Robert Stetson II

Robert Stetson II was born on January 23, 1653, in Scituate, Massachusetts. He was the son of Robert Stetson I and Honour ?. He married Joanna Brooks in 1676 in Scituate, Massachusetts. She was born in 1659 in Scituate, Massachusetts.

Robert may have had a second wife named Deborah Brooks, sister of Joanna. On the Pembroke records we find "Peleg, son of Robert and Deborah Stetson died June 29, 1713." Deane in 1831 says "Robert married Deborah Brooks, b. 1654, daughter of William and Susanna," but 16 years later Mr. Barry, who was familiar with Deane's History, says he married her sister Joanna. He may have married both.

There is abundant proof that Robert, in his youth, sowed many "wild oats" and was a source of mortification and expense to his indulgent father. The following is the clause in the Cornet's will relating to Robert:

"I give and bequeath to my son Robert my Wearing Cloaths which with what I have formerly given him I judge convenient for him."

Some have understood from this that the Cornet in a way disinherited Robert and have imagined that he was destitute and without doubt did find his father's old clothes "convenient"; but these overlook the fact shown on the land records at Plymouth that the Cornet, when in his eighty-eighth year, before making his will and only a short time before his death was "moved by love and fatherly affection" to give Robert a valuable "River farm".

It is a curious fact that every one of the Cornet's children, except Robert, was given a Biblical name, chosen evidently from the most circumspect characters of the Old and New Testament - Joseph, Benjamin, Thomas, Samuel, John, Timothy, Lois, and Eunice. Not until the arrival of the sixth child did the Cornet and Honour depart from this rule. Strangely enough, Robert seems to have been the only one to cause his parents anxiety.

The year 1676 was a very eventful one in the life of Robert Stetson. IN this year his suit for the hand of Joanna Brooks culminated successfully, and he began housekeeping in Scituate; but alas, this same year a band of Narragansett Indians descended upon Scituate and burned, with many others, the home of Robert Stetson.

Children with Joanna Brooks:
 * 1) Isaac Stetson I
 * 2) Timothy Stetson II
 * 3) Resolved Stetson I
 * 4) Sarah Stetson II
 * 5) Nathaniel Stetson II
 * 6) Peleg Stetson I
 * 7) Amie Stetson I
 * 8) Bathsheba Stetson I