The Will of Charles Robinson senior

The purchaser of  the Morning Advertiser newspaper of 1794, and indeed the Trafalgar newspaper of 1805 was most likely the father of Charles John Robinson, Charles Robinson senior, mariner of Farmer Street, Shadwell, and husband, very possibly, of Mary Powell.

It is a shame that more cannot be unearthed about him that might categorically prove why his family kept these two particular newspapers.

There is however an extant will dated 31st December, 1807  for a Charles Robinson of Ratcliffe Highway, off which Farmer Street branched. The will was made 'considering the perils and dangers of the seas and other dangers of this transitory life' and in the will Charles simply left all his worldly goods and possessions to his beloved wife, Mary. The will was proved just a few days later, meaning that Charles must have composed it on his death bed, and it comes accompanied by a corroborating statement from an acquaintance referring to Charles as a master mariner and owner of a merchant ship. The excerpt below appears to name the ship concerned, in the third line, should anyone be able to make it out:

  
If this should be the father of Charles John Robinson, he was then a man with enough means to have become owner of his own ship, and enough expertise to captain it, and therefore quite credibly related to other Robinson mariners in the Royal Navy.