Elisha Smith Robinson Explained

Elisha Smith Robinson (1817–1885) was an English businessman and politician.

Early life and business career

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

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

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

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

Robinson's interest in cricket was inspired by two of his brothers:-

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:-

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.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Robinsons of Bristol., 1945, p. 1.. .
  2. Web site: Bristol and Somerset.
  3. Web site: Mayors and Sheriffs of Bristol 1800 -1899 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20111003102249/http://www.davenapier.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/mayors/mayors3.htm . 3 October 2011 . dmy-all .
  4. Book: Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society, Richard Woodberry . Politics In Bristol 1865-86., 2012 .
  5. Web site: Victorian cartoons depict 'brutal' 1880 election campaign.
  6. Web site: Grateful Society .
  7. Web site: The History of the Manor Queen Charlton, p65 . 7 December 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304001603/http://idox.bathnes.gov.uk/WAM/doc/BackGround%20Papers-684399.pdf?extension=.pdf&id=684399&location=VOLUME3&contentType=application%2Fpdf&pageCount . 4 March 2016 . dead .
  8. Book: In memoriam Elisha Smith Robinson A sermon preached at Tyndale Chapel, Bristol, Sunday morning, September 6th, 1885 . Reverend Richard Glover . ES&A Robinson .
  9. Web site: A Baptist Bibliography . American Baptist Historical Society, Edward C Starr . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20040129170541/http://www.baptistheritage.com/resources/Bibliography/StarrVolume/StarrVol20/ROBERTS.PDF . 29 January 2004 . dmy .
  10. Web site: Chipping Campden Baptist Church .
  11. Web site: Public Monument and Sculpture Association . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110824160627/http://pmsa.cch.kcl.ac.uk/BL/BR293.htm . 24 August 2011 . dmy .
  12. Web site: Elisha Smith Robinson's monument at Arnos Vale Cemetery .
  13. Web site: The Case Of Philip Robinson .
  14. Web site: Gloucester 1835-1985 .
  15. Web site: The Cricket Family Robinson .
  16. Web site: Cricket Archive .
  17. Web site: Cricket Archive .
  18. Web site: Cricket Archive .
  19. Web site: Cricket Archive .
  20. Web site: Mayors and Sheriffs of Bristol . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20111003102301/http://www.davenapier.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/mayors/mayors8.htm . 3 October 2011 . dmy-all .
  21. Web site: Cricket Archive .
  22. Web site: Mayors and Sheriffs of Bristol . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20111003102328/http://www.davenapier.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/mayors/robinson.htm . 3 October 2011 . dmy .

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