>From the book "History of Washington and Kent Counties, Rhode Island" by J.R. Cole, published 1889, New York, W.W. Preston & Company. Beginning on page 539. [xxx] respresents either notes or the page number. ANECDOTES. – In "Recollections of Olden Times" we find the following amusing incident: "William T. Robinson, son of Thomas, and father of Mrs. Mary Hunter, used to relate an amusing anecdote of one of the early Robinsons who, it appears, had joined the Quaker meeting. Governor Brenton had placed him on a farm belonging to him, situated on the south end of the island adjacent to Brenton's Point, and stocked it largely with sheep. In a violent snow storm, such as used to prevail more frequently than of late in New England – though I have known several in my day perhaps equally as destructive – these sheep having been left in an exposed position, were driven by the inclement tempest of wind and sleet off the rocks into the sea, where they perished. When Robinson communicated the loss of the sheep to Brenton, the governor being a man of hasty temper, as most of the early settlers of Newport and Kings – now Washington [540] – counties in Rhode Island seem to have been, he flew into a towering rage with his tenant, and reproached him in unmeasured terms for the loss of the sheep, though, as he charged, gross neglect. To all the abuse heaped upon him Robinson answered not a word, which submissiveness seemed only to increase Brenton's ire, who at last in his frenzy declared that Robinson should pay for the lost sheep, and bid him choose a man to arbitrate their value, while he chose another, which Brenton did on his part instanter. It was now Robinson's turn to choose his man. ‘Friend Brenton,' said he, ‘I know of no one whom I should prefer to trust my interest with than thou. I think I will choose thee for my man.' This was too much for the governor, and he burst into a fit of laughter, told his unmanageable tenant to go back to the farm and he would trust one more flock of sheep to his care." The extent of Governor Robinson's farming operations may be guessed at from the statement made by one of his daughters, who used to say "that after her father had given several large tracts of land to his sons, including the Governor Sprague, Little Neck and Narragansett Pier estates, he used to congratulate himself upon having his parlor and kitchen family reduced in the winter season to seventy persons, all told." Mr. Sewal owned all the land in Point Judith lying south of Governor Robinson's estate, now constituting a half dozen farms. The Champlins, Potters, Noyes, Babcocks, Gardners, Perrys, Browns, Niles, Brentons and others were also large land owners. "Rowland Robinson," says Mr. Hazard, "was a fair specimen in temper and manners, and a perfect beau ideal in costume, presence and person of the old-time country gentlemen who constituted the semi-feudal aristocracy of Narragansett. In person he was portly, tall and erect. His features were Roman, slightly tempered with the Grecian type. His clear, blond complexion inclining to red, and undulating brown hair worn in a cue behind attested his Saxon descent. When in full dress Mr. Robinson generally wore a dark silk velvet or brown broadcloth coat, light yellow plush waistcoat, with deep pockets and wide flaps resting partly on the hips, short violet colored velvet breeches, buckled at the knee, nicely polished white top boots or silver buckled shoes, fine cambric shirt profusely ruffled and plaited at the bosom and wrists, with white silk neck tie to match; the who surmounted and set off by a looped-up triangular hat on his head, and a stout gold-headed cane in his hand. [541] "I have heard it said by persons acquainted with Revolutionary data that such was the admiration inspired by the fine appearance and courtly bearing of Rowland Robinson, though then far beyond the prime of manhood, who occasionally came to his brother Thomas Robinson's house, in Newport, where Count Rochambeau, commander of the French land forces, resided for a time as a guest, that many of the court officers sought introductory letters to Mr. Robinson, that they might obtain access to share in the hospitalities of his home in Narragansett. To what extent Mr. Robinson's beautiful and accomplished daughter might have contributed as a further element of attraction, had they seen her when in the zenith of her glory, to the proverbially gallant and light-o-love Frenchman, can only be surmised. I do, however, know that a fair cousin of Hannah's, Mary by name was sent to Narragansett and placed by her parents in the care of her uncle and aunt (my grand-parents), that the lovely maiden might be removed from the society of the numerous young French officers, one of whom, under the cloak of calling at her father's house to see his general, Count Rochambeau, had nearly succeeded, through his blandishments, in persuading the little Quaker beauty to exchange her drab bonnet for a Parisian hat and become his bride before the alarming plot was discovered and its further denouement arrested by keeping the lovers separated until his most Christian majesty's land forces took their final departure from Newport." The homestead house of Thomas B. Hazard, called "Nailor Tom," stood two or three furlongs east of the old Jeremy Niles house, on a pleasant rising ground a little to the east of the Saugatucket river, where it is lost in the Wakefield mill pond; and his blacksmith shop stood on a little, abrupt knoll on the west side of where the road between Peace Dale and Wakefield now runs, nearly opposite the remains of an old mill dam, the first that was built in Narragansett. Nailor tom's house was said to have been one of the first six houses that were guilt between Franklin Ferry and the Pawcatucket river. It was here, tradition says, that the crews of pirate vessels used to resort in olden times, when the coast was sparsely settled, and of course it has been said Captain Kidd buried a treasure box here. Thomas R. Hazard, in speaking of Nailor Tom, says: "Thomas B. Hazard was a most remarkable man. His fund of anecdote and old time [542] historical and biographical knowledge seemed inexhaustible. During most of a long life he kept a daily record of passing local events, which was so often brought into court as evidence that the ‘Blue book,' as it was popularly called, was at length ruled out of court on the alleged ground that its endless memoranda of dates and corresponding events, when sworn to by Nailor Tom, tended to unsettle not only the titles of real estate, but through litigation, the peace of the community. I learn that the Blue book is now in the Redwood Library. I think it might more properly be deposited with the Rhode Island Historical Society. Thomas B. Hazard died in 1845, aged ninety years."