Robertson | Robinson: Ancestors of Israel Robertson 1698-1760

For the ancestors of James Clifton Robertson 1921-2007, see Robertson Lineage 1

Most recently updated: 

This Robertson | Robinson aka "Commoner/Scottish" line is shown in some sources as the parentage of John Randolph Robertson Sr instead of the Robertson | Atholia | Duncan aka "Royal/Randolph" lineage. Although this line is called the "Commonor/Scottish" Line, the migration pattern indicates only a brief time in Scotland, with the rest of the time being in England until immigration to America. 

Robertson Surname Origin

Robinson Surname Origin

The Robinson and Robertson names are used interchangeably for a few generations, but the Robinson name seems to have been carried forward more predominantly. Although this line is called the "Commonor/Scottish" Line, the migration pattern indicates only a brief time in Scotland, with the rest of the time being in England until immigration to America. 

 Evidence supporting the "Commoner/Scottish" Line: From a Google AI Query

1. "Primary Documentation: Bristol Parish register records (Prince George County, Virginia) show that John Robertson was born on May 8, 1723, to parents Israel and Sarah Robertson.
2. The "Randolph" Myth: The claim that his mother was Elizabeth Ann Randolph (and that he was born in 1712) originated in an 1898 article by Mrs. Charles Fairfax Henley. This was an attempt to link the Robertson family to the "First Families of Virginia" (FFV) and figures like Thomas Jefferson, but it lacks supporting contemporary records.  
3. Middle Name Discrepancy: Contemporary 18th-century records for John and his famous son, General James Robertson, rarely include the middle name "Randolph". The name was likely added by later descendants to reinforce the perceived link to the Randolph family.
4. Geographic Origin: While some myths claim he was born in Scotland, the parish records confirm he was part of the Robertson family already established in the Virginia colonies."

Robertson Lineage 
Edward Robinson 1170-TBD, father of John Robinson 1191-TBD, father of John Robinson 1217-TBD, father of Richard Robinson 1249-TBD, father of Thomas Robinson 1270-TBD, father of James Robinson 1300-TBD, father of Richard Robinson 1330-TBD, father of John Robinson 1360-1398, father of Henry Robinson 1396-1466, father of Thomas Robinson 1426-1496, father of John Ralph Robinson 1448-1539 , father of John Mason Robinson Sr 1500-1588, father of Geoffrey Mason Robinson Sr 1541-1625 , father of Geoffrey Mason Robinson Jr 1574-1616, father of Christopher Robinson 1615-1663, father of Edward Robinson 1643-1689 , father of  Nicholas Robertson 1665-1718, father of  Israel Robertson 1699-1760, father of  John Robertson 1723-1761.

Robertson Migration
Donnington, Somerset, England > Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England > Halberry Castle, Caithness, Scotland > North Yorkshire, England > Shropshire, England > Worcestershire, England > Middlesex, England > Dudley, West Midlands, England > Dudley Worcestershire, England > Durham, England > Henrico, Virginia > Bristol Parish, Prince George County > Johnston, North Carolina

Some sources have Israel Robertson 1698-1760 & Sarah Martin Williams 1698-1760, married 1719, as the parents, which takes the ancestral line in a whole different direction, referred to as the "Commoner/Scottish" Line rather than the "Royal/Randolph" Line. For that lineage, John Robertson is said to have been born 8 May 1723, also in Bristol Parish, Prince George County, Virginia and died in Johnston County, North Carolina in 1775 or 1776.

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Israel Robertson or Robinson, Cheryl's 6th Great-Grandfather (alt)
1698 - 12 August 1760
b. Bristol Parish, Prince George County, Virginia
d. Granville County, North Carolina

Cemetery TBD

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Robinson: Google | 

Noteworthy

1. Tags: 

Residences:

Parents: 
Nicholas Robertson 1665-1718
Sarah Marks 1688-1716

Maternal Lineage:
Sarah Marks 1688-1716

Spouse: Sarah Martin Williams 1698-1760
Married: TBD
Children: 

1. Matthew Robertson 1721-1797
2. John Robertson 1723-1761
3. Israel Robertson Jr 1725-TBD
4. David Robertson 1728-1771
5. Nicholas Robertson 1731-TBD
6. Charles Robertson 1733-1798
7. George Robertson 1737-1759
8. Susannah Robertson TBD

Source Documents

1.    Ancestry TBD | FamilySearch TBD

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Nicholas Robertson or Robinson, Cheryl's 7th Great-Grandfather (alt)
1665 - 12 May 1718 (53)
b. Edinburgh, Midlotian, Scotland or West Wemyss, Fife, Scotland
d. Bristol Parish, Prince George County, Virginia

