Biography

Matthew Edward Robinson (1850 - 1928) was born in Northallerton, Yorkshire, England, on 30^th January 1850. As a small boy he journeyed with his parents to New Zealand. There he received his education and was taken into the firm of Messrs Clarke & Co., softgoods warehousemen, who operated from several centres.

In 1871, Matthew moved to Victoria to the firm of Dodgshum, Sons & Co., warehousemen of Flinders Street, Melbourne. Six years later in 1877 he was sent to the firm's Launceston branch, operating under the name of James Dodgshum & Sons.

Some years later Matthew began his own business as a wholesale merchant, trading under the name of M. E. Robinson & Co. of Paterson Street. In the 1920s he expanded the business to manufacturers' agencies.

He married Mary McEwan Liddle, daughter of John Liddle. She came to Tasmania with her parents while still a child and the family first settled at Forth. Mary was born on 19^th May 1855 at Alva, central Scotland. Matthew and Mary had four children. The family lived in Elphin Road and attended St. John's Church.

Matthew was superintendent of the Sunday School for many years. From 1889 to 1893 he was a churchwarden and for several years was a lay preacher. In 1889 he was appointed a magistrate. In his early days he was a member of several choral societies in town and was a foundation member of the Commercial Travellers' Association and served on its committee and was president in 1918. For three years from 1914 he was an alderman of the city and from 1903 to 1906 was the Member of the House of Assembly for West Launceston.

Mary was an original member of the National Council of Women, the Queen Victoria Hospital Committee and the Victoria League. She was also secretary of the Hospital Committee for a number of years.

Matthew died on 16^th February 1928 and Mary died on 25^th May 1930. In their memory a plaque of opus sectile mosaic was erected in St. John's Church. The inscription reads:
TO THE GLORY OF GOD
AND IN MEMORY OF
MATTHEW EDWARD AND MARY McEWAN ROBINSON
ENEROUS CONTRIBUTORS
TO THE EXTENSION OF THIS CHURCH.

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