William and Louis had a concession store at the railway siding in Hutchinson, which is a junction near Victoria West. Louis was a bachelor while Dora married Kurt Fabian and Pauline married Morris Ralstein and they both moved to Bulawayo, Rhodesia.

Clarence went from Lithuania to school in Dublin and then as an 18 yr old sailed to Cape Town on the ship Persic out of Liverpool in 1908. The brothers' business in Huchinson was too small, so Clarence moved to Upington, where he opened a butchery.

In Upington he met Fanny Brower. The Browers came from Goldingen, then in Russia, now Latvia. Abraham Brower (Fanny's brother), the oldest Brower, was helped to go to Upington by other Goldingen families – Nurick and Gottschalk – who were already living in Upington. He sent money back to Goldingen and in 1910 Charlie, at the age of 13, travelled from Goldingen to London, then to Cape Town and then by train to Prieska and then by wagon to Upington. In 1913 Charlie and Abraham brought out their mother, Rebecca, and three sisters, Marle, Sarah and Fanny. Their father died before leaving Goldingen.

Fanny Brower

Clarence and Fanny married in Upington in 1916. They had 4 children: Sylvia (born Upington 19 August 1917, died Cape Town 11 April 2004), Isidore (Boy) (born Upington 14 June 1919, died Cape Town 28 July 2004), Shirley (born Upington 19 June 1921, died Cape Town 13 August 1998) and Ronnie (born Upington 24 November 1924, died Melbourne 27 August 2019).

Robinson family approx. 1935. From L to R: Clarence, Shirley, Isidore (Boy), Ronald, Sylvia, Fanny.

Sylvia studied music at UCT. Boy served in the South African army during World War 2 and then became a land surveyor. Shirley did secretarial studies and Ronald studied medicine at UCT. Sylvia married Dr Abe Cohen in Upington in 1940 and they lived there until 1964.

Clarence's butchery led him into farming with karakul sheep and cattle on farms at Kakoup and Smalvisch (today Smalvis).

Photos on the farm. L to R: Back: Sarah Brower, Mrs. Jacobsohn, Mimmie Brower, Mrs. Hamburg, Clarence Robinson, Fanny Robinson, Charlie Brower, Marle Brower. Front: Leone Jacobsohn, Sylvia Cohen, Abe Cohen, Hazel Brower, Ronnie Robinson.

L to R: Back: Charlie Brower, Fanny Robinson, Louis Shulman, Boy Robinson, Mrs. Hamburg. Front: Clarence Robinson, Ronnie Robinson, Sidney Brower, Sylvia Robinson, Sarah Brower, Hazel Brower.

L to R: Ronnie Robinson, Charlie Brower, Fanny Robinson, Boy Robinson, Louis Shulman, Mrs. Hamburg.

L to R: Sarah Brower, Shirley Robinson, Sylvia Robinson, Boy Robinson, Fanny Robinson, Clarence Robinson, Sidney Brower.

L to R: Ronnie Robinson, Fanny Robinson, ?, Mimmie Brower, Clarence Robinson, Mrs. Hamburg, Sylvia Robinson.

L to R: Sylvia and Fanny Robinson.

Over the years farming was successful but there was much more to Clarence's life than farming. Clarence and Fanny enjoyed entertaining in their home. Clarence had one of the first Ford motor cars in Upington. He was a keen sportsman and founded the Upington Rugby Club, having developed a love for the game during his schooling in Dublin.

Family in Ford, ca. 1920. From L to R: Clarence, Charlie Brower, Fanny, Rebecca and Sarah Brower, children Boy and Sylvia. Clarence (sitting, third from left) in Upington Rugby Club team, 1912.

SA Jewish Times, 28 June 1978

He immersed himself in civic matters, serving as a councillor for 32 yrs, on the Upington Hospital board for 47 yrs and in Jewish affairs, including as President of the Upington Hebrew Congregation for 12 yrs. He served as Mayor of Upington for 3 years. There is a street in Upington named after him – Robinson Street.

Clarence Robinson as mayor

Robinson Street, Upington

Fanny passed away in 1949 and Clarence moved to Cape Town some years later, where he was still involved on hospital boards. He died in Cape Town in 1967.

Robinson graves in Pinelands Cemetery, Cape Town

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