Samuel Robinson Franklin

Samuel married on February 24th, 1841 in Richmond County to Susan A. Sisson. Consent given by William H. Sisson, witnessed by John T. Sisson and Elbourton H. Sisson. James Johnson, bondsman.

The couple appears in the 1850 census with four children already; Lucious 8, Philip 5, Samuel 3 and Harriet 1. They are in the Lunenburg Parish area of Richmond County. Samuel is a farmer with real estate valued at $100. His farm also appears on the 1850 Agricultural Schedule. Samuel is shown as having 26 acres with 13 improved. The farm was valued at $120 and the farm equipment at $15. He is listed as owning three horses, a milk cow, a pair of oxen, three other cows and nine hogs. The livestock is valued at $154. He produced 40 bushels of wheat and 225 bushels of Indian corn.

Samuel's mother died before 1850 and his father died sometime before March 9th, 1853. On that date an appraisal and sale of the personal estate of Thomas Franklin was made. In August of 1853 Samuel filed suit along other siblings against their brother W.H. Franklin and nephew Thomas E. Johnson. The suit stated that their father died intestate and that his legal heirs were Samuel R. Franklin, Polly Johnson (wife of James Johnson), Frances Wilson (wife of Robert Wilson), Thomas E. Franklin, Emily Franklin, Louisa Franklin, Sarah Bacon (wife of Washington Bacon), W.H. Franklin (minor son of the deceased) and Thomas E. Johnson (son of Ann Johnson, deceased daughter of Thomas Franklin). Apparently guardians for W.H. Franklin and Thomas E. Johnson had taken possession of Thomas Franklin's land. The suit stated that 116 acres at Templemans Crossroad belonging to Thomas Franklin should be divided nine ways among the heirs. On August 22nd, 1853 the court sided with Samuel and ordered the land to be sold and the proceeds divided nine ways after paying court costs and covering the cost of the sale. It appears that this order was never carried out and perhaps the land was divided among the heirs out of court. On April 15th, 1854 Samuel with his wife and his sister Mary (Polly) along with her husband, James Johnson, sold their shares of the land formally belonging to the late Thomas Franklin to their brother, Thomas E. Franklin for $80 each. Samuel signed his name on the deed, his wife signed with a mark.

Also in 1854 Samuel's daughter Sarah died. She was buried alongside Samuel's parents at Nomini Grove in the Franklin Family Cemetery. A stone carved with her initials and year of death still sets at the site and more modern concrete markers were added later for all the graves there. That same year when his son William was born Samuel's occupation was listed as shoemaker on the Birth Register.

The 1860 census shows Samuel still in Richmond County served by the Stony Hill post office. He has real estate valued at $300 and personal property of $500. No occupation is listed. In addition to his wife and seven children a twenty year old free black man named Henry Gaskins lives with the family. Samuel does not appear to have owned slaves. The 1860 Farm Schedule lists Samuel as owning 25 acres with 14 improved. The farm was valued at $300 and the equipment at $40. Samuel was listed as owning one horse, one milk cow, a pair of oxen, seven other cows, six sheep and 31 hogs. His livestock was valued at $160. He produced 160 bushels of wheat 500 bushels of Indian corn.

Samuel's two oldest sons served in the Confederate Army during the war. Lucious was killed in action at the Battle of Chancellorsville.

According to the 1870 Mortality Schedule and Virginia, Deaths and Burials Index, 1853-1917, Samuel's wife died June 10th, 1869 of Typhoid Fever. Like their daughter, she was buried at Nomini Grove. Also like their daughter a rough hand carved stone still sets at the site bearing her initials and year of death. Despite that her name was listed on the 1870 census with Samuel in the Marshall township of Richmond County near the Warsaw post office. Samuel is listed as a farmer, his land value on the census is $100 and no personal property is listed. Samuel also appears on the farm schedule in 1870. The farm schedule shows that he owns 300 acres with 80 improved and the rest in woodland. His farm was valued at $1,500 and his farming tools at $30. Samuel owned one horse, two milk cows, one other cow, five sheep and seven swine. His livestock was valued at $80. He grew six bushels of winter wheat, 20 bushels of rye, 200 bushels of Indian corn and 40 bushels of oats the previous year.

In 1871 Ida Franklin, Samuel's daughter, died at age nine. Samuel reported her death in Westmoreland County as occurring on August 26th. Her place of birth was given as Westmoreland and her cause of death as "disease of heart." She was buried at the Franklin Family Cemetery and a modern stone was added later.

In 1880 Samuel is listed on the census in the Washington township of Richmond County as a farmer. The census shows him as a widower with three children still at home.

Samuel died on October 11th, 1885. According to the Northern Neck News he died at his home "near Tayloe's Mill." This was most likely the Mill at Mount Airy which operated from 1724 to 1968. His name does not appear on the 1885 Richmond County Death Register, but that record may be incomplete. Samuel was buried at the Franklin Family Cemetery.