Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Robinson, John (d.1598)

684858Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Volume 49 — Robinson, John (d.1598)1897William Holden Hutton

ROBINSON, JOHN (d. 1598), president of St. John's College, Oxford, was matriculated as sizar of Pembroke Hall, Cambridge, May 1550, from Richmondshire. He graduated B.A. in January 1553–4, was elected fellow of his hall, 1554, and proceeded M.A. 1557. He was recommended by the master of Trinity, Robert Beaumont (d. 1567) [q. v.], to Cecil, with Matthew Hutton, as a fit person to be made master of Pembroke Hall, but Hutton was chosen. On 19 May 1563 he was incorporated at Oxford. He was nominated by Sir Thomas White, the founder, to be president of St. John's College, Oxford, on the resignation of William Stocke, and was elected by the fellows, 4 Sept. 1564. He resigned 10 July 1572. He supplicated for the degree of B.D. 22 March 1566–7, and was made D.D. at Cambridge, 11 June 1583.

Robinson was a popular preacher, and held many preferments. He was rector of East Treswell, Nottinghamshire, 1556; of Fulbeck, Lincolnshire, 1560; of Thornton, Yorkshire, 1560; of Great Easton, Essex, 1566–76; of Kingston Bagpuze, Berkshire, 1568; of Brant Broughton, Lincolnshire, 1575; of Fishtoft, Lincolnshire, 1576; of Caistor, Lincolnshire, 1576; of Gransden, Cambridgeshire, 1587, and of Somersham, Huntingdonshire, 1589.

On 3 Aug. 1572 he was installed precentor of Lincoln Cathedral. On 14 July 1573 he was collated to the prebend of Welton Beckhall, in which he was installed 7 Sept. He resigned this prebend on being collated to the prebend of Caistor (installed 9 Oct. 1574); and in 1581 he became prebendary of Leicester St. Margaret (collated 29 March, installed 9 July). On 31 May 1584 he was installed archdeacon of Bedford, and in 1580 he held the archdeaconry of Lincoln. In 1584, during the vacancy of the see of Lincoln, he was appointed commissary to exercise episcopal jurisdiction in the diocese, by Whitgift, archbishop of Canterbury. In 1594 he received a canonry of Gloucester. He died in March 1597–8, and was buried at Somersham, Huntingdonshire. John Robinson [q. v.], pastor of the pilgrim fathers, has been very doubtfully claimed as his son.

[St. John's College MSS.; Rawlinson MSS.; Cooper's Alumni Cantabrigienses, ii. 235; Wood's Athenæ Oxon. and Fasti; Registrum Academ, Cantabrig.; Foster's Alumni Oxon.; Register of University of Oxford, ed. Boase (Oxford Historical Society); Le Neve's Fasti; Wilson's History of Merchant Taylors' School; Willis's Cathedrals.]

W. H. H.

Dictionary of National Biography, Errata (1904), p.237
N.B.— f.e. stands for from end and l.l. for last line

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18 i 2 f.e. Robinson, John (d. 1598): for 1586 read 1580