| Notes |
Excerpts from the database of Bill Polk, the primary souce (some supplemental IGI data is also included) for Robert's pedigree (which was not carried forth by the Gary Boyd Roberts source):
The ancestry of Robert Bruce Polk of Maryland was derived by researching multiple sources, some of which conflict with each other. Comparing the best-known genealogies on the Polk family that have the ancestry of Robert Bruce Polk included in them (notably, "Polk Family and Kinsmen," 1912, William Harrison Polk; and "Pedigree of the Pollok or Polk Family from Fulbert the Saxon (A. D. 1075) to the Present Time," Mary Winder Garrett, published in several issues of "The American Historical Magazine," 1896-1899; and many other genealogies which basically use the genealogy as provided in the two cited above) with other sources [Burke's Peerage, History of Renfrewshire, Burke's Presidential Families, Pogue/Pollock/Polk Genealogy as Mirrored in History that the ancestral line of Robert Bruce Polk of Maryland, as given by the two above mentioned family writers is not complete or entirely correct.Much of the following information is taken from "Polk Family and Kinsmen," William Harrison Polk, 1912 which the source author has many questions about some of the data:
Robert (Pollok) Polk and his family probably came to America from Northern Ireland sometime between 1672 and 1680. However, their arrival may have been earlier. Quoting William M. Polk in his 1893 biography, "Leonidas Polk Bishop and General," pg. 3, referring to Robert Pollock: "On the death of Cromwell and the accession of the second Charles, Robert Pollock resolved to emigrate with his wife and family to the American plantations. It 1659 he took ship at Londonderry, and after a stormy voyage, during which one of his children died, he landed on the Eastern Shore of Maryland......" It is probable that the family left Ireland to escape religious persecution (Robert was a Covenanter) and for the opportunities the new land afforded to practice their religion and build a home. Thomas, Robert's elder brother, inherited the family estate in Ireland, and the opportunity to secure land of his own in the colonies must have been factored into the decision to leave Ireland.
Robert Pollok, the ancestor who settled in Maryland, and the second son of Sir Robert II of Ireland, was a captain in Colonel Porter's Regiment, which served in the parliamentary forces under Oliver Cromwell, a member of the British Parliament who sympathized with the Independents or Separatists. These Separatists, an independent group which developed within the Puritans (the Puritans wanted to "purify," rather than separate from the Church of England), did not favor a central church government. When Parliament met in 1640, it refused to grant King Charles I any funds unless he agreed to limit his power. Charles I refused to do so, and civil war broke out in 1642. Cromwell's military forces defeated Charles I, ending the war. Cromwell, with reluctance, finally agreed to the execution of the King and he was one of the signers of the death warrant which was executed on 30 Jan., 1649. In 1656, Parliament offered Cromwell the title of King, which he refused. Although he professed to be against absolutism, he ruled almost as absolutely as Charles I had ruled. Cromwell died in 1658, and eventually persecution of protestants became the norm in Ireland, causing many to flee to America. Colonel Porter was married to Magdalen Tasker for a short time. After Colonel Porter's death, Robert Pollok married the young widow. It has been said that the Porter family, who had strong connections in the government of Ireland, threatened Robert Pollok and took most of "Moneen," the property Magdalen had inherited from her father, Col. Rogert Tasker. However, the Porters, if they acquired any of "Moneen" at all, certainly did not get it all as Magdalen left "Moneen" to her youngest son Joseph at her death.
After the death of Cromwell and the accession of Charles II in 1660 (who was heavily Roman Catholic in his sympathies) there began a long period of difficulty, danger, and martyrdom for the Covenanters. Vindictive measures were instituted by Charles against all those who had been leading actors in the drama that brought the head of his father, Charles I, to the block. Many of the "Regicides," as were termed those who had been active in bringing about the death of Charles I, in order to escape the wrath of his son, fled to foreign parts, many coming to America and changing their names in order to conceal their identity. The new parliament of 1661 consisted mostly of high churchmen and royalists. It restored ancient oppressive laws and instituted efficient measures to prevent even the smallest degree of toleration to all who refused conformance with the liturgy of the court. This state of unrest continued throughout the reign of Charles II, and in 1679 drove the people of Scotland into rebellion.
