William Robinson appears in the 1850 U.S. Census as a resident of Peru, Clinton County, New York. At approximately 47 years old, with a birth year around 1803, he was identified as “mulatto” and born in Maryland. William was living with his wife, Mary A., and their five children: James, Jemima, Alvin, Caroline, and Sarah.
The family’s composition reflects a transition from Maryland to northern New York. Their two oldest children, James and Jemima, were born in Maryland, while the younger three—Alvin, Caroline, and Sarah—were born in New York, indicating the family’s migration north in the early to mid-19th century.
William worked as a laborer, though the census did not specify the industry. He was noted as unable to read or write, a common reality for many individuals during this period, particularly among working-class and marginalized communities.
Though only documented in a single census record, William Robinson’s story contributes to a broader understanding of migration, labor, and family life among mixed-race families in Clinton County during the 1800s.