Person:Robert Tomlinson (11)

Notes

• Lived with his mother until he married at about age 26.

1. ↑ Portrait and Biographical Record of Madison and Hamilton Counties, Indiana
   595, 596, 751.

   p 595 -
   "He was a devout member of the Friends' Church."
   "...until his death, at the age of eighty-three years."
   "...came to Washington Township, Indiana, in the spring of 1837, and buying two hundred acres of land near where our subject [Milton Tomlinson] now resides, ... and remained upon the farm until his death , at the age of eighty-three years."
   "Politically a Republican, he was an influential man and a local leader of the party."
   
   p 751 - "This land [Hendricks County] he partly cleared and cultivated, and then sold, removing with his family to Washington Twp, Hamilton County. The father invested in two hundred acres of land near the present homestead of our subject [Noah Tomlinson]. His new farm was partially improved, and spending there the remainder of his life,..."
   "...was politically a strong Republican,...."
   "...entered into rest December 4, 1875..."

2. ↑ United States. 1850 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (National Archives Microfilm Publication M432)
   Washington, Hamilton, Indiana; Roll: M432_148; Page: 7; Image: 336.
3. ↑ Cline & McHaffie, (i)The People's Guide: A business, political and religious directory of Hamilton Co., Ind . . . (/i) (Indianapolis, Ind: I
   281.

   Tomlinson, Robert; 2-1/2 m nw Westfield. Born in N. C. 1793; settled in H. C. 1837. Rep. Friend

4. ↑ Tombstone Inscription
   Chester Friends Cemetery, Washington Twp, Hamilton Co, IN.
5. ↑ Document, Misc
   Chester cemetery Listing - Hepl/Family History Vert Files/Hiatt, Tomlinson and Robbins.

   Row 18 Gravestone 7

6. ↑ Haines, John F. History of Hamilton County, Indiana: her people, industries and institutions. (Indianapolis, Indiana: B.F. Bowen & Co., 1915)
   147, 320-323, 702-704, 775, 846, 847.

   ... Date of Settlement: 1837. ...
   
   ... Children were born: Milton, Martha, Noah, Jesse, Asenath, James, Levi, ... and Esther. ...
   
   p 321 - "In February, 1837, Robert Tomlinson, with his family, settled two miles north of Westfield." ; "came to Washington Township, this county [Hamilton Co, Indiana], from Carolina in the spring of 1837"
   
   p 322 - "...Chester was organized on October 26, 1859, with Robert Tomlinson and Lydia Tomlinson as heads of the meeting..."
   
   p 775 - "Robert Tomlinson came to Hamilton county from Carolina in 1837 and purchased two hundred acres of land and remained upon the farm until his death at the advanced age of eighty-three."

7. ↑ Shirts, Augustus Finch. A History of the Formation, Settlement and Development of Hamilton County, Indiana.
8.   United States. 1860 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (National Archives Microfilm Publication M653)
   Washington, Hamilton, Indiana; Roll: M653_263; Page: 330; Image: 331.
9. ↑ Pagent to Depict Early History of Hamilton County, in Noblesville Daily Ledger
   3, Friday, 9 Sep 1927.
10.   United States. 1870 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (National Archives Microfilm Publications M593 and T132)
    Washington, Hamilton, Indiana; Roll: M593_319; Page: 213; Image: 426.
11.   Bevelhimer, Susan, and Indiana. Circuit Court (Hamilton County). Abstracts of the will records of Hamilton County, Indiana 1824-1901. (Owensboro)
    54, #381.

    Tomlinson, Robert. Will dated 28 Aug 1867; Proved 3 Jan 1876
    Legatees:
    Wife Lydia
    Daus and Gr dau:
    Aseneth Hiatt
    Jane Tomlinson
    Esther Tomlinson
    Abigail Tomlinson
    Sons:
    Mil[t]on Tomlinson
    Noah Tomlinson
    Allen Tomlinson
    Levi B Tomlinson
    Exec: Son, Allen Tomlinson
    Wit: Joseph Moore, Rachel G Moore
    Will Record Book D, PP 374-375

12. ↑ A History . . . Hamilton County . . . 1818 . . Civil War - Acc901, Page 261.