During the reign of Charles II, the American colonies received their greatest accessions of population. Thousands who had become weary of Charles' oppressions turned their faces to the New World, hoping that by going beyond the Atlantic they could find some respite from the exactions of kingly power. Charles II died on 6 Feb., 1685, and was succeeded by James II. James proved to be a most arbitrary and unpopular monarch, both at home and in the British colonies. By his direction, unjust taxes were imposed on his subjects and to escape his persecutions large numbers of them emigrated to America. Seeking to reduce the colonies to direct dependence on the Crown, James cancelled the Charter of Massachusetts and ignored that of Maryland granted to Lord Baltimore. During the first year of his reign a great number of Scotch, Irish and English emigrated to the American colonies. Over a thousand prisoners taken in Monmouth's Rebellion were sent to Virginia to be indentured as servants for years, but the latter design was not carried out and in this way Virginia received many useful citizens. The reign of James, however, was a brief one; in December 1688, he was compelled to abdicate.
The exact date of arrival in America of Robert Pollok and his family has not been determined. It is estimated to have been near or about 1672. The earliest record relating to the Polk family in America is dated 8 Sep., 1680, in Somerset County, Maryland, where Robert's eldest son John registered the ear marks of his cattle. According to Josiah F. Polk, one of the Polk family historians, "there is documentary proof that some of the Polks were in Maryland as early as 1672." The basis for this statement is not known. Robert Polk did not, according to the records in Maryland, receive a grant of land until March 1687. Why he did not, and by what sort of title he held his land for some fifteen years before he was accorded a grant, does not appear in any record located. One tradition handed down in the family is that "they came shortly after the siege of Londonderry." This cannot be correct, for that event did not take place until 1689, two years after Robert received his first land grant. John, Robert's eldest son, is estimated to have been born about 1662. Therefore he would be age 18 in 1680, the year he registered his cattle ear marks. It is reasonable to assume that the family had been here a number of years in order for John to have acquired livestock at an early age.
The entire company which came in the ship with the Polloks to America consisted of persons who were coming to the New World for civil and religious freedom. The ship (name unknown) landed at "Damn Quarter," now called "Dame's Quarter," on the "Eastern Shore" of Maryland, a low, flat strip of land about four of five miles in length, lying on the south side of a stream (on current maps, the Wicomico River) emptying into Chesapeake Bay. The Polloks took up residence in the colony of Lord Baltimore, who though himself a Catholic, was a man of the most generous impulses and liberal views. His colony was rapidly settled by not only emigrants from abroad, but it also became an asylum for those who were driven out of New England by Puritan persecutions, and from Virginia by the tyrannical measures and impositions of the Established Church against all dissenters. Many ministers were thrown into jail for preaching the Gospel in those areas.
Robert was a stern Covenanter and he instilled his principles and religion into his children, with perhaps Robert Jr. excepted, who appears, from reading the records, to have been somewhat obstreperous. The Polks were Presbyterians. The family found the freedom to worship freely in Lord Baltimore's colony. Lord Baltimore passed laws protecting all denominations, in consequence of which the Western Peninsula of Maryland was settled almost entirely by Romanists, and the creed still dominants the area to this day. The Eastern Peninsula was settled entirely by Protestants and in that area, that religious creed prevails. As of 1912, using Princess Anne, Maryland, as the center, a radius of eighteen miles would describe a circle in which would be included many Presbyterian churches which county records reveal were fully organized by 1705. There is no certain evidence that Robert and Magdalen were members of any church. There is, however, a strong presumption that they were a religious couple and that they were probable members of Manokin church, named for the stream upon which bank it stands. This would have been the closest church to their home, others being too far away to have made it convenient for them to have attended. The records of Manokin church were lost before 1746. More recent records reveal that later members of the Polk family attended the Manokin church.
Robert Polk received two land grants from Lord Baltimore, both in March of 1687. One grant was called "Polke's Folly," consisting of 100 acres, and the other was called "Polke's Lott," which encompassed fifty acres. "Polk's Folly" was described as lying in Somerset County, on the North side of the Manokin River, near the head of Broad Creek. "Polke's Lott" was also on the North side of the Manokin River. These grants are dated 7 March, 1687, and are recorded in the Maryland Archives, Land Office Patents, Liber 22, pages 356 and 357. Perhaps Robert named the one grant "Polk's Folly," because he felt it had been his "folly" to come to the New World. "Polk's Folly" remained in the Polk family until 1748, sixty-one years, when it was sold to William and John Shores. It remained with the Shores family one hundred and twenty years when it was bought in 1868 by William Harrison Polk and a Mr. Dashiell, the land being purchased from the trustee of the estate of Thomas Shores. In those earlier days there seems to have been much delay in the issue of patents to land claimants. Many immigrants came in and marked out and claimed tracts for which they did not receive patents until years later. Robert Polk apparently settled in the Province of Maryland about 1672 and occupied a tract for which he did not receive the patents until 1687. In 1992, Bill and Alicia Polk visited the area where Robert's land grants were located. Today, the area is part of Deal Island Wildlife Management Area, and is marsh land. On a modern map of Maryland, one can locate the land's location by following Highway 363 West out of Princess Anne, on through Monie, past St. Stephen and finally, where the first game reserve road exits the highway (heading southwest), is where the land grants were. When one exits the highway there, the land all around once belonged to Robert Polk, some 300 years ago.
