Norvell Robertson

[Norvell Robertson photograph]


Norvell Robertson


Born: 22 May 1765, Buckingham Co., Virginia;

Served as Private in Virginia State Militia during Revolutionary War;

Married: Sarah Powell, 7 July 1792 in Georgia;

Died: 16 September 1855, Covington Co. Mississippi.

Norvell Robertson, Sr.'s autobiography is on file in the Department of Archives and History, Jackson, Mississippi.  From Covington Co., Mississippi, a biographer wrote the following paragraph: "Norvell Robertson, Sr. was probably of Scotch Ancestry and descended from one of five brothers who came from Great Britain and landed at Jamestown in the early settling of Virginia.  He was born May 22, 1765 in Buckingham County in that state and raised in Cumberland County.  I learned from a deaf and dumb (mute) member of the Virginia Robertsons in 1886 that all Virginia Robertsons sprang from five brothers who landed in Jamestown about the first settling of the place." [Alice Tracy Welch]


Norvell Robertson, Sr. was the son of Sarah Norvell and Jeffrey Robertson of Virginia.  They later had another son, Jeffrey Robertson.

Norvell Robertson, Sr. enlisted, July 1781, in the Virginia State Militia, serving at Yorktown in building the breastworks to protect the army from the British.  He was discharged at Yorktown on the day Lord Cornwallis surrendered the British army.

Sarah Powell was born 7 February 1770 in Georgia, the daughter of Martha Denby & Benjamin Powell.  She died 24 October 1842, age 72 years.

Norvell Robertson, Sr. migrated to Georgia, later to Mississippi, 1818, where he first settled on the west side of the Leaf River at the junction of the Bowie.  Here he lived 15 years before moving about 15 miles north of Old Williamsburg, where he died.  He was buried in the Leaf River Baptist Cemetery, 16 September 1855.
He was a prolific preacher.  With the Granberrys, these two families united their efforts in establishing churches and preaching to a vast unsettled, intemperate audience; prayer meetings were frequently held in the home of Moses Granberry.  During the winter of 1803-04, Norvell Robertson was accepted as pastor of their small church; he wrote a
handbook which was published.  Norvell Robertson kept a diary of their journey westward, providing a rare glimpse into the numerous problems encountered along the way.

Sarah Powell and Norvell Robertson, Sr. had the following children:
    1.   Jeffery Robertson, born 7 October 1792, married Martha Roe, died 1864 age 71 years.  Martha, born 9 April 1792, was the daughter of Sarah and Joshua Roe.  Their descendants are living, some in Covington Co., Mississippi.
    2.   Matthew Robertson, born 30 May 1794, married (unknown) Haralson, died 1854 age 60 years.
    3.   Norvell Robertson, Jr., born 14 November 1796, Warren Co., Georgia, married Nancy Jane Cannon, 17 November 1835, Lawrence Co., Mississippi, died 1 June 1877 age 80 years.  Nancy, born 17 August 1811, Hancock Co., Georgia, was the daughter of Jesse Cannon.  They lived in Lawrence Co., Mississippi.
    4.   Rhoda Robertson, born 14 November 1796, married James Easterling, died 1875 age 78 years.  They lived in Smith Co., Mississippi.
    5.   Sarah Robertson, born 3 January 1799, married Cader Mitchell, died 1881 age 82 years.  They lived in Covington Co., Mississippi.
    6.   Martha Robertson, born 24 March 1801, married Daniel McPherson, died 1894, Tallahatchie Co., Mississippi, age 93 years.  Daniel, born Warren Co., Georgia.  They lived in Carroll Co., Mississippi.
    7.   Powell Robertson, born 30 January 1803.
    8.   Nancy Robertson, born 30 November 1805, married John David Leigh.  They lived in Conecuh Co., Alabama.
    9.   Mary Hill Robertson, born 13 April 1810, married Rev. William Patrick Carter.  They lived in Enterprise, Clark Co., Mississippi; begat 7 children.
   10.   George Franklin Robertson, born 20 November 1812, Warren Co., Georgia, married Louisa Ann Graham, died 6 December 1886, Williamsburg, Mississippi, age 74 years; interred at Williamsburg Baptist Cemetery.  Louisa, born 14 January 1827, Covington Co., Mississippi, died 20 May 1901, Williamsburg, Mississippi, age 74 years; interred at Williamsburg Baptist Cemetery.  They lived in Williamsburg, Covington Co., Mississippi.

Many of their descendants still live in south Mississippi.

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