Charles Napier Robinson (27 January 1849 – 14 September 1936) was an English journalist and story writer. After a career in the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

, during which he achieved the rank of

Commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank as well as a job title in many army, armies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countri ...

, he became a journalist, specialising in naval matters. In his lifetime Robinson witnessed the Naval Review of 1854 and the Silver Jubilee Review of 1936 and as a participant, spectator or correspondent he witnessed all the Naval Reviews of the 80 years between. During his military service he witnessed fighting during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

. He was born in

Thanet Thanet may refer to: * Isle of Thanet, a former island, now a peninsula, at the most easterly point of Kent, England * Thanet District, a local government district containing the island *Thanet College, former name of East Kent College * Thanet Ca ...

Kent Kent is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Gr ...

in 1849, one of five children of Anne and Alexander Robinson, a Paymaster 1st Class and Purser in the

. In 1861 aged 13 Charles Robinson joined the Royal Navy and was promoted Lieutenant in September 1872. He was

Mentioned in Despatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face of t ...

for actions against slaving

dhow Dhow (; ) is the generic name of a number of traditional sailing vessels with one or more masts with settee or sometimes lateen sails, used in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean region. Typically sporting long thin hulls, dhows are trading vessels ...

s off the East African coast. After twenty years of service he retired early in July 1882 under the Childers Scheme with the rank of Commander. In 1882 at St. George's church in

Bloomsbury Bloomsbury is a district in the West End of London, part of the London Borough of Camden in England. It is considered a fashionable residential area, and is the location of numerous cultural institution, cultural, intellectual, and educational ...

in London he married 20 year-old Alice Wilson (1862-) with whom he had three children. His son was Rear Admiral Sir Cloudesley Varyl Robinson, KCB (1883-1959). Between 1895 and 1903 Robinson was the editor of the periodical '' The Navy and Army Illustrated''. He was assistant editor of the ''Army and Navy Gazette'' and a founder of the

Society for Nautical Research The Society for Nautical Research is a British society that conducts research and sponsors projects related to maritime history worldwide. Founded in 1910, the Society initially encouraged research into seafaring, ship-building, the language and ...

being a member of the original Council of 1910-11 and was a member of the Publication Committee. In 1921 he became a Vice-President and in 1931 was appointed an Honorary Vice-President. After his long and a distinguished service in the

he became the Naval Correspondent for ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...

'', a position he held for 45 years and was editor of '' The Naval Annual''. Robinson was also "a prolific author who had a considerable impact on how naval history was both written and understood" and was a writer of naval fiction. He received the

Royal United Services Institute The Royal United Services Institute (RUSI, Rusi) is a defence and security think tank with its headquarters in London, United Kingdom. It was founded in 1831 by the Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, Duke of Wellington, Arthur Wellesley ...

’s Chesney Medal for his contribution to naval literature.Obituary for Commander Charles Napier Robinson
-

(1937) His book ''The British Fleet, the Growth, Achievements, and Duties of the Navy of the Empire'' (1894) became essential reading for naval officers from many countries. A

Freemason Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...

, in 1898 as a 'Retired Commander (RN)' he joined the Navy Lodge No.2612. His daughter Marjorie (1898–1984) married

Geoffrey Lawrence, 1st Baron Oaksey Geoffrey Lawrence, 3rd Baron Trevethin, 1st Baron Oaksey, (2 December 1880 – 28 August 1971) was the lead British judge during the Nuremberg trials after Second World War, and President of the International Military Tribunal. Biography The ...

. In his later years Robinson lived at 19 Esmond Gardens in Bedford Park in

Chiswick Chiswick ( ) is a district in West London, split between the London Borough of Hounslow, London Boroughs of Hounslow and London Borough of Ealing, Ealing. It contains Hogarth's House, the former residence of the 18th-century English artist Wi ...

. On his death his estate was valued at £4,316 8s 11d.England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1995 for Charles Napier Robinson: 1936 - Ancestry.com
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Works

* *Robinson, Charles Napier
''China of Today or the Yellow Peril''
'' The Navy and Army Illustrated'' : Geo. Newnes, c.1900 * * Introduction of - * Editor/Publisher of -

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Robinson, Charles Napier 1849 births 1936 deaths Royal Navy officers 19th-century Royal Navy personnel English male journalists English short story writers English male short story writers British maritime historians Freemasons of the United Grand Lodge of England