From 7 March, 1687, to 11 Nov., 1742, a period of fifty-five years, 4,152 acres were granted to members of the Polk family. There were many other land transactions at later dates to various Polks. It appears that all of the sons of Robert Polk received grants from Lord Baltimore. Ephraim secured the largest quantity of land, 908 acres being entered in his name. William Polk received 500 acres and his brother Charles, 600 acres. The other sons received various amounts of land.
Robert continued to farm the lands on which he had settled when he came to the colony of Maryland and for which he received patents in 1687. He purchased other land to add to his holdings and continued to improve his estate. There are not many records on Robert other than land records; one such record found, dated 10 Mar 1697, was a petition to the court in Somerset. In this petition, he alleged that he had purchased a tract on Monie near Damn Quarter, had cleared a cornfield, and that the horse road passed right through his field, and asked permission to turn the road around his fence. Although they must have had to work very hard, carving a plantation out of the land, life was probably good for Robert, Magdalen and their children. They had the freedoms here in the New World they had not enjoyed in Ireland. The couple watched their children grow and start families of their own in this new land. Robert appears to have spent the remaining years of his life on the plantation in Somerset County, Maryland. Where he is buried is not known. There are two reasonable possibilities. The first is that he was buried on his plantation in a family graveyard. The second possibility is that he was buried in the churchyard of the church where he worshipped.
For many years, Polk family historians thought that Robert Polk had died in Ireland before the family came to America. This belief was based on his will not being located in Somerset County. Only after a Polk descendent, Mr. R. C. Ballard Thruston of Louisville, KY., discovered the will of Robert Polk on file in the records at Annapolis, MD., did the long standing belief end. In the early existence of the Colony of Maryland, there was a "Chief Commissary," as he was called and this officer had in each county a "Deputy Commissary," by whom all wills were probated and put on record. A copy of the document was then forwarded to the Chief Commissary for re-entry and filing thus ensuring greater security in case either office should be burned. Apparently the county copy was lost and/or not recorded in Somerset County. The discovery of Robert Polk's will in Annapolis plus the two land grants to him in 1687 proved beyond a doubt that he did come to America with his family.
The following is the will of Robert Polk, with spelling and capitalization exactly as shown in the original:
In the Name of God, Amen:
This sixth day of May in the year of our lord, 1699, I Robert Polke of Somerset County in the Province of Maryland being of good health and Perfect memory at this present thank be to Almighty God for the same yet knowing the uncertainty of this present life and being desirous to settle my affairs doe make this my last will and Testament in manner and form following:
First and principally I commend my soule to God who gave it to me, assuredly believing that I shall receive full and free pardon of all my sins and be saved by the pretious Death and Merritts of my Blessed Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ and my Body to the Earth from whence it was taken to be buried after a decent and Christian manner at the discretion of my Executor hereafter named and as touching such worldly estate as God in his mercy hath bestowed upon me. It is my will that it be disposed of as hereafter is expressed.
2ndly I leave to my son Robert Polke a parcel of land called Lone Ridge being part of a tract of land called Forlone Hope, formerly belonging to Augustine Standforth but now conveyed to me the said land called Lone Ridge beginning at a marked pine standing in a slash next to my said Son's House and from thence running north east the number of poles specified in the pattent soe leaving to my son Robert what land belongs to the said pattent on the north east side of the said Slash to him the Said Robert Polke and his heirs forever.
3rdly I leave to my said son David Polke the remainder of the above tract of land called Forlorne Hope as also one hundred acres of land called Polks Folly bounded as per Pattent will appear both said tracts of land to him the said David and his heirs forever.
