Clifford William Robinson

Clifford William Robinson (September 1, 1866 – July 27, 1944) was a New Brunswick lawyer, businessman and politician, the 12th premier of New Brunswick.

The Honourable Clifford William Robinson
The Hon. Clifford W. Robinson
12th Premier of New Brunswick
In office May 31, 1907 – March 24, 1908
Monarch	Edward VII
Lieutenant Governor	Lemuel John Tweedie
Preceded by	William Pugsley
Succeeded by	John D. Hazen
MLA for Westmorland
In office May 29, 1897 – June 20, 1912 Serving with Ambrose D. Richard, William F. Humphrey, Francis J. Sweeney, W. Woodbury Wells, Arthur Bliss Copp, Olivier-Maximin Melanson, Clement M. Leger
Preceded by	Amasa E. Killam
Succeeded by	William T. Humphrey
MLA for Moncton
In office February 24, 1917 – May 5, 1924
Preceded by	Otto Baird Price
Succeeded by	E. Albert Reilly
Senator for Moncton, New Brunswick
In office May 5, 1924 – July 27, 1944
Appointed by	William Lyon Mackenzie King
Personal details
Born	(1866-09-01)September 1, 1866 Moncton, New Brunswick
Died	July 27, 1944(1944-07-27) (aged 77) Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Political party	Liberal
Spouses	Annie M. Hinson ​ (m. 1890)​ Jane A. Harris Peters ​ ​ (m. 1933)​
Residence(s)	83 Victoria Street, Moncton[1]
Alma mater	Mount Allison University
Occupation	lawyer, businessman
Profession	politician

He was born in Moncton, New Brunswick and was educated in Point de Bute, Saint John and Moncton before attending Mount Allison University. Robinson worked as a bookkeeper from 1886 to 1889 before studying law. He was called to the bar in 1892 and set up practice in Moncton. In 1897 he became both mayor of Moncton and a member of the provincial House of Assembly as a Liberal. He served as Speaker and Provincial Secretary before becoming Premier in 1907. The Liberals had been in power since 1883, however, and voters opted for a change in the 1908 election which brought the Conservatives to power. Robinson continued in the legislature as an opposition MLA.

When the Liberals returned to power in 1917, Robinson became minister without portfolio and then Minister of Lands and Mines in the governments of Walter E. Foster and Peter J. Veniot until 1924 when he was appointed to the Senate of Canada by Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King.

Robinson was the main shareholder and, for a time, president for the Moncton Transcript. He also helped establish a French language newspaper l'Acadien. He was president or director for a number of businesses in the Moncton area, helped found the Central Trust Company Limited and the Petitcodiac Hydro Development Company and also helped establish Moncton radio station CKCW.

He died in office in Montreal at the age of 77.