Family and Education

b. c.1732, 7th s. of Matthew Robinson of Edgeley, Yorks. by Elizabeth, da. of Robert Drake of Cambridge; bro. of Matthew Robinson Morris.  educ. M. Temple 1749, called 1753.  m. Mary, da. of John Greenland of Lovelace Manor, Kent, wid. of Thomas Dawkes of Maxton, 1da.

Offices Held

Recorder, Canterbury 1763, Hythe, New Romney and Sandwich 1766, Dover 1770; bankruptcy commr. 1766-92.

Biography

Robinson as a boy served in the Royal Navy, but left to take up the law. In 1780 he was returned for Canterbury after a contest, and voted steadily against North. He supported Shelburne’s peace preliminaries, 18 Feb. 1783, voted for parliamentary reform both in 1783 and 1785, and opposed Fox’s East India bill, 27 Nov. 1783. He supported Pitt, but voted against him on Richmond’s fortifications plan, 27 Feb. 1786. Only two speeches by him are reported,1 both championing the interests of shopkeepers against hawkers and pedlars during the debates on Pitt’s shop tax. He did not stand in 1790.

He died 31 Mar. 1807.

Ref Volumes: 1754-1790

Author: John Brooke

Notes

• 1. Stockdale, vi. 435-7; viii. 367.