Edward Robinson biography

Edward Robinson

born October 16, 1807 in Chesshire, England died April 1896

son of Joseph Robinson of Little Sutton, England

Edward Robinson was the son of Joseph Robinson of Little Sutton England. He was born in Chesshire, England on October 16, 1807.

While very young, Edward chose to train as footman to the gentry of one of the Royal families. He took great delight in driving and caring for the stately pedigree horses of the Lords and Ladies and in taking charge of the blood hounds and race horses ready for the fox hunts. He had to dress exceedingly trim to be in the presence of these distinguished people, as he rode about with them as a footman in their fine carriages behind two span of immaculate white horses. He kept his fine English boots shined to perfection.

He developed a fine appreciation of nature, as he spent much time among the rustic flower gardens on the different manors. He later became a fine landscape artist himself.


This early training as footman schooled Edward in obedience, promptness, efficiency, courteousness and neatness. He grew up into noble manhood, somewhat heavyset, round features off face, very pleasant appearance and optimistic spirit. His eyes were blue and he had a mop of brown, curly hair and a fine set of teeth.

Edward, at the age of 21, in 1828, married a lovely, spirited, English girl named Mary Smith. She was born 2 December 1810, to John and Elizabeth Smith. The courtship of Edward and Mary began while they were working on the same manor. Mary Smith was a tutor to the lord's children and was very intaductual and a good teacher. Her picture reveals a rather delicate little face surrounded by a mop of thick curls.

During their short life together (16 years), nine children were born to them. Richard; born 1829 , John, born 1831; Mary and Martha, who died in infancy; Elizabeth, born 1837; Edward, born 1839; William, born 1840; Mary Jane, born 1842; Joseph, born 1844 and was buried in Nauvoo beside his mother.

Edward came to manhood at an important century of the world's history. In 1828, the English Parliament offered a prize for the best model steam engine to run on rails. The prize was awarded to George and Robert Stevenson of England, for their prize steam engine the "Rocket". It made it's initial run in 1830. Edward had the distinction of being the first conductor or guard on this train. Edward liked to tell of the first run and how they sprinkled sand on the rails to keep the cars from slipping when they got going so fast as 20 miles an hour. In the American Fork cemetery, on Edward's tombstone, is carved a picture of the "Rocket" and underneath is written, "Edward Robinson, first railroad conductor in the world;"

With a good salary and a thrifty wife, this family were very happy, but death came and robbed them of two of the children, Mary and Martha.

In 1840, the same year Mormonism was first preached in England, little William, who was one year old, became seriously ill. Mary, a very religious woman and with great interest in this new religion, sent for the Mormon missionaries. Brigham Young, them in Manchester, came to their home, anointed and laid his hands upon the sick child's head, promised the parents the child would live to a ripe old age. William lived to marry and rear a family. Edward joined the church following his good wife's example. Edward often let the missionaries ride free on the cars. More than once he took them to his tailor and ordered a suit of clothes for them.

It. took a year for Mary to persuade her husband to leave his fine position as conductor and join the Saints in Illinois. In 1842, Edward and Mary and six children, left their native land for America. They crossed the ocean on an old sailing boat,



"Henry". They were delayed by storms and Mary and two of the children were at death's door most of the voyage. Upon his leaving, the railroad company presented Edward with a silver watch in which was engraved: "To Edward Robinson, in token of regard from the directors of the Manchester-Liverpool Railroad." They changed boats to sail up the Mississippi to Nauvoo.

Edward, believing Nauvoo was to be their permanent home, took their savings and immediately built them a lovely little red brick, two-story home. This was he happiest years of their lives. They were living and learning the gospel of Jesus Christ as taught by the Prophet Joseph Smith. Mary Jane was born 6 March 1842. Within the next year, 1844, the Prophet and brother Hyrum were martyred. This tragedy brought horror and unrest among the people. Grief came with even more force into the home of Edward for three months later, in September 1844, his wife, then 35, was taken in death at the birth of her ninth child. The baby was named Joseph, and cared for by the Kirkwood family~ later he died and was buried beside his mother in Nauvoo.

Without a mother in the home, life was discouraging for Edward, he employed Ann Wootten, a widow with four children, two of her own, Attie and John, and an adopted daughter, Lizzie, and her sister Nannie, to care for his household. Ann Turner Wootten was born 4 November 1810, in Tunstall, Staffordshire, England. She was a good housekeeper and Edward soon married her.

Edward traded his little dream house for a team of horses and moved his family to Burlingtown, Iowa. Here for four years they struggled, trying to save enough to make the journey with the Saints to Utah. Here two boys were born, Heber and Alfred. Heber was born in 1847. Alfred died in infancy. At this time Edward and the oldest boys would make sack after sack of bread to take with them on their journey across the plains.

They traveled with the Ezra Taft Benson company, leaving there in the spring of 1849. At one time, Edward, still retaining his joyful and jolly humor, said as he held up his coarse boot, ''this old clod hopper doesn't look much like the fine polished English boots I wore in the gentry, but such is the price of a pioneer life." Edward drove two yoke of oxen to pull the two wagons and had two good cows, Paddy and Lily. Lily was a hard looker, as she had her tail bitten offvby a coyote when she was a calf. They had plenty of milk and a healthy diet.

The first thing Edward did when he arrived in the Salt Lake Valley in October 1849, was to secure land. He rented the John Taylor farm and commenced plowing. Their home that first winter was one room and there was eleven children and the father and mother. A home which called for all the perseverence, thrift, and patience that individuals could cultivate. A home where every member of the family, of an evening, bowed his head in reverence and knelt down upon his knees in thankfulness for the preservation of his life.

A call came from the Authorities asking the Saints to go to the valley. Once more Edward loaded his scanty belongings into his one remaining wagon and moved to Provo Valley. It was now the fall of 1850. They purchased a one room log house from Solomon Thomas who wanted to join the gold rushers. They spent the first winter in the one room log cabin but before another winter they added another log room. They were worthy parents, very thrifty, good disciplinarians, aggressive. Ann was a good seamstress and so things improved fast. They took up a homestead along where the highway runs now and the older children helped their father. They could only go to school a few months in the winter. Their main text was the Bible.

Edward was now a land owner instead of a footman to royalty, and best of all, in a free country where his family would be driven no more. It wasn't long until they built a six-room home. It was adobe brick, two rooms upstairs, four rooms downstairs. Edward landscaped it with lawns and shrubs. It was called by the townspeople "Robinson's Rose Comer."

Ann's strenuous life ended April 8, 1864, at the age of 54. Edward spent his time cultivating his flowers. He married an old maid, Margaret Goovner, born 11 October 1811, at Hertfordshire, England. They were very happy, but death took her in June 1889. He lived then with different sons. Kept his flowers. He died April 1896.