    A part of the John Rhoads Story: "The first night after John Rhoads and family had 'spilled' out of the wagon, they were taken to a haystack, belonging to Robert Tomlinson, where they remained till morning."

13.   Tomlinson Family Tree, in Source needed.

    p 9, 10, 11 - "After thus battling along with the trials and hard­ships of life for fifteen years they concluded to search for a home in Hamilton County, Indiana. And after proper consideration Grandfather mounted a horse and rode to Hamilton County, to view out a situation as near to his liking as possible. The place which we have met upon today is a part of his selection. It then be­longed to a man by the name of Anderson Scott. Here two men met, each wanting to do a thing, just to suit the other. Scott wanted to sell and Grandfather wanted to buy, but some time was taken to make the bargain. Finally the trade was made and about the sixth day of the second month, eighteen thirty-seven the family started for their new home in Hamilton County. After two days of hard and slow traveling, winding through the forest, fording streams, crossing slews and swamps, they reached Westfield, a distance of about thirty miles. On arriving at Westfield they found poor accommodations for keeping travelers over night. Shelter was obtained by a part of the family going into a house that had no heating apparatus and the floor was made long before any white man ever thought of settling at Westfield. Thus they spent the night. Morning came and yet one-half day's travel before they reached their journey's end. Taking the trail again, they pursued their journey until they reached their destination, two miles north of Westfield. Now their journey was over and what do you sup­pose they found at the end? A great fine two-story house painted white? That would have looked quite odd. But instead of that it was a log cabin, about eighteen feet square. Now in the midst of a howling wilderness, they found their new home. . . a part of that house was wrapped in flames and burned to the ground, the twenty-third day of the fourth month, eighteen eighty-six. It had stood many severe storms of wind and rain but fire was too power­ful. In spite of the labor of many of us, who held it as almost sacred, into ashes it went."
    
    p 14 - "died in Hamilton County, Indiana, twelfth month, fourth, eighteen seven­ty-five."
    
    p 15 - "He then removed to Hamilton County, Indiana, two miles north of Westfield in the second month, eighteen thirty-seven."
    p16 - "In 1840 there was a separation in the Society of Friends known as the "Anti-Slavery Separation." Grandfather and Grandmother joined in this separation, and from that time on to the time that the Civil war broke out in 1861 marked the greatest activities of our family in this great cause. We might stop here and mention that the only land mark of the location of the Anti-Slavery meeting house at Westfield is the grave yard at the north part of town, as that was laid out by Anti-Slavery Friends."
    
    "Grandmother had decided by this time that she would not use any clothing material that was produced by slave labor. This decision caused much inconven­ience to the family, and some privations. One instance we might mention on this line: The nearest Free Labor store was at Greensborough, Henry County, Indiana, a distance of forty miles, very poor roads and no bridges across the streams, but one day in the latter part of winter Noah was sent on horseback to that store to get a few pounds of spun cotton. In the morning when he had to start home it was raining some, and by noon it was both raining and snowing. When he arrived home he was so nearly frozen that he could not get off his horse neither could he walk to the house."
    
    "About that time there was a political party organ­ized known as the "Antislavery Party," of which Grandfather was a member."
    
    p 17 - "While this slavery agitation was going on, another line of work sprung up known as the Under Ground Railroad. Some of the slaves had found out, by some means or other, that if they could get across the Ohio river into Indiana or Ohio that they would find friends that would hide them from the slave hunter, and help them through to Canada.
    Grandfather was very active in this work. One instance of this work we might mention: This was known as the "John Rhodes Case."
    
