Burials at Robeson Friends Meeting House Cemetery, Robeson, PA

Submitted by: Diana

One of my LANDIS ancestor's brothers (from N Coventry in Chester Co.) was a member of Zion MM in the Robeson area in the 1860s. After querying a few resources, it existed in early 1740s to mid 1860s. Thanks to cousin Doug Good and the Berks HS and others for background, I have found there is a list of people buried at what was then named Robeson Friends MM.

Background:

This MM was on the north side of the intersection of Zion and Plow roads in Robeson Twp., and the third MM after the Exeter and Maidencreek MMs. The history shows that in 1740 approval was given for a site of the MM "for the convenience of Friends living in the Hay and Allegheny creek valleys." On 8/30/1740, John SCARLET, Moses EMBREE, Eleanor SCARLET, and Mary CADWALLADER were appointed first overseers of the Robeson Meeting, aka Forest Meeting.

In an article about the Society of Friends and their meeting houses in Berks Co, John E. Eshelman wrote of the first known Friends in the area: Moses Embree, John Scarlet, Owen Humphrey, Evan Thomas, Richard Moore, David Cadwallader, David Jenkins, Robert Long, John Wells, and Peter March. They worshipped with the Oley group, but on 5/31/1740, they petitioned the MM at Oley for a separate meeting "due to difficulty in crossing the Schuylkill in time of freshet." On 6/28, permission was granted and a Preparative Meeting was created a year later.

In 6/27/1741 the "Friends of Robeson Meeting" were granted their first Preparative Meeting, and in the Fall of 1741, on rented land, a log meeting house was erected.

The first wedding at this Robeson MM united Samuel EMBREE of Robeson and Rachel LEWIS of Cumru in 2/6/1743.

In 7/24/1785, Thomas Lightfoot and his wife Rachel deeded 18 acres to David Jackson and Edward Bonsall, Friends in the township Robeson. John Scarlet, Sr. and William Scarlet were appointed additional trustees. The cemetery was laid out then with an encircling stone wall. Robeson MM originally belonged to the Philadelphia Quarterly and Yearly Meetings, but was made a branch of Caln Quarterly Meeting in Chester Co in 1800. When the MM was discontinued in 1872, remaining members transferred to Caln Preparative and Bradford MM Chester Co.

In 1826 membership was near one hundred. Ministers included Peter Thomas, Judah Thomas. Rebecca N. Scarlet, Hannah Morris and Mary Jackson.

There are 216 burials at Robeson Meeting. And while there are Scarlets buried there, some of the earliest Friends of Robeson are buried on the Scarlet property at Scarlet's Mill, in the orchard of what was later known as the McLenegan farm.

Here is a list of people buried there: (Not 216, but what can be accounted for):

Jonathan Jackson, death, 1785

Owen Humphrey, age 78, death 1790

Jane Norris, death 1790

Sarah Humphrey, age 82, death 1795 (wife of Owen Humphrey)

Thomas Thomas, death 1795 (will probated 1/10/1795)

William Morris, death 1792

Edward B. Jackson, death 1796

Nancy R. Jackson, death 1796

Mary Williams, death 1799

Jane Jackson, death 1799, child of Thomas Jackson

William Scarlet, death 1799

Susannah Scarlet, age 55, death 1801

Nicholas Morris, age 58, death 1807, son of David and Jane Morris

Rachel Dickinson, death 1811

Rachel Jackson, death 1812, child of Thomas Jackson

David Jackson, age 74, death 1813, son of Ephraim and Mary Jackson

Benjamin Scarlet, death 1815, son of John and Elizabeth Scarlet

Hannah Morris, age 66, death 1815, dau of Ephraim and Mary Jackson

Jane Williams, death 1813

William Scarlet, age 75, death 1818, son of John and Elizabeth Scarlet

Sarah Scarlet, age 47, death 1848, wife of James Scarlet

Maria Lincoln, age 46, death 1848, wife of Samuel Lincoln

Benjamin Scarlet, age 68, death 1848, son of Wm and Susanna Scarlet

John J. Scarlet, age 75, death 1850, son of Wm and Susanna Scarlet

Ephraim Scarlet, Sr, age 80, death 1850

William Scarlet, age 46, death 1850, son of Ephraim Sr and Lydia

William Dickinson, death 1858, son of Nathaniel and Rachel

Wm. Penn Scarlet, age 6, death 1859

Mary D. Scarlet, age 6, death 1859

William J. Scarlet, age 78, death 1867, son of William and Susanna

Mary D. Scarlet, age 26, death 1869

Mary Evans, age 86, death 1872, dau of Enos and Lydia Morris

Susanna Scarlet, death 1872, dau of Wm and Susanna Scarlet

These are from gravestones:

Tillie Morris, 1845

John W. Pierce, 1844, s of Wm. Pierce

Jas. G. Dickinson, age 5, death 1849, son of Nelson and Mary Ann

Justina Scarlet, age 39, death 1850, maiden name Warren

Justina Scarlet, 1850, inf dau of Wm and Justina

Allen Lewis, age 64

Mary Lewis, 73, wife of Allen Lewis died ?

