Here is a guide to some online resources for searching the Robinson family, including those members who descend from ancient Scottish clans.
Start with RootsWeb
Our starting point is RootsWeb, the largest free genealogy site on the web. Begin with its “Mailing Lists” category, which leads to a surname list finder. Punch in the Robinson surname. This gives the Robinson email list, as well as a link to the list’s archives. Joining a surname email list affords great networking opportunities.
The rootsweb start page also lists “Websites at RootsWeb”. Enter “Ro” under surnames to find several websites, including one titled “Drake and Robinson Resource Center.” This link includes a report on the Robinson DNA study.
The third good rootsweb category is called “Websites on RootsWeb’s Freepages.” Under “R” there are two Robinson websites. A tip: the list starts with titles in all caps; scroll down the list to the next part of the list—upper and lower caps—to find the Robinson entries.
Cyndi's List
Cindy’s List is one of the oldest, biggest and best genealogical resources online. To locate Robinson information, punch “S” as the category and once there go to “Surname”, where there are numerous sub-categories. Check all of them, but to get to the best sources the fastest start with “General Surname Sites and Resources”.
There is a real treasure trove here. Under ABC Genealogy you will find an interesting geocities site devoted to the Robinson family. It includes letters, pictures, wills, obituaries and links to others researching the family.
Under “Ancestor Guide” are links to numerous genealogy sites mentioning Robinsons, some with a little bit of data and some with a lot.
Under “Ancestral Findings” the first Robinson page contains a query. Under it is a list of page numbers. On pages 272-283 are all of the Robinson queries. Under each query is the same list of multiple Robinson data sources.
Genealogical Book Publishers
Other helpful sites include those of the major genealogical book publishers. Their sites can be located by entering their names in a search engine. The book publisher sites, in turn, contain search engines that lead to their Robinson family titles. Here are some examples of what is available:
Heritage Books lists a book with genealogies of the Robinson, Hazard and Sweet Families of Rhode Island, as well as a book giving the Civil War letters of Lt. George Robinson of South Carolina and his son, Sgt. James F. Robinson.
Genealogical Publishing Company lists about two dozen books and CDs which mention Robinson family members, one of the most interesting being a CD titled “Connecticut Revolutionary Pensioners,” which lists by name more than 50 Revolutionary War soldiers named Robinson and/or their widows.
Higginson Book Company lists 10 books pertaining to the Robinson family.
This is only a start. Punch “Robinson Family” into Google and continue the journey.
A companion article gives information about Rev. John Robinson, pastor to the Mayflower pilgrims.
