Susanna Philipse (also "Susannah"; 8 September 1727 – 22 November 1822) was the eldest surviving daughter of

Frederick Philipse II Frederick Philipse II ( – July 26, 1751) was a merchant, landowner, and politician in British America. He was the only son of Maria Sparkes, daughter of the Governor of Barbados, and Philip Philipse, eldest son of Frederick Philipse I, 1st ...

, 2nd Lord of

Philipsburg Manor Philipsburg Manor (sometimes referred to as Philipse Manor) was a manor located north of New York City in Westchester County in the Province of New York. Dutch-born Frederick Philipse I and two partners made the initial purchase of land that ...

Westchester County, New York Westchester County is a County (United States), county located in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, bordering the Long Island Sound and the Byram River to its east and the Hudson River on its west. The c ...

. She was, along with her elder brother

Philip Philip, also Phillip, is a male name derived from the Macedonian Old Koine language, Greek (''Philippos'', lit. "horse-loving" or "fond of horses"), from a compound of (''philos'', "dear", "loved", "loving") and (''hippos'', "horse"). Prominen ...

(1724–1768) and younger sisters

Mary Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a female given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religion * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also called the Blesse ...

(1730–1825), and

Margaret Margaret is a feminine given name, which means "pearl". It is of Latin origin, via Ancient Greek and ultimately from Iranian languages, Old Iranian. It has been an English language, English name since the 11th century, and remained popular thro ...

(1733-1752), a one-quarter heir to the roughly "Highland Patent" of her father (later to become known as the

Philipse Patent The Philipse Patent was a British royal patent for a large tract of land on the east bank of the Hudson River about 50 miles north of New York City. It was purchased in 1697 by Adolphus Philipse, a wealthy landowner of Dutch descent in the Pro ...

, and in time today's Putnam County of southeastern New York). Susanna was married to

Beverley Robinson Beverley Robinson (11 January 1721 – 9 April 1792), was a Virginia-born soldier who became a wealthy colonist of the Province of New York and is best known as a Loyalist during the American Revolutionary War. Robinson married Susanna Philips ...

, a soldier from a prominent family in the

Colony of Virginia The Colony of Virginia was a British Empire, British colonial settlement in North America from 1606 to 1776. The first effort to create an English settlement in the area was chartered in 1584 and established in 1585; the resulting Roanoke Colo ...

who had relocated to the

Province of New York The Province of New York was a British proprietary colony and later a royal colony on the northeast coast of North America from 1664 to 1783. It extended from Long Island on the Atlantic, up the Hudson River and Mohawk River valleys to ...

. He was a childhood friend of future American general and statesman

George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...

, who was for a time during the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War, 1754 to 1763, was a colonial conflict in North America between Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of France, France, along with their respective Native Americans in the United States, Native American ...

an irregular guest at their home on Susanna's land on the east bank of the Hudson. It is there Washington is said to have developed an attraction to Susanna's younger sister

. During the Revolution Susanna's lands and the Robinson family fortune were confiscated by the rebel government of the New York Colony. Their home became the headquarters of soon to turn treasonous Continental Army general

Benedict Arnold Benedict Arnold (#Brandt, Brandt (1994), p. 4June 14, 1801) was an American-born British military officer who served during the American Revolutionary War. He fought with distinction for the American Continental Army and rose to the rank of ...

. During an extended stay there by Washington Arnold's plans were revealed through the capture of British spymaster Major John Andre. Following his trial and sentencing Beverley Robinson was sent to Washington to plead for Andre's life. Washington refused to see him. Following the war the Robinsons relocated to Southwest England, where in time they received a partial payment for their seized properties. Both died and were interred there.

Marriage

On 7 July 1748, she married then-Captain

, a soldier from a prominent family in the

, in Trinity Church, New York City.''Gentleman's Magazine'', Beverley Robinson, February 1852 pp 188–190 Robinson had personally raised a company of troops there in 1745 and relocated it to the

to defend that state's frontier against Indian attack.Loyal American Regiment: Beverley Robinson
/ref> The couple went on have at least five children, four boys and a girl, including Beverley Honorable Robinson (1754–1816), Morris (1759-1815), Susanna Maria Robinson (1760–1833), John Robinson (1761–1828), and Frederick Philipse Robinson (1763-1852).

Inheritance

Margaret Philipse died intestate in 1752, and her share of the Highland Patent was equally divided among her named living siblings. A redistribution of the land among them was done in 1754.French's Gazetteer of the State of New York (1860): “The Philipses Patent… divided among the remaining three hildren Philip… Susannah married to Beverly Robinson, and Mary married to Col. Roger Morris. On the 7th of Feb 1754, the patent was divided into 9 lots: 3, each 4 mi. square, bordering upon the Hudson and denominated ‘water lots;’ 3, each 4 mi. wide by 12 long, extending N. and S. across the patent, and denominated ‘long lots;’ 3, each 4 mi. square, upon the E. border denominated ‘back lots.’ Philip, Susannah and Mary Philipse each owned one of each kind of lots." Susanna's eldest brother, Frederick Philipse III (1720–1785), inherited the family's vast hereditary estate in lower

, and was its third and last Lord. Upon Susanna's inheritance of her interest in the Patent, the Robinsons settled on her land, gradually renting parcels to

tenant farmers A tenant farmer is a farmer or farmworker who resides and works on land owned by a landlord, while tenant farming is an agricultural production system in which landowners contribute their land and often a measure of operating capital and mana ...

. It was a pleasant life, though Susanna's plots were only lightly settled and lacked the commerce and industry of her eldest brother's Manor.

American Revolution

With the onset of the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

Beverley sought to remain uninvolved, but in time relented. In 1777, he formed the Loyal American Regiment, which proved a very active

Loyalist Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cr ...

force in that conflict. In addition to serving as its Colonel and commander through the British defeat 1783, he was known for his work with the British secret service during the war, particularly in regards to the betrayal of Continental general

in the André Affair. Sons Beverly Robinson, Jr., a lieutenant-colonel, and Frederick, an ensign who went on to a long and distinguished career as a general in the British Army and colonial governor within the Empire, served beneath him.

Confiscation

All the Philipses were Loyalists throughout the war, and the inherited Philipse Patent lands were confiscated in 1779 by the Revolutionary government of the New York Colony, then sold off.Purple, Edwin R., "Contributions to the History of the Ancient Families of New York: Varleth-Varlet-Varleet-Verlet-Verleth," New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, vol. 9 (1878), pp. 120-12

/ref> In spite of a provision in the 1783 Treaty of Paris (1783), Treaty of Paris assuring restitution, no compensation was ever paid the Robinson family by the Colonial government. Much later, the British Compensation Commission granted the Robinsons £24,000 toward the original £80,000 value of the couple's personal estate (reflecting about £16,000 Sterling, plus the 60,000 Philipse Patent acres and some city property valued together at about £64,000), though only about £17,000 was ever paid.''Life of Sir John Beverley Robinson, Bart., C.B., D.C.L.: Chief-Justice of Upper Canada'', by Major General Charles Walker Robinson, C.B. (1904), as cited a
Loyal American Regiment, Beverley
/ref>

Later days

Following the war the Robinsons retired to Britain with some of their family, where both lived out their days. Susanna died aged 95 in 1822 and was buried in the St Mary the Virgin Parish Churchyard, Thornbury, South Gloucestershire Unitary Authority, Gloucestershire, England.

References

External links

Putnam's Past

Boundary Changes of Putnam County
{{DEFAULTSORT:Philipse, Susanna 1727 births 1822 deaths American members of the Dutch Reformed Church American people of Dutch descent People from colonial New York Susanna