RICHARD SMITH ROBINSON
Written by Harriet Judd; Kanab, Utah.
Richard Smith Robinson was born November 25, 1830, in Upton, Cheshire, England. He was the son of Edward Robinson and Mary Smith. Edward Robinson was born in little Sutton, Cheshire, England, October 16, 1807. He was first a farmer, then Gentleman's Coachman and became the first guard (or conductor) on the first train in the world. Many years later when the worlds far was celebrated at Chicabo about the year 1878, Edward Robinson received a free ticket to attend this fair but was unable to accept because of his old age. So the committee in charge sent him a fine watch as a prize for his services.
The story is told of Richard’s schooling when as a lad of ten years in England, he was standing up for his young sister Elizabeth, whom the school teacher was abusing, and the teacher knocked him down with a heavy mahogany rule, which seems to have practically closed his school activities, for the family came to America in the ship “Henry” in 1842 when Richard was only twelve years of age, and he never went to school again.
They were six weeks on the ocean, which was not an unusual period for that time. From New Orleans the journey was continued up the Mississippi River to St. Louis, Missouri, where they spent the first winter in America.
In the spring of 1843 they proceeded up the river to Nauvoo, in the ship “Maid of Iowa” with another company of saints. Brother Richard Robinson remained at Nauvoo, Illinois, until the exodus of 1846. His father built them a fine brick house east of Nauvoo. Here his mother died and Richard, being the eldest in the family of five children, took the responsibility of caring for the family. He has often related his experiences of washing, ironing, cooking, mending, and trying to keep up the home, in fact endeavoring the best that a lad of sixteen could to take the place of mother with the little children. It was a hard, sad experience for him (as well as for the rest of the family), but one that proved to be valuable in later life.
In 1849 the family crossed the plains to the valley in Ezra T. Benson’s company. Richard only remained in Utah one week, he went on via Cedar City, Las Vegas, Nevada, down the Cajon Pass to Wilmington Harbor, California, where he took boat “Sacramento,” on up the American River to the Glacier Gold Fields where he spent the winter of 1849.
In 1852, he went back overland to Salt Lake city, thence to American Fork, where his father and family resided. He had his accumulation of gold dust in a leather bill strapped about his body under his clothing. While Richard was away on this gold rush his father had married again and Richard was said to have dumped into the lap of his step mother his three years earnings in gold for her to use as she saw fit in the care of the family. Evidently his experience as a boy, caring for the younger children had helped him to appreciate a mother and to realize the hardships and responsibility of his step mother.
Five years later (1854), he married Elizabeth Wootten and about two weeks after his marriage he was called south on the Indian Mission with Jacob Hamblin, and others to settle at Harmony (just out from Cedar City) where he was one of the early settlers. He laid most of the rock and adobes of the old fort at Harmony which was two hundred feet square and two stories high.
In 1855, he was called to help build the stone fort on the Santa Clara. These forts were very necessary for their protection against the Indians.
In the fall of 1856, in company with Amos G. Thornton and Rufus Allen, they moved to Pinto, Washington County, Utah. They were the only settlers there during the winter of 1856-1857. They built cellars covered with willows and clay which served as their homes for the winter. When the first California immigrants passed through in the spring they had heard of the place and as they approached in the evening they saw a light. They rode upon what they thought was an elevation to look about. The elevation proved to be a cellar and when the horsemen forced their animals upon it a man came running out from below begging the intruders not to ride over his house.
Other settlers arrived that spring and a town site was surveyed, and a Branch of the Church was organized and Brother Richard Robinson was chosen Presiding Elder, subsequently he was ordained a Bishop and presided at Pinto about twenty years.
It was while at Pinto that the art of making beer served as the means of a very good livelihood. Richard’s father was one of the most famous brewers of his time in fact was the pioneer Brewer of Utah, and Richard followed in his footsteps. He sold many barrels of beer to the California emigrants who passed through the country in the early days. This little incident is told about the beer: There had been several Indian raids and the settlers were constantly on the lookout for them. Mother Elizabeth awoke one night screaming a shot had been fired, she was hit in the side and could feel the blood flowing from the wound. On investigating, Richard, found that the cork had blown out of the beer jug hitting his wife and scattering beer all over her.