Cemetery TBD

Ancestry (TBD) | FamilySearch (TBD) | Find a Grave (NR) | Geneanet (TBD) | Geni (TBD) | Google | MyHeritage (TBD) | Newspapers (TBD) | Obituary (TBD) | RootsFinder (TBD) | WikiTree 

Noteworthy

1. Early Religious Freedom: In July 1715, his house was ordered to be recorded as a "publick meeting house for the sect of AnaBaptists" in Prince George County, Virginia. This is significant as it indicates an early establishment of nonconformist religious practice in the colony during a time when the Anglican Church was dominant. Google
2. Nicholas Robertson first appeared in official Virginia records in February 1687/8 when he registered a livestock earmark, and was granted 289 acres of land on the Blackwater Swamp in April 1690. His life and land transactions are well-documented in the Charles City and Prince George County order and deed books, providing valuable primary source information for local historians and genealogists. Google
3. Tags: Planter_, Anabaptist_, Immigrated_to_USA

Residences:

Edinburgh, Midlotian, Scotland or West Wemyss, Fife, Scotland 1665 > Blackwater Swamp, bordering Charles City County and Surry County, Virginia 1690 > Bristol Parish, Prince George County, Virginia 1718

Parents: 
Edward Robinson 11643-1689
Anne Dison West 1644-TBD

Maternal Lineage:
Anne West 1644-TBD

Spouse 1: Sarah Ann Marks 1668-1716
Married: 1687
Children: 

1. Edward Robinson 1700-TBD
2. John Charles Robertson Sr 1694-1774
3. Israel Robertson Sr 1698-1760
4. Mary Robertson 1692-1780

Spouse 2: Jane Tillman 1689-TBD
Married: 1707
Children: 

1. Christopher Robertson
2. Henry Robinson
3. Robert Robinson

Source Documents

1.    Ancestry TBD | FamilySearch TBD

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Edward Robinson, Cheryl's 8th Great-Grandfather (alt)
1643-1689
b. Bristol Parish, Henrico County, Virginia
d. Charles City, Virginia

Cemetery TBD

Ancestry (TBD) | FamilySearch (TBD) | Find a Grave (NR) | Geneanet (TBD) | Geni (TBD) | Google (TBD) | MyHeritage (TBD) | Newspapers (TBD) | Obituary (TBD) | RootsFinder (TBD) | WikiTree 

Noteworthy

1. Tags: 

Residences:

Parents: 
Christopher Robinson 1615-1663
Frances Robinson 1618-TBD

Maternal Lineage:
Frances Robinson 1618-TBD

Spouse: Anne West 1644-TBD
Married: 1662 in Bristol Parish, Prince George County, Virginia
Children: 

1. Nicholas Robertson 1665-1718
2. Edward Robinson Jr TBD
3. Christopher Robinson TBD
4. Alexander Robinson 1686-TBD

Source Documents

1.    Ancestry TBD | FamilySearch TBD

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Christopher Robinson, Cheryl's 9th Great-Grandfather (alt)
1615 - 31 August 1663
b. Durham, England
d. Henrico, Virginia

Cemetery TBD

Ancestry (TBD) | FamilySearch (TBD) | Find a Grave | Geneanet (TBD) | Geni (TBD) | Google | MyHeritage (TBD) | Newspapers (TBD) | Obituary (TBD) | RootsFinder (TBD) | WikiTree   

Noteworthy

1. Tags: Immigrated_to_USA

Residences:

Parents:
Geoffrey Mason Robinson 1574-1595
Elizabeth Lane 1580/1590-1620/1640

Spouse 1: Frances Robinson 1618-TBD
Married: 1636 in Henrico, Virginia
Children: TBD

Some sources identify both of these spouses as one person named Frances Marie Burnell, born between 1590 and 1625, died 1665, and having married Francis Burnell in 1663. 

Spouse 2: Marie Mances 1630-1678
Married: 1644
Children: 

1. Edward Robinson 1645-TBD
2. Christopher Robinson 1655-TBD
3. Marie Robinson 1655-TBD
4. Henry Robinson 1656-TBD

Source Documents

1.    Ancestry TBD | FamilySearch TBD

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Geoffrey Mason Robinson Jr, Cheryl's 10th Great-Grandfather (alt)
1574-1616 (42)
b. Dudley Worcestershire, England,
d. Dudley, Worcestershire, England,

Cemetery TBD

Ancestry (TBD) | FamilySearch | Find a Grave (NR) | Geneanet | Geni | Google | MyHeritage (TBD) | Newspapers (TBD) | Obituary (TBD) | RootsFinder (TBD) | WikiTree (TBD)  

Noteworthy

1. Tags: 

Residences:

Parents: 
Geoffrey Mason Robinson Sr 1541-1625
Margaret Astley 1540-1617

Maternal Lineage:

Spouse: Elizabeth Lane 1580/1590-1620/1640
Married: 
Children: 

1. 
   
