Sign #1 Alfred Robinson

Emancipation of a Family Patriarch

Alfred was likely born in 1841 and was enslaved by the Thompson family near Somerville until he was hired out to the Smith family near Bethel. Alfred and his wife, Susan Marshall, had their first two children before 1865.Once emancipated, Alfred remained working as a paid laborer on Smith family farms: Alton, Blenheim, and Chelsea, until 1879. By this time, eight more children had been born into the Robinson family. bout 1880, the Robinsons moved to the Bull Run Mountains, where their 11th child, Moses, was born. Alfred passed away by 1915, but Moses and his family remained at the homestead until after his wife, Kate, passed in 1951. With help from descendants, forensic genealogists, archaeologists, historians, and others from the community, VOF has collected the stories of Alfred and his family for future generations, ensuring that the Preserve remains connected to the people who found freedom and a home here.