4thly I leave to my Beloved Wife Magdalen Polke my now dwelling house and plantation during her natural life as also a third of what goods and moveables I am possessed with or shall hereafter to the day of my death the said Goods and moveables to be at her dispossing at her decease. Another third of my Goods and moveables I leave to my daughter Martha be it little or much here and her heirs forever and as for the other third. It is my will it be equally divided between my sons David and Joseph, and if it should please God to Remove me before I purchase a seat of Land after my son Joseph, this my will: that my son David give unto my son Joseph four thousand pounds of Tobacco in the leu of the above said tracts of Land left to my son David and as for what Cattle I have given to my son Joseph they being in his proper Mark it's my will that he enjoy and possess the same he and his heirs forever for this boy Christopher must live with Magdalen Polke during her life time then.
5thly I leave to my son James an Orphan Boy called Christopher Little to him the said James and his heirs during the time of his Indre.
I leave unto my son Ephraim the choice of what stear I have or may have at the day of my death. I leave to my sons John and William Polke to each of them twelve pence. I constitute and appoint my son David Polke and my wife Magdalen Polke to be Executors of this my last will.
Codicil--I constitute my sons Ephraim and James Polke to be Executors of this my last will and testament disannuling and making voide all former Will or Wills by me made either by word or written.
In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the day and year above written this being altered the eighth day of August, 1703.
Robert Polke
X mark
Seal Richard Knight, Mary 0. English, Richard Whittley,
And I desire that Martha Poock may have liberty let her cattle run on the plantation until she gets plantation and as for Sarah Powers she must have a heifer at her freedom day.
Signed, Sealed and delivered in the presence of us
Robert Polk
Richard Whittley
Richard Knight
Mary 0. English.
On the back of said will was thus written: "Vizt:--Memorandum this 5th
day June the within will was proved to the Act and Deed of the within named Robert Polke by the oaths of Richard Whittley, Richard Knight and Mary English before.
Peter Dent. Depty Com'y.
Test.
R. McKendree Davis,
Dept. Register Orphans Court
Anne Arundel County
State of Maryland
Annapolis Wills T. B. 1701-3, folios 416-418.
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There is no known record of the boat on which Robert Pollock and his family
arrived. My personal estimation of the year that they arrived is 1683. This is
based on the known arrival of Rev Francis Makemie and Rev William Trail in
that year. William Trail was the Presbyterian Minister from Lifford, Donegal,
the seat of the Tasker family and site of Moneen - the property inherited by
Magdalen Pollock. Rev Trail must have been minister to Robert Bruce Pollock's
family at that time and quite possibly the one who married them. It is quite
likely that he brought some of his flock with him.
In 1680 Colonel William Stevens, a prominent land owner of Somerset County,
sent a letter to the Presbytery of Laggan, which included Donegal, requesting
the services of a "godly minister" to attend to the people of his county (and
presumably encourage followers to come to Somerset and buy some of Stevens
land). In due course Makemie and Trail and shortly afterwards Thomas Wilson
and William Davis all responded to this call. The times were particularly
difficult for Presbyterians in Ulster at this moment and the attraction of the
religiously tolerant province of the Calvert family was strong. Colonel
Stevens' letter was no doubt intensely discussed by the entire Presbyterian
community and emigration seriously considered by all. What followed was the
earliest phase of the great Scotch Irish migration to the colonies that became
a torrent in the middle third of the 18th century. It was also the beginning
of the Presbyterian Church in America, which recognizes Francis Makemie as its
founding father. There is an excellent account of this in that classic work
"Old Somerset on the Eastern Shore of Maryland" by Rev Clayton Torrence (1935)
which is a must read for anyone who wants to understand the world into which
our ancestors moved.
As already pointed out, RBP's earliest recorded land acquisition was Polks
Folly and Polks Lott in 1687, totaling 150 acres. His arrival a few years
earlier in 1683 would seem very plausible. It can be expected that there would
have been a year or two taken up in establishing themselves in the new
surroundings before selecting a piece of land - and then settling on a tract
before formally patenting it in the Land Office at St. Marys across the bay.
Colonel Stevens would have helped to arrange such things. Delays in patenting
were common as it postponed the inevitable payment of the annual ground rent
due to Lord Baltimore.
This is not a definitive answer, but it is unlikely that an exact date will
ever be known for sure.
John Polk
Havre de Grace, Maryland
Notes for ROBERT BRUCE POLLOK:
Robert Pollok changed his name to Polke in the move from Scotland to Ireland. Robert served as a Captain in Col. Porter's Regt againest King Charles I. He emigrated in the late 17th century to Maryland and was granted land known as "Polke's Lott" and "Polke's Folly" by Lord Baltimore March 7, 1687. He died in 1704 and was buried in Somerset County, Maryland.
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Davis Uriah I | Born 1707
Abt 1625 - 1704 (~ 78 years)