: Rhoda A. Robb -- born as Rhoda Begraff around the mid to late
: 1840s. Her parents were William and Diana Begraff. I found the
: family in Coxsackie, NY in the 1850 census. Rhoda also had a
: sister named Mary, who is also listed in this particular census.

: The family surname has been also been spelled Bigraff, Begraft,
: Bycroft.

: I believe Rhoda had two brothers, one named George (I find him
: living with Diana in the 1855 NY census) and another named
: Jacob.

BIGRAFF, DINAH
State: NY Year: 1860
County: Greene County Record Type: Federal Population Schedule
Township: Coxsackie Page: 517
Database: NY 1860 Federal Census Index

: I believe her father, William had died by the 1855 state census as
: I can not find him and Diana is listed as a widow.

: I found Rhoda as Anna Begraft in the Catskills working at the
: Mountain Lodge (??) in the 1860 cenus.

: I lose track of Mary after 1850 and, George and Jacob after 1855.

Here's an AIS index listing:

BEGRAF, MARY E.
State: NY Year: 1860
County: Rensselaer County Record Type: Federal Population Schedule
Township: Schodack Page: 321
Database: NY 1860 Federal Census Index

: According to Rhoda's death certificate, her parents were listed as
: James Bigraph and Diana Thompson-Bigraph. Both Rhoda and her
: mother moved to Cambridge, MA. Rhoda married James Robinson and
: had 5 daughters. Somtime after James' death Rhoda changed the
: family name to Robb.

: The Begraff (and various spellings) seem to disappear after 1870 in
: Greene county. I have not found any Thompsons yet that might be
: connected.

There are Thompsons listed for Greene county in 1830 - which would be a good time period for Rhoda's mother - quite a few of them - the first record I looked at for a Samuel Thompson showed no little stick figures unde the white columns - so he is more than likely black. The rest of the page isn't there.

Thompson, Samuel View Image Online
State: New York Year: 1830
County: Greene Roll: M19_110
Township: Athens Page: 211
Image: 413

I dont really have special records for any other than Orange county - the lookups are from standard ancestry.com AIS indexes.

Tbere are listings in New Jersey in 1870 for the spelling Begraft - but that might not be related.

Denise