There were two Charles Robertsons living in the area at the same time. Click here to see my attempt to untangle them.
Also spelled as Robinson, Robison, Robeson, Roberson and Robertson.
The Holston River flows from Kingsport to Knoxville.
map by Kmusser
The American Revolution was ended in 1783 when the Treaty of Paris was signed.
Slavery is an immoral system of forced labor where people are treated as property to be bought and sold. It was legal in the American Colonies and the United States until the Civil War.
Charles Robertson was born on July 24, 1733 in Brunswick County, Virginia. His father was Israel Robertson.
He married Susannah Nichols. Susannah was the daughter of Julius Nichols.
Julius Robertson (1758),
Keziah Robertson (1759, married Jonathan Tipton and Robert Sevier),
William Robertson (1761),
Charles Robertson (1762),
Susan Robertson (1763, married Felix Walker),
Sarah Robertson (1765),
George Robertson (1767), and
Rosamond Robertson (1770, married Russell Bean).
According to Fred Hinkle, in 1775 at a meeting at Sycamore Shoals, Charles Robertson was granted a lease for all lands in the region by the indigenous people.
In 1777, Washington County, Tennessee was formed and the first meeting to decide the location of the new courthouse was at the Robertson's home. They decided that John Carter, Andrew Greer, William Cobb, Jacob Womack, George Russell, John Sevier, and James Stuart would plan the courthouse.
The 1778 Washington County court ordered that David Hickey to be fined 5£ for insulting the Court and Charles Robertson, Jr. was his security.
In the summer of 1780 Major Charles Robertson led the Watauga troops on the campaign in South Carolina.
A bond from William Cox to Charles Robertson dated 2 Feb. 1795,
relinquishing the following to Robertson:
bond on Martin Armstrong for 275 pounds Virginia money;
a deed on Mark Mettle for $1100; debt on William Thompson for 2 negroes and $200;
bond on David Allison for a negro,
agreement of Michael Harrison for 40 pounds;
debt on Charles Doke for 100 pounds;
and all household furniture.
Void if Cox pays Robertson in two months.
Witnessed by William Willson and Joseph Cobb.
On September 12, 1788, Charles Robertson sold John Tadlock a negro girl named Margaret for 75£ Virginia money. Julius Robertson witnessed the sale.
In 1795, Charles Robertson and Jesse Payne supervised the land to be laid out next to the prison in Jonesborough and he received permission to keep a public house in Jonesborough.
Brunswick County, Virginia was established in 1720 from Prince George County. In 1732 the county received more land from parts of Surry and Isle of Wight counties. Brunswick County extended to the Blue Ridge until 1745, when new counties were formed and the current western border established.
East Tennessee is part of Appalachia. At the end of the French and Indian War, colonists began drifting into the area. In 1769, they first settled along the Watauga River. During the Revolution, the Overmountain Men defeated British loyalists at the Battle of Kings Mountain. The State of Franklin was formed in the 1780s, but never admitted to the Union.
American colonists continued to use British monetary units, namely the pound, shilling and pence for which £1 (orli) equalled 20s and 1s equalled 12d. In 1792 the dollar was established as the basic unit of currency.
from Lunenburg County, Virginia Deed Book 7, p. 130.
Charles Roberson and his wife, Susana, of Granville County, North Carolina, to George King of same for £40, one tract of 200 acres in Lunenburg County and bounded by the county line [and] Reedy Branch. The land was first received by Israel Roberson and made to Carles Roberson in Lunenburg County.
Charles (his X mark) Roberson, Susanna Roberson.
Wit: George Nichols,
Robert (his X mark) King,
Daniel Collson.
Recorded: September 1, 1761.
from Present in Tennessee 1789; Washington County, Tennessee Deeds
10 Nov 1789
Charles Robinson/Robertson, Sener, and wife Susannah, sell to John Tadlock...650 acres on branch of Nolechockey River on the north side...in consideration of 700 Lbs...adjacent to Thomas Gillaspey, McAdams, McCray
Charles Robinson
Susannah Robinson
Witnesses:
Noah Hawthorn
Andrew Haynes
Isaac Collet
Feb 1790
from Washington County, Tennessee Will Book 1, p. 44.
Colonel Charles Robertson's Will
Know all whom these presents may concern,
That Charles Robertson Sen. of the County of Washington & State of Tennessee on the thirty first day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety eight [August 1, 1798] have my last will and testament, as I think myself perfectly in my senses and capable of disposing of my estate as I think best,
In the first place I think best to appoint Charles Robertson Jr. & James Gordon & Jacob Brown my executors to act and settle my business & after all my just & lawful debts is paid & settled the ballance to be disposed of as follows
I do bequeath unto my wife Susanna Robertson negroe Peter & Poll her bed & furniture sufficient for the same until the said Susannah death then they to be divided equally divided amongst my sons and all my personal exceptions that is
that William Robertson to have negroe Kate deducted or the price there of out of his part
Rosamond Beane to have the price of negroe Rhood deducted out of her part
Keseah Sevier to have a likely smart negroe girl which is to be the full amount of her share
Sarah Cox to have ten dollars which is also to be the full amount of her part there is also excepted out of my real estate two thousand acres of land lying at the mussel shoals which is to be taken out of eight thousand acre tract one thousand to be given to James Gordon and the other thousand to be given to Charles Sevier
In testimony whereof I have set my hand the day and year first above written
Chas. Robertson Sen.
from Dropped Stitches in Tennessee History by John Allison
When Parton was preparing his life of Jackson, some one gave him the information that Col. Charles Roberson, Bean's father-in-law, was
an illiterate old man, who had fought under Sevier at King's Mountain and made campaigns against the Indians.
This statement, unqualified, does Col. Roberson injustice. He was one of the heroes of King's Mountain [I think this was the other Charles Robertson], and had engaged in many campaigns against the Indians. He was not an educated man, but the various responsible positions to which he was appointed, including that of chairman of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions, according to early records at Jonesboro, and speaker of the Senate in the last General Assembly of the State of Franklin, 1787, testify to his intelligence, as well as the esteem and confidence in which he was held by his countrymen.
