[2] Tobin was educated at King Edward VI School, Southampton and Wadham College, Oxford, where he matriculated in 1787, and graduated B.A.
[7][8] In letters of 1798, Wordsworth announced to Tobin, then James Losh, his major poetic project under the working title The Recluse.
[13] Huggins was acquitted; Tobin made his views known, writing in particular to Hugh Elliot, the Governor of the Leeward Islands, claiming that the jury was packed.
[17][18] In 1812 he wrote a Reply to the pamphlet A plain statement of the motives which gave rise to the public punishment of several negroes (1811), by Thomas John Cottle, son-in-law of Edward Huggins.
[22] They had at least four children, including the eldest son John James, born 1808/9, the friend of Humphry Davy.