The Robinson Tea Party Chest
by Louisa St. John Durkin
A young John Robinson picked up this small wooden chest that he had found floating in Boston Harbor the morning of the 17th of December 1773. The night before, a group of rebellious American Colonists had marched to the wharf to protest the tax levied by the British on tea. Dressed as Indians they boarded the ship and chopped into crates with hatchets and dumped thousands of pounds of tea into the bay. It became the flashpoint for the coming revolution. John Robinson served in the Revolutionary War, and he later married a younger Nancy (surname not known) and they had two sons, John R. born in 1799 and Ezra Tullar Robinson in 1810 and there is conflicting information as to where they were born - John in Goveneur, New York, and Ezra in Vermont for certain. |
William A. and Mary Hines Marsh, who had married in 1798, settled in Herkimer County, New York, where, in the words of their son, John, “was nearly an unbroken wilderness" where six of their children were born - Anna 1799, Ruth 1801, Diana 1804, William A. 1806, Benjamin 1808, Matilda 1810 (died in infancy). They emigrated to Washington County eight miles from Fort Ann, in an unimproved 25 acres where wolves, bears and panthers were not an unusual sight to hunters and settlers. Here seven more children were born - Patience 1811, George W. 1813, Mary Ann 1817, Zilpha Lurana 1819, Sylvia 1821, John Payne 1824 and Nathan 1826. In November of 1829 or 1830, the family again struck their tents and migrated to St. Lawrence County, New York, and settled again in a dense wilderness near Goveneur.
This is where John R. Robinson married Patience in 1833 and Ezra married her sister, Mary Ann in 1837. Patience and Mary Ann’s parents, William and Mary, moved about 1840 to Bucyrus, Ohio, where Zilpha Lurana met and married Soloman Shaffstall.
These two families were very restless, and they left Upper State New York at various times. For example, Patience and Mary Ann’s brother, my great-great grandfather, George W., left Goveneur about 1852 with his wife, Mary Catherine, and their five children, the youngest Corie Lin, who is my great-grandmother. They first settled in Beaver Dam, then on to Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin.
This is where John R. Robinson married Patience in 1833 and Ezra married her sister, Mary Ann in 1837. Patience and Mary Ann’s parents, William and Mary, moved about 1840 to Bucyrus, Ohio, where Zilpha Lurana met and married Soloman Shaffstall.
These two families were very restless, and they left Upper State New York at various times. For example, Patience and Mary Ann’s brother, my great-great grandfather, George W., left Goveneur about 1852 with his wife, Mary Catherine, and their five children, the youngest Corie Lin, who is my great-grandmother. They first settled in Beaver Dam, then on to Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin.
Sometime in 1843, Soloman Shaffstall traveled to Goveneur to assist John and Patience Robinson in their move to Sturgeon Bay. There he was given the chest by John’s mother, Nancy Robinson Holden. This information was according to an affidavit signed by Solomon’s granddaughter, Mary Lurana Cade.
The first of April 1948, Mary Lurana Cade Ford signed the affidavit where she states the fact that her grandfather, Soloman Shaffstall, gave the chest to her when she was eight years old, and she used it in her childhood to keep her dolls and doll clothes in. She further states that he had, during his lifetime, discussed the history of the chest many times.
In this instrument she states that her name is Mary Lurana Cade and she was born 24 May 1864 in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, and that her mother was Anna Amelia Shaffstall born in Bucyrus, Ohio, in 1845. Her father was William Cade born in Lincolnshire, England, and died in 1864 in Madison, Wisconsin, four months before she was born. Her mother died in 1864 four months after she was born and she had been reared by maternal grandparents, Soloman born February 1821 in Ohio or Pennsylvania and Zilpha Lurana Marsh Shaffstall born in 1819 in New York. The family settled after stops in Wisconsin and Dakota Territory, near Knoxville, Tennessee, where Zilpha died in 1892.
She married Isaiah L. Ford on March 27, 1896. He was born in Sevier County in 1850 and died in San Antonio, Texas, in 1917. She has resided there since 1914 and in 1932 along with her daughter, Mrs. George L. (Helen) Waring, established a private school known as “The School of Childhood” and has operated it continuously since its establishment. She further outlines in the affidavit her direct lineage to the Marsh family back to John Marsh of Salem.
She tells about how the tea chest was given to Soloman by the widowed mother of John Robinson as she felt it was given out in gratitude for his help during the packing of the household effects of John R. Robinson and his wife, Patience. During that move the tea chest had come to light. Grandfather was much interested in it and its history. The story had been told to him by Grandma Holden, who had been the wife of the original John Robinson.
Mary Lurana died in 1949 in Texas shortly after she wrote and signed the affidavit. It is my understanding that her descendants donated the chest to the Boston Tea Party Ship Museum. You will be able to access more information by clicking here.
The following is additional information regarding this story as many of the principal persons mentioned have been documented through the family-owned Bible, William Armstrong and Mary Marsh’s family records, letters, and many news and other articles. In addition, Helen Ford Waring (Daughter of the American Revolution); her Aunt Rowena Shaffstall Sampson (also DAR), both descendants of Benjamin Marsh, Jr.; and Nancy Robinson Holden’s husband, Isaac (Sons of the American Revolution). One of his descendants has her listed as his second wife.
