Robinson Surname

The surname Robinson is said to have arisen from the Teutonic personal name of great antiquity, "Robert," which was introduced into England about the time of the Conquest. Robinson signified "the son of Robin, or Robert, " and its variations include: Robinson, Robison, Robisson, and Robeson. "Before you could say Jack Robinson" is a phrase implying a very brief space of time. It is said to have originated from an ancient bearer of this surname who would call upon his neighbors and be gone before his name could be announced.

Our Robinson ancestors came from England and were members of the English Church, Parish of Eastham, Chesire, England. In the first Registers of 1598 to 1700 we find the name of Robinson spelled many ways.

Joseph or John Robinson, born about 1714, was the first ancestor found of Edward Robinson, our ancestor who came to America. He was a weaver

so we know he worked in the industry of cloth making. He married, on the 5th or 6th of Feb., 1769, Margaret Lewis who was christened June 28, 1748, Heswall, Cheshire, England.

Two children were born to this union. (1) Joseph Robinson, christened Feb. 28,1770, of Little Sutton, Cheshir~, Eng. (2) John Robinson, chris¬tened Dec. 20, 1771, of Little Sutton, Ches., Eng.. Died Feb. 5, 1775.

The above Joseph (born 1770) married Margaret Davies. Their children were: (1) Mary Robinson, (2) Richard Robinson, (3) John Robinson, (4) Mar¬garet Robinson, (5) Joseph Robinson, (6) our ancestor EDWARD ROBINSON, born Oct. 16, 1807, christened Jan. 3, 1808, Little Sutton, married Mary Smith, 1828. She died Apr. 17, 1896. (7)Mary Robinson, (8) William Robinson, (9) George Robinson, (10) James Robinson.

Edward Robinson goes 20 mph!

Edward Robinson had the distinction of being the first conductor, or guard, on this train. The English nobleman for whom Edward acted as footman owned a big block of stock in this new enterprise and he gave Edward this position because of the deep trust he had in him.



Edward used to like to tell of that first run and how they sprinkled sand on the rails to keep the cars from slipping when they got going so fast as 26 miles per hour. In the American Fork Cemetery on Edward Robinson's tombstone is carved a picture of the engine "The Rocket", under which is engraved "Edward Robinson, First railroad conductor on the World."

Edward Robinson by Jennie R. Greenwood

Edward Robinson
by Jennie R. Greenwood

My pioneer grandparents on my father's line were Edward Robinson, Sr. and Mary Smith Robinson. Grandfather was a very proud Englishman, born of a high class English family. In his pompous days he wore a long tailed coat, stove pipe hat, used a cane and pinched his feet. At the age of twelve he was placed out to service in a home of nobility. Here he served for many years and met a winsome lassie who was governess in this wealthy home. Because she was highly educated, she tutored the family's children, etc. Later it became Edward's lot to marry this Mary Smith.

Edward Robinson has dirty boots

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


Aftet joining the church, Edward  traveled to Utah 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.

On their arrival in Utah Edward was able to purchase a lot of land.  He 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."

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.

Edward Robinson joins the church

In 1840, the same year that Mormonism was first preached in England, Little William, who was one year old, became seriously ill, and Mary, a very religious woman with a great interest in this new religion, sent for the Mormon Missionaries. Brigham Young was then in Manchester and came to their home, anointed and laid his hands upon the sick child's head, and promised the parents that he should be made well and live to a ripe old age. William has been a living testimony of this healing, and always spoke of it with appreciative reverence. Soon after this, Edward also joined the church and he often let the missionaries ride free on the cars. He would say, "Sit still and say nothing." More than once he took them to his tailor and ordered a suit of clothes for them.

Edward Robinson, First Railroad conductor in the World

Edward Robinson, came into manhood at the beginning of the most inventive and 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 from Manchester to Liverpool. Several men in different parts of the world were experimenting with steam power, but the prize was awarded to George and Robert Stevenson of England, for their prize steam engine the "Rocket." A charter was granted and this engine made its initial run from Manchester to Liverpool in 15 SEP 1830, the same year as the organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. This date marked the beginning of great things. A new Era of science and religion.


Edward Robinson had the distinction of being the first conductor, or guard, on this train. The English nobleman for whom Edward acted as footman owned a big block of stock in this new enterprise and he gave Edward this position because of the deep trust he had in him.

Edward used to like to tell of that first run and how they sprinkled sand on the rails to keep the cars from slipping when they got going so fast as 26 miles per hour. In the American Fork Cemetery on Edward Robinson's tombstone is carved a picture of the engine "The Rocket", under which is engraved "Edward Robinson, First railroad conductor on the World."

From Wikipedia:
The Rocket was the most advanced steam engine of its day. It was built for the Rainhill Trials held by the Liverpool & Manchester Railway in 1829 to choose the best and most competent design. It set the standard for a hundred and fifty years of steam locomotive power. Though the Rocket was not the first steam locomotive, Rocket's claim to fame is that it was the first steam locomotive to bring together several innovations to produce the most advanced locomotive of its day, and the template for most steam locomotives since. In fact, the standard steam locomotive design is often called the "Stephensonian" locomotive.


