Thomas Romney Robinson

Thomas Romney Robinson, born on 23rd April 1793, was the son of Thomas Robinson, a portrait painter from England who set up in business in Dublin about 1790. Romney was a precocious child and at the age of 12 had a volume of his poems published. He entered Trinity College Dublin in 1806 and was made a Fellow in 1814. He assisted Professor Bartholomew Lloyd and wrote a textbook on mechanics in 1820.

In 1821 Robinson relinquished his fellowship, married, took holy orders and was appointed rector of Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh. In 1823 he was appointed Director of Armagh Observatory and, with the support of the Church of Ireland Primate, Lord Beresford, he commissioned several new instruments and undertook an extensive observing programme. He was a staunch supporter of Thomas Grubb who with his son Howard established a telescope-making firm of international renown in Dublin. He was also closely associated with the astronomical work carried out by at Birr by William Parsons, third Earl of Rosse.

Robinson’s observing programme resulted in the publication in 1859 of a catalogue of 5345 star positions, for which he was awarded the Royal Medal of the Royal Society. He was elected FRS in 1856.