Rev. William Robinson, who resided in Lebanon, Connecticut, came and supplied the pulpit in the early part of 1777.  It is not known how often he preached, but favorably impressing the congregation, he asked to preach regulary in March of 1778.

In December of 1778 Rev. Robinson was invited to become the pastor for the society.  Rev. Robinson declined the invitation, because he had many other offers from some of the best parishes in the state.  He also knew of all the difficulties the former pastors had encountered, and was just not ready to settle anywhere much less here in Southington.

Receiving repeated refusals from Rev. Robinson, the society church members became even more determined to have him for their spiritual leader.  Another offer and invitation were extended to Rev. Robinson, and after preaching November 14, 1779, Rev. Robinson submitted a letter of acceptance.  The expectations of the future pastor and proper conduct toward the pastor and his family were both spelled out for his future parishioners.  It seems, many ministers suffered at the hands of their parishioners both mentally and economically.  Contracts were not honored, and treatment of the pastor and his family was often most unkind.  Although only 24 years old, Rev. Robinson realized the situation called for all the tact and forbearance a man could muster.  Someone once said to Rev. Robinson, "I hear you are going to be settled over the people of Southington."  Mr. Robinson replied, "If I am settled there, I shall be OVER them and not under them."  This proved to be true, and he faithfully and successfully presided over the church for 41 years.

There was but one request Rev. Robinson made, which some people felt might lead to further controversy, and that was the changes and revision of the Covenant, and Articles of Faith which, when accomplished, were accepted with no trouble by the church.

Rev. Robinson was to be ordained January 12, 1780.  However, because of a particularly heavy snowstorm that day, his ordination was postponed until the following day.  On January 13th, 1780, Rev. Robinson was ordained with Rev. Dr. Stiles of Yale College and a large congregation in attendance.

So began the 41 year ministry of Rev. Robinson noted for its success.  He built a home in which he lived the rest of his life.  He was then buried along with many members of his large family in Oak Hill Cemetery.

Rev. Robinson was born in Lebanon, Connecticut, graduated from Yale College in 1773, and received his Master’s Degree there three years later.  He supplied many pulpits and was made tutor at Yale.  In February of 1780, Mr. Robinson married Naomi Wolcott of East Windsor.  His life was not a very happy one.  His family was afflicted with death, and he married four times.  No doubt the suffering of his own family gave Rev. Robinson first-hand knowledge and a deep compassion for others.

The early domestic trials of Rev. Robinson rendered his rather generous income inadequate.  He looked for new direction in order to supplement his income.  He turned to ways which were not natural for a man of his position.  Most ministers would supplement their income by supplying empty pulpits or would teach, but Rev. Robinson turned instead to farming, and farming of the first order, using the latest of methods and seed.  He rotated his crops and cultivated clover.  He acquired land and money; and 10 years after his settlement he had a farm of 150 acres, 40 hives of bees, 100 cows, six-eight yolk of oxen, and cared for all this, never neglecting his spiritual duties.

In 1801 a complaint was brought to a meeting of the society, charging that Rev. Robinson was neglecting his visits to the sick and aflicted; however, when a committee approached Rev. Robinson with the charge, he denied it in toto.  He did say he would be willing to give up his secular business, if the society was willing to pay him a living wage for the support of his family and also for their education.  He stated that he believed the complaint was lodged not from the motives alleged, but because of opposition to the doctrines which he preached.  At this time the town was warmly discussing "Universalism."  Expressing a willingness to give up the pulpit to which he had been invited, if such was the wish of the society, he met with encouragement and a warm desire for him to stay, and soon the matter died away.

The fortunes of Rev. Robinson continued to grow steadily through his own efforts and advanced methods of farming.  Many farmers in town scoffed at Rev. Robinson when he began using plaster of paris, which contained lime, on his fields.  Owning many acres of land to the south of town, Rev. Robinson had let a field out to a farmer in that part of town and suggested he use plaster of paris on the land first.  The farmer thought the idea was nonsense and refused.  Rev. Robinson then said that they were sharing the crop yield of the field, and he wanted the fertilizer and its use became a common practice among all.

Rev. Robinson would loan his farm animals out for the summer season, and payment for this service was a share of the products produced.  He also adopted the idea of turning under green fertilizer in the tred soil of Southington and immediately began reaping the benefits.  Any new method of farming, which made sense to the forward thinking minister, was tried, and not only did he profit from the new ideas, but so did the other farmers of town who considered Rev. Robinson to be not only an excellent spiritual leader by his very own words and deeds, but they also held him in the highest esteem as an astute businessman.  Rev. Robinson encouraged the growth of Indian corn and established a most profitable market for the ground grain, which was exported to the West Indian market.  Roger Whittlesey, a leading lawyer of Southington, said, "It was Mr. Robinson who taught Southington people how to live."

In his spiritual life, Rev. Robinson was equally diligent with an understanding nature, which warmed him to his followers.  He often preached mid-week services in other parts of town, as well as punctually attending to his weekly services at church.  So punctual an individual was he that if he saw someone was absent from church, he was sure to inquire after the health of the individual through the following week.  It was said that here in the Southington church, as was the case elsewhere, those who lived farthest from church were the most regular and punctual in their attendance.

