John Robinson (Virginia)
| John Robinson, Jr. | |
|---|---|
| 32nd Speaker of the Virginia House of Burgesses | |
|
In office 1738–1766 | |
| Preceded by | Sir John Randolph |
| Succeeded by | Peyton Randolph |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
February 3, 1705 Middlesex County, Virginia |
| Died |
May 11, 1766 (aged 61) Virginia |
| Resting place | Pleasant Hill, King and Queen County, Virginia |
| Occupation | Lawyer, farmer |
John Robinson, Jr. (February 3, 1705 – May 11, 1766) was a politician and landowner in the British colony of Virginia. Robinson served as Speaker of the House of Burgesses from 1738 until his death, the longest tenure in the history of that office.[1]
Career
While John Robinson was speaker of the House, burgesses proposed the Virginia Resolves. Robinson shouted, "Treason!, Treason!" after Patrick Henry's speech.[1]
Robinson also served as treasurer of the colony from 1738 until his death.[2] After Robinson died, the burgesses discovered that he failed to burn redeemed notes but instead made personal loans exceeding 100,000 pounds from the treasury to his friends,[3] and also failed to deposit funds received by local sheriffs into the Treasury.[4] The resulting scandal was a factor in Virginia politics for years. Robinson's estate was not settled until decades after the end of the American Revolution.
Robinson's father was also named John Robinson (died 1759).[2] Settling in 1663 at Hewick Manor in Middlesex, the Robinson family was one of the first families of Virginia.[2]
Positions Held in the Virginia Colony
- Delegate, Virginia House of Burgesses, 1736–1738
- Speaker of Virginia House of Burgesses, 1738–1766
- Treasurer, Virginia Colony, 1738–1766
Notes
- 1 2 Kukla, pp. 123–128
- 1 2 3 Scadding, Henry (1987) [1873]. "Biographies". In Armstrong, Frederick H. Toronto of Old. Toronto, Canada: J. Kirk Howard/Dundern Press Limited. p. 376. ISBN 9781550020274.
- ↑ Kukla, pp.23–24
- ↑ David J. Mays, Edmund Pendleton (Richmond: Virginia State Library 1984 reprint of Harvard University Press edition of 1952), vol. I, p. 190
References
- Kukla, Jon (1981). Speakers and Clerks of the Virginia House of Burgesses, 1643–1776. Richmond, Virginia: Virginia State Library. ISBN 0-88490-075-4.
External links
- Bio - a little information on John Robinson.