John Beverley Robinson was born on February 21, 1820, the second son of Sir John Beverley Robinson, baronet and Chief Justice of Upper Canada, and Emma Walker. He was married to Mary Jane Hagerman on June 30, 1847 and together they had three sons and two daughters, John Beverley, Napier, Christopher, Minnie (Mrs. Forsyth Grant) and Augusta Beverley (Mrs. Stewart Houston).

After attending Upper Canada College between 1830 and 1836, Robinson became an aide-de-camp to Sir Francis Bond Head during the Rebellion. In 1837, he volunteered to carry despatches by stagecoach to the British Ambassador in Washington. Upon returning to Canada weeks later, Robinson joined Col. Hill’s regiment at Sandwich (now part of Windsor), was made Lieutenant and served for about a year. During the years that followed Robinson articled with Christopher Alexander Hagerman, whose daughter he married, and later with the firm of Strachan & Cameron working with James McGill Strachan and John Hillyard Cameron until he was called to the bar in 1844 and began to practice at Toronto.

Sir John Beverley Robinson

Sir Francis Bond Head

Robinson was involved in the building of the Northern Railroad and also helped raise money to build Guelph and Toronto roads. In 1851, 1853-54, and 1856-57, Robinson was an Alderman for St. Patrick's Ward, and in 1856 served as Mayor of Toronto. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly in 1858. By 1860, as solicitor for the Canada Agency Association, he had successfully negotiated the sale of 439,000 acres in Haliburton County, almost three times the total sales for all other Crown Land sales for 1860 combined. The next year he became President of the Northern Railway and for a few months in 1862 he was President of the Executive Council in the Conservative government of the Cartier-Macdonald administration. He was returned to Parliament for Algoma in 1872 and in 1878 was elected by a large majority to represent West Toronto, a position he held until he was appointed Lieutenant-Governor in 1880. During the period from 1864-1880 Robinson also served as City Solicitor for Toronto.

Robinson served as Lieutenant-Governor for Ontario from 1880-1887. He retired in 1887 to his Toronto home, Sleepy Hollow. On June 19, 1896 Robinson was invited to speak to a hostile group of Liberals at Massey Music Hall, where he suffered a sudden stroke and died before giving his speech.

Old Sleepy Hollow Cottage

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Browse Transcript of a Biographical Sketch of John Beverley Robinson likely written by a family member. Written prior to Robinson's death.

• Born second son to Sir John Beverley Robinson and Emma Walker

• City Solicitor for Toronto