David Robertson (abt. 1785 - aft. 1861)

Born about 12 Apr 1785 in Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland

Descendants

Died after 1861 after about age 75 in Canada

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Sarah Robertson [send private message]

Biography

There is a David born to William Robertson, merchant, and Elizabeth Millar, and baptized in College Kirk Parish, Edinburgh, who is the right age in the right location to be Reverend David Robertson. If Reverend David's birth was registered this appears to be the most likely candidate and the above date of birth is correct.

William and Elizabeth were married in December 1772 in Leith, Scotland ^[1] and had two other children born in Edinburgh: Janet, born 06/01/1789 ^[2], and Charles, born 23/05/1790. ^[3] Charles may have died the next year, since there is a Charles Robertson, son of William Robertson, who was buried March 3, 1791, in Edinburgh. ^[4]

Reverend David Robertson emigrated to Canada in 1831 (or early 1832). He received a silver biscuit dish with the engraving "To the Rev’d D Robertson, a token of gratitude from his Sabbath evening class 1831" (see photo and comment), and this, according to the family, was received in Edinburgh.

There is no Reverend D Robertson listed in the Fastiæ Scoticaniæ Scoticanæ (which lists ministers with congregations in the Church of Scotland) for Edinburgh^[5]. Nor is there one listed in the Fastiæ Scoticaniæ Scoticanæ for Montreal^[6]. There is a David Robertson who was minister of the Kilmaurs Associate Presbytery in Scotland from 1810 to 1846^[7], but that cannot be him because of the engraving.

It appears that no one with that name was ordained by the Edinburgh Presbytery (mainstream Church of Scotland) between 1799 and 1831^[8], or that anyone by that name was a church elder in Edinburgh in the year or two prior to 1831^[9].

There is a David Robertson mentioned in the minutes of the Trinity Kirk Session in Edinburgh on August 4, 1830 that says:

After hearing a verbal report from Mr. Hutchison in regard to the establishment of a school, it was resolved that so soon as a proper teacher can be got, a day school should be established in David Robertson's Room, and if the attendance be numerous a larger room shall be obtained. ^[10]

Reverend D Robertson is not mentioned in the history of the main Presbyterian church in Montreal in the relevant period^[11], but there was a Reverend Mr. Robertson (no first name) at the Erskine Presbyterian Church (a secessionist Presbyterian church) in Griffintown in Montreal in 1832 and only in that year^[12].

Neither the Presbyterian Church in Canada archives nor the United Church of Canada archives appear to have any documentation of Reverend Robertson in the Montreal area.^[13]

It looks like Reverend Robertson was always a secessionist and therefore not associated with the Edinburgh Presbytery, though part of the larger Sabbath school scene in Edinburgh in 1830, or perhaps he wasn't actually a minister.

The 1842 Quebec census lists a Reverend Robertson with a household of ten people living in Montreal (specifically in St Laurent, a suburb of Montreal on the island).

The 1851 Canada census does not appear to list a D. Robertson in St. Laurent. It does list a D. Robertson (cultivateur), age 66, living in St. Louis de Gonzague, Beauharnois (county – south of Montreal on the shore of the St Lawrence), Canada East (Quebec), however, there is a Daniel Robertson listed in the same area in 1861 so this D. Robertson is not Reverend Robertson. According to the Canadian census archives, some St Laurent records from the 1851 census have been lost.

The 1861 Canada census lists D. Robertson, gentleman and widower, age 76, living in St Laurent, Montreal, Canada East (Quebec), possibly on Thimens Street. He is living with his daughter and son-in-law (R. McBeatney as transcribed in the census, probably McBratney), their three children Isabella, age 5, Robert, age 3, and Mary, age 1, and four unrelated men (C. Davis, William Holmes, Hugh McBean, and possibly N. Douglas) who work for the family or the business. The son-in-law, from Ireland, appears to be either a boot merchant or a boot maker. The 1871 census lists a Robert McBratney, a shoemaker, in the same area; his wife's name is Mary, which indicates that David had two daughters as well as one son.

D. Robertson, age 87, does not appear to be in the 1871 census at all, so presumably died before then.

It appears that these D/David Robertsons may all be the same person, with the exception of the farmer in 1851.

There is a record at Mount Royal Cemetery in Montreal of an unnamed daughter of Reverend David Robertson buried in an unmarked grave in the old free ground (for people who could not pay), in section N1 of the cemetery, which would bring the total of daughters to three, plus his son David.^[14]

There does not appear to be any birth record for any of his three named children in Edinburgh, Scotland, even though they would have been born there. This, combined with no record of him having a parish either there or in Montreal (excepting 1832) suggests that if he had a congregation, it was nonconformist even by nonconformist standards and was never assimilated into the larger Presbyterian churches. Alternately, the records could have been lost. (Or he could have been financially independent, possibly subsidized by his merchant father in Edinburgh, and not had a congregation at all. Or some combination of the above.)

Interestingly, even though he appears to have had many grandchildren (at least twelve surviving to adulthood), none of his five known granddaughters appear to have married, and only four of his seven known grandsons may have had children. (The same trend appears to also be true for three great-granddaughters, daughters of George Robertson.) One of his descendants, Sarah Robertson, is autistic, and in her opinion her father and his father would likely be considered autistic if growing up today, which suggests a history of a broader autism phenotype in the family going back many generations.

Sources

1. ↑ National Records of Scotland, Old Parish Registers Marriages 692/2 110 41 Leith South, page 41 of 481.
2. ↑ National Records of Scotland, Old Parish Registers Births 685/1 380 121 Edinburgh page 121 of 306.
3. ↑ National Records of Scotland, Old Parish Registers Births 685/1 380 189 Edinburgh page 189 of 306.
4. ↑ National Records of Scotland, Old Parish Registers Deaths 685/1 980 163 Edinburgh page 163 of 447
5. ↑ Fastiæ Scoticaniæ Scoticanæ Volume I
6. ↑ Fastiæ Scoticaniæ Scoticanæ Volume VII
7. ↑ Annals and Statistics of the United Presbyterian Church, page 403
8. ↑ Scotlands People, Virtual Volumes, Edinburgh Presbytery Edinburgh Presbytery link in Virtual Volumes by Volume at ScotlandsPeople
9. ↑ Scotlands People, Virtual Volumes, Edinburgh City Edinburgh City link in Virtual Volumes by Place at ScotlandsPeople
10. ↑ Edinburgh – Trinity kirk session, Minutes (1830–1850), CH2/ 141/ 14, Image CH000200141-00014-00011-, page 10.
11. ↑ A History of the Scotch Presbyterian Church, St. Gabriel Street, Montreal.
12. ↑ Presbyterian Churches of Quebec City and Montreal, page 20
13. ↑ As communicated to Sarah Robertson.
14. ↑ reported to Sarah Robertson in person

• National Records of Scotland, Old Parish Registers Births 685/1 370 278 Edinburgh
• Lower Canada (Quebec) census 1842 pdf of scan
• Canada census 1851 pdf of scan
• Canada census 1861, Canada East, District: Montreal, Subdistrict: Montreal (St. Laurent), item number 278646 pdf of scan
• McBratneys: Canada census 1871, Quebec, Montreal West, St. Laurent Ward, items 21303 and subsequent pdf of scan