John Robinson, Jr. was a politician and landowner in the British colony of Virginia. Robinson served as Speaker of the House of Burgesses from 1738 until his death, the longest tenure in the history of that office.

Career

While John Robinson was speaker of the House the Virginia Resolves

Virginia Resolves

The Virginia Resolves were a series of resolutions passed by the Virginia General Assembly in response to the Stamp Act of 1765. The Stamp Act had been passed by the British Parliament to help pay off some of its debt from its various wars, including the French and Indian War fought in part to...

 occurred. John Robinson was the person who shouted, "Treason!, Treason!" after Patrick Henry

Patrick Henry

Patrick Henry was an orator and politician who led the movement for independence in Virginia in the 1770s. A Founding Father, he served as the first and sixth post-colonial Governor of Virginia from 1776 to 1779 and subsequently, from 1784 to 1786...

's speech.

Robinson also served as treasurer of the colony from 1738 until his death. After his death it was discovered that he had made personal loans exceeding 100,000 pounds from the treasury to his friends. The resulting scandal

John Robinson estate scandal

The John Robinson estate scandal was a major financial scandal in Colonial Virginia. After the 1766 death of John Robinson, the prestigious Virginia legislator who served as both Speaker of the House of Burgesses and colonial treasurer, Robinson's protege Edmund Pendleton was shocked to discover...

 was a factor in Virginia politics for years; Robinson's estate was not settled until after the end of the American Revolution

American Revolution

The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...

.

Robinson's father was also named John Robinson (died 1759). Settling in 1670, the Robinson family was one of the first families of Virginia

First Families of Virginia

First Families of Virginia were those families in Colonial Virginia who were socially prominent and wealthy, but not necessarily the earliest settlers. They originated with colonists from England who primarily settled at Jamestown, Williamsburg, and along the James River and other navigable waters...

.

Positions Held in the Virginia Colony

• Delegate, Virginia House of Burgesses, 1736–1738

• Speaker of Virginia House of Burgesses, 1738–1766

• Treasurer, Virginia Colony, 1738–1766

External links

• Bio - a little information on John Robinson.