John, the last of my Robie line, was born in Hampton, New Hampshire in 1648, son of Henry Robie and Ruth Moore. John settled just over the Massachusetts line in a town called Haverhill. John married Anne Corliss, daughter of George Corliss on 1 November 1677. Little is known about the couple and their daily lives, but we do know that they ended in tragedy.
children: all recorded in Haverhill
Ruth: b. 14 October 1678 m. 10 Dec 1701, d. 19 April 1753 Hampton, NH
Icabod: b. 15 Jan 1679
Henry: b. 12 Mar 1680/1 d. 17 Mar 1680/1
Johanna: b. 5 Mar 1681/2
Sarah: b. 6 Mar 1683/4
Deliverance: b. 17 Feb 1685
John 25 Mar 1688
From the Haverhill records we know that John Robie built a house there between 1675 and 1677. He had been a soldier during the 1675 King Philip's War, a brutal bloody fight between the Native Americans and the English colonist. The English narrowly defeated the Natives who all but pushed them into the ocean.
Once married, John's family rapidly expanded. Ann gave birth every year or two. They lost their infant son Henry in March of 1680. In 1679 John requested additional land from the town and in 1680 he was granted 5 or 6 acres more. He also purchased meadow land from a neighbor Thomas Davis.
Despite winning King Philip's war, the colonies were not at peace with the Native Americans. With French Canadian allies raiding parties swept across the land with lightening quick strikes. 1690 saw the beginning of what is known as King William's War. New Hampshire suffered multiple attacks including the 1689 attack on Cocheco Falls, 1690 attack on Salmon Falls, the 1691 massacre at Brackett Lane, near Sandy Beach. Massachusetts was not spared from these attacks. My ancestor Phillip Rowell was killed in July 1690 in Amesbury. In 1694 the residents of Oyster River were wiped out, including my ancestors John and Remembrance Rand.
In the midst of these tense times, Anne Corliss Robie died on 1 June 1691, leaving six children, the eldest was thirteen the youngest three. Word reached John of a threat of impending danger of attack. he packed up his children and took them to a 'house of refuge', possibly a garrison house, for protection. Leaving them, he was returning to his house with his eldest son Icabod when he was killed by a musket ball. His son was taken captive by the attackers, but he later escaped.
John's estate and his children were given over to his brother Thomas Robie. An inventory was taken of his possessions which valued about £309.00. It included all the accouterments typical of a farm life including cows, pigs, horses and oxen.
Many ancestor, his daughter Ruth Robie, was taken to Hampton, where she later married and raised her family.
In my upcoming novel, The Heron, I explore the experience of living under the constant threat of attack and include many of my own ancestors and minor characters, bringing their world to life. Look for it April 2021. See The Book's Delight for details.
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