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Robert Bruce Pollok, second son of Sir Robert of Ireland, Will writen in
1699 at Annapolis, Anne Arundel County, Maryland. Died in Ireland. Married Madalen Tasker
in Ireland.
About 1660 Robert and Magdalen and their eight children set sail from Donegal co., Ireland for America.
They settled in the colony of Lord Baltimore, now called Dames' Quartea, Somerset co., Maryland. All the sons married
and from them have descended some men of historic note among them being Lieut. Gen. Leonidas Polk, Bishop of Louisiana; Governor
Charles Polk of Delaware; Governor Trusten Polk of Missouri. Robert the fifth son of Robert and Magdalen, married a Miss
Peale. Sister of Charles Peale, the founder of Peales museum, and Charles Peale Polk was a distinguished naval officer in
the French war and was mortally wounded on board his ship during a desperate engagement.
Robert was a captain in Colonel Porter's Regiment, which served under Cromwell.
Colonel Porter married Magdalen Tasker, youngest of the two children of Colonel Tasker, a distinguished
chancellor of Ireland, whose seat was "Castle Hill", near the village f Ballindrate, commanding a view of the River Dale.
"Moneen", another estate belonging to Colonel Tasker, lying in the parish of Lifford, near Strabane, on the River Foyle, consisted
of six hundred acres. These he divided between his two children, Barbara Keys, wife of Capt. John Keys, and Magdalen.
Magdalen first married Colonel Porter, who died not long afterward. She next married Robert Bruce Pollok (Polk).
Before the Revolution, a double record was kept of all wills, one in the county of residence of decedents,
and another in the office of the Chief Commissary (Clerk) of the Colony, at its capital. The will of Magdalen, dated
1726, is of record in Somerset county, Maryland, but not that of her husband, Capt. Robert Bruce Polk. Why the letter
does not also appear on the records of Somerset county, is not certainly known. To this absence was no doubt due the
long prevalent opinion that Capt. Polk did not accompany his family to America, but died in Ireland. Later and fuller investigation
cleared up this doubtful point by the discovery of his will on file at Annapolis, and of land grants to him from Lord Baltimore
(the frist of which was Polk's Folly) and other documents.
It is indisputable now, in the light of these modern discoveries, that Capt. Robert Bruce Polk came
with his family to Maryland, near about 1672; that they landed from a ship at "Damn Quarter", now called "Dame's Quarter",
and planted their new home in that locality, between Manokin and Nanticoke Rivers, and near the junction of those streams
with Chesapeake Bay. Here they occupied adjoining tracts of land for which they later acquired patents from Lord Baltimore.
Just how many children Robert and Magdalen had when they came to America is not certainly known. Evidently a portion
of them the first five, were born in Ireland.
*Robert Bruces's grandfather Sir Robert received from King James 2nd (about 1440)
the great land grant of "Vetus Scotia," or "New Schotland," as Ireland was then Called. Which Robert Bruce inherited.
It has been established without doubt that the Polks emigrated from Ireland for religious and civil
liberty reasons. They were Northern Irish who were protestant and PResbyterian in belief. They came during the
period of the last two Stuarts - - James and Charles - - Who were oppressive in religious liberties.
The fact that they had a son David was not known until Capt. Rober's will was found a few years ago on file at Annapolis,
wherein he is mentioned. Judging from various circumstances, Joseph was the youngest son.
Magdalen Tasker born 1637 in Donegal, Ireland. d. 1726 in somerset co., MD and was a daughter of Col. Tasker, who
commanded a regiment in Cromwell's Army and was afterwards chancellor of Ireland under Cromwell. Magdalen is said to have
lived to be over ninety years old, dying at her home place in white Hall, in somerset co. between April 7th, 1726 and March
20, 1727. the respective dates of the execution of her will andits probate or admission to record.
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Children of Robert and Magdalen:
- William B. b. 1662 Donegal co., Ireland m. Nancy
(Knox) Owens
- David b. abt 1666 in Ireland (died unmarried)
- Anne b. 1669 in Ireland
- Ephraim b. 1671
- John Polk b. 1675 m. #2;Joanna Knox
- Robert Bruce jr. b. 1672 m. Miss Gullet
- James b. 1673
- Martha b. 1679
- Joseph b. 1681
The family of Polk is Scotch and of those who early settled
in the north of Ireland and constituted the people known as Scotch -Irish, Scotch in Blood, Irish in Locality.
There is a Genealogical Tree of the Polk family,copy-righted, and entered according to the act
of Congress in the year 1849, by T. B. McDowell in the Clerk's office of the district of Tennessee. and is owned by Mrs. Annie
Darbyshire, Sabina Clinton co, Ohio. Her father James polk the son of William and Hannah Polk. who owned it before his
death. This William was the brother of Dr. Margaret Polk Colburn. and their father William's name was on the "T" . It is a valuable work of art and contains all the names given
in the "Genealogy of the Current and Hobson families. to the children of the last named William, who married Sabra Bradford. The Genealogy and biographical sketches are all authentic.
** See Magna Charta for possible further ancestors to 1073.
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Enter supporting content here
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Genealogy of the Current and Hobson Families. New Castle, Ind.: Mary O. Waters, by Annie E. Current.
pg. 206
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The Knox family a genealogical and bioraphical sketch of teh descendants of John Knox of Rowan county, North
Carolina, and other Knoxes. Richmond, VA.: Whittet & Shepperson, by Hattie S. Goodman pg. 135
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1894
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A record of the descendants of Richard Hull of New Haven,CT: containing the names of over one hundred and thirty families
and six hundred and fifty-four descendants and extending over a period of two hundred and sixty years in America. Milwaukee:
Swain & Tate Co. printers, pg. 43
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January 31, 1922
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Proceedings of the Southwestern Indiana Historical Society: Evansville, Indianapolis: Indiana Historical commission.
by: Arthur H. Taylor .. pg. 101
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1912
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Polk Family and Kinsmen, Louisville, KY: Bradley and Gilbert 767 pgs. pg. 58
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1893
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Magna Charta; New York: Brookfield pub. co. by John s. Wurts. Pg. 1537
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1964
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Edmund Polk, Junior: his ancestors and descendants; Staunton, VA .: Author Unkown, Chapter 2
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1912
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Polk family and kinsmen
Louisville, Ky.: Bradley & Gilbert, by Polk, William
Harrison, 65 pgs.
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