Elizabeth was the wife of his youth. She was born in England, November 5, 1833, came to America when a small child. Her real name was Brindley but she was an adopted child and went by the name of Wootten.
She possessed a wonderful character: patient, thrifty, ambitious, scruptiously clean in her habits and in all her long hard life she never complained. She took the responsibility of the two large families, credit could well be given her of raising all the children, although Mary Ann never shirked when she was able to help, but being an invalid most of her life one can readily see the responsibility that rested on Elizabeth. It was she who cared for the children when sick, she did all the sewing, making shirts for all the boys and men. She was still young when she died, only 65 and would have lived many years longer if she had had medical aid, but being a disposition that never complained, no one thought her condition critical. In her later years she was always busy fixing things, tending to her clothing and when in her last illness she grew tired, she wanted to go home, that was all she asked. She died in February 1898. She gave birth to twelve children, seven boys and five girls. They were: Richard Joseph, Annie, Edward G., Emma Jane, William Alfred, John Wootten, Aramitta Kate, George Heber, Oscar Attewall, Mary Ellen, Sarah Blanche, Martha Amy. All the children but three grew to manhood and womanhood. She was a helpmate and comfort to her husband and family all the days of her life.
Brother Richard Robinson was a wonderful character also, and as President Cannon often said, he was a natural comedian, full of ready wit and humor and endowed with rare gift as an entertainer. He was widely known for his singing and story telling, and for his preaching in later life.
The story is told of him while residing at Pinto, he went to cedar City to attend ward conference. Bishop Lunt arose on the stand asked, “Is Richard Robinson in the congregation?” There was no reply, he repeated his words more loudly and the heads of the people all turned around and they craned their necks trying to locate Richard who sat near an aisle in the middle of the audience twirling his thumbs as he used to do, and a look of absolute innocence on his countenance. Everybody saw him and knew he was there, and again the old Bishop called for Richard Robinson to come to the stand, and Richard kept on twirling his thumbs until Bishop Lunt or some one else on the stand said, “Is Dick Robinson here?” Richard answered very quickly, “Yes, Sir,” and strode up the aisle amidst a storm of laughter, as they were all aware of his fun making proclivities. It was pretty well understood that he preferred the name of Dick in his younger day and was known as singing Dick to his mining companions while in California.
He and Grandfather Eldridge took the “Golden Farmer,” a little play, to Cedar City and showed it in the social hall. Cedar City prized itself on having a very splendid dramatic company and went to the theater that night fully prepared to have a good laugh at the “Pinto Creek Amateurs.” When the curtain arose Brother Eldridge said that the air was as cold as ice and he made the opening sentence about a letter he had in his hand, and then called for his servant “Delph.” This was Brother Robinson who answered from behind the screen in the broadest kind of Lankeshire: “Don’t ye worrit, marster, I be commint but must stie my coffee,” and came in with a cup of coffee, which he was stirring with his great forefinger. His broad dialect and his makeup, with his inimitable comic action, stirring his coffee with his finger broke the ice, and the audience collapsed with laughter which was maintained through the play whenever he and Ezra Coleman presented themselves. Ezra was a fine foil for him. After this little company was frequently invited to Cedar City to present some of their many plays they put on, on the local boards at Pinto.
When his son Joseph was about sixteen years of age he made a visit to Salt Lake City with Heber Harrison, a relative of President John Taylor, and was guest at one of his homes (Sophia). He was invited to dinner one day at the Guardo house where President Taylor was entertaining some English nobility. He was so embarrassed in this aristocratic gathering that he was ill at ease until President George Q. Cannon asked him where he came from, and being advised, Pinto, said, “Are you a son of Richard Robinson?” Being answered in the affirmative, he said, “Does your father sing and whistle and recite, as he did when a young man?” Then he went on to tell him that he thought his father was one of the finest entertainers he had ever known and said had he chosen a stage career would have made an eminent success as a comedian, for he said he never knew a more humorous story teller, and one who could provoke mirth in the most trying conditions—that he “had often wished he could sing and tell stories like Richard Robinson.”
