Robert Fitz Randolph was born 14 Dec
1741 in Woodbridge Township, Essex County, New
Jersey.
He arrived in French Creek near
Meadville on 6 July 1789 following his son James Fitz
Randolph who arrived on 12 May 1788.
He died 16 July 1830 in
Meadville, Crawford County, PA
From the History of Crawford
County, Pennsylvania, Published in 1885 by Warner, Beers
& Company of Chicago, is taken the folowing passage
from page 566:
"The settlement was increased in 1789 by Darius Mead,
Frederick Baum and Robert Fitz Randolph. Mr. Fitz
Randolph was born in Essex County, N.J.; he married when
young and removed to Pennsylvania. He served during
the Revolution, and at its close took up his residence in
Northumberland County. In 1789 he with his family
immigrated to French Creek, arriving at Meadville, July 6.
He settled at once on a farm two miles below, where he
remained until his death, July 16, 1830, in his
eighty-ninth year. During the war of 1812, in one of
the alarms occasioned by the approach of the enemy at
Erie, he mustered his household, consisting of four sons
and two or three grandsons, and placing himself at their
head marched to meet the expected foe. He was then
in his seventy-second year and before reaching Erie was
induced to return. His sons James, Edward, Robert,
Taylor and Esaac were also pioneers.
Frederick Baum settled on a tract which he patented,
situated about a mile farther down French Creek, in the
southwest part of Mead Township. He was a German.
John Baum, who was one of the earliest settlers in the
same vicinity, was reputed the strongest man in the
settlements."
And from the Pioneers of
Crawford County, PA 1788-1800, page 8 is taken the
following:
"ROBERT FITZ RANDOLPH--born in Woodbridge township,
Essex County, New Jersey, on December 14, 1741, he moved
with his family to Northampton, now Lehigh County,
Pennsylvania, and in 1773 to Northumberland County.
During the Revolutionary War, he joined Colonel William
Crook's regiment and fought in the Battle of Germantown.
Because of the Indian hostilities, Fitz Randolph removed
his family to his native state. He returned to
Northumberland in 1783 and settled on Shamokin Creek,
where he continued to reside until 1789, when he came with
his family to French Creek Valley. He settled on a
farm near Meadville and remained ther until his death in
July 1830. When the war of 1812 broke out, he
mustered a group consisting of his four sons and several
of his grandsons, and offered to serve his country against
the enemy.
His first wife was Sarah Taylor, whom he married in 1767
in New Jersey. They had eight children. Two of the
sons, James and Edward, played important roles in the
history of Crawford County. ....."
And from "A Historical
and Memorial Record of Crawford County,
Pennsylvania", page 137-138:
"Robert Fitz Randolph was born in Essex County, New
Jersey, in 1741, of Scotch ancestry. He removed with
his family to Northampton County in 1771, and two years
later to Northumberland County. Driven from his home
by Indian hostilities, he fled in 1776 to Berks County,
but returned in the following year, and joined the
regiment of Colonel William Cook, and with it fought in
the battle of Germantown, October 3rd, 1777. Having
been discharged soon afterwards, he returned to his home;
but the savages having made another fierce attack upon the
settlement, he returned with his family to his native
State, where he again enlisted in the Continental army,
with which he served to the end of the Revolutionary War.
At the return of peace, he returned to Northumberland
County, and settled on Shamokin Creek, where he resided
until 1789, when re removed to the Venango Valley with his
family, and settled upon the tract which had been patented
by his son James, one of the party of nine who were the
original settlers. He was in his seventy-second year
when the war of 1812 broke out. The blood of his
younger days was stirred, and at the first call for troops
he started for Erie, with four of his sons and two
grandsons, to offer his services to his country.
Upon his arrival at Lake Conneauttee, near Edinboro, he
was pursuaded by some of his friends to return home on
account of his age. He died on the 16th of July,
1830, in the eighty-ninth year of his age."
And from "A Historical
and Memorial Record of Crawford County, PA", page
539:
"Frederick Baum, Darius Mead, and Robert Fitz
Randolph arrived in 1789. The latter, who had been a
soldier of the Revolution, located two miles south of the
Mead settlement, and lived there with his family until his
death, in 1830. He was a strong character, and his
zeal in the cause of freedom was unwavering.
The following anecdoct, from the Crawford Messenger of
July, 1830, is ample proof of this fact: In one of
the alarms caused by the approach of the English to the
town of Erie, during the War of 1812, he mustered a strong
band of his own household, in true patriarchal style,
consisting of his four sons, and two or three grandsons,
put himself at their head, and thus armed and equipped,
marched to meet the expected foe. His companion,
Frederick Baum, took up a claim south of Meadville, upon
French Creek, in the southwestern part of the township.
His neighbor, John Baum, who had the reputation of being
the strongest man in the settlement, was another early
resident of that vicinity."
And from "Fitz Randolph
Genealogy", page 35:
"In 1771 Robert moved with his family to Northampton,
now Lehigh Co., PA., and in 1773 to Northumberland County,
then the western frontier of the state.
In 1776 he fled with his family for safety from the
Indians to Bucks Co., but the following year returned to
his home, and soon afterwards joined Col. Wm. Crook's
regiment and fought in the Battle of Germantown, Oct. 3,
1777.
Robert served only a brief time and returned to his home
on the Susquehannah. Another raid was made upon the
settlement by the savages, who murdered and pillaged along
the entire frontier. Finding no prospect of peace or
safety for his family he returned to his native state,
entered the army, and served until the close of the war.
In 1783 he returned to Northumberland Co., and settled on
Shemokin Creek, where he risided until 1789, when he came
with his family to French Creek Valley, arriving at the
site of Meadville on July 6. His son James was one
of the nine who came in 1788 (May 12) and settled on the
land selected by James, about two miles south of the site
of Meadville, in what is now Meadville Township.
Here Robert settled and resided until his death.
Robert was in his seventy-second year when the War of 1812
broke out, and on the first call for volunteers he started
for Erie, with four sons and two grandsons, to offer his
services to his country."
Research
submitted by James
M. Richmond
