Mark Prever Robinson was a Hawaiian business magnate and politician. He served as Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Hawaii under the reign of Liliuokalani. During times of political upheaval and financial stress of Hawaii's changing governments, Robinson joined with other business men to come to the financial aid of the government.
Early life
Known professionally as M. P. Robinson, he was born July 4, 1852, in the Kingdom of Hawaii. He was the eldest son, and fifth of nine children, born to British immigrant John James Robinson and Rebecca Prever, a descendant of Hawaiian chiefess Kamakana.
Business interests
In 1875, Robinson and his brother-in-law S. C. Allen of Kauai formed the Allen & Robinson Lumber Company and became engaged in the operation of inter-island sailing ships. With other partners he formed Marshall, Campbell & Robinson, which operated a fleet of inter-island side-wheel paddle steamers. Robinson was an investor in Hawaii sugar plantations, and helped found the First National Bank. He partnered with Benjamin Franklin Dillingham, S. C. Allen, James Bicknell Castle, Robert Lewers and John H. Paty in 1889 to establish the Oahu Railway and Land Company. Robinson was the rail company's first treasurer, and one of its steady customers in shipping produce from his banana plantation to buyers. During the 1900 Bubonic Plague epidemic, much of Honolulu's Chinatown was destroyed by fires that were ignited by the Territory of HawaiiBoard of Health in an attempt to eradicate the source of the plague. The immediate resulting damage claims overwhelmed the territorial government's ability to reimburse property owners. Pending funding from the United States government, Robinson was one of several business owners who advanced money to the territorial government for claims settlements.
Rebecca Prever was the second wife of John James Robinson. With his first wife, he had children both his own and one step-daughter. Below are the nine children born to Rebecca Prever and John James Robinson:
Robert
John Lawrence Newcomb, wed chiefess Caroline Kapu-ai-ana-hulu Johnson of Kona.
Mary wed Thomas R. Foster – Foster Botanical Garden was their homestead, bequeathed to the city of Honolulu upon her death.
Victoria wed Kentucky-born Curtis Perry Ward, who had ties to Liliʻuokalani and Hawaii's royal court. The couple bought a coconut plantation and built a 2-story home they named "Old Plantation". Following Ward's 1882 death, Victoria oversaw the plantation operations for the next half century. Composer David Nape and Ward family friend Mary Jane Montano wrote the tribute song "Old Plantation". The first known recording was by Peter Kalani in 1916, but it has since been recorded by numerous artists.
Bathsheba wed Samuel Clesson Allen from Boston. Known as "Aunt Batty" to her nieces and nephews, she inherited the bulk of Allen's $2,000,000 estate after his 1903 death. In widowhood, she became a philanthropist. Upon her own death in 1914, her estate was estimated at slightly under $1,000,000.
Matilda A. wed William E. Foster, the nephew of her sister Mary's husband Thomas R. Foster.
Annie wed Albert Jaeger, a German immigrant who was appointed Hawaii's commissioner of the Bureau of Forestry. He became a manager at Allen & Robinson Lumber Company.
Lucy wed Dr. Albert McWayne
M. P. Robinson wed Sophia Louisa Campbell of New Jersey in 1877. After her death at age 36, he never remarried. They were the parents of three sons:
After a lengthy period of insomnia that drove him to the brink of insanity, Robinson killed himself on April 2, 1915. He left a note for his son explaining his actions. At the time of his death, he belonged to several fraternal organizations, including the Freemasons, Scottish Rites and the Knights Templar. His estate was estimated at $419,720.23, mostly land and other investments. A Canadian broker had been in negotiations in 1910 to put Robinson's private library on the auction block. At the time, it was said to be one of the most extensive libraries in a private collection. The deal was never completed, and the library was estimated at $57,000 at the time of his death. The following are the children of John James Robinson and his first wife. They are a half-brother and two half-sisters to Mark P. Robinson:
Caroline Tauwati Robinson of Tahitian-Hawaiian ancestry, she was the step-daughter of John James Robinson, from his first wife's previous marriage. Known as "Wati" or "Watti", she married Robert William Holt, her step-father's business manager, and related through marriage to Liliʻuokalani's husband John Owen Dominis.
James J. Robinson lived at north Kona. His wife's name was Kekapa.
Charlotte Robinson married Richard Coady at Washington Place in 1852. After his death, she married Dr. E. Von Hasslocher.