While at Pinto in the year 1859, five years after his first marriage he took a second wife, namely Mary Ann Eccles. She was born in England, in 1844, left there at the age of five with her parents, crossed the ocean and crossed the plains with the Martin handcart company, walking most of the way. They arrived at Salt Lake Valley and were called upon soon after to settle on the Santa Clara in Southern Utah. Here they suffered the trials and hardships of that country and then moved to Pinto where she met Brother Richard Robinson and at the age of fifteen married him. She was a frail little woman and did not enjoy the best of health. At Pinto she bore him seven children, namely: Alice Ann, Robert, Thomas, David, Wilford, Elizabeth, and Laffayette.
From Pinto, they were called to settle at upper Kanab in 1875, where three more children were born to her: James, Hyrum, and Parley. The eldest and youngest children died when babies. The other eight were all raised to man and womanhood.
Together with Elizabeth they suffered the drudgery of ranch life, night after night both at Pinto and upper Kanab they were seen burning the midnight candle busily patching, sewing, darning, and running the spindle wheel for the good of their children and household.
Mary Ann’s son Robert writes of his mother: “I never realized the worth of mother while she lived, she was true to her calling, faithful to her husband and children, never had much of this world’s pleasures, she never lived to be real old. She died on February 13, 1898, fifty four years old, after a long illness. In her casket she looked sweeter than an angel and if any of her children ever meet her again they must live as she lived, keep themselves free from sin and obey the law of the celestial kingdom of God.”
Brother Robinson married a third wife in 1866. Seven years after his second marriage. Her name was Kate Eldridge. Kate’s father’s name was Joseph Eldridge, of Great Missenden, Buringhamshire, England, a dreamer and poet, noted for his wonderful voice and singing ability.
Joseph Eldridge came to America in 1855 and was made chorister under President John Taylor of the Branch of the Church in New York City. With his cello and his two little girls (Kate and Ellen), had a great deal to do with the early church work, and became closely associated with George A. Smith, the Pratts (Parley and Orson), Ezra T. Benson, Erastus Snow and President John Taylor.
In 1859 they came on to Salt Lake and in 1851 moved to Santa Clara where Brother Eldridge was called to teach school. He had eighty one pupils. He was much enamored with their splendid singing and here again with the cello and the two little girls did a great deal of singing. Erastus Snow had them stand on the corner stone of the St. George Tabernacle when it was laid and they Sang “Stars of Morning Shout For Joy.” They were at Santa Clara when the town was practically washed away by floods, and moved to Nevada from there. One night while in Nevada, the settlers, fearing an attack from the Indians, gathered their stock in the public corral and set men to watch them. Grandmother Eldridge (a very practical person) insisted on keeping theirs in their own yard where she took up the watch. In the night the Indians came sure enough. They stampeded the cattle in the public corral and got away with a great number of them but sister Eldridge stood at her bars and called “Whos” Buck So, Lil” and so by calling to the cattle by name, kept them from stampeding and the Indians respected the brave woman guarding the same and left her unassailed.
Kate possess many remarkable characteristics of these wonderful parents of hers and when they came to Pinto they were most warmly welcome. Here of course Kate met Richard who was Bishop at that time, and married him in the fall of 1866.
She was evidently tenderly reared and perhaps too delicate to stand up under the ardorous labors of frontier farm life. She died of typhoid fever after having been married about two years, giving birth to one child Joseph.
She was one of the sweetest and most even tempered girls and women in the world: so select in her habits, choice in her language and chaste in her life a wonderful singer with a voice that reached the hearts of mankind.
She died at her father’s home, Brother Eldridge and Kate loved one another most intensely and he never recovered from her death in 1868, when Joseph was less than a year old. Joseph has heard him in the night time in his dreams call for her and weep like his heart was broken. He never got over her loss—he loved her so.
