Henry Robinson was an English merchant, and an idealist at heart. During a time of widespread poverty, ignorance and intolerance, he wanted people to live together in peace and have a better life. On Sept. 29, 1650, he opened his business on Threadneedle Street in London. He called his shop the Office of Addresses and Encounters. In simple terms, it did what the name suggests — it provided a central list of addresses and linked together interested parties. Historian John Schmidt talks about what he says is probably the earliest analog version of Google and Craigslist.