Junkins, Robert

Published: 23 Dec 2014, Updated: 2 Mar 2019
Page contributors: Andrew Millard, Teresa Rust, B. Craig Stinson, Rosann Beauvais

Robert Junkins, #42 on George S. Stewart’s Captured at Dunbar list¹

IMPORTANT UPDATE! (July 2018)
According to, Christopher Gerrard, Pam Graves, Andrew Millard, Richard Annis, and Anwen Caffell, in, Lost Lives, New Voices: Unlocking the Stories of the Scottish Soldiers at the Battle of Dunbar 1650, (England: Oxbow Books, 2018),² on page 250, Robert is categorized as:

Probable [that he is a Dunbar prisoner transported on the Unity]

Junkins/Jenkins/Junkes/Jongkin/Gunkens, Robert. Residences: Oyster River NH, York ME. Appears: 1657. D.1699. Possibly one of Valentine Hill’s Scots. Appears at Oyster River at the same time as Scots likely to have been prisoners. [Exiles; DR; BCS; SPOWS; Ch.7 & 8; App.B]^{345 167}

For explanations of the category, abbreviations and references see List of Dunbar prisoners from Lost Lives, New Voices.

First Generation in the New World

1. ROBERT¹ JUNKINS, born at Brechin, Angus, Scotland about 1621. He died at Scotland Parish, York County, Maine in November 1699. He married in York County*, about 1664/6*, SARAH SMYTH/SMITH*, of Cape Neddick.

Biographical Notes:
1. “one third of the inhabitants of Brechin, where Dunbar survivor Robert Junkins came from (Chapters 7 and 8), died in the plague of 1647/ 8.191” from: Gerrard, Chris; Graves, Pam; Millard, Andrew; Annis, Richard. Lost Lives, New Voices: Unlocking the Stories of the Scottish Soldiers at the Battle of Dunbar 1650 (Kindle Locations 3223-3224). Oxbow Books. Kindle Edition.
2. Junkins’ Garrison – York, Maine – Helpful timeline
3. Robert Junkins’ Story – Use with caution

Children of Robert and Sarah (Smyth/Smith) Junkins:
2. i. JOSEPH² JUNKINS, born about 1672; d. at Scotland Parish, Maine on 6 April 1711 (by Indians)
2. ii. ALEXANDER² JUNKINS, was probably born in York County, Maine about 1675. He married in Maine by 1701, CATHERINE STACKPOLE, daughter of James Stacpole/Stackpole and Margaret Warren. Margaret Warren was the daughter of JAMES WARREN (Probable Dunbar Prisoner).
2. iii. DANIEL² JUNKINS, born about 1680;

Second and Third Generations

2. i. JOSEPH² JUNKINS, was probably born in York County, about 1672 and died at Scotland Parish, Maine on 6 April 1711 (by Indians). He married, widow, ABIGAIL (INGERSOLL) LEWIS.

Children of Joseph and Abigail (Ingersoll) Junkins:
3. i. JOSEPH³ JUNKINS, may have been born in Scotland Parish and was born about July 1710. (He was 9 months old at his father’s death.)
3. ii. JOHN³ JUNKINS, was born on 21 Sep 1711

2. ii. ALEXANDER² JUNKINS, was probably born in York County, Maine about 1675. He married in Maine by 1701, CATHERINE STACKPOLE.

2. iii. DANIEL² JUNKINS, was probably born in York County, Maine about 1680.

Scots at Oyster River
Robert Junkins (d. 1699)
by B. Craig Stinson
23 July 2016

Robert Junkins gradually acquired land in upper York, or Scotland Parish. He constructed a fortified garrison house and became a farmer, or “planter.” His story is recounted in Junkins family histories found on a well-maintained website, and an artifact from his home, the cradle that rocked his sons, is preserved in the Old Gaol Museum at York, Maine. Junkins died in 1699, and his will is recorded in Maine Wills 1640-1760. His son Joseph died in a horrific way in an Indian attack in 1711.

Robert Junkins, aka Robard Junkes
#42 on “The Dunbar Prisoners” list

Junkins family histories name Valentine Hill as his original owner. That same history says Valentine Hill also owned Andrew Rankin [#94 DPL] and Micum McIntire [#61 DPL].

