Robinson was born the son of a poor vicar in
Keynsham, and was educated at
Liverpool College and
Christ's College, Cambridge, of which he became a fellow. He was ordained deacon in the Diocese of Ely in 1881, and priest in 1882, when he was Fellow. After a BA degree in 1881, he received his
MA degree in 1884, was made
Bachelor of Divinity (BD) in 1891, and
Doctor of Divinity (DD) in 1896. The
Dean of Westminster,
George Granville Bradley, was severely ill throughout most of 1902, but wanted to stay in the position until the
coronation of the King in August. Bradley resigned the following month, and the King appointed Robinson Dean of Westminster in early October, followed by a formal installation in
Westminster Abbey on 28 October 1902. As Dean of Westminster, he was in November 1902 appointed Acting Chaplain to the
Queen's Westminsters, the largest
volunteer corps in London. Robinson was
Lord High Almoner from 1906 to 1933. He served at Westminster until he was appointed
Dean of Wells in 1911. It has been suggested that the move to Wells was arranged to avoid friction in the run-up to the coronation of
George V. As
Dean of Wells Robinson enjoyed close links with
Downside Abbey. He also critically explored the origins of the
Glastonbury legends to which the
Glastonbury Festival had revived attention. A renowned scholar in
patristics (he was particularly known for his work on the
Lausiac History and for having been the first person to translate into English the newly discovered work by
Irenaeus The Demonstration of the Apostolic Preaching), Armitage Robinson was a participant in the bilateral Anglican-Roman Catholic
Malines Conversations. He held honorary doctorates from
Göttingen (Hon Ph.D., 1893) and
Halle (Hon. D.Theol., 1894). He was appointed
Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO) in 1932, and died at
Upton Noble, Somerset, on 7 May 1933 aged 75. ==Works==