    p 18 - "One other great principle of Grandfather's I think is worth mentioning, and that is his attitude toward militarism and capital punishment. He did not believe one man could take another man's life, and be doing the will of his Heavenly Father whom he served. Therefore he was opposed to war or drilling men for war. One illustration of this: There was a time in the state when all men over twenty-one years of age were expected to meet at the county seat or some stated place to take military training. When he lived in Hendricks County the time came for him to meet for training. He did not go. After some time the sheriff came to collect the fine for his not appearing, and took a new axe for the fine."
    
    p 24 -
    "Springfield, Randolph County, North Carolina, transferred the membership of Robert Tomlinson and wife, Lydia, and son, Milton, to Newberry Monthly Meeting, Ohio, in third-month, seventh, eighteen twenty-one"
    "The twenty-first of second month, eighteen twenty-two, Newberry Monthly Meeting transferred the membership of Robert Tomlinson and Lydia, his wife, and son, Milton, to Westgrove Monthly Meeting, near Centerville, Wayne County, Indiana"
    "tenth month, fourteen, eighteen twenty-three. Westgrove Monthly Meeting transferred the rights of membership for Robert Tomlinson and Lydia, his wife and minor chil­dren, Milton and Martha, to White Lick Monthly meet­ing, Morgan County, Indiana."
    "In 1837, Fairfield Monthly Meeting transferred the rights of member­ship for Robert Tomlinson and Lydia, his wife, and minor children, Milton, Martha, Noah, Allen, Jesse, Asenath and Jane, to Westfield Monthly Meeting, Westfield, Indiana."

14. ↑ Noblesville Daily Ledger
    3, Friday, 9 Sep 1927.

    PAGENT TO DEPICT EARLY HISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY
    Activities of Underground Railroad Are to be Shown
    CAST MADE UP OF TOMLINSON FAMILY
    Will Be Given on Tomlinson Homestead Near Westfield
    
    A most unique pageant of ante-bellum days in Hamilton county will be staged Saturday evening at the home of Esther Tomlinson, a couple of miles north of Westfield and a half mile west of Chester church. It will be a story of John Rhodes, a slave and the underground railroad activities in Hamilton county during the middle of the forties. The scenes depicted in this pageant were arranged by Asher Tomlinson and will represent actual incidents in Hamilton county which occurred in 1844.
    
    There will be a bi-annual reunion at the Esther Tomlinson home, Saturday
    
    For the members of the family and friends who may happen in and the usual big dinner at the noon hour will ???? and the affair will be continued until Evening when the occasion will be featured by the pageant, which will start at 7 o'clock.
    
    The public is invited. No admission will be charged. The entire cast will be composed of relatives of the Tomlinson family; This will be unusual in view of the fact that the members of the pioneer Tomlinson family in this county were very prominent in underground railroad activities.
    
    The story of John Rhodes is interesting and occurred in the western part of the county in 1844. Rhodes was originally a slave in Missouri; escaped from his master, worked for a while in Illinois and finally reached Hamilton county, locating in a log cabin southeast of Baker's Corner. After his master learned of his location, he, with several other slave owners came to Hamilton county for the purpose of claiming Rhodes as their property and taking him back with them. He refused to go and the people of his community stood behind him. The slave hunters came to Noblesville to file a case in court claiming their property and wanted Rhodes brought here, their principal object at that time being to get him out of the neighborhood where he seemed to have so many friends.
    
    Rhodes, his wife and children were finally loaded into a wagon and during the ride they escaped, presumably being permitted to do so purposely, and hid in a hay stack on the farm of Robert Tomlinson. Later they sought refuge on the farm of Aaron Lindley.
    
    Later, the slave owners filed a suit in the federal court at Indianapolis for the possession of Rhodes. The court held that Rhodes was a free man by virtue of having lived in Illinois, which was a free state, for the time required by law. This closed the incident and Rhodes and his family returned to Hamilton county and spent the remainder of their days here. AT the time he came to this part of the state he had only one child, but later there were three children in the family.
    
    All of these incidents as nearly true to life as possible will be depicted in this pageant
    
    The Esther Tomlinson homestead, on which this pageant will be given, was first owned, so far as the family history shows, by Robert Tomlinson, in 1837. It has been in the family ever since.