70
NOTES AND QUERIES. [ii s. XL JAN. 23, 1915.
LUKE ROBINSON, M.P.
(11 S. xi. 9, 55.)
I HAVE made a little collection of those who have borne the name of Luke Robinson, and possibly, with the aid of the notes which I have appended, your correspondent will be able to identify those he is seeking. They are placed in chronological order, as follows :
1629. Luke Robinson, " son and heir of Arthur Robinson of Dighton, co. York, gent." Foster, ' Admission Register of Gray's Inn,' 1889, p. 190.
1645. Luke Robinson and Sir Matthew Boyn- ton were elected 25 Oct., 1645, M.P.'s for Scar- borough in the place of Sir Hugh Cholmley and John Hotham. ' Members of Parliament, Re- turn,' vol. i. p. 497.
1649, Feb. 13. Act of Parliament constituting a Council of State for the Commonwealth. Luke Robinson among the Council. ' Domestic State Papers.'
1649, 26 Sept. An Act " for the continuance and maintenance of the school and almshouses of Westminster." Luke Robinson appears among the Governors elected. C. H. Firth and Rait's ' Acts of the Interregnum,' vol. ii. p. 257.
1650, 24 Dec. Luke Robinson, M.P., appears in a " List of such of the late County Committees for the three Ridings in Yorkshire and the City of York as are now alive." ' Calendar of the Com- mittee for Compounding,' p. 380 ; references of minor importance on pp. 595 and 929.
1651, 14 Jan. " Mr. Heveningham and Mr. Scott to send Mr. Luke Robinson a sufficient number of the public Acts and of Mr. Milton's books to spread in those parts where he is." ' Domestic State Papers.'
1651, 7 June. Letter dated " York " from Luke Robinson to Samuel Moyer : "I have expected to hear from you about evidences of the transactions of the Earl of Newcastle's Committee .... I have been privately and earnestly entreated to suppress the things in my hands, in plain English to burn the papers. . .There are some fat persons concerned who ought to pay fines towards the public charge." ' Calendar of Committee for Compounding,' p. 449.
1655, 4 April. Council Proceedings, " To advise that Henry Rolle, Lord Chief Justice of the Upper Bench, Robert Nicholas, Baron of the Exchequer, and Luke Robinson be Commissioners of Oyer and Terminer to the Northern Counties." f Domestic State Papers.'
1656, 20 Aug. George, Lord Ewre, Robert Lilburne, Luke Robinson, and Francis Lascelles were elected M.P.'s for the North Riding of Yorkshire. ' Members of Parliament, Return,' vol. i. p. 506.
1658, 7 March. George Marwood and Philip Howard were declared M.P.'s for Malton ; and another indenture by which Col. Robert Lilburne and Luke Robinson were returned was ordered to be taken off the file. ' Members of Parlia- ment, Return,' vol. i. p. 511.
1659, 14 Feb. Extract from a letter to Luke Robinson respecting arms in Yorkshire : " Sir
H. Cholmley keeps Allen of Rheims at work to
fix pistols is reported to have 300 cases of
them at least in his house has more horses
than ordinary in his stable, and gives out that he must have a regiment of horse and foot." ' Domestic State Papers.'
1659, 16 July. Payment for bucks to Luke Robinson and nine others (not named). ' Domestic State Papers.'
1659, 20 Aug. Luke Robinson to have the use of the Whitehall lodgings formerly Col. Alured's. ' Domestic State Papers.'
1659, 4 Oct. Proceedings of the Committee of Safety. The clerk to give Luke Robinson notice to speak with this Committee on Friday about Capt. Dennis, Lieut. Lakin, and Major Pownall. ' Domestic State Papers.'
1659-1660. In the B.M. are two single sheets : (1) 'A Phanatique League and Covenant solemnly entered into by the assertors of the good old cause,' subscribed Luke Robinson, J. Lambert, and others ; (2) A private conference between Mr. Luke Robinson and Mr. T. Scott occasioned upon the publishing His Majestie's letters and declaration (' A Bonfire Carroll ').
From, several of the foregoing extracts it will be clearly seen upon which side Luke Robinson stood at the time of the Common- wealth. The use to which " Mr. Milton's books " were being put to further party propaganda is interesting. The State Papers of the Interregnum contain very numerous allusions to this Luke Robinson, who was very energetic and active on the Parlia- mentary side. Firth and Rait's ' Acts of the Interregnum,' which is one of the best- indexed books ever issued, bristles with Luke Robinson's name and the committees upon which he was placed.
1660, 4 April. Luke Robinson was elected M.P. for Scarborough, but on 25 July following the election was declared void, and John Legard was elected. ' Members of Parliament, Return,' vol. i. p. 517.
1660, May 2. "In the morning at a breakfast of radishes in the purser's cabin. .. .after which comes Dunne from London with letters which tell us the welcome news of the Parliament's votes
yesterday The House ordered 50 ; OOOZ. to be
forthwith provided to send to His Majesty for his present supply, and a Committee chosen to return an answer of thanks to His Majesty for his gracious letter and that the letter be kept among the records of the Parliament, and in all this not so much as one No. So that Luke Robinson himself stood up and made a recantation for what he had done, and promises to be a loyal subject to his Prince for the time to come." Pepys's ' Diary ' (Wheatley's ed.), rol. i. pp. 123-4.
Pepys has an earlier reference to Luke Robinson in vol. i. p. 54 in reference to General Monk, and presumably to do with the return of Charles II. Compare the following from the State Papers :
1660, 14 Feb. Warrant upon Parliament orders of 16 Jan. and 7 Feb. to pay 235?. to Thomas Scot and Luke Robinson for expenses in going