Rocket used a multi-tubular boiler, which made for much more efficient and effective heat transfer between the exhaust gases and the water. Previous locomotive boilers consisted of a single pipe surrounded by water. Rocket had 25 copper tubes running the length of the boiler to carry the hot exhaust gases from the firebox. This was a significant development, as it greatly increased the amount of steam produced, and subsequent designs used increased numbers of boiler tubes. Rocket also used a blastpipe, feeding the exhaust steam from the cylinders into the base of the chimney so as to induce a partial vacuum and pull air through the fire. Credit for the invention of the blastpipe is disputed between Sir Goldsworthy Gurney and Timothy Hackworth. The blastpipe worked well on the multi-tube boiler of Rocket but on earlier designs with a single pipe through the boiler it created so much suction that it tended to rip the top off the fire and throw burning cinders out of the chimney, vastly increasing the fuel consumption.[1]

A closer viewRocket had two cylinders set at 35 degrees from the horizontal, with the pistons driving a pair of 4 ft 8 in (1.42 m) diameter wheels. Most previous designs had the cylinders positioned vertically, which gave the engines an uneven swaying motion as they progressed along the track. Subsequently Rocket was modified so that the cylinders were set horizontally, a layout used on nearly all designs that followed. The second pair of wheels was 2 ft 6 in (0.76 m) in diameter, and uncoupled from the driving wheels, giving an 0-2-2 wheel arrangement. The firebox was separate from the boiler and was double thickness, being surrounded with water. Copper pipes led the heated water into the boiler.[1]
A cutaway view of the cylinder and steam valve of the replica RocketThere have been differences in opinion on who should be given the credit for designing Rocket. George Stephenson had designed several locomotives before but none as advanced as Rocket. At the time that Rocket was being designed and built at the Forth Banks Works, he was living in Liverpool overseeing the building of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway. His son Robert had recently returned from a stint working in South America and resumed as managing director of Robert Stephenson and Company. He was in daily charge of designing and constructing the new locomotive. Although he was in frequent contact with his father in Liverpool and probably received advice from him, it is difficult not to give the majority of the credit for the design to Robert. A third person who deserves a significant amount of credit is Henry Booth, the treasurer of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway. He is believed to have suggested to Robert Stephenson that a multi-tube boiler should be used.[1]

The opening ceremony of the L&MR, on 15 September 1830, was a considerable event, drawing luminaries from the government and industry, including the Prime Minister, the Duke of Wellington. The day started with a procession of eight trains setting out from Liverpool. The parade was led by Northumbrian driven by George Stephenson, and included Phoenix driven by his son Robert, North Star driven by his brother Robert Sr. and Rocket driven by assistant engineer Joseph Locke. The day was marred by the death of William Huskisson, the Member of Parliament for Liverpool, who was struck and killed by Rocket at Parkside.[1]

In 1834, the engine was selected for modifications to test a newly-developed rotary steam engine designed by Lord Dundonald.[2] At a cost of nearly £80, Rocket's cylinders and driving rods were removed and two of the engines were installed directly on its driving axle with a feedwater pump in between. On October 22, of that year, an operational trial was held with disappointing results; one witness observing, that "the engine could not be made to draw a train of empty carriages". Due to inherent design flaws and engineering difficulties associated with their design, Dundonald's engines were simply too feeble for the task.[3]

After service on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, Rocket was used until 1840 on Lord Carlisle's Railway around the villages of Tindale and Kirkhouse, east of Brampton in Cumberland (now Cumbria), England.[4][5]

In 1862 Rocket was donated to the Patent Office Museum in London by the Thompsons of Milton Hall, near Brampton.[6]

The locomotive still exists, in the Science Museum (London), in much modified form compared to its state at the Rainhill Trials. The cylinders were altered to the horizontal position, compared to the angled arrangement as new, and the locomotive was given a proper smokebox. Such are the changes in the engine from 1829 that The Engineer magazine, circa 1884, concluded that "it seems to us indisputable that the Rocket of 1829 and 1830 were totally different engines".

Edward Robinson biography by Myrtle Robinson Seastrand

BIOGRAPHY OF EDWARD ROBINSON

Written by his granddaughter, Myrtle Robinson Seastrand of Camp Adams of Daughters of Utah Pioneers of Utah County, American Fork, Utah

Edward Robinson was born 16 OCT 1807, died 18 APR 1896

Edward Robinson's life on earth covered a period of nearly ninety years. Most of this sketch was given direct to me, Myrtle Robinson Seastrand, by his son, William Smith Robinson, seventh child of Edward.

Edward Robinson was the son of Joseph Robinson of Little, Sutton, England and was born in Cheshire, England 16 OCT 1807. We know at this time in English History that the children of the middle class had very little chance of attending school, as there were not free public schools and only the wealthy could employ private tutors or send their children to pay schools. Then too, children had to help earn a few pence per day to help out the father's scanty income of a few schillings a week.

Edward Robinson Memorial

Edward Robinson headstone

Edward Robinson