Christopher Robinson (c. 1645 – February 13, 1693) was an English-born merchant, planter, militia officer and politician in the British colony of Virginia. Robinson held several public offices in Colonial Virginia and is the patriarch in America for one of the First Families of Virginia.
Contents
Early life
Robinson was born in Cleasby, Yorkshire, England in 1645. His parents were John Robinson (d. 1651) and Elizabeth Potter (d. 1688). Christopher was one of eight siblings. His eldest surviving brother John Robinson became Bishop of London and his sister Clara married Sir Edward Wood, Gentleman Usher to Queen Catherine. Bishop John Robinson created a pedigree which traced the family back several generations where it becomes "obscure".
Virginia career
Robinson emigrated to Virginia about 1666 and settled at Urbanna in Middlesex County. There he established a plantation and home he called "Hewick". Several generations of Robinsons would expand the home, as well as acquired other plantations and erected other manor homes nearby.
Initially, Robinson was private secretary for Sir William Berkeley, Governor of Virginia.
In 1672, Britain chartered the Royal African Company, and Robinson, his Middlesex neighbor William Churchill and Dudley Digges of Gloucester County were their local agents by 1685. In 1668, Middlesex county had 65 blacks and 334 white servants. In 1685 alone, the Royal African Company took delivery of 200 Africans, and another 220 Africans in 1687. By 1700, the county's population had grown and more land was under cultivation, but the percentage of indentured servants declined and slaves outnumbered indentured servants by a four to one ratio.