52 in 52: Lucky

This is a tough topic. There are many things to write about luck and none. Certainly our family is lucky in the pioneers and hardy ancestors we have. When thinking about all they had to endure to survive in past times that were not so kind in terms of medical and health issues. Moving across the Earth in many directions out of Africa through Iberia into Brittany as Celts and then developing as farmers and herders in Scotland took a lot of fortitude. Surviving capture in Cromwell’s second war in Worcester, England and then thrown into prison in London and then shipped to Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1651 as a 24 year old indentured servant, had to be traumatic for our ancestor Daniel Robertson/Robins. And yet, he was lucky to be purchased by Nathaniel Foote jr, age 31 of New Haven Connecticut. In trying to put the flesh on the bones, I believe they had a relationship that was more “brotherly” than of servant and lord.  Daniel stayed 3 more years after his “servitude” ended to stay with the Foote Family, taking care of the herd as he had done in Scotland on the property of the “Duke” in Blair Atholl, Perthshire, Scotland. Daniel married one of the cousins, Hope Potter, they bought land in New Jersey territory in 1665 from an English Duke.  Hope and Daniel ended up having 9 children in Monmouth, New Jersey. Our family is lucky to have a strong and stable beginning even before we were a country. Our heritage has deep roots.