Peter Robinson (1785-1838) was a politician, a businessman, and was involved in the movement of Irish emigrants to Upper Canada, for which the town of Peterborough was named after him.
He was born in New Brunswick and moved to Upper Canada with his family in 1792 as the eldest son of Christopher Robinson (an officer of the Queen's Rangers) and Esther Sayre (daughter of Rev. John Sayre). He had two brothers and two sisters. The family settled first at Kingston in 1792 and then York in 1798.
At the beginning of the War of 1812, Robinson raised a rifle company attached to the 1st York Militia. It was present at the capture of Detroit in August, 1812. Captain Robinson was also at York when the town surrendered to the Americans on April 27, 1813 and was taken prisoner. [1]
He commanded the rifle company in 1812. A number of the 1812 and later payrolls have not survived. [2]
From Oct. 25, 1812 to Jan. 24, 1813, he commanded his company. [3]
From Apr. 10 to 24, 1813, he commanded his company. [4]
On July 28, 1814, Col. Robert McDouall wrote that his letter to Lieut. Gen. Drummond was being carried from Michilimackinac by Mr. Robinson of York who was also escorting an American prisoner who had been recently captured. Messages for Mr. Robinson could be left at M. Bemens on Young St. The Battle of Mackinac Island took place on July 26, 1814. [5]
Following the war, he was elected in 1817 as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada for the east riding of York.
On Jan. 22, 1822, Peter Robinson, an M.P. of Whitchurch Twp. and a former captain of the rifle company of the 1st York Militia, received 800 acres on Con. 3, Innisfil Twp., Simcoe County. [6]
Peter was a business man. He helped found 'New Market' Ontario as a trading post with the Native Peoples. He was in business in York (Toronto) and Holland Landing with brother in law D'Arcy Boulton, his step father Elisha Beman, and later with his brother William. Peter made a lot of money in these enterprises and used it to buy up land nearby.
In the early 1820s, extreme poverty in Ireland led Robert Wilmot Horton to devise a plan of state-assisted emigration from various areas in Ireland. The task of supervising this plan was given to Peter Robinson. In 1823, approximately six hundred emigrants were given free transportation and supplies, and were settled in the townships of Ramsay, Huntley, Pakenham, and Goulbourn in the Bathurst district of Upper Canada. In 1825, Robinson helped organize a second emigration, and in May of that year, nine ships sailed from Cork, Ireland, carrying 2024 emigrants, 710 of whom were adults, and 1314 were children. The emigrants were landed at Quebec and taken by ship from there to Montreal and then on to Prescott and Kingston by bateaux. By September, most of the emigrants were in Cobourg, and Robinson proceeded to improve the trail to Rice Lake and to construct a large scow which carried the settlers and their effects up the Ottonabee to Scott's Plains (later named Peterborough in honour of Peter Robinson). Five buildings, the largest known as Government House, were constructed, while temporary shelters of various types housed the emigrants. Most of the settlers were located by lots by the end of 1825 and a total of 1878 people were settled around Scott's Plains, which included the townships of Emily, Douro, Ennismore, Ottonabee, Asphodel, Smith, Ops, and Marmora. One hundred acres of land were granted to each family, and Robinson had simple log cabins built on these lots. The emigrants were also given rations which were continued until November of 1826. The settlement proved costly for the government and it was not repeated.
In 1827, Robinson was appointed Commissioner of Crown Lands and Surveyor of Woods and Forests, positions he held until 1836. He also held a seat in the Executive Council of Upper Canada from 1827 to 1836, and in the Legislative Council of Upper Canada from 1829 to 1838.
Peter had neglected his businesses during the Irish resettlement years, and reportedly was a bad record keeper, and he ran up considerable debt by the time he died. His brother John stepped in and helped to discharge Peter's debt partly with his own money, repaying Peter for previous generosity to him, and by selling some of Peter's land holdings.
Although generally thought to be unmarried, Peter left arrangements for two children in his will. "The late Whitchurch historian Marjorie Richardson said she found evidence the family tried to suppress fact that Peter married a North American First Nations woman".[1]. "When Colonel (George) Head stayed with Peter Robinson he remarked that his host was an agent of the North West Company. Then in February while overseeing the building of military facilities on Kempenfeldt Bay, at Willow Creek and on the Nottawasaga River, he noted the presence of North West Company traders on the Portage. ... On June 4, according to his diary, he met "two very pretty Indian Damsels" but to his disappointment he discovered that "they were living under the protection of one of the gentlemen of the North West Company". This incident would suggest that a company agent, quite possibly Peter Robinson who was described as of a roving disposition, was well established at Holland Landing.'[2]. Whomever their mothers were, correspondence shows that the family embraced Frederick and Isabella after Peter's death.
He died in Toronto in 1838. The 28 Jul 1838 edition of the New Brunswick Courier reported: "d. Toronto, Upper Canada, 8th inst., age 54, Hon. Peter Robinson, Member of Legislative Council and former Commissioner of Crown Lands. (see original)" [7]Peter may be buried at the Pioneer Burying Ground (now Eagle St Cemetery) Newmarket Ontario, where his mother, one sister and his stepfather are also buried.
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Peter is 21 degrees from Herbert Adair, 17 degrees from Richard Adams, 18 degrees from Mel Blanc, 21 degrees from Dick Bruna, 18 degrees from Bunny DeBarge, 30 degrees from Peter Dinklage, 19 degrees from Sam Edwards, 16 degrees from Ginnifer Goodwin, 17 degrees from Marty Krofft, 16 degrees from Junius Matthews, 11 degrees from Rachel Mellon and 18 degrees from Harold Warstler on our single family tree. Login to find your connection.
Please email me, if you have questions about this war and other veterans and their families.
Correction: Although biographies had Peter at the defence of Fort Michimillimackinac in 1813 there was no battle there in 1813! I have corresponded with the fort and their documents had him there on July 28, 1814 and the battle was on the 26th. It was not known how long he was stationed there but was leaving after the 28th.
I have a copy of the Militia Land Grant Register if you want to discover what became of this land.