Joseph Allen Lander - Robnett Cemetery Letter
Contributed by David Lander; dvdlndr@aol.com; 1/13/2007
Following is a letter regarding the search of the ROBNETT cemetery in Bourbon county. My great grandfather, Rev. DAVID LUTHER LANDER wrote the following in his book "History of the Lander Family of Virginia and Kentucky, published 1926:
JOSEPH ALLEN LANDER was born on the "Cane Ridge Farm" in Bourbon County, Kentucky, February 25, 1812. He grew to be six feet, three inches tall and well proportioned. While still in his teens he fell into some bad habits and was considered a tough case, but he was happily converted and joined the old Donaldson Presbyterian Church about 1835. A great many folks got religion and joined the church in those days. Cholera was abroad in the land! He steadily grew in grace during the rest of his life. He was made an elder in the church at Flemingsburg. Later and until his death he was an elder in the church at Elizaville. Dr. SCUDDER, his pastor, wrote of him: "As a citizen few men in the community in which he lived enjoyed so universally its friendship and confidence. He had drawn around him a large circle of friends by his integrity, his genial disposition, his high Christian character and firmness of principle which would yield to nothing unmanly or wrong".
He married his cousin, KITTIE SPENCER, March 13, 1834, and by her had ELIZA, as already noted. After the death of his first wife he married my mother, CATHERINE O. ROBNETT, September 26, 1842. She was a daughter of MOSES ROBNETT and MARIA L. KENNEY. MOSES was a soldier in the War of 1812. (I have one of the pistols he carried in that war.)
My father owned a fine farm on Stoner Creek near Paris. About 1854 he sold that and bought a slightly place on the Maysville pike just north of Flemingsburg. He built a large house and a big fish pond between the house and the pike. One of my earliest recollections is of the drowning of an Irish laborer in that pond. He was in bathing one night with several others. I have never since heard the frogs croak as on that occasion. Shortly afterward my father sold that place and bought the BRUCE farm on Johnson Creek, two miles north of Elizaville.
Our residence on the BRUCE farm was not for long. Father died January 5, 1862, and my mother followed on March 13. Their remains were carried back to Bourbon County and interred in the ROBNETT family graveyard, where two of their children had already been buried. From the second marriage there were eight children. [000:I/p51]
So as best as I can determine My gr gr grandparents, Joseph Allen and Catherine O. (Robnett), their children, my gr gr gr grandparents Moses and Marie Louise (Kenney) Robnett would be buried in this missing cemetery. I can only imagine that it is a large cemetery because there must be additional Robnett children buried there. Would anyone have any update as to the location of this cemetery? Is there anyone from the Bourbon County Historical Society that can assist in locating the cemetery? Unfortunately I don't know how to contact Mrs. Barde.
Any assistance is appreciated.
Regards,
David Lander
Cripple Creek CO
Dear Mr. Lander,
Alice Hills contacted me and I am reporting to you what I have found concerning the Robinette family cemetery.
I have enclosed copies of the deeds that pertain to the Robinette property. I had hoped that the weather would cooperate and I could have gone to the site of what might be the cemetery, but the weather goes from wet to rainy. I will go as soon as I can. As you can see, however, there is no mention of a cemetery or even a house on the deeds.
I have enclosed a picture of the Robinette house from Historic Architecture of Bourbon County, Kentucky with the reference on the back. I thought you would like to see it. I have looked at the location referenced in the article as BB-468 and it has nothing to do with the Robinette family and is not on the Jackstown Road. I can't explain this discrepancy, and I have looked throughout the book and find nothing on the Jackstown road that is connected with the Robinette family either. That is frustrating.
I wanted to explain to you about the confusion concerning the location of the Robinette family cemetery. When I talked to Mr. Amos Taylor, the current owner of the land and the house, who is 92, he volunteered the existence of the cemetery, but it could not have been located in the direction he indicated. That piece of land was never Robinette land (plot #6 on the attached sheet), and Mr. Taylor was mistaken. He did say he hadn't seen the cemetery in forty years, and certainly could have been mistaken. Everyone I talk to says that Mr. Taylor would be reliable in reporting that there was a cemetery. I have found some leads, and as I explained, will be looking for it as soon as the weather cooperates. There is reason to believe from what a neighbor reports, that the cemetery wall is gone, and the stones are on the ground and illegible. We will see and I will certainly keep you informed.
It's snowing and sunny today. Kentucky weather is a challenge.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Rogers R. Bardé
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From David Howard, DavidHoward@lipscomb.edu, to David Lander 8/21/2007
I wish at least someone would go look at the Robnett cemetery site. It may be so overgrown that the headstones aren't visible or some may be buried. It could also be that the headstones are broken up & no longer look like headstones, but it might be possible to put them back together. I wish we could get someone in Bourbon Co. interested in this. The one person (Sarah Clough) that I knew there died several years ago. If she were living and active, she'd have gotten someone to go have a look. I think it is also significant that it is the "Robnett" cemetery. This would indicate that it is a very old cemetery. That was the spelling that the family was using when they 1st arrived in Bourbon Co. about 1787/88. My gggg grandfather Joseph signed his name "Joseph Robnet" on the little slip of paper giving permission for his daughter Mary to marry my ggg grandfather John Howard. this was in 1797. He is named as Joseph "Robnett" on other documents in Bourbon Co. before his death in 1807. They family continued to use "Robnett" after sons Richard & Joseph, Jr. moved to Pope Co. & Gallatin Co., IL in 1818. One branch from Richard never changed to "Robinett." Pope Co. & Gallatin Co., IL are my home areas - I was born in Hardin Co., IL. Hardin was formed from Pope & Gallatin in 1839.