In the spring of 1876, eight years after the death of his wife Kate, Brother Robinson moved to upper Kanab, Kane County, to take charge of the Canaan Dairy. He milked one hundred and fifty cows while there and made enough cheese to reach from Kanab to Orderville if placed side by side. Every fall he took his cheese and produce and made a trip to Salt Lake City to purchase dry goods and some store clothing. Best dresses of both his wives were of fine materials which he would bring back from Salt Lake. Wife Elizabeth made the clothes and she always made Mary Ann’s dress just like hers although one woman was large and the other one thin. It was always a gala affair when father returned from one of these trips which usually were of about a month’s duration—three weeks on the road and one week for visiting and business. Dry goods, clothing, Christmas toys—these were the things he brought back to his family.
He was quite a proud man and rejoiced in seeing his women folks well dressed. Robert remembers of one time when his father gave fifty bushels of spuds for a derby hat and a real fine pair of boots for he was not slack in dress when he could deck himself out too, although the story is told that at one time he had but one pair of pants and they had to be mended so he gave them to Elizabeth to patch while he crawled under the table about the time a neighbor called in. Richard cried out from his hiding place, “Don’t look under the table,” which is the first thing the neighbor did on being told, much to the merriment of all.
Richard was placed in charge of the branch of the Church at upper Kanab and held that position for ten years. This branch belonged to the Glendale Ward and their records were burned up in a fire at Glendale.
After working for about two years for the Canaan Company, Brother Robinson bought the large farm and ranch at upper Kanab paying for it mostly in farm and dairy products. He had a large family of boys and sought to furnish them employment that he might keep them under the home roof and under the influence, and was quite successful in doing this until most of them were grown.
There were twenty-six in the family at Sink Valley Ranch and the children did not know any thing about half brothers and sisters. They all lived together in one large family. The children who are living say there never was a more congenial polygamous family. They played a great many practical jokes on each other, and made their own amusements. They grew up with a love for each other that has lasted through the years. They were all treated alike, and no parciality whatever was shown. The only fault they could find in their father was his lack of zeal in trying to give his children a real education, he was a self-made man, and though that his children could get through without much schooling. He would hire a teacher to teach them as a family a few months each winter but never a full year. When they moved to Kanab this condition was a little better.
He was called to Kanab to preside as Bishop from 1884 to 1889 and acted as Bishop for five years, but was finally released on account of poor health.
He was very industrious and possessed a strong constitution; he was heard to say often that in his younger days he never knew what it was to be tired. In these early days pioneers of necessity must be capable men and it is remarkable how the leaders of our church choose men of ability to go with their families to settle the waste places that the building up of this wonderful country was not delayed. Brother Robinson was an expert diary man, blacksmith, did his own cobbling, was a good mason and carpenter. He understood the soil and was a successful farmer and gardener. He was a home builder and endeavored to keep his family together. He would always be found at church on Sunday and carried his hymn book with him because he loved to sing the songs of Zion. He expressed a desire to bless his grandchildren and was granted the privilege by most of his children as long as he lived. He seemed very proud to perform this ordinance.
He was known for his genial disposition and his fairness in dealing with his fellow men. He was intensely practical, a great utilitarian and because of the experiences of pioneer life, he had to learn something of many vocations. He made the shoes and much of furniture they used and the women folks corded and spun the wool from the sheep and made their won clothes.
The pinching life of the pioneer made him very careful of his means and in his expenditures. He came to the store on day and asked Joel Johnson for a cheap door lock. Joel put down a half dozen locks on the counter. Brother Robinson looked them over and said, “Haven’t you one with a white knob, Joel?” Joel burst out laughing and said, “What is the difference, Bishop, whether it’s white or black if it opens the door and is only costing you thirty-five cents at that?” Brother Robinson tucked his money back in his vest pocket and replied, “Well, I’ll go down to Bowman’s and see if they have one with a white knob for it I should break it, it would make a good nest egg for the old hen to lay to.” And he left to find a door knob with a white handle.
