Robert was the second son of George Abell and Frances Cotton. On his mother's side, he was descended from a long line of English, Norman and French aristocrats and royalty. Robert's father, George Abell, at the age of 17 enrolled in Oxford University’s Brasenose College. By November of 1580, he had become a barrister and a member of the Inner Temple. Before June 1630, he arranged an apprenticeship in London for his son, but Robert decided to try his luck in the New World, instead. This was a move that his father disapproved of, but, nevertheless, financed. In his will, dated 8 September 1630, George Abell states, "I bequeath unto my second sonne Robert Abell onelie a Twentie shilling peece for his childs parte in regard of ye charges I have beene at in placeing him in a good trade in London wch hee hath made noe use of and since in furnishing him for newe England where I hope he now is."
Robert Abell's first recorded act in America was to apply to be a freeman in the recently founded village of Weymouth. On 18 May 1631, he took the freeman's oath. During his time as a resident of Weymouth, his civic duties included serving on various types of juries, and records indicate that he accumulated a small amount of land. Like many immigrants, Robert Abell did not stay indefinitely in the first place he landed. In 1643, when the opportunity to join a newly founded town presented itself, he followed Reverend Samuel Newman to a place the local Wampanoag tribe called Seekonk. At the time of his death, Abell's estate “amounted to £354 17s. 9d. of which ‘an house and land’ accounted for £130.”
Robert Abell and his wife Joanna had ten children: Abraham, Mary, Preserved, Caleb, Joshua, Benjamin, Experience, Samuel, James, and Mehitalbe.
Circa 1662, their daughter Mary married Reverend Samuel Luther, son of an adventurous mariner named Captain John Luther, “a focal figure in the colonies mentioned several times in Winthrop's Journal and other colonial accounts.” Robert Abell's new son-in-law was already famous in New England for having survived a massacre and kidnapping by a small group of Lenape tribesmen when he was only nine years old and went on to become the highly respected “settled pastor” of the First Baptist Church of Swansea, Massachusetts for 31 years.
Mary's sister Experience married Deacon John Baldwin, an early settler of Lebanon, Connecticut, with whom she had five children.
Robert's son Lieutenant Preserved Abell was among those soldiers listed as having not only “served under Major Bradford ” in King Philip's War, but also “advanced money to sustain it.”
Sergeant Caleb Abell moved to Norwich, Connecticut in 1668 and was a selectman in 1682, constable in 1684 and 1706, townsman in 1689 and was Sergeant of the Norwich Train Band in 1701. “In the book of Grants in Norwich, there are 38 or more items to Caleb Abell.”
Joshua Abell “was constable in Dedham, Massachusetts and frequently chosen townsman there. He moved to Norwich, Connecticut in 1667 and became a ‘considerable landowner,’ with 44 grants listed in his name.”
Benjamin Abell also held substantial property adjacent to or near his older brothers in Norwich.
All of the Abell brothers had sizable families, helping to perpetuate the family name in New England. Writing in 1940, genealogist Horace Abell claimed that “probably all the present day Abells of New England stock are descended from Robert’s three sons, Preserved, Caleb and Benjamin Abell. His fourth son, Joshua, did not leave any male descendants.”