HTDNH 81:
1657 taxed at Oyster River
1657 bought land Oyster River with Edward “Urine” and Henry Brown [GDMNH 394]
1663 taxed at Oyster River as “Robard Junkes”
By 1662 had a garrison house in upper York (“Scotland”) that was still standing in early 1900’s [GDMNH 394]
1667 Junkins and James Grant were bondsmen for Andrew Rankin
before 1670 wife was Sarah Smith “Junckins” [Junkins family history]
22 March 1681 took oath of allegiance at York
2 March 1696-7 – will
3 Dec 1699 inventory returned; £90:13 [Maine Wills 128-129]
3 children named: Joseph, Alexander, and Daniel

“With an original holding of six acres, he built his homestead at Scotland on a rise overlooking the York river where he retained command of his farm lands and orchards for the remainder of his life, adding to his land holding from time to time – 20 acres on 24th March 1680, a further 32 acres in the same year, and another parcel for an orchard and barn on 10 June 1681. Before 1670 he married Sarah Smyth of Cape Neddick. They had three sons, Joseph (b. 1672), Alexander (b. 1675) and Daniel (b. circa 1680). The cradle in which they were rocked (and their children and grandchildren) is now in the Old Gaol Museum of the Old York Historic Society.”
http://junkinsfamilyassociation.wikidot.com/robert-junkins-story
Robert’s son Joseph Junkins was killed by five Indians near the Scotland garrison April 6, 1711:
“Joseph Junkins was stripped, scalped, and left for dead, but arose and walked to the garrison, gave an account and lived two hours.” [GDMNH 394]
Joseph’s wife Abigail Ingersoll Lewis Junkins (already once a widow) was left with a 9-month-old son Joseph and was pregnant with John, who was born 21 Sept 1711. [GDMNH 394]
“Robert’s will is dated 2 March 1696 and, with his mark at the bottom, is lodged in the York County Court House in Alfred, Maine. It was witnessed by John Hancock, Arthur Bragdon, Jr. and Joseph Pray in 1697, this John Hancock being the grandfather of the John Hancock who signed the American Declaration of Independence. On 2 January 1699, the will was recorded, and in November of the same year he died. Robert’s wife Sarah inherited and when she died on 20 March 1718, it was Alexander² who inherited the homestead, for his older brother Joseph had been killed by Indians near the Garrison house on 2 April 1711.”

“Robert Junkins was born in Scotland and he died at Scotland. He was assigned to enslavement at Durham and he worked in bondage in Durham. But the Scotlands and the Durhams were an ocean apart, and so may be seen in the individual life of one christened in Brechin Cathedral the tumult, dislocation, anguish, near death, enslavement and renewed hope which those who could count themselves fortunate among Scots experienced in his times.”
http://junkinsfamilyassociation.wikidot.com/robert-junkins-story

Sources:
HTDNH History of the Town of Durham, New Hampshire, vol. 1, Everett S. Stackpole and Lucien Thompson, 1913, p. 81.
GDMNH Genealogical Dictionary of Maine and New Hampshire, Noyes, Libby, and Davis, Portland, Maine: The Southworth-Anthoensen Press, 1928-1939, p. 394.
Maine Wills 1640-1760, William M. Sargent, Portland: Brown Thurston and Co., 1887, pp. 128-129.
http://junkinsfamilyassociation.wikidot.com/robert-junkins-story

B. Craig Stinson
July 23, 2016

Sources and Notes:

“Kittery, Maine, Probate 2 Jan 1699” From: Dobson, David. Scottish Emigration to Colonial America, 1607-1785. (Athens: University of Georgia, 1994, paperback version, 2004), 36.

For additional help, please go to the:
Descendants and Researchers List and the Facebook Group.
(Our small website team is unable to help with further research.)

1. Stewart, George Sawin. The Bartlett Collection. New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, Massachusetts. /george-sawin-stewart-documents/ [↩] [↩]
2. Gerrard, Christopher M.., et al. Lost Lives, New Voices: Unlocking the Stories of the Scottish Soldiers at the Battle of Dunbar 1650. Oxbow Books, 2018, p. 247. [↩]
3. Stackpole, Everett Schermerhorn. Scotch Exiles in New England. 1922. Coll. 733 & 831, Collections of the Maine Historical Society, Portland ME. [↩]
4. Rapaport, Diane. Working List of Early New England Scots. 2015. [↩]
5. Stinson, B. Craig. “‘Oyster River Scots.’” The Scottish Prisoners of War Society, Teresa Rust, 3 June 2018, scottishprisonersofwar.com/oyster-river-scots-by-b-craig-stinson/. [↩]
6. “Dunbar Prisoners of War Profiles.” The Scottish Prisoners of War Society, Teresa Rust, 18 Feb. 2019, scottishprisonersofwar.com/battle_of_dunbar_pows_america/. [↩]
7. Gerrard, Christopher M.., et al. Lost Lives, New Voices: Unlocking the Stories of the Scottish Soldiers at the Battle of Dunbar 1650. Oxbow Books, 2018. Ch. 7, 8, Appendix B, p. 257-284. [↩]