large family through a combination of painting and farming. The older children were encouraged "to go out on their own" at a much earlier age than we would consider today. My father, Charles Burnham, "Bernie", as a teenager went to work on a farm on an island near the coast of Maine and also worked as a clerk in a grocery store in Boston.
Only in the last few years have I found more of the background of Eliza - how, in addition to all the tasks of raising this large family, somehow found the time to be midwife to many Lakeville births. I had recently called on an old family friend, Muriel Clarke, and was intrigued by one of her comments, "Max, did you know that your grandmother, Eliza, was the midwife at my birth in Lakeville?" "No, I really did not." Strange, that we in the family had taken so much for granted, and did not have the memory or interest to recall the things she did. Like her daughter, Gladys, said, "Even though we did not have very much ourselves when I was growing up, my mother at harvest time, would load up the wagon with food and take it to those more in need than we".
In the retirement years for Eliza and Charles, their youngest son, George took over the farm in Lakeville, and also the responsibility for their care.
ROBINSON
FAMILY - About 1897
BACK STANDING:-EVELYN, BERTHA, ANNIE AND HOWARD..
FRONT:-RACHEL REBECCA, CHARLES, JOHN LESTER,ELIZA HOLDING BABY JOSIE
AND LUCY.