Patience Robinson died in 1868 at Sturgeon Bay and her husband, John R., was living with his brother, Ezra, and his sister- in-law, Mary Ann, in 1870 and 1880, Barry County, Michigan. According to the letter written by John Payne in 1886 ten of the Marsh children were still living: Ruth in Bucyrus, Ohio; Diana in Watertown, New York; William A. in Erie, Pennsylvania; Benjamin near Des Moines, Iowa; George W. at Sturgeon Bay; Mary Ann at Hickory Corners, Michigan; Zilpha Lurana, Knoxville, Tennessee; Sylvia Mannsville, New York; John Payne, Pulaski, Ohio; and Nathan at Beaver Dam, Wisconsin.
I wish to acknowledge the kindness and courtesy of a Mr. George Quinault, Jr., a researcher contracted by the Boston Tea Party Ship Museum in order to authenticate the chest. He, with the permission of the Museum, provided me with many copies of documents and additional clues regarding the Marsh family and their involvement with this tea chest. A special thanks to the many descendants of the Marsh Family and their willingness to share their research with me the story of John Marsh of Salem, who arrived in America on the English ship the John and Mary in 1633 or 1634.
Special love and thanks to my grandmother, Edna Bailor Griffith, the daughter of Corie Lin Marsh, who had carefully written down the Marsh family lineage as it sparked my lifelong consuming
interest in genealogy and history.
Sources
“The Genealogy of John Marsh of Salem and His Descendants” by Col. Lucius Marsh and Dwight W. Marsh, printed in 1888.
Personal letter dated October 1886 written by John Payne Marsh.
The first of April 1948, Mary Lurana Cade Ford signed the affidavit where she states the fact that her grandfather, Soloman Shaffstall, gave the chest to her when she was eight years old, and she used it in her childhood to keep her dolls and doll clothes in. She further states that he had, during his lifetime, discussed the history of the chest many times.
In this instrument she states that her name is Mary Lurana Cade and she was born 24 May 1864 in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, and that her mother was Anna Amelia Shaffstall born in Bucyrus, Ohio, in 1845. Her father was William Cade born in Lincolnshire, England, and died in 1864 in Madison, Wisconsin, four months before she was born. Her mother died in 1864 four months after she was born and she had been reared by maternal grandparents, Soloman born February 1821 in Ohio or Pennsylvania and Zilpha Lurana Marsh Shaffstall born in 1819 in New York. The family settled after stops in Wisconsin and Dakota Territory, near Knoxville, Tennessee, where Zilpha died in 1892.
She married Isaiah L. Ford on March 27, 1896. He was born in Sevier County in 1850 and died in San Antonio, Texas, in 1917. She has resided there since 1914 and in 1932 along with her daughter, Mrs. George L. (Helen) Waring, established a private school known as “The School of Childhood” and has operated it continuously since its establishment. She further outlines in the affidavit her direct lineage to the Marsh family back to John Marsh of Salem.
She tells about how the tea chest was given to Soloman by the widowed mother of John Robinson as she felt it was given out in gratitude for his help during the packing of the household effects of John R. Robinson and his wife, Patience. During that move the tea chest had come to light. Grandfather was much interested in it and its history. The story had been told to him by Grandma Holden, who had been the wife of the original John Robinson.
Mary Lurana died in 1949 in Texas shortly after she wrote and signed the affidavit. It is my understanding that her descendants donated the chest to the Boston Tea Party Ship Museum. You will be able to access more information by clicking here.
The following is additional information regarding this story as many of the principal persons mentioned have been documented through the family-owned Bible, William Armstrong and Mary Marsh’s family records, letters, and many news and other articles. In addition, Helen Ford Waring (Daughter of the American Revolution); her Aunt Rowena Shaffstall Sampson (also DAR), both descendants of Benjamin Marsh, Jr.; and Nancy Robinson Holden’s husband, Isaac (Sons of the American Revolution). One of his descendants has her listed as his second wife.
Patience Robinson died in 1868 at Sturgeon Bay and her husband, John R., was living with his brother, Ezra, and his sister- in-law, Mary Ann, in 1870 and 1880, Barry County, Michigan. According to the letter written by John Payne in 1886 ten of the Marsh children were still living: Ruth in Bucyrus, Ohio; Diana in Watertown, New York; William A. in Erie, Pennsylvania; Benjamin near Des Moines, Iowa; George W. at Sturgeon Bay; Mary Ann at Hickory Corners, Michigan; Zilpha Lurana, Knoxville, Tennessee; Sylvia Mannsville, New York; John Payne, Pulaski, Ohio; and Nathan at Beaver Dam, Wisconsin.
I wish to acknowledge the kindness and courtesy of a Mr. George Quinault, Jr., a researcher contracted by the Boston Tea Party Ship Museum in order to authenticate the chest. He, with the permission of the Museum, provided me with many copies of documents and additional clues regarding the Marsh family and their involvement with this tea chest. A special thanks to the many descendants of the Marsh Family and their willingness to share their research with me the story of John Marsh of Salem, who arrived in America on the English ship the John and Mary in 1633 or 1634.
Special love and thanks to my grandmother, Edna Bailor Griffith, the daughter of Corie Lin Marsh, who had carefully written down the Marsh family lineage as it sparked my lifelong consuming
interest in genealogy and history.
Sources
“The Genealogy of John Marsh of Salem and His Descendants” by Col. Lucius Marsh and Dwight W. Marsh, printed in 1888.
Personal letter dated October 1886 written by John Payne Marsh.
Published in the February 2011 issue of the KCGS newsletter.