Whatever Happened To...?by Robert Dorrill, who was born 1712 or April 1717 in either Warwick, Bermuda, or Christ Church Parish in Carolina, had seven sons (there were eight, but one died in infancy) from two marriages to carry on his surname and bloodline to posterity. And most, if not all, of the Dorrill families in America since then and to the present time, are descended from those sons. But, there are some gaps in those descendant lines. Robert married (1st) Elizabeth Cook(e) in 1736. They had nine children: six sons and three daughters. Of those six sons, James died in infancy; the others were Robert Jr., John, Jonathan, William, and Joseph. Of those five sons, all lived to maturity, married, and had children. Many of these family lines have been traced to the present time. Thus, most of the descendant lines from the sons of Robert Sr.'s first marriage have been documented. Robert Sr. married (2nd) Martha Hamlin (relict of John McDowell) in 1767. They had three children: two sons, Robert Jr. and Benjamin; and one daughter. (Robert Sr.'s son Robert from his first marriage had died before his father's second marriage.) From the sons of Robert Sr.'s second marriage, much is known about Robert Jr., who was born in 1768. He married Martha Whitesides in 1798, and they had eight children: five sons and three daughters. Of the sons, Edwin, John, Augustus, Robert (the 3rd), and Theodore, a fairly comprehensive family history and lineage of Augustus is known and documented to the present day. But very little is known about the other four sons: Edwin, John, Robert, and Theodore. Edwin is known to have married Elizabeth Copeland Gibson. Did they have any children? Did John, Robert, and Theodore, marry? Are there any present-day descendants from these men? And it is a complete mystery as to Robert Sr.'s son Benjamin who was born ca. 1769-70, although he is mentioned in his father's will of 1777. Beyond that, nothing is known of Benjamin. So, whatever happened to Benjamin (a son from Robert Sr.'s second marriage), Edwin, John, Robert (the 3rd), and Theodore (the latter four are sons of Robert Jr. born in 1768)? Did their bloodlines survive to the future, or did it expire after their geneation? ____________ More about Benjamin... There are some who attribute Benjamin as a son of Robert Sr.'s first marriage to Elizabeth Cook. My own research, however, indicates that Benjamin was indeed from Robert's second marriage to Martha Hamlin. Among the scant available information, the most telling evidence concerning Benjamin's parentage is from Robert Sr. himself: his will of 1777. The following exchange of correspondence in 1991 discussed the same issue. James E. Anderson wrote me that: "You have placed Benjamin Dorrill as a son of Robert and his second wife Martha Hamlin. I had always assumed him to come through the first wife Elizabeth Cook...." I responded to James that my main evidence for showing Benjamin as a son of Robert Sr.'s second marriage is Robert's will of 1777. In every instance in Robert's will where he mentions that his children are to share property, he listed them in order as they were born. There were seven occurrences in the will and the children were listed each separate occasion in the order as follows: 1.) Robert [b.1768] [In this occasion above, Benjamin was placed in the will between Robert and Sarah, who were listed in their correct birth order.] 2.) Joseph [b.1761] [In this occasion above, although Benjamin was not shown, Joseph and Robert were listed in the will in their correct birth order.] 3.) Elizabeth [b.1747] [In this occasion above, Benjamin was placed in the will after Elizabeth and Robert, who were listed in their correct birth order.] 4.) Jonathan [b.1745] [In this occasion above, Benjamin was placed in the will between Robert and Sarah, and all those listed were in their correct birth order.] 5.) Jonathan [b.1745] [In this occasion above, although Benjamin was not shown, those listed were in their correct birth order.] 6.) Jonathan [b.1745] [In this occasion above, Benjamin was placed in the will between Robert and Sarah, and all those listed were in their correct birth order.] 7.) Jonathan [1745] [In this occasion above, although Benjamin was not shown, Jonathan and William were listed in the will in their correct birth order.] We know that Robert Sr.'s first wife Elizabeth Cook (m. 1735) died in 1765, and that their first son Robert Jr. (b. 1737) died in 1766, eleven years before his father wrote his will. Therefore, the Robert listed as a legatee and son in Robert Sr.'s will of 1777, would have to be of his (Sr.'s) second marriage to Martha Hamlin in 1767. So what does this Robert Jr. have to do with Benjamin, of whom there is no proven birth date? If we proceed on the theory that Robert Sr., when listing his children as legatees in his will, he listed them in birth order (which he did), Benjamin is always listed following Robert Jr., in consequence making Benjamin also a son of Robert Sr.'s second marriage. Further, Benjamin is always listed between Robert Jr. (b. 25 May 1768) and Sarah (b. 22 September 1771), thus making Benjamin born between those two dates. Although not a large spread of time, three years and four months, there would certainly still be room for another child.
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