ROBINSON
KOBINSON
erty on thf» Hudson river. At the outbreak of
the Revolution Major Robinson removed to New
York, where he became colonel of the American
Loyal regiment, which he had himself raised,
and also commanded the corps of '• guards and
pioneers." He was frequently engaged in the
service of the royalists, and his home, known as
the Beverly mansion, sheltered Andre while
carrying out Arnold's plans. Colonel Robinson
interceded for Andres release through corres-
pondence with Washington, and subsequently
for his life at the latter's headquarters. (The
Beverly mansion, containing many valuable
historical relics, was burned in 189'2). At the
close of the Revolutionary war. Colonel Robinson
removed to New Brunswick. Canada, where he
refused a seat in the first colonial council, and
finally made his permanent home in Thorn bury,
near Bath. England. His wife's property having
been confiscated, he was awarded £17,000 sterl-
ing by the British government. Of his children,
Beverly (1755-1816). a graduate of King's college,
1773. was lieutenant-colonel of his father's rogi-
raent: Morris (17.59-1815). served in the war of
the Revolution as a captain in the Queen's
Rangers: John (1761-18".i5), was a lieutenant in
the Loyal American regiment; Sir Frederick
Phillipse (1763-1852), was temporarily in charge
of the government of Upper Canada, 181.5-16;
became general of the British forces in the West
Indies, and also a Knight of the Grand Cross of
the Order of the Bath, and William Henry
(1766-1836), was head of the commi-ssariat de-
partment of the British army. Col. Beverly
Robin<;on died in Tliornbury. England, in 1792.
ROBINSON, Charles, governor of Kansas, was bom in Hardwick, Mass.. July 21, 1818; son of Jonathan and Huldalx (Woodward) Robinson, and a direct descend- ant from John Robin- son the Pilgrim, and . ,. through his paternal
•^ ' ^n grandmother, Piiebe
Williams, a descend- ant in direct line from Charlemagne and Pepin. He attended Hadley and Amherst / academies and also
^ Amherst college,
/ earning his living by
/ making school desks
^ j^y , a"<i by teaching
"^ /fc*^^*^K^*40 school winters, and
after a varied medi- cal education received the degree of M.D. from the Berkshire Medical college, Pittsfield, Mass., 1843. Ho wa.H married Thanksgiving day, 1843, to Sarali, daughter of William Adams of West
Brookfield, Mass. Two children were born to
them — a boy and a girl, botii dying in infancy.
He began practice at Belchertown, Mass., Sep-
tember, 1843, where he also served on the
scliool committee, and took an interest in i»ub-
lic affairs, and in 1845 he opened a hospital
for practice in Springfield, Mass., in association
with Dr. J. G. Holland. His wife died in 1840
and he joined his brotlier Cyrus in Fitchburg,
Mass., where he practised until 1849, when he
went overland to California as physician to the
Boston company. He arrived at Sacramento,
Aug. 12. 1849. where with othei-s he kept a res-
taurant; continued his profession, and on Aug.
11, 1850, issued a manifesto denouncing the atti-
tude of the courts, the gamblers and the specu-
lators toward the settlers, and opposed the divis-
ion of the territory into two states, one to be free
and one slave. In a subsequent riot he was shot,
imprisoned and charged with murder and other
crimes. During his confinement he was elected
to the legislature and after he was bailed, edited
the Settlers' and Miners' Tribune until he took his
seat in the legislature in 1851, when he worked
and voted for John C. Fremont for U.S. senator.
His case was subsequently dismissed and he was
exonerated by the legislature and by the district
court. He returned to Fitchburg. Mass., in 1851;
was married, Oct. 30, 1851, to Sara Tappan Doo-
little, daughter of Myron and Clarissa (Dwight)
Lawrence; edited the Fitchburg Neus. and June
28, 1854, went to Kansas as confidential agent of
the Massachusetts Emigrant Aid society, settling
in Lawrence. In the struggle which was waged
against the pro-slavery party, he was made com-
mander-in-chief of the Free-State party and aa
such constructed forts and rifle pits, but at the
same time worked to secure the freedom of the
state under the forms of law. He was a member
of the Free-State convention, Aug. 14-15, 1855.
and of that at Topeka, Oct. 23, 1855, being twice
appointed chairman of the executive committee,
and was twice elected governor of Kansas under
the Topeka constitution which was rejected by
the U.S. senate. He resij^ led the office tempo-
rarily in order to seek aid in the East, and on his
way to Boston was arrested at Lexington, Mo.,
on the charge of "usurping office and for high
treason," and imprisoned. His house was burned.
Mrs. Robinson (q.v.) continued the journey ea.st.
and he was a prisoner at Lecompton from May
till September, 1856. Governor Shannon was re-
called and Governor Geary api)ointed his succes-
sor, and at Robinson's trial, Aug. 18-20, 1857, the
jury reported that "since there was no state of
Kansas, there could be no governor of state, and
therefore no usurpation of office." He was a
member of the Free-State convention at Grass-
hopper Falls, Aug. 26, 1857; presided at the
