John Alexander Robinson was a Scottish

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

-born educator, journalist and political figure in Newfoundland. He represented Trinity Bay

Trinity Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador

Trinity Bay is a large bay on the northeastern coast of Newfoundland in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador.Major fishing communities include Trinity and Heart's Content.-Industry:...

 in the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly

Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly

The Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly is one of two components of the General Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador, the other being the Lieutenant-Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador. The Newfoundland and Labrador General Assembly meets in the Confederation Building at St...

 from 1898 to 1900.

He was born in Glasgow

Glasgow

Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...

 and came to Newfoundland in 1882. For a time, Robinson was a grammar school principal in Carbonear

Carbonear, Newfoundland and Labrador

Carbonear is a town on the Avalon Peninsula in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. As of 2006, there are 4,723 people living in Carbonear, down from 4,759 in 2001.-History:...

. He founded the Newfoundland Teachers' Association and served as its president. Robinson was founder and editor of the St. John's Daily News. He served in the Legislative Council of Newfoundland

Legislative Council of Newfoundland

The Legislative Council of Newfoundland was established in 1854 when the British Government granted a new constitution to Newfoundland establishing an Executive Council of not more than seven members of the majority party and a Legislative Council of not more than 15 members upon nomination of the...

 from 1897 to 1898, from 1909 to 1919 and from 1926 to 1929. He was a member of the Executive Council serving as colonial secretary

Chief Secretary

The Chief Secretary is the title of a senior civil servant in members of the Commonwealth of Nations, and, historically, in the British Empire. Prior to the dissolution of the colonies, the Chief Secretary was the second most important official in a colony of the British Empire after the...

 from 1898 to 1900, as Minister of Posts and Telegraphs from 1916 to 1919 and as a minister without portfolio

Minister without Portfolio

A minister without portfolio is either a government minister with no specific responsibilities or a minister that does not head a particular ministry...

 in 1924 and 1928. Robinson was defeated when he ran for election to the Newfoundland assembly in 1900, 1904 and 1908 running as a Conservative and then as a member of the Newfoundland People's Party

Newfoundland People's Party

The Newfoundland People's Party was a political party in the Dominion of Newfoundland before it joined Canada.The party was created by Attorney-General Edward Patrick Morris in 1907, when he split from the ruling Liberal Party to found his own political vehicle...

.

In 1883, Robinson married Flora Taylor.