Sir George Abercrombie Robinson, 1st Baronet (29March 175813February 1832) was a British politician and Chairman of the

East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company that was founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to Indian Ocean trade, trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (South A ...

Life

He was the son of John Robinson of Calcutta, who died at the

Cape of Good Hope The Cape of Good Hope ( ) is a rocky headland on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula in South Africa. A List of common misconceptions#Geography, common misconception is that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Afri ...

in 1779, and Margaret, daughter of George Leslie of Kimrawgie,

North Britain North Britain is a term which has been used, particularly between the 17th and 19th centuries, for either the northern part of Great Britain or Scotland, which occupies the northernmost third of the island. "North Britains" could also refer to B ...

. He joined the East India Company in 1779 as a cadet and was successively promoted to ensign, Commissary-General (1786), Aide-de-Camp to

Lord Cornwallis Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis (31 December 1738 – 5 October 1805) was a British Army officer, Whigs (British political party), Whig politician and colonial administrator. In the United States and United Kingdom, he is best kn ...

(Governor-General of Bengal) (1788), Head Assistant in the Military Auditor-General's office (1788–92), Garrison Storekeeper at Fort William and Secretary to the Military Board, captain (1798) and Military Auditor-General (1798). He retired in 1802 and served as Private Secretary to Cornwallis from July to October, 1805. Robinson became a director of the East India Company from 1808 to 1829, acting as chairman in 1820 and 1826. He was also a director of the Globe Insurance Company. He was elected as the MP for

Honiton Honiton () is a market town and civil parish in East Devon, situated close to the River Otter, Devon, River Otter, north east of Exeter in the county of Devon. Honiton has a population estimated at 12,154 (based on 2021 census). History The ...

in 1812 (until 1818). On 11 November 1823, Robinson was created the first Baronet of Batts House, Somerset . The title became extinct in 1944 on the death of Sir Douglas Robinson, 6th Baronet. He died on 13February 1832 at his son William Scott Robinson's house in

Dyrham Dyrham is a village and parish in South Gloucestershire, England. Location and communications Dyrham is at lat. 51° 29' north, long. 2° 22' west (). It lies at an altitude of 100 metres above sea level. It is near the A46 trunk road, abo ...

, after a long illness. His wife Margaret predeceased him on 21May 1824.

Family

On 27March 1794 Robinson married, in Calcutta, Margaret Southwell, the illegitimate daughter of

Thomas Howard, 14th Earl of Suffolk Thomas Howard, 14th Earl of Suffolk, 7th Earl of Berkshire (11 January 1721 – 3 February 1783) was a British peer, styled Hon. Thomas Howard until 1779. Life A younger son of Henry Howard, 11th Earl of Suffolk, he was educated at St John's Col ...

, with whom he had seven sons and a daughter: *George Best – died young *Francis Matilda – died young *

Sir George Best Robinson, 2nd Baronet Sir George Best Robinson, 2nd Baronet (14November 17971855) was a British colonial administrator who became Chief Superintendent of British trade in China. Family background Son of Sir George Robinson, 1st Baronet and Margaret Southwell, the ...

– became the second chief superintendent of British trade in China in 1835. *Francis-Horsley *The Rev. William Scott Robinson, Rector of Dyrham, Gloucestershire *Charles Cornwallis – died young *Henry Sterling *Edward Innes

References

1758 births 1832 deaths Directors of the British East India Company British East India Company people Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Honiton UK MPs 1812–1818 Baronets in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom {{England-UK-MP-stub