Robinson was born in
Wheeling, Virginia (later
West Virginia), on May 4, 1856, the youngest of 13 children born to Irish immigrants Robert Robinson and Sarah (Aken) Robinson. Robinson attended school until age 12, when he began work in a glass factory. He returned to school a year later, and after graduating, worked at a variety of occupations, including retail store clerk, apprentice plumber, and manufacturer in a hinge factory. After four years at the hinge factory, and several well-received speeches to the local literary society, in 1879 Robinson accepted the advice of his friends and began to
study law with Wheeling attorney
John O. Pendleton. He attained
admission to the bar in May 1880 and practiced in Wheeling until 1884, when he decided to relocate to the western United States. After traveling to
Clinton, Iowa to confer with childhood friend
Thomas F. Memminger, Robinson and Memminger decided to settle in
Nebraska, and Robinson chose to establish a law practice in
Madison. ==Continued career==