Lumley Robinson
Eng. Lieut-Commander Lumley Robinson (1877-1939), R.N., founder of L. Robinson and Co
1877 January 31st. Born in Holbeck, Leeds the son of John Simpson Robinson, engine fitter, and his wife Elizabeth Ingham
1911 Living at 141 Rock Avenue, Gillingham, Kent: L. Lumley Robinson (age 34 born Leeds), Artificer Engineer. With his wife E. B. Emily Boyd Robinson (age 26 born Leeds) and their two sons Henry Lumley Robinson (age 3 born Gillingham) and Leonard Charles Robinson (age 1 born Gillingham).[1]
1939 August 20th. Died in Jersey. Of Gillingham, Kent.
1939 Obituary [2]
Thirty-six hours after he had arrived Jersey, with his wife and youngest son, to spend a fortnight’s holiday, Eng. Lieut.-Commander Lumley Robinson, R.N. (retd.), former member of Gillingham Council, inventor the Jubilee worm drive clip, and public benefactor, collapsed and died. He was taken ill during a motor-coach trip round some of the beauty spots of the Island on Sunday, and died before medical attention could be summoned........The news of his death came as great shock to his many friends in Gillingham, where he had resided for nearly forty years. Mr. Robinson, who was 62 years of age, resided at 21, Balmoral-road, Gillingham
A Yorkshireman, he was born at Leeds, on January 31st, 1877. and was educated at the Princess Field School, Leeds. After leaving school, he was apprenticed at an iron and steel works at Leeds In 1900, he came to Gillingham to join the Navy as an engine-room artificer, and sixteen years later he was promoted to warrant officer. Four years later, he retired from the Navy with the rank of Engineer-Lieut.-Commander.
During his naval service, he served on the China Station and the Mediterranean. In the War he was a warrant officer on board the cruiser Aboukir., which, together with the Crecy and the Hogue, was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea by a German submarine. On that occasion Mr. Robinson was in the water for more than eight hours before he was rescued. He was also stationed aboard the ships Ark Royal, Cadmus. Hampshire, Africa and Tyne. Towards the end of the War he was at Salonica.
Mr. Robinson was widely known throughout the Medway Towns for his invention of the Jubilee Worm Clip, which he patented and had manufactured with great success since 1920. The clip is used by most of the big motor-car manufacturing firms, and over half a million are sold every week. Although his offices are at Gillingham, the clip is manufactured at Birmingham.