The
Nicholas Robbins Family
SIMEON T. ROBBINS
SIMEON T. ROBBINS (Biographical data supplied through the courtesy of Nancy Pisco from her Robbins family records and related census abstracts) Re: The Nicholas Robbins Family, No. 7.47.8
Simeon T. Robbins, son of James Robbins and Mary Treadwell, was born April 17, 1835 at Exeter, Maine. He followed his father and older brothers into farming in the Exeter area. In the late 1850s he married Elizabeth Perry, about the same age according to later census records and also born in Maine. They may have lived for awhile after marriage near St. Albans, Maine. According to a family bible record, the birth of their first child, Walter Scott Robbins, occurred in that place on January 25, 1859.
Sometime in the 1860s, Simeon and Elizabeth and son Walter removed to Long Island, New York, likely to join several of Simeon's brothers, who had settled there previously. The family bible records the birth of daughter Henrietta Perry Robbins at East Northport, New York in November, 1872 and daughter Mildred Robbins, also at East Northport on June 25, 1874. In the 1880 Census, Simeon and his family are recorded as residents of Huntington, Suffolk County, New York, where Simeon and son Walter are noted as farmers and wife Elizabeth is recorded as "keeping house". For reasons that are unclear, this Census records the youngest family member as a son named Winfield, age 5, and makes no reference to daughter Mildred, who would have been about the same age. No reference to Winfield was found in the family bible nor in subsequent censuses involving this family.
It would appear that Elizabeth (Perry) Robbins had passed away later in 1880 or in early 1881 as Simeon married Annie Etsell of Huntington on May 1, 1881, this according to a notice in the Long Islander newspaper. Annie was the daughter of Richard and Martha Etsell of Huntington. The 1900 Census indicates that she was born in February, 1854, in New York. That census also notes their residence as Huntington and Simeon's occupation as a milk dealer. The only child remaining at home in 1900 was Henrietta, who is recorded as a student, age 27.
Family bible records indicate that son Walter married Eudora Brush on 31 Mar 1888. By the time of the 1900
Census, Walter and Eudora had resettled in Cahuenga, Los Angeles County, California, where Walter's occupation was noted as physician. The bible records also note the birth of their son, Cassius Leroy Robbins on June 4, 1889. The 1900 Census indicates his birthplace to be New York.
Family bible records indicate that daughter Mildred married Gilbert Sammis of Northport, New York, on November 27, 1895. Mildred and Gilbert and their family are recorded in the 1900 Census for Huntington as follows: Gilbert Sammis, head of household, born in September, 1875 in New York, farmer; wife Mildred Sammis, born in June, 1874 in New York; son Howard C. Sammis, born in October, 1896 in New York; son Merton D. Sammis, born in April, 1898 in New York and son Byron T. Sammis, born in December, 1899 in New York. Sometime before the 1910 Census, this family had resettled in Freehold, Monmouth County, New Jersey, where they were still residing in 1930. An additional child for this couple was noted in the 1910 Census for Freehold, daughter Henrietta, born around 1902 in New York.
It would appear that Simeon and Annie resettled in California in the early 1900s. According to California records, Simeon T. Robbins died in Los Angeles on January 16, 1910. In the 1910 Census for Los Angeles, Annie E. Robbins is recorded as head of household, age 54, widow, born in New York, dressmaker, together with daughter Mabel E. Robbins, age 10, born in New York, father born in Maine and mother in New York. It would appear from this record that Simeon fathered a child with second wife Annie shortly after the 1900 Census. Also in the 1900 Census for Los Angeles, Walter, Eudora and son Cassius are noted residing next door to Annie and Mabel. Walter is again noted as a doctor. By the time of the 1920 Census, Walter, Eudora and Cassius had resettled in Manhattan Beach, California. They were still residing at that locale in 1930 with Walter and Eudora recorded in one residence with granddaughter Nellie Robbins and Cassius, wife Maud, son LeRoy Scott and daughter Margaret in an adjacent residence. No further record of Annie (Etsell) Robbins and daughter Mabel was found.
Submitted by Lawrence G. Robbins, January, 2009. Note: Mr. Robbins gratefully acknowledges the family records supplied to him by Nancy Pisco, a descendant of Benjamin T. Robbins, an older brother of Simeon. Among her records is a copy of inscriptions from a bible maintained by Dr. Walter Scott Robbins, which is essential to this family profile. For further information, Ms. Pisco may be contacted by email at jonanp@verizon.net.