Sir John Robinson, 1st Baronet, of London
Encyclopedia
Sir John Robinson, 1st Baronet, of London (10 January 1615 – February 1680) was an English merchant and politician who sat in the House of Commons
between 1660 and 1667. He was Lord Mayor of London
in 1662.
Robinson was the son of Archdeacon Robinson who was half-brother of Archbishop Laud and nephew of Sir William Webbe who was Lord Mayor in 1591. He was a city of London merchant and a member of the Worshipful Company of Clothworkers
. He was one of the court assistants with the Levant Company from 1651 to 1653 and from 1655 to 1656. On 18 December 1655 he was elected an alderman of the City of London for Dowgate
ward. He was Master of the Clothworkers Company in 1656. He was Sheriff of London from 1657 to 1658. In 1658 he became alderman for Cripplegate
ward. He became a Colonel of the Green Regiment in 1659, holding the position until 1680.
In 1660 Robinson was elected Member of Parliament
for the City of London
in the Convention Parliament. He was knighted on 26 May 1660 and on 22 June 1660, he was made a baronet
. He was Lieutenant of the Tower from 1660 to 1680 and became vice-president of the Honourable Artillery Company
in 1660.
In 1661 Robinson was elected MP for Rye
in the Cavalier Parliament
. He became president of the Honourable Artillery Company in 1661 and remained until 1680. In 1662 he was elected Lord Mayor of London
. In 1663 he became alderman for Tower
ward. He was on the committee of the East India Company from 1666 to 1667, from 1668 to 1674 and from 1675 to 1677, In 1670 he became deputy-governor of the Hudson's Bay Company.
Samuel Pepys
wrote of Robinson as "a talking bragging bufflehead . . . . as very a coxcomb as I would have thought had been in the City . . . . nor hath he brains to outwit any ordinary tradesman". However an account of the aldermen in 1672 said "he hath been most industrious in the civill government of the cittie, watchfull to prevent anything that might reflect any prejudice or dishonour upon the King's government, happy in dispatch of businesse, to the great contentment of the people."
Robinson was succeeded by Sir John Robinson, 2nd Baronet.
House of Commons of England
The House of Commons of England was the lower house of the Parliament of England from its development in the 14th century to the union of England and Scotland in 1707, when it was replaced by the House of Commons of Great Britain...
between 1660 and 1667. He was Lord Mayor of London
Lord Mayor of London
The Right Honourable Lord Mayor of London is the legal title for the Mayor of the City of London Corporation. The Lord Mayor of London is to be distinguished from the Mayor of London; the former is an officer only of the City of London, while the Mayor of London is the Mayor of Greater London and...
in 1662.
Robinson was the son of Archdeacon Robinson who was half-brother of Archbishop Laud and nephew of Sir William Webbe who was Lord Mayor in 1591. He was a city of London merchant and a member of the Worshipful Company of Clothworkers
Worshipful Company of Clothworkers
The Worshipful Company of Clothworkers was incorporated by Royal Charter in 1528, formed by the amalgamation of its two predecessor Companies, the Fullers and the Shearmen...
. He was one of the court assistants with the Levant Company from 1651 to 1653 and from 1655 to 1656. On 18 December 1655 he was elected an alderman of the City of London for Dowgate
Dowgate
Dowgate is a small ward of the City of London. The ward is bounded by Swan Lane, the River Thames, Cousin Lane and Cannon Street. Dowgate is where the Walbrook watercourse entered the Thames....
ward. He was Master of the Clothworkers Company in 1656. He was Sheriff of London from 1657 to 1658. In 1658 he became alderman for Cripplegate
Cripplegate
Cripplegate was a city gate in the London Wall and a name for the region of the City of London outside the gate. The area was almost entirely destroyed by bombing in World War II and today is the site of the Barbican Estate and Barbican Centre...
ward. He became a Colonel of the Green Regiment in 1659, holding the position until 1680.
In 1660 Robinson was elected Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for the City of London
City of London (UK Parliament constituency)
The City of London was a United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency. It was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1950.-Boundaries and boundary...
in the Convention Parliament. He was knighted on 26 May 1660 and on 22 June 1660, he was made a baronet
Robinson Baronets
There have been eleven Baronetcies created for persons with the surname Robinson, four in the Baronetage of England, one in the Baronetage of Great Britain and six in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom...
. He was Lieutenant of the Tower from 1660 to 1680 and became vice-president of the Honourable Artillery Company
Honourable Artillery Company
The Honourable Artillery Company was incorporated by Royal Charter in 1537 by King Henry VIII. Today it is a Registered Charity whose purpose is to attend to the “better defence of the realm"...
in 1660.
In 1661 Robinson was elected MP for Rye
Rye (UK Parliament constituency)
Rye was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Rye in East Sussex. It returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until its representation was halved under the Reform Act 1832....
in the Cavalier Parliament
Cavalier Parliament
The Cavalier Parliament of England lasted from 8 May 1661 until 24 January 1679. It was the longest English Parliament, enduring for nearly 18 years of the quarter century reign of Charles II of England...
. He became president of the Honourable Artillery Company in 1661 and remained until 1680. In 1662 he was elected Lord Mayor of London
Lord Mayor of London
The Right Honourable Lord Mayor of London is the legal title for the Mayor of the City of London Corporation. The Lord Mayor of London is to be distinguished from the Mayor of London; the former is an officer only of the City of London, while the Mayor of London is the Mayor of Greater London and...
. In 1663 he became alderman for Tower
Tower (ward)
Tower is a ward of the City of London and is named from its propinquity to the Tower of London. The ward covers the area of the City that is closest to the Tower....
ward. He was on the committee of the East India Company from 1666 to 1667, from 1668 to 1674 and from 1675 to 1677, In 1670 he became deputy-governor of the Hudson's Bay Company.
Samuel Pepys
Samuel Pepys
Samuel Pepys FRS, MP, JP, was an English naval administrator and Member of Parliament who is now most famous for the diary he kept for a decade while still a relatively young man...
wrote of Robinson as "a talking bragging bufflehead . . . . as very a coxcomb as I would have thought had been in the City . . . . nor hath he brains to outwit any ordinary tradesman". However an account of the aldermen in 1672 said "he hath been most industrious in the civill government of the cittie, watchfull to prevent anything that might reflect any prejudice or dishonour upon the King's government, happy in dispatch of businesse, to the great contentment of the people."
Robinson was succeeded by Sir John Robinson, 2nd Baronet.