From: Robbinsfamilysouthjersey@yahoogroups.com on behalf of C ROBBINS [candcn10ac@bellsouth.net] Sent: Sunday, November 08, 2009 10:26 AM To: Robbinsfamilysouthjersey@yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [Robbinsfamilysouthjersey] First Cousin Marriages in Colonial America Good morning Sara,   May have been a bit hasty when I said I had several 1st cousin marriages - should have said a few.  Did a quick check of my data base (checking Rob(b)ins who married Rob(b)ins) and found the following: Nathanie Robins, b 5 Aug 1793, son of William Robins & Bethiah Vickrey md Nancy Robins, b 8 June 1797, dau of Absalom Robins & Mary Ogle   Dora Mae Robbins, b 8 Dec 1875, dau of John Nelson Robbins & Harriett Cornelia Robbins md Henry Clay Robbins, b 5 July 1869, son of Alexander S Robbins & Nancy Gregson   Elias R Robbins, b abt 1830, son of Jesse Robbins & Martha Robbins md Emerline Robbins, b Sept 1836, dau of Michael Robbins & Malinda Beckerdite   John Henry Robbins, b 14 July 1805, son of John Fletcher Robbins & Elizabeth Towery md Rhoda Robbins, b 17 Sept 1804, dau of Isaac Robbins & Margaret Ledford.   There are possibly others, as in some instances involving Robbins to Robbins marriages, I don't know the parents of both spouses.   Best Regards, Chris From: Robbinsfamilysouthjersey@yahoogroups.com on behalf of Sara Hoffman [july37@cox.net] Sent: Sunday, November 08, 2009 4:46 PM To: Robbinsfamilysouthjersey@yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [Robbinsfamilysouthjersey] First Cousin Marriages in Colonial America Chris, I appreciate you checking your database for the first-cousn marriages. Apparently there were some but it doesn't appear to be a common practice in the colonial Robins/Robbins family. I suppose a study could be done on several selected families of that era to see what percentage of them had first-cousin marriages. Not a study I'm interested in conducting, this is a new subject for me. Thanks for giving names as this provides tangible evidence. It has helped me to become better informed on this subject. Sara From: Robbinsfamilysouthjersey@yahoogroups.com on behalf of Robyn [jrobin11@unm.edu] Sent: Sunday, November 08, 2009 10:45 PM To: Robbinsfamilysouthjersey@yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [Robbinsfamilysouthjersey] First Cousin Marriages in Colonial America I am so *not* an expert on this subject! But it was touched upon in Edward Ball's "Slaves in the Family", which dealt not only with the descendants of slaves, but also with his family, who had owned the ancestors of the present-day descendants. There was quite a bit of cousin-marriage in his family, in colonial times and right up through the Civil War years, as I recall. Most of them remained, through all of this time, in the Charleston area of South Carolina. Apparently, in that area, it was not uncommon for one or two to immigrate, buy and develop land and do well enough to encourage siblings to immigrate, as well. Often the siblings would purchase land in the same area, resulting in concentrations of family groups, geographically. They were often bonded together not only by blood relationships, but by common business interests -- in the case of his family, rice plantations and some of the slave trade that supported the plantations. One reason for marrying cousins was that it was far more difficult and less common in those days to travel considerable distances to find a suitable mate. Another was that marrying relatives was a way to keep the family business in the family, particularly land and human property. That's an over-simplification, of course. And the circumstances were somewhat different in the South, than in the more northern areas where we've been exploring Robins/Robbins ancestors. It may simply be that "we" had fewer such reasons to practice much cousin-marriage. -- Robyn From: Robbinsfamilysouthjersey@yahoogroups.com on behalf of Sara Hoffman [july37@cox.net] Sent: Tuesday, November 10, 2009 11:15 AM To: Robbinsfamilysouthjersey@yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [Robbinsfamilysouthjersey] First Cousin Marriages in Colonial America Robyn, Thanks for providing additional information on the subject of first-cousin marriages. "Slaves in The Family" is an interesting book. Edward Ball published a follow up book called "The Genetic Strand: Exploring a Family History Through DNA" Have you read it? I haven't. Sara