Edward Robinson (1853-1935) was the third son of Elisha Smith Robinson (1817-1885). He entered the business of E.S. & A. Robinson in 1869. In 1893, on the retirement of his uncle Alfred Robinson, he and his brother Arthur became managing directors and converted the business into a limited company.

According to the writer Bernard Darwin, Edward Robinson was a quiet, retiring man who was troubled by the thought that he was making too much money.