James Fisher Robinson

James Fisher Robinson (October 4, 1800 – October 31, 1882) was the 22nd governor of Kentucky, serving the remainder of the unfinished term of Governor Beriah Magoffin. Magoffin, a Confederate sympathizer, became increasingly ineffective after the elections of 1861 yielded a supermajority to pro-Union forces in both houses of the Kentucky General Assembly. Magoffin agreed to resign the governorship, provided he could select his successor. He selected Robinson.

Politically, Robinson opposed both secession and abolition. Though he had Union sympathies, he was considered a moderate,

Early life Robinson was born to Jonathan and Jane Black Robinson in Scott County, Kentucky on October 4, 1800. His early studies were done under a private tutor, then under Presbyterian minister Robert Marshall. He attended Forest Hill Academy and Transylvania University, graduating in 1818. His brother, John McCracken Robinson graduated in the same class and moved to Illinois, where he eventually served two terms as a U.S. Senator. James Robinson studied law under William T. Barry, and was admitted to the bar, beginning his practice in Georgetown, Kentucky.

Political career Robinson's political career began in 1851, when he was elected to the Kentucky Senate as a Whig

Robinson again assumed the position as Speaker of the Senate on August 16, 1862, as part of a political deal to effect the resignation of Governor Beriah Magoffin.

The Civil War was ongoing during Robinson's administration. During Robinson's tenure, the Confederacy made its major advance into the Commonwealth. He was also concerned with the effect the war had on public education in the state. The constitutional questions Robinson raised during his administration shaped much of the political debate for Bramlette's term.

Later life and death Following his term as governor, Robinson retired to "Cardome," his family farm in Scott County. Politically, he became more distant from the national administration, supporting George B. McClellan for president in 1864. He served as president of the Farmers' Bank of Georgetown and chair of the Georgetown College Board of Trustees. On December 1, 1873, he married his third wife, Caroline "Carrie" Hening of Georgetown, who was 36 years his junior. He died on October 31, 1882, and is buried in the Georgetown Cemetery in Georgetown, Kentucky.