Origins of the Robinson family
The family history of Margaret Louise Robinson is full of twists and gaps. Much remains to be discovered but we do have interesting insights into the stories of some of her ancestors over the last one hundred and fifty years. And in a couple of her family lines Margaret can trace her ancestors back several more centuries.
Robinson Family Line
Maurice Family Line
Oldest Traceable Family Line—the Allinghams
The maternal great-grandmother of Margaret Louise Maurice (born Robinson) was Roseanne Allingham. Roseanne was born in 1858 in Murrurundi in the Upper Hunter Region of NSW. She is one of many Allinghams in Australia who originate from County Fermanagh and County Donegal in Ireland. Roseanne married Thomas John Bowen in 1886, creating the connection to Margaret.
The Allinghams arrived in Australia in 1841. All, including Roseanne, can trace their ancestry back to Hugh Allingham, the first known Irish Allingham. Hugh was probably born around 1590 in England. He arrived in Ireland about 1612, having formerly been a soldier in the army of Elizabeth I. Among the descendants of Hugh was William Allingham, a famous 19th century Irish poet, diarist and editor.
William Allingham (1824 – 1889) Irish poet, diarist and editor
Other Robinson Family Lines
The other branches of Margaret’s family—Seage, Bowen, Connelly and Conway —also have mainly Irish roots, with a little bit of Scotland and England thrown in. Several Irish counties are represented in these branches, including Clare, Limerick, Cork, Galway and Waterford.
The most intriguing possibility is that a connection to China for the Robinsons also exists through Henry “Harry” Sams, ostensibly the paternal great-grandfather of Margaret Louise Robinson. But, family legend notwithstanding, there is no definitive proof that Harry’s father was a Chinese national working the Victorian goldfields in the mid-19th century. Furthermore, even if he was there is doubt that Harry was in fact the father of Arthur Sams, Margaret’s grandfather. This is a mystery still to be resolved.