Mickey Starling Columnist Robert Robinson is best remembered as the writer of the beloved hymn, “Come Thou Fount.” Born in the 1700s, he was a contemporary of evangelist George Whitefield and fellow minister Jonathan Edwards. Robinson was born in Suffolk, England, to parents who struggled to make ends meet. To make matters worse, his father abandoned the family when Robinson was around seven years old and passed away a year later. His mother struggled to pay for his education and eventu