2. Others TBD

Source Documents

1.    Ancestry TBD | FamilySearch TBD

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Geoffrey Mason Robinson Sr, Cheryl's 11th Great-Grandfather
28 December 1541 - 1625
b. Dudley, West Midlands, England
d. Dudley, West Midlands, England

Cemetery TBD

Ancestry (TBD) | FamilySearch (TBD) | Find a Grave (TBD) | Geneanet (TBD) | Geni | Google (TBD) | MyHeritage | Newspapers (TBD) | Obituary (TBD) | RootsFinder (TBD) | WikiTree (TBD)  

Noteworthy

1. Tags: 

Residences:

Parents & Maternal Lineage TBD

Parents: 

Maternal Lineage:

Spouse: 
Married: 
Children: 

1. 
   
2. Others TBD

Source Documents

1.    Ancestry TBD | FamilySearch TBD

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Bibliography 

Ancestry ®. "Public Member Trees Database.” © 1997-2026 Ancestry®.  Ancestry.  ancestry.com/  

FamilySearch. "Public Member Database." © 2026 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. A service provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Family Search. familysearch.org

Find a Grave ®. "World's Largest Gravesite Collection." © 2026 Find a Grave ®. Find a Grave.  www.findagrave.com  

Geneanet. "Public Member Database." © 1996. Geneanet. en.geneanet.org  

Google. Google Search. Google, www.google.com

Newspapers.com™ by Ancestry®. Newspapers.com www.newspapers.com/

Robertson, Marielle. "Robertson," "Whitney." Family Research Book. ca. 2010. Marielle Robertson, daughter of Clifton James Robertson and Anna Louise Cooper. Print, limited copies reproduced.

The Paducah Sun. © 1898-2025. Archived at Newspapers.com™ by Ancestry®. 

Wikipedia Contributors. Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page  

WikiTree contributors,  WikiTree: The Free Family Tree. https://www.wikitree.com/

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Endnotes

Ancestry ®. "Public Member Trees Database.” © 1997-2025 Ancestry®.  Ancestry.  ancestry.com/ Lawson-Robertson Family Tree. www.ancestry.com/family-tree/tree/10075800/family  User profile for William Harris Lawson, Jr., user Livingweb. Accessed 5 January 2026.

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/60009047/christopher-robinson: accessed January 8, 2026), memorial page for Christopher Robinson (1620–Aug 1663), Find a Grave Memorial ID 60009047; Maintained by Samantha (contributor 47228335).

Google. "AI Overview." Search term: "Robinson Surname Origin." Google. 

https://www.google.com/search?q=Robinson+Surname+Origin  Accessed 8 January 2026.

Google. "AI Overview." Search term: "Robertson Surname Origin." Google. 

https://www.google.com/search?q=Robertson+Surname+Origin  Accessed 8 January 2026.

---. "Search Results." Search term: "Israel Robertson 1690-1760"  Google.  https://www.google.com/search?q=Israel+Robertson+1690-1760  Accessed 8 January 2026.

---. "Search Results." Search term: "Israel Robinson 1690-1760"  Google.  https://www.google.com/search?q=Israel+Robinson+1690-1760  Accessed 8 January 2026.

---. "Search Results." Search term: "Nicholas Robertson 1665-1718"  Google.  https://www.google.com/search?q=Nicholas+Robertson+1665-1718  Accessed 8 January 2026.

---. "Search Results." Search term: "Edward Robinson 1643-1689"  Google.  https://www.google.com/search?q=Edward+Robinson+1643-1689  Accessed 8 January 2026.

---. "Search Results." Search term: "Christopher Robinson 1615-1663"  Google.   https://www.google.com/search?q=Christopher+Robinson+1615-1663  Accessed 8 January 2026.

---. "Search Results." Search term: "Geoffrey Mason Robinson 1574-1595"  Google.   https://www.google.com/search?q=Geoffrey+Mason+Robinson+1574-1595  Accessed 8 January 2026.

WikiTree contributors, "Israel Robertson (abt.1699-bef.1760)," WikiTree: The Free Family Tree, (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Robertson-86 : accessed 08 January 2026).

---, "Nicholas Robertson (abt.1665-aft.1718)," WikiTree: The Free Family Tree, (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Robertson-104 : accessed 08 January 2026).

---, "Edward Robinson (abt.1643-abt.1689)," WikiTree: The Free Family Tree, (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Robinson-1848 : accessed 08 January 2026).

---, "Christopher Robinson (abt.1615-bef.1663)," WikiTree: The Free Family Tree, (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Robinson-1846 : accessed 08 January 2026).

   

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Miscellanea

Talking Kin™: Robertson (Israel)

https://www.talkingkin.com/2026/01/robertson-israel.html
© 2023-2026 William H Lawson Jr

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