In later years, Rev. Robinson began to feel the inroads of infirmities.  Advancing years found him much heavier in stature, which no doubt aggravated his problem of swollen feet and legs.  The symptoms of dropsy were apparent, and in his later years Rev. Robinson not only found walking and riding uncomfortable, but his breathing was also badly affected.

During these years of his ministry, with his family grown and largely removed from his home, he was able to pursue, with pleasure and diligence, his spiritual functions.

In July of 1818, with almost unbearable discomfort, he wrote to the church and society stating his inability to continue with the duties, due to his infirmities, and felt he was no longer able to meet the needs of the fast growing parish.  He suggested that a committee be formed to find a new minister to take his place.

No action was taken at that time to procure a new spiritual leader, and two years passed during which time Rev. Robinson’s condition deteriorated.  In November of 1820, however, the Society took action by passing the following vote: Rev. Robinson was to relinquish all claims on the Society.  At this point we quote directly from Rev. Heman Timlow’s account of the dissmissal of Rev. Robinson.  "There is a secret and sad history in this dissmissal of the venerable pastor.  His greatness of heart and absolute self control appear distinctly in these last negotiations."  Although his friends were in the majority in the Society, they stood by and permitted a small but resolute minority to successfully insist upon conditions that must ever reflect discredit on this parish.  With all of the financial successes Rev. Robinson had been responsible for in the community, he was, in the end, given no concession, even so far as his family’s pew tax was concerned.  He was also not consulted so far as conditions of his retirement.  It was commonly believed that because of Rev. Robinson’s great success with farming, he was in comfortable circumstances.  In his later years; however, this was not the case, as he had been most generous with those who came to him for assistance.  Often, especially in his later years, he had had a poor return on his money and was left at this time in life without a great deal of wealth.  Still, many of the parish wanted his taxes so as to diminish their own rates.  Rather than cause any further strife, Rev. Robinson submitted to the indignities put upon him.

Rev. Robinson was dismissed in April of 1821 when an Ecclesiatical Council was convened in Southington.  With regret, the Council, consisting of the pastors of Wolcott, Farmington, New Britain, Bristol and Kensington, dissolved the relationship between the Rev. William Robinson and the church and society of the church.

While still attending the church regularly and helping those of this town when possible, Rev. Robinson likewise showed the new pastor, Rev. David Ogden, every courtesy and also quietly helped him when possible.

In 1824 Rev. Robinson lost his dearly beloved wife, who for 34 years had been his cherished companion.  Following her death, his own health declined more rapidly.  In 1825, after several days of unusual exertion, Rev. Robinson took to his bed with diarrhea and lethargy; and as he continued to worsen, he had a high fever, which continued until the end.  He died August 15th, 1825, on his birthday, aged 71 years.

During the 41 years of Rev. Robinson’s ministry, there was trouble and strife.  When he first accepted the call to the Southington church, he had asked for a change in the government and discipline of the church.  This caused many years of opposition with a small number of influential members.  He brought up the matter of abandoning the half-way covenant, which provoked such an opposition that large numbers of people withdrew and laid foundations of the Baptist and Episcopal societies.  There were also difficulties with the terms of Rev. Robinson’s settlement.  When he came to the church with the Revolutionary War (fluctuations in the prices of grain, which was in part used to pay the pastor’s salary), he would often be the loser; but when the war prices advanced, he was the winner; and this, the parishioners could not take!  It was all right for Rev. Robinson to stand a loss, but he was not to gain.  There was also the rising tide of Universalism and Armenianism, which during the course of his ministry, took about 200 members of the church; however, many returned in years to come.  With his own personal wealth, he was not troubled by this matter nearly as much as he would have been, had he been completely dependent on it.

Being a very shy man and finding it difficult to make new acquaintances, some say Rev. Robinson never reached his full potential.  He was a man who lived in friendly intercourse with his many friends, and had gained their love and respect through his affable and dignified way of life; and, although he was friendly with many ministers of prominence not only from Connecticut, but also from Massachusetts, he himself never seemed able to conquer his shyness or put forth his power, which were the qualities of the foremost men of his time.  There are no likenesses of Rev. Robinson, as he would never permit them to be made.

I quote the following estimate of Rev. Robinson, which was delivered by Rev. Heman Timlow.  It allows us a view of this fine man who settled, not under, but over this parish for 41 years, and contributed greatly to the growth of the church and town.

"The more I study the services and character of Mr. Robinson, the greater my admiration for the man.  I honor his name.  I revere his memory.  I have stood by his grave with friends and remarked, "There lies a great prophet of the Lord; he went in and out before the people of Southington 40 years, and they never knew him.  They don’t know him today.’"

"He was a greater and better man than your fathers ever thought him ~ than you, the children, think him.  The time will come when, to him, and the other noble names that so honor your history, will be reared a monument of stone.  Let it be an occasion of grateful praise that Willaim Robinson was once the pastor of this church."