MacLachlan, Robert (Claflin)

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Battle:Battle of Dunbar at Dunbar, East Lothian, Scotland on 03 Sep 1650
Ship/Arrival:The ketch Unity – Late Dec 1650 – MA Bay Colony
Prisoner and List:Robert M’Lachlan, #67 on George S. Stewart’s list
Name Variations:Claflin, Mackclafflin, McLachlan, Macklothlan, Macklaflin, Macklathlin, Mackclaflin, Maclothlin, Maglathlin, Mackcloughlan, Mackclothlan
Residences:Wenham, Massachusetts
Other SPOW Associations:“…is closely associated with other Scots in Wenham, including as a legatee of Alexander Braband.” Alexander Tomson of Ipswich.
Every attempt has been made to ensure accuracy; please independently verify all data.

Published: 21 Jan 2015; Updated: 06 Oct 2020
Researchers: Andrew Millard, Teresa Rust
Editor: Teresa Rust

First Generation in the New World

1. ROBERT1 MACLACHLAN, was born, presumably in Scotland and died at Wenham, Essex County, Massachusetts before 19 Sep 1690. He married at Wenham on 14 Oct 1664, JOANNA WARNER, daughter of John and Priscilla (Symonds) Warner.1

Biographical Notes:
1. “…4th of November, 1661, Robert Mackclothlan is accepted a townsman.” ~ From Wenham town records.
2. 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), on page 250, Robert is categorized as: Probable [that he is a Dunbar prisoner transported on the Unity] Mackclafflin/McLachlan/Macklothlan/Macklaflin/Macklathlin/Mackclaflin/Maclothlin/Maglathlin, Robert. Residences: Wenham MA. Appears: 1661. D.1690. He appears a little late but is closely associated with other Scots in Wenham, including as a legatee of Alexander Braband. [Exiles; DR; SPOWS; Ch.7 & 8; App.B] For explanations of the category, abbreviations and references see List of Dunbar prisoners from Lost Lives, New Voices.
3. On 22 May 2018, Robert Benson shared: “During his lifetime, Robert Mackclaflin associated with others who were believed to have been SPOWs. “Alexander Thompson was a Scottish prisoner of war who was sent to Massachusetts as a passenger on the John & Sara in 1651 [TAG 51: 14-16]. Alexander Thompson received part of the distribution of the estate of Alexander Bravender in 1678. Robert Mackclaflin also received part of the distribution of the Alexander Bravender estate. [The Probate Records of Essex County, Massachusetts, Vol. III 1675-1681, (Salem, Massachusetts: Essex Institute, 1920), p. 285].
4. Colette Rick () shared:
“There is a published work on Robert’s descendant’s called Genealogy of the Claflin Family: Being a Record of Robert Mackclothlan, of Wenham, Mass. and of His Descendants 1661-1898 by Charles Henry Wight, published in 1903. The genealogical range is from 1661 to 1898. There are some references to attempts to determine if Robert was really a Scottish POW or not in the book but the author was not able to say for certain.
5. Claflin Family at Wikipedia.
6. Claflin Family Association.

Children of Robert and Joanna (Warner) (Mack)Claflin:

2. i. JOANNA2 CLAFLIN, (Robert¹), b. at Wenham on 12 AUG 1665.2
2. ii. ROBERT2 CLAFLIN, (Robert¹), pos. b. at Brookfield.2
2. iii. ELIZABETH2 CLAFLIN,3 (Robert¹), b. at Wenham on 18 May 1670.
2. iv. PRISCILLA2 CLAFLIN, (Robert¹), b. at Wenham on 22 Aug 1672.2
2. v. DANIEL2 CLAFLIN,4 (Robert¹), b. at Wenham on 25 Jan 1674.
2. vi. ABIGAIL2 CLAFLIN,3 (Robert¹), b. at Wenham on 19 Mar 1676.
2. vii. MARY2 CLAFLIN, (Robert¹), b. at Wenham on 22 Feb 1678.2
2. viii. ANTIPAS2 CLAFLIN,5 (Robert¹), b. at Wenham in 1680.

Second and Third Generations

2. i. JOANNA2 CLAFLIN, (Robert¹), was born at Wenham on 12 AUG 1665.2 She married on 18 Nov 1685, SAMUEL SMITH, of Hadley. (The grandson of the Rev. Henry Smith.)

Children of Joanna Claflin and Samuel Smith:6
3. i. MARY3 SMITH, (Joanna2, Robert1), b. at Suffield, Connecticut on 18 Apr 1688.
3. ii. SAMUEL3 SMITH, (Joanna2, Robert1), b. at Suffield on 13 Mar 1690.
3. iii. THANKFUL3 SMITH, (Joanna2, Robert1), b. at Suffield on 13 May 1692.
3. iv. MINDWELL3 SMITH, (Joanna2, Robert1), b. at Suffield on 28 Feb 1695; d. bef. 5 Mar 1705.
3. v. NOAH3 SMITH, (Joanna2, Robert1), b at Suffield on 12 May 1698.
3. vi. EXPERIENCE3 SMITH, (Joanna2, Robert1), b. at Suffield on 9 May 1700.
3. vii. EBENEZER3 SMITH, (Joanna2, Robert1), b. at Suffield on 6 Dec 1702.
3. viii. MINDWELL3 SMITH, (Joanna2, Robert1), b. at Suffield on 5 Mar 1705.
3. ix. MERCY3 SMITH, (Joanna2, Robert1), b. at Suffield on 5 Jul 1706.