Rachel Lewis, age 66, dau of Allen and Mary

Catharine Lewis, age 65, dau of Allen and Mary

James Lewis, age 40, son of Allen and Mary

Henry W. Scarlet, age 19, 1854, son of Wm and Justina

Lydia Scarlet, age 21, 1858, dau of Wm and Justina

Catharine Scarlet, age 16, 1858, dau of Wm and Justina

Lewis Fawkes, death 1856

Wm C. Lewis, age 7, died 1852, son of Josiah and Elizabeth

Drusilla Scarlet, age 4, 1860, dau of Samuel J and Mary A

Hannah A. Scarlet, 6, 1860, dau of Samuel J and Mary A

Samuel D. Scarlet, age 1, 1863, son of Samuel J and Mary A

Susanna Scarlet, 1861, dau of Samuel J and Mary A

David Morris, age 67, death 1850, son of Enos and Lydia Morris

Harriet Morris, age 33, death 1863, wife of Enos Morris

Enos F. Morris, death 1863, son of Enos and Harriet Morris

Elizabeth Scarlet Lewis, age 48, deatrh 1863, wife of Josiah Lewis

Rachel Ann Fawkes, age 27, death 1864, dau of Lewis and Phoebe Ann Fawkes

David T. Morris, age 14, death 1867, s of Enos and Harriet Morris

Hannah Morris, death 1867, wife of David Morris, maiden name Cooper

Rachel Dickinson, age 78, death 1868, wife of Wm Dickinson, maiden name James

Lucy Morris, death 1868, dau of John and Lydia Morris

William H. Morris, age 76, death 1874, son of Wm and Mary Morris

John Morris, age 76, death 1874, son of Enos and Lydia

Carrie E. Morris, death 1877, dau of Wm and Mary Morris

Moses Hartz, age 20, son of Elias and Lydia D Hartz

Mary D. Fawkes, no data, dau of Lesis and Phoebe Ann Fawkes

Samuel J. Scarlet, age 53, died 1878

Mary A. Morris, age 46, death 1881, wife of William Morris

Henry Lewis, age 65, death 1883

Sarah Jane Morris, age 74, death 1883, dau of David and Hannah Morris

Lydia Morris, age 74, death 1884, wife of John Morris

James Scarlet, age 81, 1884, son of Ephraim and Lydia Morris

Matilda Scarlet, age 65, death 1886, wife of James Scarlet, nee Kurtz

Josiah Lewis, age 83, 1887

Kersey Riter, age 84, 1887

Elizabeth Riter, age 79, 1889, wife of Kersey Riter, nee Liggett

Lydia D Hertz, age 69, 1888 wife of Elias Hertz, dau of William and Rachel Dickinson

Phoebe Ann Fawkes, death 1878, dau of Wm and Rachel Dickinson

infant son of Joseph and Mary Lewis, 1888

Ada M. Kane, age 21, d 1898

Ada E. Kane, infant, 1898, dau of Ada and John Kane


Sarah Dickinson age 74, death 1898 dau of Wm and Rachel Dickinson


Elias Hartz, age 92, 1907, (last burial in the cemetery)


Sarah D. Scarlet, 82, 1932 dau of Lewis and Phoebe Fawkes (burial after Eshelman made his list)

Eshelman had knowledge of the following burials - no grave markers:

Eli Dickinson, son of Nathanial and Rachel Dickinson

Lydia Stevens Dickinson, wife of Eli Dickinson

Levi Miller

Susanna Miller, d 1854, age 40; dau of Ephraim and Lydia Scarlet

Elizabeth Miller, dau of Levi and Susanna Miller

Ephraim Scarlet, Jr., son of Ephraim and Lydia (Dickinson) Scarlet. One of the last surviving members of Robeson MM was buried at Exeter Meeting burial ground, also with his wife Sarah Lee Scarlet.


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