52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - #21 Theodosia Robbins

Born on February 15, 1742, in New Jersey, Theodosia Robbins was my maternal 5th great grandmother. It's possible she was born in Burlington County, as that's where her parents Nathaniel Robbins (or Robins) and Ruth Vanroom were married on October 7, 1741. (Either these dates are incorrect, or she was already on the way when her parents married.) A Bible record attached to a tree on ancestry.com lists her siblings as Vanroom (b. 1743), Ann (b. 1747), Abel (b. 1749), Nathaniel (b. 1752), Susannah (b. 1754), Obadiah (b. 1761), Job (b. 1764), and Ruth (b. 1769).[1]

Theodosia was a Quaker. I've found several mentions of her in Quaker Meeting Records on ancestry.com. I haven't found a marriage record, but she married Henry Rulon, son of David Rulon and Exercise Allen, prior to the birth of their first child in 1758. She gave birth to ten children, 9 boys and 1 girl: John (b. 1758, my 4th great grandfather and the father of Sarah Rulon), Benjamin (b. 1761), David (b. 1763), Nathaniel (b. 1764), Moses (b. 1767), Henry (b. 1769), Jonathan (b. 1774), Abel (b. 1779), Anna (b. 1782), and Ephraim (b. 1784).

It looks like Theodosia and Henry and their family lived in Cumberland County, New Jersey. Henry is listed in several tax lists in that county. Henry died on February 8, 1810, in Cumberland. Theodosia out-lived him by 15 years and died on February 26, 1825.

Cumberland County, New Jersey, as of 1758 where Theodosia Robbins and Henry Rulon lived (from http://www.randymajors.com/p/maps.html)

Catherine

This post is part of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge by genealogist Amy Crow at No Story Too Small.



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[1] Ancestry.com U. S. Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1994, Green Street Monthly Meeting, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Births 1728-1884, Deaths 1798-1885, birth record for Theodosia Robbins; Ancestry.com. New Jersey Marriage Records 1683-1802, for Nathaniel Robins and Ruth Vanroom; Ancestry.com, Bible record for Nathaniel and Ruth Robbins, from the GSNJ Bible Collection #4364, added by SaraHoffman505.

Breaking News! Ruel Rulon Escapes from France!

[Warning, there might be sarcasm.]  Anonymous sources tell us that the Huguenot Ruel Rulon has escaped from France by hiding on board a ship in a hogshead (kind of like a wine barrel for those more familiar with such things).  Alleged accomplices are his two brothers (who are Catholic) who it is believed helped him escape.  If the Catholic Rulon brothers are found guilty of aiding and abetting the Huguenot Rulon, they will be dealt with!  Actions like this will not be tolerated!  The ship is believed to be heading for America, possibly New York.  If anyone has any information about this escapee-from-religious-persecution, please alert your local authorities!  Do not approach him yourselves.  A reward for information leading to his capture is being offered (but only if you are Catholic)!

The Rulons in America

Ruel Rulon, my maternal 7th great grandfather, was a Huguenot (Protestant) who left France sometime between 1684 and 1704 during the persecution of the Huguenots [1].  The above paragraph about his escape is based on family lore written about in The Rulon Family and Their Descendants by John C. Rulon [2].  (This book is free on Google Books.)  The story goes that Ruel’s brothers (who were Catholic) hid him in a hogshead and put him on board a ship bound for America so that he could escape the persecution.  Once he was a safe distance from France, he got out of the hogshead.  I wonder how he explained his sudden appearance on the ship if this story is true! 

It is thought that Ruel landed in New York [3].  He settled in Monmouth, New Jersey, at least by 1704 [4].  He is apparently mentioned in some documents from that year, and his son David, my maternal 6th great grandfather, was born around that time [5].  Several family trees (including mine) on ancestry.com list Ruel’s wife as Margaret Paulding.  I haven’t confirmed this. 

How I Connect to the Rulon Line

Below is my descent from Ruel Rulon down to my mother.  The family tree on the left that I scanned from a copy of the original was drawn by my maternal grandfather William Liming Redles.  It begins with Ruel’s son David Rulon and includes the Redles line.  I haven’t confirmed all of the information below.  Some of it is from John C. Rulon’s book mentioned above and from the tree my grandfather drew. 
1. David Rulon (1704-1778), son of Ruel Rulon and Margaret Paulding, married Exercise Allen (1705-?), daughter of Henry and Hannah Allen. 
2. Henry Rulon (1732-18100), son of David Rulon and Exercise Allen, married Theodosa Robbins.
3. John Rulon (1758-1833), son of Henry Rulon and Theodosa Robbins, married Sarah Burt.
4. Sarah Sallie Rulon (1785-1851), daughter of John Rulon and Sarah Burt, married Johan Adam Rodelsperger/Redles (1781-1869).
5. John Adam Redles (1817-?), son of Sarah Sallie Rulon and Johan Adam Rodelsperger/Redles, married Jane Eliza Meyers (1818-1885).
6. George Albert Redles (1843-1912), son of John Adam Redles and Jane Eliza Meyers, married Isabella Liming (1844-?)
7. William Liming Redles (1873-1932), son of George Albert Redles and Isabella Liming, married Martha Leona Roberts (1895-1955).
8. Leona Roberts Redles (1925), daughter of William Liming Redles and Martha Leona Roberts, married Albert Sidney Pendleton, Jr. (1925-2006).

For a history of the French Huguenots see The National Huguenot Society. 

We’ll probably never know if  the above account of Ruel Rulon’s escape from France is truth or fiction, but it sure makes a good story. 

Any family legends in your family?  I’d love to hear about them!

Catherine
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[1] John C. Rulon.  The Rulon Family and Their Descendants.  (Lineaweaver & Wallace, Philadelphia, 1870).
[2] See footnote 1 above.
[3] Albert F. Koehler.  The Huguenots or Early French in New Jersey. (Genealogical Publishing Company, Baltimore, reprinted 2007).
[4] See footnote 1 above.
[5] See footnotes 1 and 3 above.