Family and Education

b. 13 Feb. 1687, 1st s. of George Robinson of Cadgwith, by Mary, da. of Thomas Penhallow of Penhallow, Cornw.  m. Elizabeth, da. of Charles Chambers of London, s.p.  suc. fa. 1695.1

Offices Held

Biography

Robinson’s grandfather, Thomas Robinson, a lieutenant-colonel in the Royalist army during the Civil War, represented Helston after the Restoration. Returned at a by-election for Tregony in 1710, presumably on the Trevanion interest, Robinson was listed in 1711 as one of the ‘worthy patriots’ who had helped to detect the mismanagements of the previous Whig administration. Robinson’s activity in the Commons is difficult to distinguish from that of his fellow Tory Samuel Robinson*, but it was definitely the Member for Tregony who told on 1 Mar. 1712 against an amendment to the representation condemning the Barrier Treaty and calling for an end to the war. Less certainly, he may also have been the ‘Mr Robinson’ who told on 3 June in favour of declaring the Whig William Cotesworth* duly elected at Boston and who three days later told in favour of reading the engrossed bill to continue the Affirmation Act. These tellerships would be consistent with Robinson’s vote on 18 June 1713 against the French commerce bill. The published division list classed Robinson as a ‘whimsical’, and it may be that it was his opposition to the commercial treaty which led to his being dropped at Tregony at the 1713 election. Little more is known of Robinson, and he died at Naples on 30 Sept. 1728. In his will he disinherited his wife, who had ‘eloped from him’, leaving £1,000 to the livings of Wendron and Helston and the remainder to Lancelot Hicks of Plymouth provided he took the name of Robinson and resided at Bochym, Cornwall.2

Ref Volumes: 1690-1715

Authors: Eveline Cruickshanks / Richard Harrison

Notes

• 1. Vivian, Vis. Cornw. 402–3.
• 2. Ibid.