Black History Month: My Origins

Yesterday I participated in a flag raising to commemorate the start of Black History Month. Today I decided to share some of my own Black history.


My family has been able to trace our roots back to my great-great grandfather, Smart Robinson, Sr. Early reports indicate that Smart was originally from a plantation in Virginia and was sold down south to the “Mitchell Place” plantation, owned by Governor George Michael Troup. Smart Robinson, Sr. was born approximately 1820.

The “Mitchell Place” plantation was located in what was then Montgomery County, (today it is part of Wheeler County), opposite of Mount Vernon and south of Glenwood, Georgia. A passage taken from the book, Georgia’s Landmarks, Memorials and Legends, pp. 888-890, mentions a particular incident involving Smart Robinson, Sr. (note the spelling of the last name that was changed by Smart after slavery.

Shortly before the Governor’s death a message from the overseer on the Mitchell Place, William Bridges, announced an unruly disposition on the part of a certain Negro slave. With his faithful coachman, the aged governor was soon at the lower plantation, thirty-five miles from Valdosta. On reaching the Mitchell place, fatigued by the hurried trip, the governor became ill and five days later brought the end. He was removed from his residence, nearby, long since decayed, and tenderly cared for at the home of Overseer Bridges, where he died on April 26, 1856. Smart Roberson, a colored slave, was mounted on a spirited young horse and dispatched to Glynn County to bear the sad tidings. Before reaching his destination, the steed was overtaxed by his rider’s haste and fell by the wayside. Faithful Smart, undaunted, pressed on by foot and delivered his message.

Smart Robinson, Sr. married twice; the first time to Sarah, whom, it is believed, he met on the Mitchell Place plantation. Smart and Sarah had 11 children. The first census taken after the Civil War was in 1870 and from those records the ages of most of their children were given. Smart was 50 years of age at that time and Sarah had recently died. Here is the list of children:

July 26, 1870

Patience
Renda
Eliza
Margaret, age 22
Sophia, age 20
Smart, Jr., age 17
Susan, age 13
William, age 12
Patsy, age 10
Rebecca, age 8
Primas, age 5

The 1870 census mentions the presence of two very young children, believed to be grandchildren that were in the home at the time the census was taken; Seny, age 1 (daughter of Margaret) and Lauria, age 5.

In 1872, seven years after the Emancipation Proclamation, Smart met and married Celia Clark and from this union five children were born; James, Butch, Lula Mae, Elmore and Frank.

Celia had three children prior to marrying Smart Robinson, Sr.; Henry, Elijah and Easter.

Smart Robinson, Sr. lived as an independent farmer and acquired a considerable amount of land. As his sons grew and married, Smart Sr. parceled out property to them to start their families.

Records indicate that Smart Robinson, Sr. died around 1910 at the age of approximately 90 years in Glenwood, Georgia. He is buried in the Lowryfield Cemetery. Celia died in 1942 at approximately 96 years in Glenwood and is remembered by a large number of her great and great-great grandchildren. She is buried in Starlight Cemetery.


The first Smart Robinson, Sr. family reunion was held in Philadelphia (PA) at the Mount Enon Baptist Church, founded and built by Rev. Enos Mackey, son of Lula Mae Robinson and Oscar Mackey. Since then, the reunion has been held annually, the second weekend of August, in other cities where Smart's descendants have settled; Cleveland, Chicago, Washington (DC), Miami, Detroit, Newark (NJ) and Long Branch (NJ). The reunion returns to Georgia every even year and has been hosted in Atlanta, Glenwood, Jekyll Island, McRae, Savannah and Vidalia. This year, the 38th annual meeting will take place in Macon. The reunion organization is governed by a national board of officers, who oversee the activities of the various chapters around the United States.