Descendants of Matthew Robinson
Two Robinson families lived in Brandon in the 19th century. We assume they were related, though we’ve yet to trace the link. This section deals with the descendants of Matthew Robinson; a seperate section lists the desendants of William Robinson.
1st Generation
In Aug 1792 a Matthew Robinson married Elizabeth Brown in Ancaster, they had 7 children:
- Sarah, born Ancaster 1793
- John Charles Blythe, born 1794, died Apr 1795
- Mary, born Ruskington 1796
- Richard, born Ruskington 1799
- Elizabeth, born Ruskington 1800 (christened on Christmas Day 1800)
- Matthew, born Leasingham 1803
- Lydia, born Leasingham 1804/05 (christened 6 Jan 1806) [PICTURED]
2nd Generation – Children of Matthew & Elizabeth Robinson
Richard Robinson (b. 1799) married Hannah Rollitt (born Navenby 1805). By 1836 they were farming in Brandon, probably at Brandon Lodge Farm. In 1841, as well as Richard (age 40) and his family, the household included an elder Richard Robinson (age 80 independent means) & Richard (junior)’s sister Lydia. Hannah died in 1846 and Lydia stayed on as housekeeper. In 1851 the farm consisted of 200 acres. Richard died aged 52 in 1851 leaving Lydia to look after his 6 children (all born Brandon):
- Mary born 1833
- Richard born 1834
- Hannah born 1835, died aged 15 weeks
- Matthew born 1836
- Hannah Rollitt born 1838
- William born 1839
Elizabeth Robinson (b. 1800) married William Stokes (from Cowbit, near Spalding) at Leasingham in 1829. They had two children:
- Mary born Cowbit 1830, died in Maine, USA in 1871
- William born Leasingham 1832, died in Canada in 1896
Matthew Robinson (b. 1803) married Sarah Lambert (from Corby, Lincolnshire) in Corby in 1831. Initially they lived in Long Sutton but by 1841 they’d moved back to Leasingham and Matthew was employed as a malster. In 1851 they were farming 190 acres in Stubton. In 1861 (age 59) they were on Fenton Road, Stubton and had 195 acres. The household included Samuel Lowth, a carter from Carlton Scroop. By 1871 they’d moved to a (40 acre?) farm in Beckingham. Matthew died in Aug 1890. They had 4 children:
- Richard born Long Sutton 1832.
- Matthew born Long Sutton about 1834.
- Mary born Leasingham about 1837
- Sarah born Leasingham about 1841
Lydia Robinson (b 1805). The first record we have of Lydia (other than her christening) is 1841 when she was living with her brother Richard and his family at Brandon Lodge. She stayed there after Richard died and seems to have brought up his children. In 1871, although her brother’s children had died or moved away, she was listed as a visitor to her nephew’s widow Catherine Robinson. In 1881 she was visiting her niece Hannah Challands (nee Robinson) at Bottesford. Lydia died in early 1890, aged about 86.
3rd Generation (a) – Descendants of Richard Robinson (1799-1851)
Mary Robinson (b 1833) lived at Brandon Lodge until 1858 when she married married William Thomas Dalby Daybell and moved to Coddington, Notts. Their 10 children were all born in Coddington.
Richard Robinson (b. 1834). By 1861 he was listed as the head of household (with Aunt Lydia still living there). The same year he married Catherine Stevenson in Derby. She’d been born at Keisby Lodge (near Bourne) about 1838 and was living with her widowed mother (a retired farmer) in Claypole. Richard died Dec 1870, age 36. In 1871 Catherine was still farming at Brandon Lodge with Lydia staying there as a ‘visitor’. In 1874 Catherine re-married George Henry Minnitt and moved initially to Court Leys Farm near Brandon. She died in Grantham in 1928 and was buried at Caythorpe
Matthew Robinson (b. 1836). After his parents died Matthew was brought up by his older siblings and Aunt Lydia. In 1864 he married Mary Elizabeth Rowe in Ancaster. She was born in Sudbrooke about 1839. They set up home in Great Gonerby but later (between 1872 and 1881) they moved back to Brandon Lodge Farm. Matthew died there the following year (age 45) after which Mary moved back to Great Gonerby (Belton Lane) where she lived on her own means with her 2 daughters, who were both unmarried in 1901:
- Lizzie M Robinson (born 1867)
- Edith Annie Robinson (born 1872)
Hannah Rollitt Robinson (b. 1838). Hannah lived with her brothers and sisters and Aunt Lydia at Brandon Lodge until the 1860s when she married Hugh Challands, a builder from Bottesford (born 1839). They lived in Bottesford the rest of their lives; Hugh dying there in 1904 and Hannah in 1916. They had all 7 children (all born Bottesford):
- Lydia A Challands (1870-1937)
- William Richard Challands (1871-1921)
- Arthur Hugh Challands (1872-1949)
- Frank Cecil Challands (1876-1962, died West Virginia, USA)
- Walter Edward Challands (1878-1951)
- Charles Frederick Lancelote Challands (1881 -1959)
- Jesse Elizabeth Challands (1884-1961)
William Robinson (b. 1839) lived at Brandon Lodge until around 1861, when he seems to have moved to Claypole. In 1864 he was about to buy a farm near Gainsborough when he committed suicide by shooting himself, aged 24.
3rd Generation (b) – Descendants of Matthew Robinson (1803-1890)
Richard Robinson (b 1832) was living with his family at Stubton in 1851 (age 18). Over the next few years he married Jane (born Allington) and they moved to Laughton, near Bourne. Jane died 1896 and Richard in 1916 and Jan. Their children, born in Laughton, were:
- Robert Robinson (1858-1914)
- Sarah Robinson (born 1859)
Matthew Robinson (b 1834). In 1861 Matthew was still living with his parents in Stubton. In 1869 he married Margaret Robertson (born Edinburgh, about 1842), probably at Stubton. For the next few years they were farming 140 acres at Gorse Farm, Stubton. But in 1891 they were farming at Lowick Lodge, near Thrapston, Northamptonshire and in 1901 at Hambleton in Rutland (grazier, aged 67). He died aged 80 in 1913 (Thapston registration district).
Mary Robinson (b 1837). In 1851 (age 14) she was living with her grandmother, Mary Lambert who was an Innkeeper in Church Street, Corby. Two years later the Midland Railway opened a station in the village, which was later re-named as Corby Glenn to avoid confusion with Corby, Northamptonshire on the same line.
Sarah Robinson (b 1841) was brought up in Stubton until she married Bennett Nixon Brothwell (born Braceby about 1841). In 1871 they were in Grimston, East Riding of Yorkshire. In 1881 Bennett was working as a farm bailiff in Ropsley.
