Robert Otis

Abt 1696 - 1811  (115 years)

• Name	Robert Otis  [1, 2]
  Birth	Abt 1696	Ireland   [3]
  Gender	Male
  Death	1811	Lyme, New London Co., Connecticut, USA   [3]
  Notes	"According to persistent tradition among the descendants of this Robert, he was a distance connection of the numerous Otis families already settled at this period in the New England colonies. One of his ancestors - supposedly Thomas, his great grandfather - was said to have left England and settled in Ireland. As such an emigration probably did occur, and as the traditions of the two sides of the house seem to coincide, this branch of the family is, therefore, at least temporarily placed in this relationship, awaiting some good evidence that the assumption is incorrect. In considering the probablity of this relationship, outside evidence should also be considered. For instance, the fact that he was a Protestant would strongly point to his family not being of the Irish race, but rather English immigrant; even if it were not a fact that any name approaching our own has as far as known, never appeared in Ireland, except as belonging to English families. Moreover, in England itself, the name of somewhat similar spelling was pronounced by the North English family in one syllable, while ours was always in two. It appears he was kidnapped on shipboard at Donegal when only fourteen years old, and after numerous wanderings, all more or less tradiitonal, he finally landed in Rhode Island about 1720. He then drifted over into Connecticut, where he settled at Lyme at the mouth of the river of that same name. According to one tradition, he is said to have lived until the early part of the 19th century, dying at the very advanced age of one hundred three years. According to another tradition, he enlisted in the War of 1776, when eighty years of age, as a wagon master, and remained in the field during the war; came home stout and hale, at the age of one hundred; went blind, remaining so ten years, when his sight returned, and he could see to read without glasses. He remained so for five years, and then died at the age of 115 years." (Otis, Otis Family in America) [3]
  Person ID	I2404	Rumsey/Ballou Family Tree | Bret's lineage
  Last Modified	5 Jan 2009

  
  

  Family	Margaret Sabin,   b. 5 Feb 1705/06, Rehoboth, Bristol Co., Massachusetts, USA d. Abt 1748, Lyme, New London Co., Connecticut, USA (Age 41 years)
  Marriage	8 Aug 1737	Lyme, New London Co., Connecticut, USA   [3, 4]
  Children	+ 1. Stephen Otis,   b. 14 May 1738, Barrington, New Hampshire, Colonial America d. 29 Dec 1776, Lyme, New London Co., Connecticut, USA (Age 38 years) + 2. Robert Otis,   b. 18 Mar 1739/40, Lyme, Massachusetts, Colonial America d. Yes, date unknown   3. Richard Otis,   b. 23 Jun 1745, Lyme, Massachusetts, Colonial America d. 1834, Grafton, Grafton Co., New Hampshire, USA (Age 88 years)   4. Clarinda Otis,   b. 23 Sep 1748, Lyme, Massachusetts, Colonial America d. 25 Sep 1784, Colchester, New London Co., Connecticut, USA (Age 36 years)   5. Sarah Otis   d. Yes, date unknown
  Family ID	F974	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	5 Jan 2009

  
  

• Event Map		Birth - Abt 1696 - Ireland Marriage - 8 Aug 1737 - Lyme, New London Co., Connecticut, USA Death - 1811 - Lyme, New London Co., Connecticut, USA  = Link to Google Earth
  Pin Legend	: Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  
  

• Sources

  [S398] William A. Otis, A Memoir of the Otis Family, (no publisher). [S492] Connecticut Town Marriage Records, pre-1870 (Barbour Collection), (Ancestry.com), 9 Dec 2008, entry for Stephen Otis' 1738 birth; citing Lyme Vital Records, 1667-1852, Vol. 1, p. 61. [S398] William A. Otis, A Memoir of the Otis Family, (no publisher), p. 88. [S29] Connecticut, Marriage Index, 1620-1926, (Ancestry.com ), 9 Dec 2008, roll #1311111.