2. ii. ROBERT2 CLAFLIN, (Robert¹), was born possibly at Brookfield and died before his father in 1690. NO OFFSPRING.6

2. iii. ELIZABETH2 CLAFLIN,3 (Robert¹), was born at Wenham on 18 May 1670. She married, before 1698, THOMAS WELLS, of Ipswich, Massachusetts.7

2. iv. PRISCILLA2 CLAFLIN, (Robert¹),was born at Wenham on 22 Aug 1672. She married as “Priscilla McLathlin” about 1693, JEREMIAH WEBB, of North Hampton.2

Children of Priscilla McLathlin and Jeremiah Webb:7
3. i. JOANNA3 WEBB, b. on 16 Mar 1694; died at three weeks old.
3. ii. PRISCILLA3 WEBB, b. in Aug 1695.
3. iii. ESTHER3 WEBB, b. 23 Dec 1697.
3. iv. JOSIAH3 WEBB, b 28 Mar 1700; d. aged 23.
3. v. DANIEL3 WEBB, b. 1702.
3. vi. SARAH3 WEBB, b. Apr 1704.
3. vii. JOSEPH3 WEBB, b Mar 1707; d. aged 2 months.
3. viii. ELIZABETH3 WEBB, b. 6 May 1708.
3. ix. EXPERIENCE3 WEBB, b. 12 Nov 1710.
3. x. MOSES3 WEBB, b. 20 Mar 1713.

2. v. DANIEL2 CLAFLIN,8 (Robert¹), was born at Wenham on 25 Jan 1674.

2. vi. ABIGAIL2 CLAFLIN,3 (Robert¹), was born at Wenham on 19 Mar 1676. She was “of Ipswich” in her father’s probate papers.

2. vii. MARY2 CLAFLIN, (Robert¹), was born at Wenham on 22 Feb 1678.2

2. viii. ANTIPAS2 CLAFLIN,9 (Robert¹), was born at Wenham in 1680.

– End of Generation List –

Additional Information:

SPOW: Robert Mackclafflin; Alexander Tomson; John Ross; Alexander Maxey. Essex County, MA: Early Probate Records, 1635-1681.Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2015.
https://www.americanancestors.org/DB1652/i/33913/285/891371746
Ronald Benson says:
May 22, 2018 at 5:51 pm (Edit)

“I am a descendant of Robert Mackclaflin through his great-grandson, Cornelius Claflin, and great-great-grandson, John Claflin. Father and son were soldiers during the Revolutionary War along with son, Increase Claflin. John Claflin’s son, John6 Claflin Jr. (John5, Cornelius4, Daniel3, Daniel2, Robert1), and Increase Claflin’s son, Cornelius Claflin, both served as a soldier during the War of 1812 in the same company. It seems that this family was definitely willing to fight for what they believed in – in Scotland and in this country.”
~ Ronald Benson

I have an oral tradition that Robert was an SPOW but the facts that are out there cast doubt on that tradition. I have read some of Diane’s articles and there is hope he might be. In 1661 he was first admitted as a townsman in Wenham. That would put him in his 20’s. To be a SPOW arriving in America 10 years early would mean he was in his early to mid/late teens. Most accounts that I have found said that “young lads” were not sent on the march to Dunbar but were released. That point/stumbling block is one of my many brick walls. Was Robert even old enough to be at the battle and if so, what was his role? Was he closer to 20 or 10? Did he look older than he really was?” ~ Colette Rick

On 30 May 2018, Teresa Hamilton/Pepper Rust () shared:
“The recent excavation at Durham is proof that many of the young Scottish soldiers were indeed VERY YOUNG. SEE: “…the fact that the skeletons were predominantly aged between 13-25 years old; and as isotopic analysis showed the skeletons were of likely Scottish origin, all this points to their identification as the prisoners from the Dunbar battle.” ~ Teresa

  1. Early New England Families, 1641-1700. Original Online Database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2013. By Alicia Crane Williams, Lead Genealogist. https://www.americanancestors.org/DB501/i/14457/3/263679278 [↩]
  2. Genealogy of the Claflin Family: Being a Record of Robert Mackclothlan, of Wenham, Mass. and of His Descendants 1661-1898 by Charles Henry Wight, published in 1903. [↩] [↩] [↩] [↩] [↩] [↩] [↩]
  3. Essex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1638-1881.Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2014. (From records supplied by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Archives.)https://www.americanancestors.org/DB515/i/13763/5399-co1/245175171 [↩] [↩] [↩] [↩]
  4. Essex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1638-1881.Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2014. (From records supplied by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Archives.)https://www.americanancestors.org/DB515/i/13763/5399-co1/245175171 [↩]
  5. Essex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1638-1881.Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2014. (From records supplied by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Archives.)https://www.americanancestors.org/DB515/i/13763/5399-co1/245175171 [↩]
  6. Genealogy of the Claflin Family: Being a Record of Robert Mackclothlan, of Wenham, Mass. and of His Descendants 1661-1898 by Charles Henry Wight, published in 1903, page 19. [↩] [↩]
  7. Genealogy of the Claflin Family: Being a Record of Robert Mackclothlan, of Wenham, Mass. and of His Descendants 1661-1898 by Charles Henry Wight, published in 1903, page 20. [↩] [↩]
  8. Essex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1638-1881.Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2014. (From records supplied by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Archives.)https://www.americanancestors.org/DB515/i/13763/5399-co1/245175171 [↩]
  9. Essex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1638-1881.Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2014. (From records supplied by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Archives.)https://www.americanancestors.org/DB515/i/13763/5399-co1/245175171 [↩]