Elisha Smith Robinson
Elisha Smith Robinson (1817–1885) was an English businessman and politician.
Early life and business career[edit]
Robinson was born in 1817 in Overbury, on the Worcestershire/Gloucestershire borders where his father Edward Robinson, a paper maker, lived in Silver Rill House. He was apprenticed to his maternal grandfather, Rev. Elisha Smith, a grocer and Baptist Minister in Blockley and Chipping Camden.
In 1840, his father threatened to replace him within the family business with a Londoner, so he ventured to Bristol with a small loan. He founded his own printing and packaging business, E. S. & A. Robinson, in 1844.[1] Within 20 years, his firm was the largest buyer of paper in the British Empire.
Family[edit]
In 1845 he married Elizabeth Ring, with whom he had eight children; she died in 1871. Soon after he married Louisa Thomas, who died in 1875.[2]
Political career[edit]
Robinson became mayor of Bristol in 1866.[3] He was elected as a Liberal Member of Parliament for Bristol (UK Parliament constituency) in 1870, but was unseated on a technicality. He stood again as an independent in 1880. He had a belligerent attitude to politics; he published his pledges in his own broadsheet, The Redcliffe Review, and was satirized in local cartoons.[4][5]
He served as a Justice of the Peace, as well as chairman of the Bristol Port Railway and Pier (now Severn Beach Line), and president of the Grateful Society [6] in 1880.
He was also the president of the Anchor Society in Bristol in 1859.
Death and memorials[edit]
He died in 1885 at Ivy Towers, Sneyd Park, a house he designed.[7] A memorial sermon preached by Reverend Richard Glover at Tyndale Baptist Church was published.[8][9] He was memorialized in several locations. The foundation stone on the front of Chipping Campden Baptist Church reads "This stone was laid by Elisha Smith Robinson Esq - of Bristol on the 19th June 1872"[10] There is relief at Bristol Beacon, of which he was a founder and benefactor.[11] There is also a monument at Arnos Vale Cemetery.[12]
His family and cricket[edit]
Robinson's interest in cricket was inspired by two of his brothers:-
- Philip Robinson [13] 1830-1886 founder of Robinson & Co in Singapore and
- John Robinson [14] 1820-1886 founder of John Robinsons of Gloucester.
In 1878 Charles Parnell of West Town Cricket Club near Bristol proposed to Alfred Robinson, John's son, that he assemble a team to play on the August Bank Holiday. Alfred responded with a team made up entirely of Robinsons. From that day until 1964 Robinsons fielded a cricket XI on that bank holiday against various teams including one made up entirely of Graces in 1891.[15]
Robinson first class cricketers descended from Elisha include:-
- Arthur Robinson,[16] son of Elisha, 1855-1913 played for Gloucestershire.
- Percy Gotch Robinson, grandson, 1881–1951, played for Gloucestershire.[17]
- Douglas C Robinson, grandson, 1884–1963, captained Gloucestershire, played for Essex, Marylebone Cricket Club, Gentlemen of England and England in 1924 [18]
- Vivian Robinson, grandson, 1897–1979, played for Gloucestershire,[19] High Sheriff of Bristol 1936 [20]
- Foster Robinson, Grandson, 1880–1957, played for London County and Gloucestershire,[21] Chairman of *E. S. & A. Robinson
- Crescens Robinson (1864-1941) an English first class cricketer, great nephew.
- Theodore Robinson (1866-1959) an English first class cricketer, great nephew.
Other notable descendants include:-
Edward Robinson 1853-1935 was the third son of Elisha Smith Robinson; Lord Mayor of Bristol in 1908. Chairman & managing director E. S. & A. Robinson, Vice chairman of the Bristol Chamber of Commerce, President of the Anchor Society in 1887, appointed a magistrate in 1889, Vice chairman of the Bristol South Liberal Association.[22]
Arnold Wathen Robinson (1888–1955) an English stained-glass artist, grandson.
Thomas Robinson (1827-1897) an English corn merchant and Liberal politician, cousin.
References[edit]
- ^ "Robinsons of Bristol. , 1945, p. 1". ES&A Robinson, Bernard Darwin.
- ^ "Bristol and Somerset".
- ^ "Mayors and Sheriffs of Bristol 1800 -1899". Archived from the original on 3 October 2011.
- ^ Politics In Bristol 1865-86. , 2012. Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society, Richard Woodberry.
- ^ "Victorian cartoons depict 'brutal' 1880 election campaign".
- ^ "Grateful Society".
- ^ "The History of the Manor Queen Charlton, p65" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 7 December 2019.
- ^ Reverend Richard Glover. In memoriam Elisha Smith Robinson A sermon preached at Tyndale Chapel, Bristol, Sunday morning, September 6th, 1885. ES&A Robinson.
- ^ "A Baptist Bibliography" (PDF). American Baptist Historical Society, Edward C Starr. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 January 2004.
- ^ "Chipping Campden Baptist Church".
- ^ "Public Monument and Sculpture Association". Archived from the original on 24 August 2011.
- ^ "Elisha Smith Robinson's monument at Arnos Vale Cemetery".
- ^ "The Case Of Philip Robinson".
- ^ "Gloucester 1835-1985".
- ^ "The Cricket Family Robinson".
- ^ "Cricket Archive".
- ^ "Cricket Archive".
- ^ "Cricket Archive".
- ^ "Cricket Archive".
- ^ "Mayors and Sheriffs of Bristol". Archived from the original on 3 October 2011.
- ^ "Cricket Archive".
- ^ "Mayors and Sheriffs of Bristol". Archived from the original on 3 October 2011.