Hill plantation and was the brother of Virginia Governor Thomas Nelson. Career Like his father, uncle and others of his class, Robinson was a planter who produced tobacco for export to Europe using enslaved labor. He also continued the tradition of both sides of his family by serving part-time in the House of Burgesses, representing King and Queen County. He won re-election before every session for nearly three decades, until his death. During this long tenure, Robinson demonstrated mastery of the rules of parliamentary procedure. Robinson also served as the colony's treasurer from 1738 until his death. When the previous treasurer, John Holloway, had resigned, the accounts were found in disorder, with £1,850 in arrears, possibly from amounts not forwarded by county sheriffs, though Holloway had also commingled state and personal funds. After Robinson died, the burgesses discovered that he failed to burn redeemed notes but instead made personal loans exceeding 100,000 pounds from the treasury to his friends, and also failed to deposit funds received by local sheriffs into the Treasury. The resulting scandal was a factor in Virginia politics for years. Robinson's estate was not settled until decades after the end of the American Revolution. While John Robinson was speaker of the House, relations with England deteriorated after the French and Indian War, as British officials attempted to recoup costs. Following news of the Stamp Act in 1765, some burgesses proposed the Virginia Resolves against those fiscal measures. After Patrick Henry's speech favoring the resolution, Robinson shouted, "Treason!, Treason!" Positions held in the Virginia Colony Delegate, Virginia House of Burgesses (1728–1738) Speaker of Virginia House of Burgesses (1738–1766) Treasurer, Virginia Colony (1738–1766) Death and legacy Following Robinson's death at his main plantation on the night of May 10/11, possibly from an attack of kidney stones, his administrators found he had very large debts, as well as promissory notes from a number of fellow planters who were his allies in the House of Burgesses. A committee established to examine the treasury accounts found an arrearage of £100,761. Robert Carter Nicholas, his successor as treasurer, criticized him by name in the Virginia Gazetter, and as a result of the ensuing scandal, the two offices were not combined again. Peyton Randolph succeeded him as Speaker, but chose not to administer Robinson's estate. Although three lawyers were appointed as the estate's administrators, Peter Randolph soon died, Peter Lyons chose not participate actively,