Another time Joseph had painted a drop curtain in the social hall for the dramatic club, and had tried to make a copy of one of the Lakes of Killarney with a little island in the center, sail boats and small row boats tied up on the nearer shore. He was painting a curtain in the rear when his father and Joel came into the hall. They didn’t know Joseph was behind the drop curtain. When the door opened Joseph looked out to see who it was and heard the following conversation: Brother Robinson said, pointing with his left forefinger, for he was left-handed you know, “Who did that?” Joel replied, “Joseph.” “Joseph, Joseph, what Joseph?” said Brother Robinson. said Joel, “Aren’t you proud of him?” In answer to this Brother Robinson said, “Do you know what I would do if I had a place like that?” Joel said, “No, what would you do?” He said, “I would have my hogs over on that island and take the swill to them in a boat.”
It is useless to say that on hearing his father’s reply thus, Joseph felt that if his painting was only good enough for the hogs, he would stop right there but he finished the curtain and made no further efforts to become a Raphael or Michael Angelo.
At the passing of the “Edmunds Tucker Bill” by Congress, a bill to prohibit men from having more than one wife, our polygamous fathers were constantly hounded by the U.S. officials and resorted to all kinds of means to evade the law.
Many nights Brother Robinson joined James A. Little, Uncle Guerney Brown and others to sleep in the canyons to avoid the possible visits of the marshals.
One time the marshals came to Brother Robinson’s house at Sink Valley after he had successfully evaded them for two years and so greatly surprised the family that they forgot to hang out the white flag which was to indicate that all was well at home and he need not sleep out in the bushes because of undesirable visitors. He walked right into marshal McGeary and Armstrong who had come to arrest him. Brother Robinson was as calm as a summer’s morning, invited them in, introduced them to his wives and children and served them a wonderful meal. He gave his word of honor to appear at this time also. This was in the summer of 1891. In due time he appeared at court and was granted a privilege, which was unusual at this time, namely that of pleading his own case. He went up on the stand and told how he had worked and struggled to take care of his families and with tears in his eyes told of the many hundreds of dollars he had spent trying to bring health to his invalid wife, Mary Ann. He afterwards testified to his family that he never prayed more earnestly in his life than on the morning he went into the court room, and that the God of Heaven heard and answered his prayers. He plead his case before the judge said to him, “Go home to your family, take care of your invalid wife and your children, you are a free man.” He was released without even a fine. He went back home and continued on in his work, always industrious, never shirking his duty and always generous to the needy. In his later years he shifted the responsibilities of the ranch to the shoulders of his boys. He used to go up to Sink Valley once or twice a year to look over the machinery and keep it in shape for them. He was a natural mechanic. After he was released as bishop he worked in his garden, at home, read a great deal, was always well informed. He understood the gospel and could be depended upon to explain it correctly. He kept up with the events of the times and always knew what was going on in the world.
After Elizabeth died he seemed to fail fast and lost interest in life. He went to Colorado in the winter of 1901 and stayed with his daughter, Annie, thinking the change would do him good. The cold affected him and impaired his health. He developed acute heart trouble and started home but only got as far as Sink Valley when he died.
On the way home he went to see Dr. Steiner at Panguitch to be examined. The doctor told him his condition and advised him to go home and fix up his business that he was apt to die any time. Joseph drew up his will for him and his father’s dictation of the same was a tribute to his sense of fairness and justice to all concerned. It is not often that so large a family as this, representing three factions, would settle with the unanimity and good will that was evident in this case. Robert, Heber, and Joseph were appointed executors, after Brother Robinson’s sudden death. Robert wrote Joseph to see if Heber and he would do it, and for the two of them to make a divison of the property. His letter passed Joseph’s en route to each of the others to come and make settlement. However, they knew so well the honesty and integrity of Heber that neither of them felt for their own interest nor any other members of the family that they need be present, and so the estate was dispersed by Heber and agreed to by all of the heirs.
This incident shows the honesty and integrity that was inherent in his sons and so when he died in the spring of 1902, he had lived a good life. A noble one and had left behind him a line of posterity a credit to him and to the world they lived in. He died May 9, 1902, with full faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ and in the resurrection. He had lived a good and noble life.
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