Samuel Robinson, Jr. (August 15, 1738 – May 3, 1813) was an early

Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...

political and military leader who served an officer in the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolut ...

and as

Speaker Speaker may refer to: Society and politics * Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly * Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture * A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially: ** In ...

of the

Vermont House of Representatives The Vermont House of Representatives is the lower house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The House comprises 150 members, with each member representing around 4,100 citizens. Representatives ar ...

Biography

Samuel Robinson was born in Hardwick, Massachusetts, on August 15, 1738. He was the son of Samuel Robinson, Sr. (1707–1767), one of Vermont's earliest white settlers. Samuel Robinson's brothers included Moses Robinson, David Robinson, and Jonathan Robinson. At the age of 17 he served in his father's company of militia during the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was a theater of the Seven Years' War, which pitted the North American colonies of the British Empire against those of the French, each side being supported by various Native American tribes. At the ...

. The younger Robinson succeeded his father as one of Bennington's agents who attempted to resolve the dispute between

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

and

New Hampshire New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

over control of colonial Vermont. During the American Revolution Robinson was active in the

militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

, commanding a

company A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of people, whether Natural person, natural, Legal person, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common p ...

at the Battle of Bennington and rising to the rank of

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

. In 1777 and 1778 Robinson served as custodian of

Loyalist Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cro ...

prisoners. Samuel Robinson was a member of Vermont's Board of War and was one of the first

Justices of the Peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...

appointed in Vermont. As Judge for the court with jurisdiction over southern

Bennington County Bennington County is a county in the U.S. state of Vermont. As of the 2020 census, the population was 37,347. The shire towns (county seats) are jointly Bennington ("The Southshire") and Manchester ("The Northshire"), and the largest municipal ...

, in 1778 Robinson presided over the trial of David Redding, who had been accused of stealing a horse. Redding was prosecuted by

Ethan Allen Ethan Allen ( – February 12, 1789) was an American farmer, businessman, land speculator, philosopher, writer, lay theologian, American Revolutionary War patriot, and politician. He is best known as one of the founders of Vermont and for ...

, and was convicted and executed by

hanging Hanging is the suspension of a person by a noose or ligature around the neck.Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed. Hanging as method of execution is unknown, as method of suicide from 1325. The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' states that hanging i ...

. Robinson served in the Vermont House of Representatives from 1779 to 1780, serving as Speaker in 1780. Robinson died in Bennington on May 3, 1813, and is buried in Bennington's Old Cemetery.Gravestone photos
by contributor Haley Amber Cook-Maine, Samuel Robinson page, Find A Grave web site, February 12, 2011

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Robinson, Samuel 1738 births 1813 deaths People from Hardwick, Massachusetts Politicians from Bennington, Vermont People of Massachusetts in the French and Indian War People of Vermont in the American Revolution People of colonial Massachusetts Members of the Vermont House of Representatives Speakers of the Vermont House of Representatives People of pre-statehood Vermont