Sir William Robinson
PC(I) (May 1644 – October 1712) was a
British
architect,
military engineer and
politician. He held several posts in the
Dublin Castle administration, including as
Surveyor General of Ireland from 1671 until 1700. He was an influential figure in the development of
classical architecture in Ireland, designing many buildings in the
English Baroque-style, particularly in
Dublin.
[1]
[2]
[3]
Biography
Robinson was born in
Yorkshire, England, the son of Walter Robinson. He was baptised on 18 May 1644. He likely trained in architecture in England and arrived in Ireland in around 1670.
On 7 February 1671 Robinson was appointed Surveyor General of Ireland by
John Berkeley in his first year of office as
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, holding the post alongside that of engineer general and being appointed master of the ordnance soon after. By 1675, he had overseen numerous constructions and repairs in Dublin, including
Chapelizod House and
Dublin Castle. From 1677 he designed and was involved in the construction of
Charles Fort in County Cork, and at the end of 1678 he drew up a report on the condition of Irish fortifications. Other projects included the construction of
Essex Bridge in Dublin and the reconstruction of
Lismore Cathedral, County Waterford. His patent as surveyor general was renewed on 10 April 1679, with his salary doubled to £300 on the recommendation of
James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormond.
[1]
In the 1680s, Robinson designed the
Royal Hospital Kilmainham under the direction of Ormond, inspired by
Les Invalides in Paris. The Royal Hospital is now regarded as Robinson's finest architectural achievement; for some time its design was erroneously attributed to
Sir Christopher Wren.
[4] In 1682 Robinson oversaw the construction of
Ormond Bridge in Dublin. In 1684 he was appointed auditor and registrar of the Royal Hospital. On 31 October 1684 his patent as surveyor general was renewed again, although this time he shared the appointment with
William Molyneux, who paid Robinson £250 in return for a half-share of the patent. In 1686 Robsinson undertook the reconstruction of
St. Michan's Church, Dublin.
[1]
After
Richard Talbot, 1st Earl of Tyrconnell was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in 1687, Robinson left the country for England. He returned to Ireland in 1689 during the
Williamite War in Ireland, during which time he held several posts in the
Williamite army, including comptroller general of provisions and commissary general of pay and provisions. He was made a commissioner for forfeited estates in 1690 and resumed his post as surveyor general. In 1692, he was appointed deputy paymaster general of the forces in Ireland. In March 1692 he was made a
justice of the peace for
Westminster and
Middlesex. In August 1692 Robinson, as deputy vice-treasurer of Ireland, travelled to
London and secured an emergency loan of £30,000 for the
Irish exchequer.
[1]
Robinson was elected to the
Irish House of Commons as a
Member of Parliament for
Knocktopher in 1692.
[5] In 1693, he became commissioner for stating the accounts of the army. That same year his portrait was painted by
Godfrey Kneller.
[6] In 1695, he was elected to sit for
Wicklow.
[5] In parliament he served on numerous committees. He rebuilt the old
Four Courts on
St. Michael's Hill in 1695. He was a signatory of the
Association of 1696. After 1697, he became one of the commissioners for the Ormond estates, and was also appointed governor of the Royal Hospital, Kilmainham. He resigned as surveyor general on health grounds in April 1700; he was replaced by
Thomas de Burgh.
[1]
On 19 June 1702, Robinson was
knighted and he was appointed to the
Privy Council of Ireland the same year. His final major architectural work came in 1703, when he designed
Marsh's Library.
[6] In 1703, he was elected as the MP for
Dublin University.
[5] In April and June of that year, he purchased forfeited former
Jacobite lands in
County Carlow and
County Louth. In October 1703 he was accused of fraud in parliament after allegedly misrepresenting the extent of the public debt, causing a major financial scandal. On 16 October 1703 he narrowly avoided expulsion from parliament; a subsequent resolution stated his unfitness for public employment. He was briefly imprisoned in Dublin Castle, but was released on 27 November after the matter was investigated. In 1706 he left Ireland and returned to England amidst allegations of defrauding the army's clothing accounts and extorting its suppliers; in 1709 he was found to have defrauded other moneys intended for maintenance purposes.
[1]
On 18 January 1677, Robinson had married Margery Tooke (d.1708) of
Hertfordshire. Robinson, who had no children, died in October 1712, and was buried in
St Martin-in-the-Fields, London. He owned residences in Carlow, Dublin,
Lancashire, and
Surrey, and at the time of his death was reputedly worth in excess of £50,000.
[1]
List of works by William Robinson
Gallery of major works
Gallery of Robinson's major works in Ireland
References
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