History of the Robin family in Jersey

History of the
Robin family

Charles Robin

From The Islander (1930s) by Charles Langton

The Robins have been tenants of land in Jersey since 1274. It seems probable that they originally came to the Channel Islands from France where there were armigerous families of the name.

Robin of Poitou, Bretagne and later of Nantes

Descendants of Pierre Robin, a member of one of the most ancient families of Poitou, who founded the Chapel of St Jean d’Herisson in 1360. Their heraldic arms were three silver spearheads.

Robin of Coulogne, Bretagne and later of Anjou and Tremblaye

Originally of Liege, according to the arms, quoted by Moreri. Blazonned by Rietstop, which were two silver key in saltire between four escallops.

Holy Land

It had been stated that the founder of the French families of Robin was Guy Robin, who accompanied Philip Augustus to the Holy Land and was buried at Vienne-en-Dauphine in 1223, in a costly tomb and Chesnaye des Bois asserts that the family had lived in Rome since the 10th century. As no authority is quoted in either case, the remarks should not be taken as authentic but only interesting from a traditional standpoint.

Cumulative evidence proves the existence of Robin of Brittany and that, in the Angevin era they migrated to other parts of France. It seems highly probable that one or more crossed to the Channel Islands at approximately the same period. An ancient seal in possession of the late Mr John Robin, and a painting of the arms of Councillor John Robin of the Parliament of Paris, 11 May 1618, both exhibit a chevron between three thistles, or gillyflowers. They are also shown by the sculptured arms on the south wing of the General Hospital, St Helier, and on a tomb in St Brelade’s dated 1821.

Although the Jersey branch have thus traditionally accepted a theory of descent from Robin of Paris there does not seem to be any established genealogical evidence to substantiate it. Heraldry in the Channel Islands never had any official supervision and, in consdquence, was adopted promiscuously with all kinds of incongrous results, until the latter part of the 19th century it was in such an appalling muddle that heraldry cannot be taken as any value to assist genealogy. Misrepresentation and careless reprodcution are only among the lesser evils that existed. Gillyflowers and thistles, for example, are erroneously shown as legitimate alternatives, and so it is quite in the bounds of possibility that the original artist of 1618 corrupted the spearheads of Poitou into the gillyflowers of Paris.

A certain Robert Robin held an acre of land in Grouville according to the Extente of 1274 and by 1331 they were to be found in St Peter, Grouville, St Lawrence and St Brelade.

Surviving branches

By the beginning of the 16th century the surviving branches were domiciled in St Peter and St Ouen and to the latter branch belonged Balthasar Robin of Coutances, France, who took orders on 11 September 1508, and Benoist Robin, appointed Rector of St Ouen on 9 June 1554. A deed of 1614 mentions that the houses of Raulin Robin and Jean son of Guillaume Robin, his cousin, were situated close to one another on the Fief des Nobretz, St Peter. A public road passed between them and a colombier existed on Raulin’s property.

As these colombiers were regarded as a very important sign of seigneurial dignity it seems strange that one should have been allowed in this case, and, moreover, that the individual right should have been upheld, not only by the Royal Court, but also by the Privy Council. In 1687 Raulin Robin, grandson of Raulin the elder, actually brought an action against the Seigneur of the Fief des Nobretz, endeavouring to restrain him from enlarging his own Colombier as being prejudicial to Robin’s interests, and was apparently successful. Anyway in 1713 when the Seigneur Henry de Carteret returned to the fray by trying to stop Robin from doing the same thing, he lost the day, after appeal to the Privy Council and was condemned to pay Robin costs.

On 8 December 1674 Raulin Robin obtained permission from the Royal Court to erect a house in the garden of Hamptonne on the site of an old building fallen in decay. This house is probably the one which, after having been inhabited by several descendants, was inherited, rebuilt and enlarged by Sir John Dumaresq, Lieut-Bailiff, and became the property of the late Sir William Henry Venables Vernon, Bailiff.

Raulin Robin jnr

Raulin Robin junior, sworn advocate in 1686 at the age of 18, was elected Constable of St Peter, 1689, Jurat, 1700, and subsequently became Lieut-Bailiff. He acquired the Fief d’Orville and du Prieur, 1698, Surville, 1711, and was jure uxoris Seigneur of Fief a l’Eveque d’Avranches, with house and lands of Handois.

If you wander up the High Street, St Aubin, from the Harbour end you will find in the lane on the left a square stone dated 1715 over the doorway of Ty Anna, which was erected by Raulin Robin, Lieut-Bailiff, and Marie de Carteret. Of his two sons, who settled in St Aubin, Philip the younger, died at a comparatively early age in 1754, leaving three sons. Philip, the eldest, became Constable of St Brelade and Jurat and one of his issue migrated to England to found the family of Robin of Cheshire.

Charles Robin

Charles Robin voyaged to Canada, after its cession to England in 1763, to investigate rumours concerning the colossal fortunes made in St Malo from the fishing industry. Returning from the survey in 1766 he set out again with his brother John in the Recovery (118 tons) and established stations at Paspebiac and Arichat in the Baie des Chaleurs. He returned to Jersey in 1802 and died, at an advanced age, 1824. By his will he made large benefactions to the General Hospital, which permitted the erection of the South Wing. The Robin arms will be found sculpptured there as a mark of acknowledgement and appreciation.

James Robin, the third son of the Constable of St Brelade, returned to Jersey after many years in Canada and acquired Petit Menage, Bagot, in 1826, the fief Petit Rozel St Saviour 1827, and the fief Grainville in 1830. On these fiefs stood the property formerly called Belmont, and now Government House. The Lieut-Governor Major General Halkett acquired it on behalf of the King in 1822, but as George IV died without male issue, Robin as Seigneur brought an action claiming his rights of succession dues. The case naturally caused an uneasy fluttering in the legal dovecots owing to the high position of the Defendant, but Robin stuck to his guns and, after appeal to the Privy Council, was successful in obtaining a very substantial indemnity in 1837.

The senior branch in Jersey is now represented by Lieut Raoul Charles Robin, who is also heir to the Fief de Rozel. His mother being Mrs Christopher Riley of Trinity Manor, and Dame de Rozel.