Kentucky: A History of the State, Perrin, Battle, Kniffin, 8th ed., 1888,
Jefferson Co.

RICHARD ALEXANDER ROBINSON, eldest son of Lyles Robert and Catherine
(Worthington) Robinson, was born on his father's farm, called "Spring Hill"
near Winchester, Frederick County, Va., October 23, 1817.  His father was
a native of the same county, and was born in 1790, and was the eldest child
of Alexander and Priscilla Robinson, of Baltimore, Md.  Alexander Robinson
was a successful merchant of Baltimore, and lived to the advanced age of
ninety-five years.  His wife died soon after the birth of her son Lyles,
leaving him to the care of her mother's sister, Mrs. Archibald Magill, of
Winchester, where he remained during his boyhood, and then resided in
Baltimore with his father, where he acquired a mercantile education.  In
November, 1813, he married Catherine W., the daughter of Dr. Richard and
Achsan W. Goldsborough, of Cambridge, Md., and soon after settled on his
farm at Winchester, where he continued to reside until his death, September
21, 1834.  His wife died December 10, 1828.  She was a devoted Christian,
an active member of the Episcopal Church, and exerted a marked influence
on her family and friends.  Her children, who were old enough, were early
impressed with the importance of their religious duties, and were regular
attendants of the Sunday-school and the church.  The subject of this
sketch received the advantage of an English education, mainly at the
Winchester Academy, a school of some note in that region.  But having
expressed a desire to become a merchant at the early age of fourteen (in
March, 1832), his father obtained for him a situation with Baker Tapscott,
a leading merchant of Shepherdstown, Va., in an adjoining county.  In this
establishment he formed the basis of a business education which proved of
great value to him in his subsequent career.  The death of his father (in
1834) had caused the dispersion of his brothers and sisters among their
relations in Maryland and Virginia.  The eldest brother especially felt
the responsibility of his position, which resulted in the determination to
seek some favorable point in the West as a rallying point for the family,
in the hope that they all might again be reunited.  With this object in
view he began, soon after his father's death, by more diligent application
to business, to prepare himself for a larger field of labor.  After careful
observation he selected Louisville as the most eligible point.  He had
several friends in Louisville, from Virginia.  In March, 1837, he arrived
in Louisville, and succeeded through the aid of Mr. Lee in securing a
position as bookkeeper in a wholesale grocery house, which he retained for
about twelve months, the house in which he was employed being forced into
liquidation by the severe panic of 1837.  He then obtained a position as
bookkeeper with Casseday & Ranney, which he retained for a period of three
years, until January, 1841, then resigned to embark in business on his own
account.  In the meantime he had succeeded in obtaining situations for his
brothers, Goldsborough and Archibald Magill, and formed a partnership with
them and his friend Arthur Lee under the firm name of Robinson, Lee & Co.,
and engaged in a small retail dry goods business on Market street.  In
August, 1841, Mr. Lee died, which was felt to be as great an affliction as
the loss of a brother.  He left a bright example of Christian character,
and had endeared himself to a large circle of friends.  He was the grandson
of Richard Henry Lee, and a grand-nephew of Francis Lightfoot and Arthur
Lee of Revolutionary fame.  After the death of Mr. Lee the firm was
Robinson & Brothers.  Of the five brothers who moved to this city,
Goldsborough died in August, 1844, from the effects of a railroad accident
near Baltimore, Md., and William Meade died in November, 1858.  Archibald
M. is now at the head of a large cotton and flour-mill at Grahmton, Ky.,
and John M. at the head of the large dry goods house of J. M. Robinson &
Co.  In June, 1842, Mr. Robinson married Miss Eliza D., daughter of William
F. and Mary S. Pettet, of this city.  Mr. Pettet was a prominent citizen
and successful merchant.  Soon after his marriage Mr. Robinson had the
satisfaction to see all the living members of the family reunited in the
same city, with the single exception of his eldest sister, who had married
and settled in Maryland.  The hopes of his youth and the efforts of his
early manhood were thus happily realized.  In 1842 he retired from the dry
goods firm, transferring his interest to his brothers, and engaged in the
retail drug business on Market street with James, George and Arthur Peter.
In 1846 he removed to Main street and engaged in the wholesale drug
business which was successful, and resulted in the establishment, in 1855,
of the present house of R. A. Robinson & Co., one of the largest in that
branch of business in the Southwest.  With the view of giving his sons
ample scope for their talents and energies, in 1878, he established the
wholesale hardware house of Robinson Brothers & Co., which has been
remarkably successful.  More recently he established a joint stock company,
capital $200,000 for the manufacturer of woolen goods, styled the
Louisville, Kentucky Woolen Mills.  With characteristic prudence Mr.
Robinson has thus provided for his sons, all of whom have won the entire
confidence of the community, and are treading closely in the footsteps of
their honored father.  By precept and example he has made them what they
are.  During the various monetary panics which have occurred within the
last fifty years he has never failed to meet every obligation promptly,
and during the disasters of the late civil war, when he losses in the South
were very heavy, every obligation was paid in full.  It is needless to say
that Mr. Robinson's success has been the result of his indefatigable
industry, prudent economy, sound judgment and strict business principles.
He has always declined political office, as being incompatible with his
other duties.  He has, however, held various public trusts, the duties of
which have always been faithfully discharged.  He was one of the directors
of the Louisville & Nashville Railroad Company for six years; of the
Elizabethtown & Paducah Railroad for five years, and of the Louisville
Bridge Company from its incipiency until its completion.  He was for some
years a director and vice-president of the Falls City Bank, but was
compelled to retire from these trusts by the pressure of his other duties.
He has been a member of St. Paul's Episcopal Church since its establishment
in in 1839, filling the various positions of Sunday-school teacher, vestry
man, and warden the greater part of the time. He has frequently represented
that parish in the diocesan council, and for three sessions represented in
part the diocese of Kentucky in the general conventions of the church.  It
is strictly true to say of him that no man has been more liberal in the
support of the church and all its charities, or has responded more promptly
or liberally to the calls upon him for the promotion of the general
interests of the community.  He is modest and unassuming in his intercourse
with his fellow-men, charitable in his judgment of others, and true to his
own convictions of right and duty.  In his life and conduct he exemplifies
the highest type of the Christian gentleman.  It is not strange that his
character should have been fully appreciated by an intelligent community.
That character was fully understood by the representative business men of
Louisville.  The Board of Trade, in which every business is represented and
the high qualities of the merchant are understood and recognized, by a
unanimous vote, bestowed upon him the high distinction of honorary life
member of that organization. This was the first time that this honor was
conferred on any citizen of Louisville.  It was unsought and was
voluntarily bestowed by those who knew how to appreciate his exalted worth.

Robinson Worthington Magill Goldsborough Tapscott Lee Pettet
Lightfoot Peter
=
Frederick-VA MD

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